My Taiwan (So Far)

Taiwan was once known as "Formosa Island", after the Portuguese who in 1544 named it "Ilha Formosa", which means "Beautiful Island."

To see the beauty of Taiwan you really must escape the towns and head for the hills. As Taiwan is a tropical climed country the hills are quite green and lush. Not to mention extremely humid at this time of year.

L and R: Streets in Taichung day and night. There are worse examples of neons which I will capture for you.

L: Mountain ranges 30 mins drive from my parent's place; R: Lounges facing mountain views at a restaurant 55 mins from my parent's place.

L: Views towards Taichung at dusk; R: On motorway - see the pale mountain ranges at bottom and layered clouds above.

There are Buddhist temples aplenty in Taiwan, ranging from minature single-god temples to multi-layered mansions honouring numerous. The one I visited (see below) had a giant Buddha statue in its forecourt.

L: Temple; R: Second floor interior honoring five gods. The third floor is dedicated to Buddha.

L: "Milefuo" - statue of the very happy monk who brings good luck and happiness; R; Giant Buddha sitting on a giant lotus flower.

And you thought I'd forget? No, here are some ever important food shots for you.

L: Coffee and cake at mountain restaurant; R: A cheap and cheerful chicken lunchbox for $70 NTD = $2.50 AUS = $2.00 CDN = 1.10 pound sterling. Talk about affordability.

L: A VERY popular snack in Taiwan - Smelly Tofu, so named because it smells like BO, or feet. But let me assure you it is VERY VERY good; R: Thai fare at Taichung's premier hotel, Hotel One on the 28th floor.

Random pics chosen for their verticality:

L: Lunch July 18th 2007; R: Pegoda.

L: My Dad in the trees; R: Lunch July 1st 2007.

A Taste of the Good Life

Being back at my folks in Taichung is a bit like checking yourself in voluntarily at a rehab clinic. I have no cell phone, I get to watch lots of tv, I get 3 squares a day, I get told what to do at what time, I have no access to booze, I get supervised excursions to the outside world, no one really knows where I am or how to contact me, but I can leave any time I want.

I love my mum and dad. This is true. And I knew I would be pretty emotional seeing them after an absence of three years. But after a week it's like I'd never left. I had originally thought I'd lap in the luxury of being at home and take a good month off from my "independent" life. The truth is, I'm missing the routine of getting ready for work, being both productive and slyly not during the day, looking forward to that after work drink and the feeling of being justly lazy on the weekend.

Perhaps it's the jetlag, but my days are melting into one and quite frankly I was shocked to discover it was Thursday and not Tuesday the other day (I had lost two full days, was I in a time-lapse coma?). Jetlag really is an evil mistress of Travel. I curse her name. Curse. Curse.

So yes, there's a whole new world out there for me and I've yet the capability to do it justice. But I will. Just yesterday morning mum and I went out to buy some breakfast, and she drove down a narrow road that was being encroached upon by an over-abundance of silent neon signs. This was at 6.30 am, the road was clear of traffic, the morning light shedding a misty warmth telling of the humidity in the air. The scene, I wish I had my camera with me, was so Asian.

We came home ladened with soy milk, egg rolls, steamed buns and chive pancakes.

Rehab or not, this is one fantastic start to any morning.