We've just finished our "ten ten" break, an extended weekend, and didn't we need it! It has been a weekend of two parts, one where we relaxed, went on a few adventures and had fun, and the second half one of wallowing in that peculiar self misery that sickness brings!We lazed around and luxuriated in our day off on Thursday to a large extent and I eventually went down to the bank to send some money home as the exchange rate was just spectacular. (It got better, but I didn't think it possibly could). After a walk there and back, I decided that I'd done enough exercise for the morning and settled in to watch the Australians play India in the first test. Cass and I enjoyed the day's play, but thought we had better arrest our sloth and made plans to catch the MRT downtown. The Taipei main subway station is an annex of the Taipei Main Station and the main station was an amazing hive of activity on Thursday night. A crazy long line of patient inter-city commuters were lined up for the new High Speed Rail which jettisons people down the west coast and into the arms of family before they have time to say, "Ten ten". We weaved through this throng and eventually found the new Breeze Centre on the second floor of the huge station. It goes right around the whole square, but fortuitously, we landed smack bang in front of Sababa, which was where we wanted to go. A Turkish/pida cafe that we have eaten at many times before in other locations, was the drawcard. It is a food court, but the most incredible one I have seen. Clean and new and slick, it was well patronised and was buzzing with people on their way here and there. We ate, walked around a bit, visited all manner of shops then hopped on the MRT home again!
Friday was beach day, and we had vague notions of joining up with Tobes and Gary at Fulong. In the end, we made the fateful decision to head to the Rocket. I had read an article some time back in the local English language newspaper about the high levels of bacteria present at certain beach breaks, especially during heavy rains, and especially near a river outlet. Guess what? There was heavy rain, lots of rubbish on the beach and a steady flow of water pouring out into the ocean from the hills. Did I remember? No! The surf was pretty good, but Cass didn't have much fun in the rain (we didn't know: it was bright, sunny and not a cloud in the sky in Tienmu when we left and when we returned!). After returning home, within hours, I had a cough and a sore throat developing.
It's turned into a very angry beast and I'm absolutely weaker than water. Cass has had to put up with my pathetic patient routine for a couple of days and I've done little else than lie on the lounge and have lots of snoozes. I went out for a walk around the park this afternoon with Cass, told her I had to go back, then slept , exhausted for two hours!
Saturday and Sunday have been indoor moping around days: lots of cricket, DVDs and sleeping. At least Cass has been able to get a good slab of grading done while I've been down for the count. (I'm sure she was thrilled with that).
Photos: me holding Virg up for the camera before a steps walk, shots of the gleaming food court at Taipei main, a vegetarian restaurant that doesn't quite get it(!) and a shot showing me surfing in the background and a disease filled waterway sluicing its way through rubbish in the foreground!