*Apparently I forgot to write about the stinky tofu. It smells just like it tastes. Dont let them fool you. Imagine cow manure and then eat it. Thats what stinky tofu tastes like.*
To be honest the last thing I feel like doing right now is blogging, but I don’t want to fall behind. I just helped Diane finally start her blog-I can’t even imagine trying to start from day one. Especially at this hotel where your swatting mosquitoes every two seconds.
Today was a day full of traveling. We woke up and made sure we had everything packed. This might not sound impressive, but managing to squeeze all the stuff into my one little bag was no small feat! I’m glad my packing skills are still proficient because we had to haul our stuff across the country today.
Part one of the day was going to the President’s House (Taiwanese White House) and taking a tour. The moment I got there I thought for sure I wasn’t going to get in because I had moved my passport to my other bag while I was packing…which was back at the hotel. Thankfully the Professor managed to ‘sneak me in’. How you sneak someone into a Presidential building I beyond me, but I was just happy not to get kicked out. Surprisingly, Arianna and Diane weren’t allowed in! I guess there was a dress code that you cannot wear flip flops. We left them outside by the 7-11 and headed on for our tour, going through security on the way. I kept waiting for someone to say something about ID, but thankfully no one did. The tour was educational.
Since we had a little extra time before our next appointment, we walked across the street to see the presidential artifact museum. There were some really cool items and I got a lot of pictures. I think we were all a bit too tired to truly enjoy it. The weather was hot to say the least. Last time I looked it was 93 degrees and very humid.
Lunch was next on the agenda. The department store down the street had a food court. I was playing it safe so I went to McDonalds. You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered the chicken nuggets were made of mystery meat instead of the standard white meat. At least the fries were good. I have been craving healthy food the whole time I’ve been here. I don’t think it exists in Taiwan, which is contrary to my original thoughts. I did at least find some pineapple to go with the fries, so lunch wasn’t a total bust.
The American Chamber of Commerce was our main tour of the day. I would love to tell you all about it, but I was too focused on the life and death battle of staying awake. From the moment I sat down my body and brain clicked off. The others in the group said I made some pretty amazing faces while trying to keep my eyes open. I can only imagine…but at least I know why everyone kept snickering throughout the presentation.
We got back to the hotel where our bags were being stored a little early so I took advantage of the time to go to the bank. It was a long wait, but the transaction wasn’t bad with an exchange rate of 28.40. Apparently I was there at closing time because they locked down the doors (which are like garage doors here) with me still inside. That was a bit intimidating being locked inside a building where everyone speaks Chinese. Thankfully a nice guard led me out. Then again I had no idea what he was saying so he might not have been nice. I met up with the group at a restaurant down the road. Leary after a questionable lunch, I ordered something that looked like a salad off the menu. Surprise! It was a fresh salad with ranch (REAL RANCH) dressing and even bacon bits on top. Greatest meal of the day!
Next we began our trek across the country (literally across half the country). I felt so bad for the people that had more than one bag, which was everyone but Ed I think. Some even had 4! First a 20 min ride on the metro to connect to a 90 min bullet train ride. We got off the high speed rails and back onto a new metro system for 20 mins. Keep in mind we are jumping train to train with our entire set of luggage in tow. A bit frazzled from the rush of not being swept away on the wrong track we all regrouped outside. By now we are all trained well enough to blindly follow the professor and not ask how far. Little did we know it was a 30 min fast-paced walk across town, through traffic, between mopeds and up curbs. We actually lost three people, but they managed to figure it out. The hotel is nice if you take out all the bugs! I must look like a poka-dotted clown with all the bites I have.
Now that Diane’s blog is set up, mine is typed and all the alarms are set I’m going to get ready for bed. Tomorrow is my day as group leader, which is code for glorified flag holder and camera person. At least we get to see a yacht company. If I can stay awake long enough I am going to try to Skype home. Until tomorrow, I bid you all a goodnight.
Today was a day full of traveling. We woke up and made sure we had everything packed. This might not sound impressive, but managing to squeeze all the stuff into my one little bag was no small feat! I’m glad my packing skills are still proficient because we had to haul our stuff across the country today.
Part one of the day was going to the President’s House (Taiwanese White House) and taking a tour. The moment I got there I thought for sure I wasn’t going to get in because I had moved my passport to my other bag while I was packing…which was back at the hotel. Thankfully the Professor managed to ‘sneak me in’. How you sneak someone into a Presidential building I beyond me, but I was just happy not to get kicked out. Surprisingly, Arianna and Diane weren’t allowed in! I guess there was a dress code that you cannot wear flip flops. We left them outside by the 7-11 and headed on for our tour, going through security on the way. I kept waiting for someone to say something about ID, but thankfully no one did. The tour was educational.
Since we had a little extra time before our next appointment, we walked across the street to see the presidential artifact museum. There were some really cool items and I got a lot of pictures. I think we were all a bit too tired to truly enjoy it. The weather was hot to say the least. Last time I looked it was 93 degrees and very humid.
Lunch was next on the agenda. The department store down the street had a food court. I was playing it safe so I went to McDonalds. You can imagine my disappointment when I discovered the chicken nuggets were made of mystery meat instead of the standard white meat. At least the fries were good. I have been craving healthy food the whole time I’ve been here. I don’t think it exists in Taiwan, which is contrary to my original thoughts. I did at least find some pineapple to go with the fries, so lunch wasn’t a total bust.
The American Chamber of Commerce was our main tour of the day. I would love to tell you all about it, but I was too focused on the life and death battle of staying awake. From the moment I sat down my body and brain clicked off. The others in the group said I made some pretty amazing faces while trying to keep my eyes open. I can only imagine…but at least I know why everyone kept snickering throughout the presentation.
We got back to the hotel where our bags were being stored a little early so I took advantage of the time to go to the bank. It was a long wait, but the transaction wasn’t bad with an exchange rate of 28.40. Apparently I was there at closing time because they locked down the doors (which are like garage doors here) with me still inside. That was a bit intimidating being locked inside a building where everyone speaks Chinese. Thankfully a nice guard led me out. Then again I had no idea what he was saying so he might not have been nice. I met up with the group at a restaurant down the road. Leary after a questionable lunch, I ordered something that looked like a salad off the menu. Surprise! It was a fresh salad with ranch (REAL RANCH) dressing and even bacon bits on top. Greatest meal of the day!
Next we began our trek across the country (literally across half the country). I felt so bad for the people that had more than one bag, which was everyone but Ed I think. Some even had 4! First a 20 min ride on the metro to connect to a 90 min bullet train ride. We got off the high speed rails and back onto a new metro system for 20 mins. Keep in mind we are jumping train to train with our entire set of luggage in tow. A bit frazzled from the rush of not being swept away on the wrong track we all regrouped outside. By now we are all trained well enough to blindly follow the professor and not ask how far. Little did we know it was a 30 min fast-paced walk across town, through traffic, between mopeds and up curbs. We actually lost three people, but they managed to figure it out. The hotel is nice if you take out all the bugs! I must look like a poka-dotted clown with all the bites I have.
Now that Diane’s blog is set up, mine is typed and all the alarms are set I’m going to get ready for bed. Tomorrow is my day as group leader, which is code for glorified flag holder and camera person. At least we get to see a yacht company. If I can stay awake long enough I am going to try to Skype home. Until tomorrow, I bid you all a goodnight.
Oh yeah-by the way there is a Typhoon coming. That makes 3 earthquakes and now this. It’s supposed to hit right where we are going so there may be some changes in schedule.
No comments:
Post a Comment