Taiwan--Land of Beauty and Oddities

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Taiwan can make you chuckle, scream in frustration, or gasp from the beauty. You really never know what you might see. Colorful temples hide on small streets next to hip urban clothing stores. One cannot walk down the street without finding something amusing. Two older ladies chat while driving their little rascals down a narrow alley. Crepes are all the rage and come in little crepe carts. Sadly, betel nut will not release its hold on the men of Taiwan, and betel nut waste litters the streets.

The most beautiful scenery, by far, is a few kilometers out of the city in Chaiyi County. Alishan is the most famous place, but every kilometer out of the city has something delightful. Chris' old apartment and Ty and Beth's current place overlook Renyitan Resevoir. The Nine Dragon Temple sits right next door, and specially trained racing pigeons circle at sunset.

Nick and XieYun took us back up to where we were married, the sleepy tea producing town of Shezhuo. It was raining lightly and a sea of clouds surrounded us as mountain peaks shifted in and out of view. We were happily greeted by the homestay owner and tea farmer who hosted our families for the wedding. Our wedding pictures hang proudly on the wall at their homestay.

Nick and XieYun also took us to the Tainan County Salt Museum. Their sons' science teacher had mounted an expedition in pursuit of the wiley high salt shrimp, and we had the dubious pleasure of accompanying the group. This place formerly produced the majority of Taiwan's salt and has long since stopped production. Two giant mounds of salt sit in the middle of abandoned salt fields overseen by a giant metal mountain pig--a gift from Chaiyi County. This place is exactly as interesting as it sounds. Incidentally, they only caught two.

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Photos

At the Roundabout
Steaming baskets dry in the sun at this roundabout in Chiayi city.

Guohua Road Temple
This Daoist Temple sneaks up on you as you head down Guohua Road.

Crepes for Sale
Clearly, this is the king of crepe carts.

Nine Dragon Temple
This view greets Ty and Beth daily at their Chianandiyijing (Southern Chiayi Number One View)apartment.

Racing Pidgeons at Sunset
Pidgeon racing can bring big bucks, so birds and their wranglers practice often.

Mountains in the Mist
Mountains are covered in clouds and mist as viewed from our favorite tea farm and homestay.

Shezhuo Peeks Out of the Clouds
Sleepy little Shezhuo is shrouded in clouds and mist this rainy winter day.

Have a Cup of Tea?
The friendly homestay owner offers you a cup of tea from his farm.

On the Salt Fields
Old salt producing equipment crumbles to dust on this salt field near the ocean in Tainan County.

The Salt Mountain
That certainly is a big mound of salt. Kids played on it as if it were made of snow.