Gloomy Taiwan

After a long flight, we arrived to overcast skies and rain in Taiwan. A pity, but the weather did not dampen our excitement to get out there and start exploring. We came to Taiwan on Great Escape four years ago (with Ben and Nanny) so we deliberately avoided doing any of the same scavenges. There is always so much to choose from on each leg than you can never get more than a fraction of the adventures done. And Bill (the event producer) had added a bunch of new stuff to the scavenger list. We are in Taiwan for two days but this leg is split over two days. So we had until 9 PM tonight to go out and conquer the first day and we will get a new book of scavenges for tomorrow.

As soon as the leg opened, we went to the train station and got out of town. We went down to Hsinchu City on the super speed Fast Train. It moves like a flash of light yet, inside,

it’s like you are barely moving. We had to visit the City God Temple where a happy golden Buddha reigns over a temple that is literally in the middle of a street market. You walk through a throng of vegetable sellers to enter this wonderful temple.

We also had to find the East Gate of the original city, which now resides in the middle of a bustling roundabout!!!

Taxi driver roulette… This scavenge is to ask a taxi driver to take us to a restaurant that he likes and eats at regularly with his family.

I’m pretty sure much of that got lost in translation but our taxi guy did eventually drop us at a locals place where you order meat and vegetables and cook it for yourself on an open charcoal fire built into the middle of your table. The selection of meats was hysterical: chicken fingers, beef cartilage, lamb intestine (need I go on). Angel chose pork cheek meat (which was not awful as the name implies – just a little tough and sinewy).

After Hsinchu City, we had to split from Angel and Emily as the new rules only allow two teams to scavenge together for 4 scavenges each day. (URRGGHHH). And you can now only do one bonus per day. I hate that second rule as I really love the bonuses. Big cities do not often touch my heart. It’s getting off the beaten track - with the bonuses - that makes this trip so special for me. So I really don’t like the new restriction on how many of those you can do each day.

Rainey and I then chose to go to this wonderful little town outside of Taipei called Yingee. In the heart of the town there is a cobbled street filled with ceramic shops and kilns and potters. It was - unfortunately - pouring with rain at this point as that area of town was great and I’d have loved to just wander around longer.

We had to get a “treat” at this super-neat restaurant called Grandma’s where all of the food and drinks come “

dressed up.” Here’s my tea-time snack: hot chocolate and waffle. Almost too pretty to eat!!!

Tonight, we had to find something “on a stick” to eat at one of the night markets. Some of the gross-est things are served on sticks in South East Asia.

I was panicked. Then I found a vendor selling candied strawberries (just like candied apples but they use strawberries instead). YEAH… My Taiwan stick food was actually good. But I was not saved for long.

The next scavenge was to eat “stinky tofu” at the same market. I’ve eaten it before and it was awful but not disgusting. Shilin Night Market stinky tofu is gut-wrenchingly terrible . Fried up and covered with pink slime… it is the worst smelling and tasting thing ever. I gagged and almost threw up on the first bite. YUCK – YUCK – YUCK!!!! What an awful experience.

We also had to go into a convenience store and find examples of food that you would never see in the US. How about seaweed chips? Or Almond Fish (where they take dried little fish and pop them in their mouth like nuts)?

Observations:

1. Taiwan is clearly grappling with the difficulties of converting a culture from squat toilets to Western toilets. In most public restrooms, there is a choice (Honestly? Who chooses to squat when you can relax on a real toilet and do your business?).

But the signs are hysterical: (a) Do not climb on the western toilet and use it as a squat toilet; (b) Do not squat in front of the western toilet and pee on the floor…. Move back and sit on the toilet.

And yes, I did have some fleeting worries about arrest and interrogation for being the creepy pervert who is actually taking flash photography in the restroom.

2. You know you are back in Asia when the roof tops are fully decorated with scary dragons and brightly colored beasts.

I LOVE THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

And here's a weird one... Bill told us yesterday that the very next place that we go has NO ATMs, no way to get money and we need to bring $800 US cash (per team). Where in the world is that??? I'm betting Papua New Guinea (but probably just because I like to say those words together... they sound exotic coming out of your mouth).