14 April 2007

Last full day before heading back to Australia

Het Vally thermal lake, very hot, and the stone next picture you can see the sulphur on it

A stream leading into the thermal lake, notice the various shades of brown in drop
Aboriginal carvings
I am not fat that is the camera case under my shirt

13 April 2007

A grill in an apartment store central Taipei

On my walk down the mountain this morning did see this very elderly lady with a brace on her back working in the vegetable garden
Also on the way down the mountain this man was collecting the seaweed that had been laid out to dry, it is a special type the name I don't not know
Artist at work on Xindian River Bank one of the group shown below

12 April 2007

Some Of the pictures taken from the tallest building in the world Taipei 101




For sale this solid gold Flower

12. April 2007

Today was an exciting day, and it turned out to be the clearest day in Taipei since I have been here some 3 months and Neil and I went to the top of the Tallest Building in the world The Taipei 101, firstly viewing from an enclosed area then going to the top floor in open air, it was an incredible experience the lift only taking 37 seconds to got to the top. and 43 down. There is so much to say about this building. But will leave it for another time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101

In the picture above you can see a red circle That Building is where Neil Lives and as seen from the Taipei 101 building, Below are just a few of the many pictures taken today

The other pictures are some of the many pictures we took today, one picture was of two men in a cradle outside cleaning the windows, they must have no feelings at all

11 April 2007

Just took some pictures of the Main Road In Taipei from a street overpass


A Picture taken at The Sony Electronics display in the grounds of the 101 Building
Sun Yet-sen

10 April 2007

Today I did not take the camera with me due to the weather heavy rain, but should have, I was window shopping in the underground mall's and wanted to leave and catch a bus home, but was stopped by station staff and police from leaving or going outside to the street.

This was for 30 minutes, I did ask one station employer what was wrong and he showed me a piece of paper saying Military Exercise I went back and asked him to show me it again and did take a picture of it with my phone then took these pictures with the phone.

Neil tells me they do this once a year where everything in Taipei above ground stops nobody is to be seen on the streets, all buses and all traffic stops, an credible scene

The main street outside Taipei Main Station nothing moving usually throngs on the street
Policeman blocking our exit Taxi Car and Bus stopped
The sign shown me informing of the military Exercise

Some of the people behind the policeman

09 April 2007

Went for a walk today in the rain and got a bit lost, but found my way out took these pictures so Neil could tell me where I had been. one of the thousands of high rise unit blocks in Taipei
You will see a rather large Buddha and temple in the background

This one is on the footpath

08 April 2007

A group of young people practising their skills in an area of the underground shopping mall between tree stations on the Taipei Metro (MRT) Taipei Main Station, Zhongshan and Shaunglian Stations, you can walk between the three stations underground
Two young boys playing with basketballs trying to put them in the nets, a game played by a lot of grown ups, was funny watching the young guys, this was also in the underground mall.
This is part of some artwork on display in the underground mall the subject matter health
A cluttered up dashboard of a car

Zhongxiao Fuxing Metro station the above ground part where the trains are automatic no drivers

07 April 2007

Not many Pictures today Heavy Rain, but could not resist these two happy Pizza Hut delivery guys meeting up at the lights and greeting each other
The Eslite Xin Yi Bookshop the biggest in Taiwan where people are allowed to sit anywhere they like and read the books.

06 April 2007

Humongous Honey Pomelo's related to Mandarins
A mobile kebab, the only thing is that the meat on this spindle cooker would not to the liking of the Turkish Muslim society it being Pork Not Lamb
In Taiwan the scratcies we buy in Australia from newsagents and other outlets can only be purchased from people with disabilities and you will find many on the streets selling them( I did not take the persons picture at this stand as not to offend), they will pay you out minor winnings but larger amounts you must take the ticket to any bank and they will give you the money, the most that can be won is 1 million Taiwan Dollars $37,000 aud but unlike in Australia where the tax is paid when you purchase a ticket, the government here takes 15% of the winnings in Tax. The lottery tickets are sold in Shops the prizes can raise to huge amounts here too, but these shops are not allowed to sell the scratchies unless the person doing so in an invalid or disabled person
Neil Caught resting

Pork Next to the Stinky Poo on our table

06 April 2007

Not long after arriving in Taipei Neil took me to some market places where they also cook food on Stalls and Restaurant fronts, at one of these markets I noticed this awful smell coming from one food stalls, and on asking Neil what it was, he explained that it was a delicacy they call Stinky Tofu, my reply was that it smelt more like Dog Poo(S...) at which he laughed, and every time since that we have come across it cooking we say there's that Stinky Dog Poo, well yesterday Neil informed me that we were going to Shenkeng today which is solely for the serving of Stinky Tofu, there were Restaurant after Restaurant, Stall after Stall displaying and selling this stuff Dog Poo (s...) Well I had promised Neil that I would try it before going back to Australia, well today was the day, Neil ordered the meal and along came this Stinky Tofu and true to my word I did taste it, and believe it or not it tasted exactly like it smelt Dog Poo (s...) mind you I must be fair to the dogs I have never tasted theirs.
One display of Stinky Tofu
Another
The Poo Neil ordered
Young people cuing up to partake
A restaurant full of Dog Poo worshipers