Detox week

If I am only allowed to describe Taiwan with one word, that word would be food.  While we have some historic sites to visit, a lot of Chinese artifacts and art at the National Palace Museum, food is definitely the main attraction in Taiwan.  There is so much food that travelers visiting Taiwan don't even know where to start.  I'm not just talking about any kind of food either.  We specialize in xiaochi, which are snack foods.  They can be served on the streets, at the night markets, or at xiaochi restaurants.  In fact, most restaurants here are small, and do not serve more than 10 dishes, except for fancy places like Ding Tai Fung.  A lot of people graze all day (or all night), visiting different food stands with their specialties.

There are a view traditional xiaochi that one must try when coming here, such as the oyster omelette and the beef noodle soup.  Since Shag was in Taipei for work and getting bored of the city, I told him to come with me to Taichung to visit my cousin Jessica.  Jessica just had a son last year and is taking some time off from work to spend time with her son, Xuan Xuan.  I also welcomed the company of another traveler, and I think Shag felt the same.  He is staying at the Hyatt downtown, and you can tell that he is ready to go back to Boston.  I don't blame him, his wife is waiting for him!

Jessica picked us up at the high-speed rail station, which has new trains that travel as fast as 300 km/hr (186 mph)!    Damn!  Traveling from Boston to NYC would take about an hour - I wish that the Acela would be faster and less expensive so that I don't have to fly or take the bus.  The train ticket was about $40 round trip, super affordable.

We went further south on the car to Lugang, a gorgeous historic harbor city.  Apparently Lugang was one of the larger trading cities back in the days, but slowly fell behind the other two larger cities Taipei and Tainan.  Becuase of this, the city was able to preserve a lot of the historic buildings, making it a charming tourist attraction.  The old streets are filled with xiaochi, and I was ready to expand Shag's culinary tastes. 

Aside from beef noodle soup, pretty much our national food, the one thing EVERYONE should try at least once is the stinky tofu. 

It smells like garbage, said Shag.
I know it does, but I guarantee you that it's good!  I said.

After you smell and try it a few times, you really do get used to the garbage smell.  I barely notice it, but Shag points it out every time we pass by a tofu stand.  After passing by the n-th tofu stand and trying to convince Shag to try them, I finally told him that all he has to do is have ONE bite and my cousin and I will take care of the rest.  He finally agreed to take the risk and try it.

I wish I could share the expression he gave me when he took that first and only bite off the tofu.  He did give me his camera, so I took a few shots with his SLR.  It was priceless.  A bunched up face, as if he was eating garbage.
 
It's like blue cheese - an aquired taste.  I assured him that he was going to be fine.  And my cousin and I  scarved down the rest of the tofu.  Yum!

We did try a few other snacks, such as grilled squid, pork buns, beef tongue cake (a sweet cake in the shape of a tongue), and fried mochi (really really good).  I also had Shag try the pig blood cake, which is a savory snack that is a mixture of rice cake and pigs blood.  Once I told him what it was, he didn't try another one :(  Again, my cousin and I cleared the plate of snacks. 

Surprisingly, one of the new fads in Taiwan is what they call the Irish cold brew coffee.  I had never seen it before, and it also cost a lot more money ($2 for a small cup).  Shag and I shared a cup and was instantly sold.  It is apparently less acidic and the flavor is amazing!  The only downside of it is that it takes a long time to brew this type of coffee. 

Despite of all the snacks I'm having, I still feel like I am having a detox week in Taiwan.  When I was in China, I had major breakouts on my face (which never happens).  After I spent a few nights with my dad and eating only boiled veggies (he is on a health diet), I felt much better.  I have been eating a lot of crap in Taiwan since then, but I still feel much better.  I can't wait to eat more delicious food back in the states.

Do I sound like I'm ready to come back?
I think I am.

Are you guys ready for me ;)

Confessions of a lone traveler

I'm in Taipei, in a hostel. Yeah I know, you are wondering why I am staying in a hostel and not at home.  The truth is, I don't really have a home here.  Since about 15 years ago, when my dad sold our condo in the heart of Taipei, I really haven't felt like I had a home in Taiwan.  My parents since separated, and my dad owns a place in the outskirts of Taipei, and my mom is a nomad and lives most of the time at her mother's apartment.  Long story short, it's easier for me to just live in a hotel or a hostel, so that I can see both of them while I'm here.  My brother is also in Taipei, but he is living in a dorm right now provided by his required military service.

For the first time in more than 10 years, all the members in our family are in the same country. 

I haven't stayed in a hostel for a long time.  It's a lot of fun, and I should do this again in the future instead of spending a lot of money staying in hotels.  Since I've been here, I've met people from Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Swiss, Canada, and even a person from Medford!  Most people have traveled to more places than I have, and I thought I have already been to a lot of places.  It's really humbling.  I enjoy sitting around at a table, drinking Taiwan beer and talking.

I suddenly realized as I am writing this why I haven't stayed at a hostel for more than 10 years - I haven't been single for about 10 years, and so I've always traveled with others.  For the first time since college, I am traveling alone.  Surprisingly, I enjoy it a lot.  Since I've been in Beijing, I have learned to enjoy being alone a lot more.  I still enjoy company once in a while, but I no longer feel like I need someone with me all the time (which I often did in the past).

Taiwan has changed over the years.  It has grown to be a country I am truly proud of.  The government has taught this society to be courteous and respectful to the old, young, and handicapped.  People get out of their subway seats instantly when they see someone else more in need of a seat.  People don't speak loudly in public spaces, and definitely do not spit or clear their throat in public places.  People line up and don't push others coming in and out of a subway.

Perhaps I appreciate this a lot more now that I live in Beijing, where people are not trained to be this way.  It will take time.  It took Taiwan decades to be the way it is today.  I guess this is what a developed Asian country is like compared to a developing one.

I also love shopping in Taiwan.  Service is amazing here, and they are patient.  While most imported things are more expensive here than they are in the US, I feel like I am getting more out of the purchase.  Also, as a foreigner, you can shop tax-free for all purchases greater than $100. I know, I know - I'm really advertising Taiwan to you guys... it's really that great!

Thanks to Facebook, people are able to find out that I am in Taiwan.  And guess who else is in Taiwan?  Shag is in Taipei for work!  What a coincidence :)  Apparently Katherine was here last week as well.  I'm going to meet up with him tomorrow - really looking forward to it! 

Another realization - I probably do not need to keep my apartment in Somerville.  Glen told me the other day that he couldn't believe I live in such a POS.  I didn't think I lived in a POS, but I can see why he said that.  I can save some rent money, and not have to worry about finding roommates.  I also do not miss my car that much, and I feel like it's a waste to let my car sit in the parking lot while its value decreases.  There are a few more things I do not miss that much.  I can do some real spring cleaning when I get back to Somerville. So if you have an attic that you can let me store my stuff at, please let me know.  I don't know where I am going to stay at when I am in Boston, but I am not too worried at this point. 

What do I miss?  My friends and the climbing community.  My office mates.  

I say quack, you say what?

After I picked Glen up at the airport at 9PM, we spent a few more hours taking the subway back and having dinner.  He looked like a zombie, eyes bloodshot.  Within a minute of turning the lights off, he was in his deep sleep state, with steady breaths.  I was really envious, as I have been not sleeping particularly well since I traveled to Qingdao, Chengdu, and Xi'an.

The next morning we had a really relaxing breakfast with DD coffee, toasts, and eggs. Glen watched me lather my toast with a thick layer of Nutella that he brought me, and said, "Now I know why you asked specifically for the BIG Nutella jar.  At least the little one I brought over will last you this week."  He followed and lathered his toast with Nutella as well.

We went our separate ways after breakfast, since I still had to go to work.  I sent Glen off at the subway stop, and gave him a few basic instructions and a map.  He looked at me the way a kid would look at his mom on the first day of school riding the school bus.  I worried that he would get so lost and not be able to find his way back, but at around 7 that night, he found his way back to my doorsteps.

He had gone to the Forbidden City, and tried to get to the art district, which was really out of the way so he turned around.  With his previous solo trips to Vietnam and Cambodia, I really didn't need to worry about him at all.  He was totally fine.

What do you think of trying some Peking Duck?  I asked, though I didn't even know where to go.
That sounds like THE thing to do in Beijing, so let's do it!  He looked hungry.
Let's check out where the real foodies say about Peking Duck, he looked online.

I asked a bunch of my buddies here, but everyone had a different answer.  In the end Glen found a spot that looked like where most of the visitors decided to go to sample the tasty duck: Da Dong.  Unlike the traditional Peking Duck restaurant Quanjude, the room decor and food presentations at Da Dong is contemporary.  Still, the chef brings out the roasted duck and carves it carefully like a piece of sculpture.

Glen picks up a small piece of the crispy duck skin with his chopsticks.  

Wow, I didn't think another animal can taste like bacon!  He said.
It was really THAT good.

After the delicious duck meal, we were both really tired and went to bed pretty early.  The following day, Glen traveled for about an hour and a half to the art district 798 at the outskirts of Beijing.  While I was still at work, he sent me an email from some artsy cafe telling me that he is having too much fun checking out the galleries and that he will be back at the apartment late.  He told me the art district is so big that it will make our SOWA in the South End look like a joke.  I was envious that he had an opportunity to check out a place that I wasn't even aware existed.  I will sure want to check this place out when I come back to Beijing in June.

We decided that a visit with Rose Mary is not complete without going climbing.  I took Friday off from work and we went off to Baihe on the bus then connected with the driver that Mantou recommended.  Glen took a nice photo of me and our taxi driver, who is the kindest guy I know.  Since we were checking out a crag that I hadn't gone before, he waited for us and hiked with us for about 10 minutes to make sure that we were at the right place.  On the way back to the bus station, he also wanted to make sure that we didn't miss the bus or not have a seat back to Beijing.  He drove us around to a few bus stops and waited to make sure the bus had seats.  All of this service for a whopping 100 RMB (less than $20).  I will have his phone number of my speed dial from now on!

The Bee Gorge is a really nice crag, in my opinion much better than the crag that I've gone twice with Mantou and Gaga (called Little Monster).  The only disadvantage of the Bee Gorge is that it is not located right next to the farm, one may need to call the taxi guy again to get a ride to the farm.  While we were at the crag, I met two white guys that looked like climbing guides.  I had recognized one of them from the gym.  They introduced themselves as Matt and Simon.  Simon's Chinese was pretty amazing, probably better than mine.  They had two clients with them, an Australian woman and a Chinese man.  Lucky for me, they brought a lot of food for their clients (including two loafs of bread) and what do you know, NUTELLA!  So I bummed a slice of Nutella bread from them.  It's really like crack for me.  I think that I will be their new best friends ;)

Glen started the day off with a warm-up climb, which I thought was harder than the 5.8 rating it claimed to be.  Then I wanted to check out some trad routes and decided to climb a 5.10a route nearby that was 30m long.  It looked relatively straight forward, and well protected, so I decided to give it a try.  Within about 2 minutes up, I realized the route was rarely climbed, and extremely dirty.  As I was cleaning the route to make sure that it was safe to place a piece of pro, I pulled out a soap-sized piece of rock on my right hand.  I was totally freaked out.  There was a little of bit of FA feel along with the climb, I thought.  I eventually made it up to the anchor, although I really struggled at the crux mentally, just thinking about where the rocks might crumble as I put all my weight on them.  So I aided my ass past the crux (I know, I know), it was quite a sight. 

Following the trad climb, we decided to go with the safer option of sport.  Glen went up a beautiful 5.9 crack that should really be a trad line and not a sport line, but this is China and not many people seem to climb trad, so I guess that's why they bolted it.  It was a lot of fun, with laybacks and hand jams.  I still don't think that I am ready for Indian Creek's jams, but we'll see next week. 

After the 5.9 climb, I kind of lost motivation to climb, and told Glen that maybe we should head back.  I forgot what he said, but I was eventually convinced into doing yet another 5.10c climb.  Typical Baihe style, the beginning is often tricky and a lot of nothing, then it got better and better.  It even included an unavoidable tree that was part of the route.

With the great wall as part of the backdrop, we enjoyed the solitude and the climbs that this gorge offered. 

You are so not coming back to Boston, he said.
There are so many climbs here for you to explore, and you may even be able to do some FAs here!

I wouldn't agree on that, though I wouldn't completely disagree either. 

There are definitely a lot of beautiful places to see over here, and interesting people to meet.

Great Wall in the background