We both travel quite a bit for our job. The good thing about that is rewards points. So, our stay at the Holiday Inn Express was paid for by points, or FREE, always a plus! Breakfast was a battleground. We were in the company of about 50 Chinese tourists getting ready to load the bus for the tour of the day. Funny, towering at 6' tall above them made no difference when it came to pushing and shoving in the breakfast line. The food was good though; it was a combination of Eastern and Western food. Of course, Eastern food included water rice, which is what I end up eating every morning during our trip! The Western food reminded us of Thanksgiving dinner featuring salad, beef and gravy, potatoes, vegetable medley, hot dogs, pasta with red sauce, and eggs. I refuse to eat American food while I'm here, so I did not partake in that.
After breakfast, my Mom, Da Jo, Dad, and Dad's friends met us at the hotel to take us out for the day. Dad's friends, Mr. and Mrs. Liao, are more familiar with Taoyuan, and were ever so kind to drive us around, show us the sights, and feed us some awesome food.
Today was an AMAZING day; it felt like an entire vacation packed into one day! First and foremost, this is the first time I have seen my dad in 25 yrs. You see that kind of story in movies, but what an exhilarating and humbling feeling it is to personally experience. He did not speak English, and my Mandarin is very choppy, so I was very thankful my mom was here to help translate.
We drove through the streets and villages of old mountainous Taoyuan. This area is not as much of a tourist trap, because it is further into the countryside. The first thing you will notice in Taiwan is all of the scooters! They are everywhere, and come in all shapes and sizes. They look so convenient and fun, that Adam and I have decided to buy one when we get back to Kansas City! (minus the child without a helmet or seatbelt)
Our first stop was Shihmen Dam. This dam holds rain from Typhoon season, and is then released to provide a spectacular show for the locals. It is the water source for many of the surrounding towns and cities, including Taipei County. Adam fantasized a moment about riding his BMX bike down the dam and into the lake. I'm not quite sure if he would clear the road beneath, but it never hurts to dream.
We quickly learned that we would be walking and eating a lot during this trip. They cancel each other out right? Travel tip: Carry toilet paper or kleenex. Some of these bathrooms do not have a regular toilet, especially in the tourist attractions, public transportation, and rural areas. Instead, it is a squat toilet, and it does not come with instructions! I have to admit, it took me 2-3 times to figure the thing out, sorry, gross I know. Usually, free toilet paper is not provided. Some of the time, you can purchase toilet paper for $10 TWD from a machine similar to feminine products.
During one of our rest stops, Adam and I got a little schooling about the Taiwan culture. While driving around town earlier, we naively noticed small shops with women dressed in sexy clothing (or lack of) and neon lights outside (usually green, red, and blue). We learned that this is the marketing technique used to sell Bing Lang. Bing Lang or Betel Nut: It is similar to chewing tobacco, and can also be cancerous to the mouth. Many people we saw chewing it did not have teeth. It is more frowned upon in the city, while very popular in the country. I just read it is Taiwan's second largest agricultural crop, interesting! Anyways, everyone kept talking about it, including my mom who never dared try it. So, naturally, we had to give it a go. You chew the top off and spit it out. Then put the bing lang in our mouth, and proceed to chew. You cannot swallow during the first few seconds, because it can be toxic. Once in the clear, you just chew. It has the similar effects to chewing tobacco; gives you a buzz and makes you warm. Your mouth also turns red, because of the substance it contains. Good experience, but never again!
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| Rest stop |
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| Refreshments |
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| Soy Sauce and Tea Egg |
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| Bing Lang Tongues! |
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| Bing Lang |
It was lunch time, and as all of my friends know, I hardly miss a meal! We went to a restaurant in town that is famous for goose meat. Unfortunately, I was not thinking and did not get a photo of the place, so I don't even know what its called and where it is. Not a good call for a self-proclaimed foodie. This was our first sit down meal and it was exquisite, and sets the tone for the remainder of the trip. Forgive me, I love taking photos of food as much as I love to eat food, so there will be plenty throughout this blog. Culture Alert: Soup is usually served with the meal. They do not drink a lot during meals, like Americans do (2 coke refills during dinner...I know you know what I'm talking about). Instead, the soup is served after the meal, before the dessert (usually fruit), and that is what they drink to quench their thirst.
As you can imagine, we were stuffed after lunch. We thought our sightseeing was close to an end, but boy were we wrong, and a nap was definitely out of the question! Our next stop was Cihu Presidential Burial Place. This villa housed the former Taiwan President Chiang Kai-Shek. It is now a memorial consisting of a visitor center, the Cihu Mausoleum, a captivating scenic lake, and the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Sculpture Park. This place was absolutely breath-taking. We walked around and learned so much about this one man who did so much for this country and is dearly admired and respected by the people. This won't be the last memorial of his that we visit. I am intrigued with relationship between Chiang Kai-Shek and his people, I plan to do some more research when I return home.
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