Taste of Taiwan

Well, we were supposed to be picked up at Noon to go to the Jade Market and the Longshan Temple but Matt and I and Tami and Ralph decided to hit the unbeaten path. We looked over our itinerary (prepared byour guide Mr. Yeh) and decided there were a few things we wanted to add and a few we wanted to ditch so we revamped the week's schedule. We were to discuss the schedule with him upon his arrival at noon. Whoever told us Mr. Yeh's English was limited was misinformed... Mr. Yeh knows no English. Consequently, our discussion took quite a while and involved me busting out my high school drama/acting chops :) When the acting was only partially effective, we turned to our secret weapon... the doorman at the hotel. This man needs to work for the U.N. - oops, Bush and the other half of the world doesn't want to invite Taiwan to the U.N. party (sorry, off topic). Needless to say, we ironed out our schedule, gave the doorman a fat tip and went on our way.

First stop: Sansia Zushi Temple

While the guide books highlight the temple, they don't mention that the real attractions here are the ancient streets, interesting shops, local folks and vendors. The streets are jam packed with people. Dubbed an "authentic Chinese village," it quickly becomes apparent that the area is a tourist trap... a tourist trap for Taiwanese!! We saw no other caucasian people and many people stared - some even pointed at us (especially Emma) and whispered to one another! There were magicians, street performers, food stalls and around a hundres little shops selling everything from traditional Chinese medicines (freaky herbs and mushrooms and stuff) to fine art, to leather goods to Sponge Bob gear! I don't mean to take any attention away from the temple - it was amazing!!! The architecture is something you really have to see in person to appreciate. Many locals were lighting incense, praying, and leaving offerings at the altar (correct terminology???) At one point I put my hand on Emma's back and realized her heart was racing. I asked her why and she said "this place is sacred Momma." Wow.

Stop Two: Yingge

Yingge is an area specializing in the art of ceramics. This is another area of winding, narrow streets with shops and vendors. The streets here feel more like a "replica" of old Taiwan. When we first entered, we heard drums and chanting. Soon we saw a parade coming. It started with the traditional dragon dancers and then the rest of the parade was school children from various schools who had put together cute little routines. One group of children literally stopped marching when one child saw Emma and pointed her out to the others. It was a bit awkward for her but then their teacher marched over, grabbed Emma by the shoulders and walked her over to the children. She instructed them to welcome her. They all said "Ni Hao." She said something else to them and they said "Allo!" Soooo cute. After that we bought some really, really good street food. For months I have been reading up on the street food (foodie that I am). I was determined that I would not leave Taiwan without trying three things: Taiwan ices, steamed street bun, authentic bubble tea and stinky tofu (made famous by the show "Bizarre Foods".) Tried two of them today and smelled another. The street bun was sooooooo good!!! It was sold by a genuinely crazy man screaming at the top of his lungs. He handed out a flyer explaining what I don't know but it had to do with the bun (see the pic - I know I have a few Taiwanese readers - can you translate?). We also tried the ice with mung bean (I think)... not really my cup of tea (sorry Amy). Last but not least, Mr. Yeh bought us fried squid balls on a stick. Yep. In the U.S. these would be "succulent morsels of calamari in a delicately seasoned batter served with a tangy garlic-chili sauce." OMG these things were good! As for the stinky tofu - the name really does sum it up. I decided that if the guide is grossed out by the stuff, it should be avoided. We then went to a ceramics shop that our guide recommended. We bought a few things and our guide negotiated a pretty good discount for us... handmade ceramic noodle bowls $1.80!!! Beat that World Market!

After all the hustle and bustle, we came back to the hotel for a rest before heading to the Snake Alley night market. On the way back Emma started to fade rapidly. She could barely keep her eyes open and then crashed within a few minutes of being back. Needless to say we skipped the market and Tami and Ralph are charming the snakes across town right now. She REALLY wanted to go so we'll fit that in somewhere. She's been such a trooper!

Tomorrow is the Chinese Opera. We've heard great things about it but Matt was skeptical. He read tonight that is was customary to talk out loud and even come and go from the performance... he was relieved!!!

Enjoy the pics!