Taiwan - the Road to Fonglin

The "Rice Box" of Eastern Taiwan
The fertile valley south of Hualien, which runs between a coastal mountain range and a larger inland range for a hundred miles, supplies much of the rice and many of the vegetables eaten in eastern Taiwan.  We were headed to a farm in a small town called Fonglin but were treated to plenty of beauty along the way.  This field of "you cai hua" translates to mustard greens, I believe.

Taiwan - the Home Stay

What IS a Home Stay?
Turns out, it's what we would call a Bed and Breakfast.  Ours was inland a few kliks, pressed up against the foot of the mountains.

Taiwan - Taroko National Park

Part II - The Interior
After an hour at the beach, we headed inland to the interior of the park.  Jennifer explained that the Taiwanese Gov't. brought in the Americans for advice on building the road we were driving on inside the park.  The response - cannot be done - too dangerous for heavy equipment.  So what did the Taiwanese do?  They built it by hand, one foot at a time.  This includes digging out the tunnels that you see in this photo.  The view was spectacular.  The river, on the other had, spent eons carving out a valley amongst the granite peaks.

Taiwan - Arrival in Hualien

Greeted by the Man Himself
Just outside the train station was a statue of Chiang Kai-Sheck, staring out to sea with a hand in his pocket.  This was the first time I saw his likeness in Taiwan and I wasn't sure what it meant.  Was Hualien more forgiving?  More patriotoic?  Jennifer told me that he was either a hero or a villain depending upon whom you asked.  She didn't give me an indication of her personal feelings and I didn't push.  One thing I'm learning about Asia is people will tell you what they want you to know and it's not much.

Taiwan - Getting Out of the City

An Insider's Guide to Hualien
Jean's colleague from Taiwan, Jennifer, insisted on taking us around the island.  She is passionate about her country and she explained that to experience Taiwan you must go to Hualien, a smaller city on the eastern coast.  Just next door to Hualien is Taroko National Park, a 19,000 hectare expanse that stretches from the Philippine sea to snowy peaks inland.  We set off early, catching a 7:20am train - the only symbols I recognized in the departure sign.

Taiwan - Learning from Television

Notes on a Theme...
After flipping through the channels for 30 minutes I started to notice some patterns.  One in particular popped out at me, excuse the phrase.  It seemed that all the ladies were endowed in a certain way.  I surmise that Taiwanese men are boob crazy.

Taiwan - the Early Signs

Two Things Stand Out Immediately
First, there is very little obvious English here.  All the signs, menus, storefronts and billboards are in Chinese only.  Second, this place is coffee-crazed - there are cafes every 200 feet.  We sat in one, sipping our lattes and reading magazines (well, I looked at the pictures, she actually read.)  I imagined Dodo thinking "now you must do exactly what I say, waahahahahahaha, you need me to translate!

Taipei - Holding Out...

...for Higher Prices
Strangest sight I've ever seen.  Smack in the middle of the downtown Taipei business district is an empty lot.  The owner is waiting for a higher price and in the meantime, he's planted a garden.

Taipei - First Impressions

Hong Kong, We Got Good News for You
I blinked a few times as we drove from the airport to downtown.  Everything looked blurry to me - must be the jetlag.  No, I realized, everything really is shaded brown or grey - the buildings, the roads, the sky, the smog on the horizon.  Taipei's buildings are Hong Kong-ugly without any of the surrounding natural beauty.

Paris - Lucky Streak

Arriving Late has its Charms?
"Thanks goodness I checked in online" I thought to myself when my cab was 10 minutes late, then 15, then 30.  By the time I got to the airport there was only an hour to spare.  I practiced my French at the check-in counter and as usual didin't understand exactly what was being said.  When they handed over my ticket I didn't have time to complain about the change of seat.  What was printed on the ticket wasn't 11D - I'd memorized my checked-in seat to prevent exactly this type of nonsense.  When I got on the plane, I realized what happened.....

Paris - Parting Shots

The Flights are Lined Up...
I leave Paris tonight at midnight, land in Singapore at 6pm Friday, stay overnight, then jump a flight to Taipei at 8am Saturday.  Dodo is already in Taipei, having attended a series of meetings there.  On Monday and Tuesday we plan to head to a small town on the eastern shore named Hualien.  On Wednesday evening, we head to Singapore to celebrate Chinese New Year.  The camera is charged and ready.

Paris - Ugly Apartment

Real or Imagined?
I stood staring for quite a while before I made up my mind.  Even after I discovered the truth, the effect is quite powerful.  This is exhibit one for my simple thesis that everything nice about Paris was created a couple hundred years ago.

Singapore - Bye for Now

Time to Head Back to Snow and Work
I head back to Paris tonight, arriving there Tue morning.  I had some random shots from this trip to post, so here they are.  This is a Sikh temple in Chinatown.  I was trying out my new tripod for the first time when I took this shot and it didn't come out exactly as I'd hoped.  The darks are too dark and the lights too light.

Singapore - Fireworks Fail

Where Else?  At MBS
The Marina Bay Sands ("MBS") has quickly reached iconic status here in Singapore.  Almost all events are near it or include it as a backdrop - case in point: this year's fireworks.  I went with Dodo and the girlfriends to a restaurant near the marina to eat, drink and bring in the new year in style.  The view, as you can see, was pretty good.  The marina was filled with 20,000 floating white "wishing balls" that appear purple in this shot.