My morning was like a peaceful sanctuary. I sat outside on the balcony, drank my tea, and listened to the sound of the water coursing its way through the gorge. Somehow, the tea just tasted better.
Breakfast was a choice: either eastern or western. I chose western only because I knew I had a long day with lots of travel. Eating the unfamiliar, not always the best choice…
So, they brought me Fruit Loops to start. And yes, I ate them. You see, as a child, my mother would not allow sugared cereals. Anything sugary was taboo. I savored the crunchy sweetness and all these years later still felt guilty for doing so. It went on to lovely homemade breads and an omelette. But, the Fruit Loops were kind of my favorite.
On the road at 10:00. Wei Chun arranged a driver for us, Eric. He spoke about 34 words of English, and always had a smile. He toured us around Taroko National Park, making many stops along the way. The gorge meanders its way through the mountains. There are many picturesque spots for photos. During one stop, Wei Chun and Daphne decided to do the walking tour with compulsory hard hats. I opted out. Eric and I had a nice conversation about baseball. When I shared that my team was the Tigers, he said he was sorry about Miguel Cabrera having injured his leg and not being able to play in the All Star Game. In the end, perhaps baseball IS the universal language. He went on to say he had nearly played professionally in Taiwan, but at his peak, he knew he had to make a living. Oh, and he was a pitcher. He also felt badly that Justin Verlander appears to have lost it. Tiger Baseball…
On to the next area. We drove to the easternmost part of Taiwan. He told me I could face the ocean, and wave to Hawaii. I will say, that the Pali/cliffs resembled Hawaii, especially Kauai, and were equally dramatic and beautiful.
From there, per my request, we went shopping. The area, as I’ve said, is known for marble. He took us to a marble shop. Here we found beautiful jewelry made of rose stone, also from the region. Purchases were made…
Back in the van, a quick stop at a tea shop, then on to the train station. Rain fell and the temperature slightly lowered.
Easy and quiet trip back to Taipei. Jumped in a cab, had to recheck into my hotel, and we were off to dinner. There is an Italian restaurant we’d all tried before. And it was just as good the second time. Fettuccine with truffle cream and mushroom sauce. Patricia joined us after work. We had a lovely Italian white.
Patricia shared her latest “massage” experience. There is a procedure called “scrapping”. It is done as best I can assess to remove bad energy, heat and stress from your body. And yes it is really painful. I had to look up a you tube video to fully understand it. Let’s just say, me not so much. I can’t imagine Americans having this done. I understand it’s cultural and an ancient Chinese healing practice. I am doubtful it’s happening anytime soon in the USA. Let’s leave it at that.
I was brave tonight and took a cab by myself. The driver never said a single word during the 10 minute cab ride. It was a bit awkward…
Unpacking now. Re packing. Heading to Tainan tomorrow. Oh, and I have a facial later and am meeting friends for drinks after that…
…and the adventure continues.
My Taipei Ohana, Patricia, Daphne and Wei Chun, The 101 is in the background.
Aloha!
marybethruth 