Tuesday Apr 12

Last Thursday I ventured out on my own to return to Tainan to go to the Anping District. This area is where the Dutch fort is, which was built in about 1624. There are a few walls remaining, but for the most part it has been built, and rebuilt, depending on who was in power.
It was a nice spot and I met some lovely people. Well, I shouldn't actually say met...they helped me when I looked especially confused.
I also went to the market and tried some of the native fare for that area. I have never had a shrimp roll taste so good, or eaten dumplings in a jellied broth. Yum to both.
On my return to the train, I met an American man that had been living in Taiwan for about 11 years. He complained the whole time I was with him....which wasn't long. He was with a very nice Chinese lady that was from mainland China. I told her he was Mr. Doom and Gloom and then had to explain what that meant. He didn't really talk to me much after that. Go figure.
The next day I went to a very small town called Meinong. No one spoke English so getting around was challenging. I did find a shop where they make umbrellas from paper and bamboo and lacquer them to make them waterproof. And, "mom" handpaints them herself. Very beautiful. I am going to try and send one home and see if it makes it.
On Saturday, Aaron and I took a 1hr bus ride to a town called Dongang (sp?), so that we could catch a ferry to Little Liuchiu Island. We rented scooters and bombed around like mad, white folks. To drive from one end of the island to the other is only about 10 km, so it wasn't difficult to see everything.
This island had a beach where we could get our feet wet and caves to wander around. It was cool. The main caving spot is called Black Dwarf Cave. The map says it's Black Devil Cave and the sign on the building says it's Black Dwart Cave.
Very often, the translation to English is lost and what is said is very funny.
On Sunday, Aaron and I hopped onto the train and headed into the hill country to go to a spa. This spa had 15 different pools, with one being a hot mud pool, and another being a mineral type pool. Best of all, they had a pool where you put your feet in, and these fish come up and take the dead skin off of your feet. It felt weird. I could only last about  5 minutes with my ticklish feet!
They must have been discerning fish, however, because when Aaron and I came into the pool the fish pretty much left everyone else's feet, and came to ours. Maybe because our feet or so much bigger it appeared to be feast? I don't know.
I do have to say that I did sort of squeal and giggle and squirm when the fish were at me feet. It did make others laugh.....but not Aaron.
Yesterday, I called a hotel in the Alishan Forest Area and booked a room and headed on up. I didn't feel 100% confident that I had actually gotten my room, so Aaron had one of his "girls" call for me, to confirm. I didn't have a room. Then my phone died. Then when I got off my 2 hr train ride, I had missed the last bus to Alishan. I was less than amused and totally annoyed with myself.
If I had read the rest of my guide book, I may have been able to come up with an alternative plan, but I hadn't, so I didn't. I hopped back on the train and came back. On the good side, I was able to get more money onto my phone so Aaron and I could stay in touch.
One thing, though....I had my large backpack on because I was planning on being gone for several days and hiking in the mountains. I am already a site...but with a backpack on? You can imagine what was sticking out....in everyone's minds! I wasn't comfortable with that, or with the giggles from the girls. Obviously, I was tired because usually I just don't care. Aaron is going to ask his "girls" what I can say to people when that happens.I did it once already, but I want something firmer.
Today has been a day of snooping around the area by Aaron's place. I have booked a room to go to tomorrow and will hit the road then.
All is still well. Still loving the food. Still can't speak Chinese. Well, I can say a couple of things but apparently I butcher it so badly that I am still not understood. Oh well. I'll keep trying. Aaron said he was proud of me for just going for it when he is reluctant to do that because he wants to be perfect first. Me? I just go for it and laugh and then point at my phrase book. But, when he does speak, it is perfect. He knows alot more Chinese than he thinks. He's starting to realize that because when we're together and someone says something, he's able to tell me what they're saying. Or, at least the gist of it.