What exactly is a Temple district, We have to get on that bridge, or Two Sparrows in a Hurricane

As my last blog highlighted there were not as many "interesting" things about Taiwan. Although, the swarm at a light during rush hour, reminds me of Delhi, but I was in the group. In the words of my friend, Watch out for those "Yellow B*(&SRDS", and I think he forgot to add a warning about the "Blue #&(*?". Yes, the taxi drivers and delivery vans, sometimes (lots of times) decide to drive (or park) in the scooter lanes, arrrgh.

This does not mean it was not possible to find ways to entertain myself. It just meant we had to look harder. Well, it seems that university degrees, careers and adult responsibilities do not eliminate childishness. Yes, it is true, while bonds mature, most men will fight it as much as possible, or we hide it really well.

Well in addition to the "MUST DO" Night markets, there are lots of little markets all over the place. One such excursion was the Dry Market, kind of like a trip to Bulk Barn, but with a bunch of stuff that you may or may not recognize. We stuck to the tried and true, pistachios, cookies, and dried fruit. I am sure we could have bought some dried squid, but I was not sure what would happen if we re-hydrated them in water. Maybe next time.

Even though I tweaked my back, this did not mean we could not take some harmless pictures at few of the temples in the temple district. I don't think we offended anyone, but just in case, I put some money in the fortune telling dispenser and if I can find a translator, I will see if I should start paying more attention to all the chain emails I get, Especially, since I have probably burned up any slack and understanding I may have been born with. Lets Ride.

I knew you could get fresh seafood in Taiwan, (it is an island nation), but I did not realize exactly how fresh, until we travelled to Cijian Island across the harbour. We may have just missed the dinner rush, as evidenced by all the dirty tables, but we did manage to get served. Even though, I am sure they were panicking a little before their "English" speaker came and helped out out. I think the fish that was swimming in the tank, would have preferred for her to be on break, but... This was also my first opportunity to visit a black sand beach, and see some of the damage left by the various typhoons.

After a few weeks of NOTHING, it was time to once again get on the scooters and tour around the island. Since we were planning on visiting Kenting, it was probably a good idea to scout out the route. Well, it seems that damage did not only happen on the Eastern side of the island, but also inland. Specifically, one span of the bridge we needed to cross was missing, and we could not get onto the other bridge that crossed the river, (although in low tide it looked more like a marsh). Well fortunately, Dave did figure out how to get on the other bridge, so our trip to Kenting was a go.

I have to admit the scenery was amazing, the ocean on one side, and the mountains on the other side, we had pretty good weather on the way out. As we got closer to our destination (Dave and I took the scooters, and Shannon and Liam caught the bus), Dave mentioned that the wind was a little tricky, and I foolishly thought, sure, I will pay attention. WTF, he did not mention that it was like a hurricane, in that the wind changed direction every second. and at times it seemed to stop the scooters in their tracks. Suddenly, all I could think about were Sparrows in a Hurricane, what a ride.

Well eventually we made it to Kenting, (think Clear Lake, Wasaga Beach, Myrtle Beach, or any other summer city get away), surf shops, beach wear, and plenty of nice sheltered beaches. Of course it was kind of weird to see down filled parkas, wet suits, and flip flops (on the same person). Well the clouds rolled in, just as we arrived in town, and checked into the hotel, but it was still nice enough to sit on the balcony and do a little reading. Of course, I am sure that there may have been a few strange looks, as I sat in my shorts and tee-shirt reading a book. Especially, since I was a westerner who was not consuming massive quantities of beer. I guess stereotypes are tough to maintain the world over.

The next day started off windy and over-cast, and the idea of riding back to Kaohsiung on the scooters in hurricane like wind, (well for a Canadian, anyway) did not seem like a good idea. Fortunately, the sun came out, so we only had to worry about the wind. It was a good thing we had a tale wind for part of the trip, because we did manage to cut the actual travel time on the highway to just over three hours, Unfortunately, a minor GPS glitch caused a 60 minute detour, and once again I regretted not getting the model with an electronic compass. (Which way is North?). Finally, something recognizable, and we were back to the apartment. We expected that Shannon and Liam would have been home for a couple of hours already, since they left at roughly the same time, and were not restricted to a safe speed of 70 KM per hour. BUT, I guess they caught the "Milk Run" version of the bus from Kenting to Kaohsiung.