We took advantage of some spectacular late autumn weather and loads of free time on the Thanksgiving break to do some drinking, dining and driving alongside some sleeping, viewing and relaxing! It was a decadent, fun long weekend that ended all too soon, and after a hectic day back at work, it is quickly fading to a pleasant memory!

Wal and I attended the Thanksgiving turkey feast provided by school on Wednesday afternoon, although Cassy decided to give it a miss. I question my attendance each time: after catching up with a few people we rarely see, it becomes a bit boring, especially when the queue for the food stretches from the courtyard back into the building! The beers, while good quality, seemed to be designed to run out earlier and earlier each year and while the wine flows, it isn't top notch by any stretch of the imagination. As the beers dwindled and a questionably talented 'flash mob" did a dance, it was time for us to exit stage left! We had a much better time at some of our usual haunts later into the evening.

While many of our colleagues were flying off for quick jaunts in nearby Asian countries, or within Taiwan itself, we'd decided to settle in at home and have a very easy break: why, we're off to Europe in three weeks time and I reckon we can wait that long, don't you? We waited till 1Bite2Go opened on Thursday mid-morning before scootering over to enjoy a stacked breakfast in their cavernous space which we had all to ourselves: fun!

The first day/night cricket test from Adelaide with the new pink ball promised some entertainment and it didn't disappoint. We spent lots of time in the next few days catching sessions of the cricket and it was very exciting. We struggled out to the shops and restaurants again on Friday night and wandered the streets down near FuGuo Road to try out a newly spied (by Cass on a bus!) Japanese curry restaurant, Sukiya. When we got down there, a blustery breeze bustling and hurrying us along the road, we discovered a line out the front and a packed house. It was worse than the catering line at school! Promising to re-visit when the novelty has worn off somewhat, we instead backtracked to one of our favourite Thai restaurants on the top floor of the Sogo building. We were lucky to sneak in without a booking and it was as tasty and as fresh as usual.

The expressway beckoned us on Saturday and I packed up the car with gear and surfboards in anticipation of a few waves out on the northernmost tip of the island at Fulong. We tracked a similar path as we'd taken to the cat village last month, but kept on driving all the way to the coast where we motored round the seaside highway among the most spectacular scenic vistas. We often forget what jaw-dropping scenery is on this island until we venture back to places we haven't visited for a while. The mountains do vertical leaps from the ocean, all vertiginous slabs of granite and igneous rock, the road slicing a ruler edge through the middle of the cliffs. The highway monkey-grips the stone walls and curves and folds round the mountain edges, sometimes dipping under cavernous landslide tunnels and sometimes skipping out beyond the cliffs as if suspended in space momentarily before clawing back to grasp the side of the towering slopes.

Past the "Hope" (!) Nuclear power plant number 2 and very soon we were sliding past Cassy's dreaded nemesis, The Longmen Camping Ground, which of course is the site for the dreaded Grade 8 camp each year! Not to worry , we were searching further on and were surprised at the huge queue to get in to the brand new hotel's car-park. Seems like it's the weekend for queuing! We ducked through the railway underpass, parked on grounds of the local community hall, (who were quite enterprisingly charging a premium for the close parks!) and wandered through the hotel grounds to the "combed" beach. A small entrance fee secured us entry to the big bridge and the beach and river entrance beyond, yet I was unable to go back and get the board due to really blown out conditions. We had a bit of fun on the way back when we discovered some really weird advertising hoardings where we hammed it up for the camera, then stopped at the 7/11 for a quick lunch and coffee after the other restaurants in town seemed a little less than salubrious ( see "No. 1 Lunch Box" above!)

We discovered great swathes of the hinterland that we'd never laid eyes on before as we drove along a newly renovated road from the tip before getting lost halfway back. Despite the tiny, country, winding road we got stuck on, which took us miles out of our way, we decided that we had no pressing engagement so we'd just "go with the flow"! We drove through the mountain hamlet of Pingxi, which is famous for its drift lanterns, and we saw a few of the same wafting through and above the village as we drove on by. Eventually arriving back on a link road to the expressway, we got ourselves back home to enjoy a lazy night and then, an even lazier Sunday. What a blissful cameo of a holiday this turned out to be!

Photos: fish on parade, empty 1Bite2Go, Christmas lights at SOGO, Fulong fun and with a final temple finial, do you think this guy could fit anything else on this motorbike?!

I've seen photos of old Taipei with squadrons of working pushbikes groaning under produce, piloted by wiry little men and stoic women straining to navigate them in and around the city. Long ago these scenes disappeared, yet we still see some old "Father Time" (or "Mother Time"), every now and then, hauling great weights of produce around the city streets, all lengthy sinew, earthy tan and furrowed brow.

These days of course, a metamorphosis has arrived in the relentlessly growing cycling monster that is "Youbike". Since a total overhaul, an easy-pay system and an amazing growing network of stations, this cheap public resource has seen a contemporary explosion in cycle use, this time not for commerce on the city's streets but for leisure and fitness on the city's burgeoning grid of dedicated bikeways as well as main roads and highways if you dare! ( I did ride one back from Hsin Yi's 101 building early one New Year's Day!)

It's so convenient, cheap and fun, and the bikes are in such plentiful supply that it is possible to make snap decisions to ride at any time. As the breeze stiffened and the sun peeked from behind clouds on Sunday around noon, we did just that: dropped everything, grabbed a hat and sunblock, quickly checked the bike availability via app's electronic map and headed off to a nearby station. Mingde MRT station had heaps of free bikes so we headed down, waved our passes above the scanners and the bikes whispered from their locks and off we pedalled: rivers and canals here we come!

After a hop, skip and jump through some choked streets, we cruised past the impressive new judge's training centre on the riverside, to drop onto the paths beside the water. After navigating below the 10 lane Wen Lin Road, we hooked right to cut along the tributary of the Damshui River all the way to the Beitou interchange. On the way we investigated the photogenic suspension style bridge in the Beitou hinterland. A cycle path had been built up to it recently, so we rode up to find the road completely deserted. Did they let vehicular traffic up here? After just a few scooters passed through in the next couple of minutes I decided the answer was, "No!". Lying on the roadway, setting up the camera on a tiny tripod, then coaxing Cass out for a quick shot seemed like such fun. It was only after we took the shot that we noticed cars coming up the ramp behind us! Good call, Dave!!

After our little heart-starter we turned north west along another tributary, this time hugging the edges of the Guandu nature reserve. We passed quirky little track-side cafes that had sprung up to cater to the new crowd and coffee drinkers relaxed as the passing parade pedaled on. There were paddies of rice bursting with produce on the one side and mangroves and tidal flats stretched away on the other. We passed couples on tandem hire-bikes and the odd geriatrics plugging away, however were passed in turn by Lycra-sheathed pelotons on gleaming steeds of titanium as they purred past us with nary an effort.

As we neared the usually impressive Guandu temple we realized it was completely covered in scaffolding as restorative works are carried out. The little traditional marina gave a pleasant backdrop for a gulp of water and a massage of our slightly aching rear ends: we'd come a long way! Resolving to press on for Damshui and drop the bikes there if possible, we were able to spy yet further mangrove and riverside reserves, all the while getting blinking cameos from the river beyond, replete with all manner of boat and water craft, including windsurfers and jetskis: what on earth is the world coming to?!

After artfully dodging some crazy bikers stopped mid path or walking three abreast up slight inclines, we witnessed some great architecture (see the photo of the basket weaving house!), saw the trains hurtle past from a different side, then eventually stumbled into the vast Damshui riverside park. After checking the app for a drop-off station, we navigated to one just a few hundred metres away, before congratulating ourselves with a strong coffee and a waffle with pistachio gelato at one of the riverside cafes!

Fortified, relaxed and feeling very worthy, we hopped on the MRT for the (surprising long!) journey back home. We even managed to do a quick shop on the walk back home and managed to get enough supplies to last us for our short week. Yes, the Americans have once again come to the party with their Thanksgiving holiday weekend starting this Thursday.....God Bless America!

Taipei is not exactly a secret wonderland, but it seems that just around every corner is yet another quirky and/or interesting sight, sound or experience. We pinch ourselves some days that we are living life in a great Asian city, working and living and playing with whatever it has to offer. After a decade and a half it might seem possible to find more scenes and experiences if we'd hidden ourselves away, but despite the fact that we've embraced the city, region and country since we've been here, we can still be amazed, sometimes right on our doorstep.

The "urban widlife" here in the city does surprise us most days. All the animlas seem to have adapted to the city encroaching on their natural habitat and have adapted their behaviours to suit their new landscape. The nests of starlings and their young hanging under awnings, on the top of light fittings and precariously balancing on electrical cables, delight us every spring as they emerge all the way up Chung Shan Bei Road. As we watch the hatchlings grow and thrive we know we're only weeks away from our long, summer holiday! The "Moop" is another bird that seems oblivious to its new surrounds. Originally a river shore bird, it now frequents the parks around the city, especially in soggy weather. It walks around with impunity through suburban streets, gyrating its neck and even flying up onto car roofs! We give it its name from the plaintive "moop" cry it makes on still, quiet evenings. Even the domestic dogs and cats are zenned out. While we'd be afraid to approach many of the attack dogs back home, these dogs don't even bark at each other, let alone humans!

I went up "The Steps" on Sunday and decided that I'd keep on venturing onwards and upwards in search of another trail I'd spotted on a map some time back. I ditched the ridge trail and ventured onto the winding switchback road which inexorably snakes its way up to the Chinese Cultural College. I powered up the road, dodging the traffic, passing numerous look-out restaurants. Perched as they are on precipitous slopes, the restaurants and coffee lounges all have a superb view of the entire Taipei basin, some with views all the way to 101 on the eastern side and the Damshui river confluence on the west. They all have interesting names and catchy signage, meant to lure the casual driver in for a pit-stop. After a good 25 minutes walking the curves of the road, I drifted back onto the "new" path and steps. They wound their way through an enchanting little pocket of forest before emerging at the back carpark of the college.

The college itself is an amazing engineering feat which rose from the top of the mountain some time after we arrived on island. Still spectacular, it seems to defy gravity as its bulk thrusts out over the sheer cliffs on the top of the mountain and dwarfs the walkers and cars below. Glittering in the afternoon sun's golden rays, it was an awesome sight! On the way back down the road, I glanced some other urban cowboys of the animal variety as a sizeable troop of macaques swung boldly from tree to tree, almost cartoon like, in the foliage below the college's shadow.

We got down to Eat Burger after discovering that the Italian charms of Pizzeria Oggi were all booked out. It was a great alternative and we had a delicious meal. On our way down, we were confronted by the bold "Moop". From the video above (for a while) and here more permanently, you can see it just cruising the suburban lanes: I just missed it flying up onto a car!

Photos: the girls in the Black Pig, me and Logan (I don't have dirt or tattoos: it was strange shadow trick!), the Moop, various shots from up on the mountain. I've just finished "X" by Sue Grafton after stretching it out as long as possible and Cass is reading Americanah by C.N. Adichie.

 

There's an air of excitement and anticipation whenever a new Bond film is on the cusp of premiering. Last weekend we were disappointed to see it still had a few more days before opening, so we'd made a pact to see it some time this weekend. As it turned out, Saturday was the day and I scootered over early to secure our favourite seats at a favourite time in the later afternoon. That accomplished, we busied ourselves with other relaxing pursuits before we made our trip over to Shinkong Mitsukoshi complex for the big event.

It was as spectacular and polished as other films before it and Daniel Craig was, as always, the best Bond ever but.....(!) Perhaps our expectations were too lofty, maybe the wait was too long, but the end product felt a little stilted in parts. We missed Judy Dench as "M", but it was more than that. The characters felt a bit wooden, too much disbelief had to be suspended and the characters were like comic book heroes and villians, much more so than the usual 007 fare. Oh well, despite not quite living up to our lofty ideals, it was rollicking good fun all round!

We'd booked in at the nearby "Spice Shop" for dinner and the food was as delectable as ever. They have a particular grilled fish entree which is just the very best of its type anywhere, and believe me, we've eaten in a fair few Indian restaurants around the world, including India itself! After supping on these delicacies, we went home for some home screen viewing accompanied by our German chef baked cakes that we'd picked up earlier in the day...just the exclamation point on a nearly perfect day!

On Sunday, we watched a little cricket beaming live from the Gabba and with the Aussies secure in their ascendancy over the Kiwis, the hangover from the World Cup Rugby was just a dull ache in the background. As rain spat and worried the umpires into calling a temporary halt to proceedings, we took the opportunity to motor up to the foot of the steps to challenge the stony demon! Cass was keen to have a crack this week and despite the unseasonal heat and humidity, she suited up in climbing gear with hat and sunnies and hopped on the back of the scooter. We tapped a steady pace relentlessly up and up, pausing only when we encountered various "roadblocks" of other walkers. The summit was a hard haul on this day and we were both drenched in sweat and leg weary. The subsequent "warm-down" stroll around the ridge line track was delightful and much needed!

On the first section of steep steps on the way down, a coterie of walkers paused and watched something blocking the path. Filled with slight trepidation we edged closer to spot the family of macaques crossing the path and rustling the foliage on the other side as big daddy ushered his mate and offspring through the tree growth on the eastern side of the steps. They're lithe and flexible, such graceful climbers and clamberers. By the time I got the video going, the close action was gone, but they stayed around for a little while oblivious to the gawking of the humans, and cracking and splitting thinner branches as they crashed through to greener pastures. Cass was slightly horrified yet also fairly thrilled to get a close-up encounter: some people walk these steps for years without a sighting!

We went over to Sogo and spent $75 (Australian) buying three cans of John West red salmon! Yes, you read that correctly! My mum's salmon supreme recipe has been enthusiastically prepared by Cass for decades and it is one of our favourite meals. The trouble is that the main ingredient doesn't come cheap here in Taiwan: despite the fact that we could eat out in grand style for the price of a can, you just have to get a few little "luxuries"! I bought three new, fine knit Merino jumpers in Uniqlo later on for a song, so I suppose it all works out pretty evenly in the end.

I've been slack in posting what we're reading lately and Cassy has read about five books since I last posted her reading! I'll catch up with that when I ask her. I'm savouring the comforts of the new alphabet mystery from Sue Grafton, while at the same time lamenting that "X" signals just two more to come....what will Kinsey do?! Photos: The "golden" salmon, Aussie ice cream in the supermarket, a beautiful tree and temple we spot each weekend, Thai elephants line a carpark, the black sheep, the fish, the steps! Cassy and the macaques video is above for now and later here.

Quiet fortuitously, Halloween, the macabre American excuse for grown humans to join the kids in a dress-up day and that slightly more outrageous costume party, Taipei's gay pride parade, coincided this weekend. There was an eclectic mix of costumes and characters roaming the halls of the school on Friday afternoon, and an exotic assortment of outfits along with a heady mix of sights and sounds on Saturday afternoon down at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and surrounding streets and plazas.

All trains were heading towards NTU hospital stop early on Saturday afternoon and the hordes of people at the station were testament to the parade's popularity. As chance would have it, Cass was heading deep downtown for the second time that day as she had got up early to travel down to the Hsin Yi district for her light therapy on her face. She had successfully negotiated the downtown train and found her way to the hospital and back in the bustle of the south-eastern city hub while I slept soundly on! We had a late breakfast and a relax for an hour or two before we headed off again!

Disgorged, along with thousands of others about half an hour before the official start of the parade, we found the roads again apocalyptically cleansed of vehicular traffic and the space given over to throngs of happy folk gathering and meeting and organizing with high spirits and obvious goodwill as the excitement of the parade neared. There were certainly some great sights! We felt quite overdressed in our jeans and t-shirts and would have fitted in much better in some designer cut-down, super tight undies, a leather peak cap and high heels while flaunting lots of flesh! The only trouble would be those chiseled six-packs and Zeppelin chests: there's no store where you can buy those....just a few thousand hours in the gym that we certainly hadn't done!

We set up in the median strip down one of the side streets of the Hall and got a view of both routes of the parade as they set off. There were so many participants that the parade was split into two paths round the immediate vicinity from the staging point (and eventual party central late into the night). There were LGBT paraders of all shapes and sizes but the sashaying, outrageous boys were the highlight. They were very cute and really happy to pose for photos at various spots along the way. Cass was keen on the six-pack undie boys in groups on the trucks, and the music blasting out was reminiscent of our high school discos: lot's of Donna Summer and mirrorball glam!

The general ambiance was relaxed and exciting and happy: most of all, happy. It was refreshing to see such seemingly happy people congregating in large numbers and "sharing the love" and we felt really good to be a part of it all. As Cass noted, not an alcoholic beverage in site, no yobs, no trouble. This city just oozes safety and clam, never more than on this day.

we railed it underground back a stop before ducking into the monolithic Taipei Main Station Hall where the first floor boulevard is home to dozens and dozens of eateries. We settled on Japanese ramen as cass spotted the most unbelievable thing: vegetarian ramen! The traditional dish is very heavy on pork, so definitely not cassy's "cup of tea". This version didn't even have the pork infused broth, so she was in seventh heaven. It was a great find...let's hope the promotion continues and we'll be back.

Reluctantly bypassing the almost cocaine-like temptation of Krispy Creme doughnuts, we wandered round to the imperiously furnished and eponymous, "Dazzling Cafe". Led to our table of French reproduction palace seats (some with bunny ears for some unknown reason!), we perused the menu for the cafe's famous signature dish. Some years ago when the first branch of the cafe opened there were kilometre long queues to sample the Dazzling Cafe honey toast. Basically a hollowed out half loaf of bread with toasted fingers of bread inside, it is topped with ice cream and flavouring and various other sweeteners and taste sensations....quite the experience! Cass ordered the strawberry sensation and I got the traditional. Along with a strong cup of coffee we felt very decadent and satiated by the time we stumbled out in the early evening to MRT home.

I went out again at midnight on Saturday to watch the World Cup rugby final and although I had good fun with the usual crew of Aussies and Kiwis, the resultant triumph by the All Blacks was all a bit of a fizzer and enough said....I'm over it!

Photos: some of my team as the characters from "Inside Out" at Halloween, a rainbow of shots from the Gay Parade, Cass in the hand sculpture chair at NTU station and Dazzling Cafe!