31 December 2010

Nick was off work but Emily went to nursery anyway. We dropped her off then had coffee and a natter with Jo, Oli, Bettina (and Cooper and Samuel, of course). Moving on, Nick and I headed for Shinjuku, where we stocked up on English language books in Kinokuniya, then had lunch at the Indian restaurant in Times Square. We did a spot of shopping in BIC Camera, where we chose both a camera tripod and a watch for me in 20 minutes flat. After a coffee we parted company so I could buy last minute groceries before the big new Year shut-down, and Nick went to collect Emily.

After she went to bed we had a very delayed Christmas dinner: roast pork with most trimmings (6 sprouts, and a parsnip that cost nearly four pounds but I would almost venture to say was worth it when roasted tenderly). Our pud was care of Walkers but I knocked up some rum sauce to go with it.

Just before midnight I sent Nick out to spend the crucial moment at the local shrine. This is the third New Year in Japan and so far we have stayed at home so I wanted him to go in case it was our last. He queued up to ring the bell and make an offering and a prayer. As 2011 came in I popped out onto the balcony and heard the temple bells ringing their solemn way in to the year of the rabbit. Not one drunk in the street or firework to be seen; the Japanese way is surprisingly low-key. I wonder what this year ahead brings? Will we still be here this time next year?

30 December 2010

People everywhere can be seen doing Ou souji - (big cleanup). This is a tradition just before the end of the year when homes, shops, restaurants etc get a spring-clean.


We really wanted to go to Kamakura again and decided to go on this day as we knew it would be heaving from January 1st, being a prime spot for Japanese to do hatsumode (first worship of year). Ostensibly as a treat for Emily, but secretly for our benefit too, we went a circuitous way, to take in the Shonan suspended monorail then the dinky Enoden train that runs along the coast from Enoshima to Kamakura.



We got off at Hase and quickly made our way to Cafe ChaCa, our usual haunt. I had expected it to be very busy but we were almost the only customers.


After a leisurely lunch we walked up the road to the Big Buddha (Daibutsu). We have been many times before but we always enjoy seeing the serene giant bronze statue, even though it is invariably packed at the site. This time there was an even bigger proportion than usual of foreigners.



We didn't stay long, as our main objective for the day was to walk from there over the hills to Kita Kamakura, along a hiking trail of about 5km. To begin with, Nick was carrying Emily in the kid carrier, though it must have been a big strain for him to get her up the initial steep steps now that she is 16kg. Once away from the road we found ourselves on a pleasant unmade track that weaved around roots and stones over the wooded hills, with the odd view down to the sea. Most other walkers were gaijin and were walking the opposite way (probably because Lonely Planet features the walk but coming from the other direction).

Halfway along the trail was a diversion to visit Zeniarai-Benten: 'money-washing shrine'. Emily was a bit nervous about going into the cave there at first, especially as we had to pass a guardian brazier of smoking incense sticks, but she enjoyed bathing our money, which was placed in a basket (both coins and notes - the latter soon air-dry). The object is to increase one's fortune.

There was a pretty little pool against a rocky backdrop, with obligatory carp, of course. Emily wanted to walk by now and happily strode back up the steep hill to rejoin the path we were following. We carried on over hill and dale for another hour or so, during the whole of which she stayed on her feet.

We saw several grey squirrels playing by another small pathside shrine, and the odd cat or three.

With the winter sun low and the temperatures dropping fast, we headed down the last slope in to Kita Kamakura, where we picked up a train back to town. Despite her exertions, Emily stayed awake though she was close to nodding off as Nick carried her from Tamachi to home.

27 December 2010

Before checking out and going to the airport we had an hour to kill, so we went to the small park which was next to the hotel. Emily liked the bright flower windmills in the flower beds, and we stopped to point out the turtles sunbathing in the pond.

Over the road was another amazing temple with very intricate roof decorations. Emily seems to have taken against temples and shrines - she says she doesn't like the smell of incense - so she didn't want to go in. However, Nick spent a while looking around and watching people at prayer.

On the taxi ride out to the airport Emily was quite upset and seemed surprisingly groggy (given that she had only been up for about four hours). I had to resort to a packet of dried mango to keep her awake as it would have been very inconvenient if she had fallen asleep at that juncture. There was a massive queue for our flight so I took Emily off to explore the terminal while Nick lined up. In the end it only took half an hour to get checked in though, but we didn't have any time to relax or shop. Feeling thirsty, I bought a bottle of water for NTD120, which I didn't bother to convert into sterling but wish I had as I afterwards realised was about 2.50 pounds. I was very cross when I then saw one in a machine for just NTD25. Other than that we had found Taiwan quite cheap (especially in comparison to Japan). In the end it was a bit of a rush to get to the gate. Emily fell asleep an hour out from Narita after I made her a nest of pillows and blankets on her seat, and only woke when we were on the ground.

Finally home, I decided we ought to give Emily a few birthday gifts and of course she wanted to play with them, so she was not in bed until past 10pm.

26 December 2010

We woke late but luckily the hotel breakfast buffet went on until noon, so we filled up on cinnamon toast. We took the hotel's shuttle service to the nearest MRT station, across the river, and rode the subway to Yuanshan. Our original plan was to visit the Martyrs' Shrine but on enquiry it seemed quite hard to get to. Right by the station was the massive International Floral Expo site, so we ended up staying there for several hours. It was laid out with thousands of flowers and plants in various landscaped sections, each with its own theme.

Emily was very taken with a snapped off poinsettia she found and I prayed that no-one would think she had broken it and tell us off. She also liked the pineapple and kumquat plants that were laden with fruit.

We moved on through the huge site to the childrens' playground, as we felt that it was time for Emily to get something out of the trip. There were several sets of play equipment and also some fairground-type rides. We had a picnic first, during which Emily had to endure much attention. In fact we hardly saw any caucasians during the whole holiday and she had lots of people asking to have their photos taken with her, which she agreed to but never smiled for. We all went on the mini Ferris wheel

then Nick and Emily rode the spinning teacups (they make me too dizzy).

We used the free shuttle bus to go to the end of the park and our arrival coincided with a parade, consisting of two caterpillar floats and many costumed actors engaging with the crowd.

It was feeling bitterly cold by then, so we got the bus back to the site entrance. I spotted a Starbucks logo so we stopped and had refreshments at the large outdoor food court, then stayed a while longer to admire another themed garden. The site is only a mile from the domestic airport, Songshan, and every minute or two a landing aircraft flew close overhead, to Emily's delight.

With darkness falling we made our way across the city to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall - he being the founder of Taiwan. Emily was really tired by then and asking to go back to the hotel, so we only stayed 20 minutes. We wished we had gone earlier as it was an impressive complex. There were two massive halls that looked as though they had been lifted straight out of the Forbidden City. On the other two sides of Liberty Square between them, was a quintuple-arch and a statue of the great man housed in a special temple-like structure. It all looked very grand lit up for the night.

We reluctantly turned for home. In the station we stopped for take-out sushi, which was to be our dinner in the hotel room, and Emily was completely revived by the discovery of a two-foot long cardboard carp (which we later found to contain a huge rolled sheet of some sort of fishy wafer), which she lighted on with glee and refused to leave without. From Xinpu station we got in a very dodgy taxi for the short ride back to Chateau de Chine. The rear window was stuck open with a tatty black cloth curtain in its stead. At the hotel we chilled out in our little lounge and after Emily had gone to bed we had a belated Christmas celebration, with wine, chocolate and a film.

25 December 2010

We woke Emily up at 7.30. Santa had filled her stocking with a few small gifts and we told her he was leaving the rest at home because he knew we would not be able to carry them home in our luggage.


After eating breakfast and packing our bags, we had a free hour before the shuttle bus back to the station, so we took advantage of the free cycle rental available next to the hotel. Taiwan is very bike-friendly, with lots of long distance routes. The outlet had special bicycles for parents and small children, so Nick had Emily sitting on a saddle in front of his, and she had fixed handlebars and a footrest to steady herself. She absolutely loved it and was soon urging him to go faster as we pedalled along the track that runs behind the beach for a mile or so. It was quite windy so we got buffetted by spray-laden gusts, but it was such good fun. We came to a shoreside botanical park where we could continue to cycle through the trees and shrubs until we reached a look-out shelter.

We reluctantly returned to the hotel and found the minibus almost ready to leave. We were soon at Hualien station, which was a-buzz, it being a Saturday.

The two hour return journey back up the coast and then across through the mountains to the capital went quite quickly. Rain set in soon after our departure and that was a shame as it obscured the picturesque scenery somewhat. Emily fell asleep on me 20 minutes from Taipei. Somehow I managed to get her off the train still napping and we sat on the platform until she woke. Luckily several trains came through to claim her attention and stave off any tears; she would not walk for some time though, which made it harder to lug our baggage.

Nick dropped our larger bags then we spent ages braving hordes of people to find a reasonable toilet for Emily to use (the main station is rather run down in parts and the loos were positively third world so she refused to use them). Eventually we ended up in Mitsukoshi, which is a Japanese department store - we saw many familiar brands and shops as Taiwan was once colonised by its northern neighbour, and due to its proximity it is a favoured destination for Japanese tourists.

We found the MRT underground rail system very easy to use and rode a few stops to Longshan Temple (the name means Dragon Mountain). It was really busy, with most visitors carrying offerings of fresh fruit, which they washed outside before taking into the inner courtyard. This was wreathed in smoke and incense. There was background chanting and old people were sitting round the edge counting out strings of beads. Emily found the smoke overpowering and insisted on leaving, so she and I waited outside while Nick stayed to take in the atmosphere and record the scene for posterity. The sweeping eaves of the rooves were adorned with countless colourful stylised dragons, birds and figures.

The rain had become quite heavy as we left, so we dived back down into the subway and took the MRT back across town to the neighbourhood where we had dined with Gary and Cindy. We managed to track down the same dumpling restaurant, where we ate loads of tasty dishes. Emily was flagging, so we left before she kicked off. We were very fortunate to have got there early as by the time we left there were dozens of diners queuing up outside in the rain waiting for tables.

We went straight back to Mitsukoshi to collect wine and a few goodies for Christmas night. The Taiwanese don't seem to be big drinkers and the only wine we could find in the extensive food hall was on a speciality Chilean stall. Nick picked up our bags from the station then we took a taxi back to the hotel in the miserable weather with another driver who thought he was at Silverstone. On checking in we found that we had been allocated a fantastic suite. It had two bathrooms, a lounge and even a massive bunk bed for Emily, which she was overjoyed with. Thankfully she found the ladder a little difficult and agreed to sleep on the lower bed, to our relief.

At bedtime I lay with Emily until she dropped off, and what with the dark room, busy day and the big meal, I ended up falling asleep too. Next thing I knew Nick was prodding me awake and it was 10.30. We had intended to relax with wine and chocs in our lounge with its massive TV, but I felt totally groggy and we ended up having words and retiring to bed in near silence. Not a great way to end Christmas Day.

24 December 2010

Our second full day trip was a drive down the coast, taking in a number of sights spread over about 100km. We had not been able to get the same driver as the day before; the chap who turned up did not have as good a level of English as the first one and his vehicle was not of such good quality, but we had no choice so set off southwards as soon as possible after a very leisurely breakfast.

The driver first took us into Hualien so we could go to the bank. In order to rejoin the coastal highway we had to pass through the squalor of the night-market area on the edge of town, which was rather whiffy with the smell of rotting produce. It felt very third-world when we saw some vendors with their wares spread out on cloths in the gutter, and everywhere were stray dogs rooting about.

We had a brief stop to admire the views north from Hualien Visitor Centre. The grimy city was sufficiently hidden by a headland to allow us to appreciate the gorgeous shades of the ocean from turquoise through to deepest blue.

Half an hour brought us to the next pull-in on the well-beaten tourist trail, Fanshuliao. A deep and narrow chasm cut through the hills with a new road bridge and an old one next to it now for pedestrians only. The driver dropped us at one end and waited in the car park at the other. From the older span we could peer into the gorge below and also out at the inland hills.

We were reminded more than anywhere else of Malaysia, perhaps due to the near-tropical vegetation. On a slope nearby we saw a small Christian grave the size of a large kennel, with a cross on top. Indeed, I was struck generally by the number of churches and Christian graveyards we saw, due to the island's Portugese history I suppose.

Despite its rural location, in the car park I was delighted to find the most well-kept public toilet I have ever seen. Emily was pleased too as it even had a special low kids' loo shaped like a frog with a parents' toilet next to it.

Moving on, we passed through a section of the highway where one carriageway had collapsed into a steep valley after typhoon rains caused landslides. Indeed the same typhoon had caused the death of about 20 Chinese tourists, whose bus plunged into a ravine further north. The driver next paused at Baci viewpoint, where we could take in views down to Jiqi Beach.

It was so warm and sheltered here that a T-shirt was all that was required. Not bad for December.

The next place we stopped was Jiqi where we played a while on the beach. Nick was itching to swim but we settled for paddling. Besides, the sun was so strong that Nick and Emily were in danger of burning and had to use umbrellas as parasols since we had not come prepared with hats and suncream.

We pottered around watching the little sand crabs pop out of their burrows and scuttle away from Emily's approach, then dried off and got back into the car.

It was lunchtime so the driver suggested that we stop in Shihtiping (no jokes please!). There wasn't much of a town there but he went straight to a large restaurant right next to the harbour. Inside it was basic and huge; they must entertain coachloads of Chinese tourists regularly, judging by the many tables for eight, each with a large lazy susan at centre. Nick went to look at a large slab displaying the catch of the day, and chose a fish which was spirited away into the kitchen for preparation. While we waited for the main event, we were provided with two massive platters of tasty stirfried vegetables. Emily enjoyed spinning the lazy susan around and tucked into some rice.

After a time they brought out the large fish, which had been simmered in broth, and also a big bowl of soup with various parts of the fish floating in it. It was all extremely tasty and we were stuffed long before we had done half of it justice.

Emily had attracted plenty of attention (not surprising since we had hardly seen one westerner since we got to Taiwan) and one of the serving women who had a small boy came over and led her away to play outside, so that we could carry on eating in peace. Emily meekly followed her and let her put her in a swing in the small garden, with hardly a backward glance at us. Finally we called it a day and left the table.

Half a mile away was another good reason to get out of the car. Shihtiping is well known for its rocky promontory; there were several coachloads of tourists there crawling all over it. We joined the hordes of sightseers, and managed to find a quiet place on the rocks to enjoy the scene.

After a while it got quieter, and we spent a good half hour exploring the many rockpools isolated by the tide. Some of them were several feet deep, and we spotted many striped or coloured small fish in them, plus the odd crab.

A short way down the coast we came to another old bridge usurped by a modern road crossing, at Changhong. Again, the driver dropped us off so we could walk across. It was a very pretty spot, with bleached white rocks in the river below, and an odd little island called Xi Bulan sitting in the river mouth, which I later found out is a volcanic rock.

Only a few kilometres south we reached our turnaround point, the Tropic of Cancer landmark.

We had to share it with about a hundred other tourists and an aboriginal man in traditional dress (very Polynesian in style, with a grass skirt and a headdress) who was selling CDs of native music and blaring out his wares over loudspeaker. Inland were dozens of amazing sharp peaks and I wished we had been able to continue our journey south as I had originally planned (no hotel availability further down).

Within a minute of our return journey Emily was flat out, and I had an uncomfortable hour's drive back to Hualien with her in my arms. We had asked the driver to take us straight into the city and as we pulled up outside Starbucks I woke her. Thankfully she didn't make a fuss. We went inside and stayed in the coffee shop for an hour or more, watching the world go by from the upstairs lounge window. Emily danced to the piped Christmas jazz music in the near-empty cafe. Taiwan is proud of its tea and I don't think that coffee has caught on quite as well there as in Japan. While we were holed up there a short, sharp shower came through but it had stopped by the time we sallied forth in search of Country Mothers restaurant. We'd decided to eat there again as they had several good menu options and I wanted Emily to have some more raw veggies.

The eatery was much busier this time so we had to eat in the upstairs dining room. There was a family at the next table who gave their little boy some Christmas presents to open, and Emily was a bit confused why she had to wait until next day. On the way back to our taxi collection point we stopped in the pedestrianised area to watch a live band play versions of Christmas songs for a 'Santa Rocks' event. The taxi ride back to Bay View hotel was as eventful as ever because they got the same crazy driver to pick us up. Before bedtime, Emily put out her 'stocking' at the end of her bed.