In August Michael and I decided to jump on a great opportunity to tag along with my big younger brothers on a trip. They were headed back to their second home to visit their dear friends from their missions (Pietr served in the northern Taiwan mission, Adam in the southern. They were there at the same time and I believe they consider that a rare blessing.) We thought it was high time to let Isaac see life outside our little garden village, so we brought him with. Here the boys are looking peppy while we waited in Portland for our flight.
Happy reunion with Adam, who was waiting for us in Taipei. He and Pietr had just come from an exciting stay in Beijing where, being without hotel accommodations and finding the weather agreeable, they decided to smuggle a night's sleep in Tiananmen Square. Here they dodged security and monstrous mosquitoes and got a great story to tell in exchange. Let's just say, these boys needed a big sister around to keep them in line...
From Taipei we took a bus then rail to Zhanghua, where our adventures began....
Renting scooters, taking lives into own hands. Isaac, confused and enamored by the Chinese soap opera and the talking cockatiel respectively.
Lost in translation...
Variety of Taiwanese breads we feasted on for breakfasts with the Chen family, who kindly hosted us the first few days. Other breakfast favorites were warm soy milk, yellow watermelon, fresh guava, asian pears, sugarcane from the garden, and dumplings stuffed with bamboo and pork sausage.
Tai Chi in the park. This is a regular and favorite form of relaxation and exercise. I know I enjoyed it!
At the end of a hike uphill on a nature trail (where we saw what Isaac believed to be an indigenous viper eating a toad) we came to the largest Buddah on the island. There was a beautiful view of the city where Adam spent a lot of time on his mission. We spent the first week touring his area, the second week on Pietr's area (right).
Michael appreciating the spectacular architecture in this particular temple complex.
Outside the complex were native Taiwanese street vendors selling various curiosities. Isaac stared at these dried squid for a moment before pulling out a few quay to purchase one. We ate the whole thing. It was gross.
In order of size: goose eggs, chicken eggs, quail eggs, snails. We saw this selection everywhere, including in every 7-11, though the eggs were usually peeled and floating in a mysterious brown liquid. These vendors were native Taiwanese aborigines who speak Taiwanese (vs. Mandarin). It is rare for outsiders to know this language, but Adam learned it while serving in the rural mountains in the south, and became pretty good at it. He taught us, especially Isaac, some phrases. People were tickled everywhere we went to see a little white American boy ordering food or wishing a pleasant day in a language that is all but extinct.
At one point, nature called. So I excused myself to follow the pink signs with strange characters on them until I came to a nicely tiled room. I went into a stall and found this. If I hadn't seen other women in there I would have thought I had gotten the signs wrong. (Unfortunately, I did that a couple times too...)
I found my brothers and asked them, "What in the world is it? And how in the world do I use it?" They looked at each other and said, "Did you warn her about the squatters?" "No, didn't you?" Then they handed me some tissues (if you don't bring it with you, you're stuck) and told me that I've been going camping my whole life. Figure it out.
Lunch was a feast, as was almost every meal we ate. No Chinese restaurant could have prepared us for the food we would be served that whole two weeks, but it was almost always delicious and Isaac was
fearless and dug in with two chopsticks no matter what it was!
Gotta go. More soon to come...
