Taiwan Part 2 - Devastation (new with pictures)
I'm totally pissed with myself.
CRACKED MY CAMERA LCD!!!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Sigh. It happened when I fell from the bicycle. Was on a night cycling trip round Green Island. While I was cycling upslope, a car came in the opposite direction with the headlights shinning right into my eyes. Could hardly see ahead. My friend in front breaked, but I couldn't break fast enough without falling over. Feel to my side and think the impact was too great, cracking the lcd of the camera that was inside my waist pouch. Sigh... Sigh.. Sigh.. (costing me $110 to replace the lcd)
Now, can only use the camera like a normal film cam. Can't see the pictures, and still have to pay for the repair. It's under warranty, but doubt they will cover the repair for lcd. Sob.. lcd very ex ah.. Worse thing is still got 1/3 of my trip to go.. Dunnoe how my pictures will turn out..
Am in JiaYi now. This internet cafe cannot make it. Can't even allow me to see my pictures on the PC. Won't allow the access of the drives. So stupid.. so can't upload any new pictures. Paiseh.
Well.. a brief into the happenings since last entry (will add in pictures when I can):
15/7: As mentioned, did white water rafting on XiuGuLuan river in RuiSui, HuaLian. It's designated a Class 3 (out of 6) raft. We grouped up with another 5 Taiwanese on a raft. As typhoon just went by, the water level was pretty high. The instructors said that the probability of overturning is like 100%, but we didn't. Haa. Too kiasee i think. The Taiwaneses were more interesting in splashing water at other people on the rafts than really rafting. They hardly rowed at all. So our raft ended up v
earing the the right a lot as the two sides are of different strengths. Had to backrow to steer the raft back. It wasn't exceptionally exciting. Only a very few occasions was it really challenging. But was an interesting experience. (The Taiwanese even brought XiaoMiJiu and betel nuts on the raft!) Got to know a Zhang Lao Ban. He's really a smart businessman. Not very ambitious, rather slowly build up a steady business that he can hand over to his children. Had dinner at his xiao chi dian, with the most famous item being green tea meat ball (lve cha ba wan).
16/7: Headed down to Green Island, TaiDong. Didn't do much this day. Rested mostly. This is the night which my camera broke. Sigh. Enjoyed the cycling, but damn.. What an expensive enjoyment!
17/7: Went for snokelling in the morning. Now I finally understand why many people are passionate about diving/snorkelling! The underwater world is so beautiful! Though was only a snorkel, the view had me feeling like I was in a real life aquarium. Brillant!! The fishes were so colourful. I was many different kinds of butterfly fish etc. It was like transporting HuaLian's aquarium here onto Green Island. If anyone has the chance to visit Green Island, snorkelling is a must! Interestingly, on the beach, there grew a plant (vine like) with sap of the leaves that's very good for preventing fogging of the masks. Just need to crush a few leaves and rub it on the masks, and lasts for the whole snorkelling session. It's really quite perculiar, how mother nature works! Had she already known that people will go there for snorkelling!?!? Haa.
Rented a car in the afternoon and went round driving to the different sites of Green Island. The island is pretty small, needs only about 30 mins by the motorbike to go round it once. There are some interesting coastal formations which w
as given names by the locals. One resembled a dog lying in front of a sleeping beauty! Green Island used to where political prisoners were held up about 50 years ago.. Known as the 2-2-8 (er-er-ba) incident. It was a scary time in Taiwan's history. Many were wronglyfully persecuted. So on the island, there are 3 prisons which have now been converted into memorial areas.
18/7: Woke up early in the morning (3.30am!!) to see the sunrise at
the hot spring area. This hot spring is one of the only 3 salt water hot springs in the world. Sad to say, it was too cloudy, so the sunrise view wasn't very good. But still had fun soaking in the hot springs. Some can be really quite hot.. Remember to always take it slow and easy! The outdoor pools had natural pools that are formed into small lagoons by the coral rocks. So can see fishes! Very fun. For lunch, we tried their local speciality - sea grass ice. Well.. sea grass tastes like seaweed though minus the strong sea taste. It's quite nice actually. Afternoon, headed back to TaiDong, then GaoXiong.
Got to GaoXiong quite late, so could only walked around the famous AiHe (Love River). It's been cleaned up and done up nicely in the last few years. Eh.. Maybe I was there on the weekday or was too too late, quite quiet. Think I still prefer Singapore river! Haa.. Our city lights are prettier!
19/7: Decided to stayed an extra day in GaoXiong. Headed to a Lotus pond region (though we hardly saw any lotus.. Haa!) It's a lake with many temples dotting around it. Think was fate (as one of the Ah Pek said), we happen to chance upon a celebration at one of the temples. It was the birth of GuanLaoYe. So there was lots of bustle in the temple. We even had a free vegetarian lunch! Quite nice too! Full 10 course! Haa.. Was really fun!
After lunch, we headed to this Pier 2 art area! On the brochures, it seems like a really interesting place with wall art etc. Had to walked quite far under the blazing heat to get there. The area, to our utter disappointment, was like a dead town. There were no exhibits, no people (a few souls at a cafe that's all).. well.. Nothing to see! Yeesh.
Headed over to QiJin park, a beach area. Sigh.. The whole park is like Pier 2. All hype but nothing worth seeing. Could see that it was once a very nice beach, but with the lack of maintaneance, the whole place crumbles. Litter everywhere. Facilities not working. It's a very sad sight. Only saving grace was the beautiful sunset. Interestingly, the sand there isn't the normal yellowish white type, but black! And it's very fine sand. So very comforting to walk on. The locals still go over to the park though... I wonder why.
20/7: Spent the morning in the art musuem. Though I have seen better ones, this is still not bad. Mainly art works by Taiwanese and the area is out of the main city, so quite blissful and quiet. GaoXiong on the whole... Sigh.. in short.. the descriptions on the brochures and sights in real life.. well.. are 10 000 leagues apart! Didn't have quite a good impression of the city. What a waste. Don't think I will visit it again anytime soon. Headed over to JiaYi in the afternoon, to catch the train up to AliShan the next morning.
Will write again. Got to go YangMingShan!
Next up...
21/7: Alishan
22/7: AliShan-Taipei- XiMenDing
23/7: TaiPei-JiuFen(Glorious food shopping)-ChiangKaShek Memorial Hall-LongShanXi
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Sigh. It happened when I fell from the bicycle. Was on a night cycling trip round Green Island. While I was cycling upslope, a car came in the opposite direction with the headlights shinning right into my eyes. Could hardly see ahead. My friend in front breaked, but I couldn't break fast enough without falling over. Feel to my side and think the impact was too great, cracking the lcd of the camera that was inside my waist pouch. Sigh... Sigh.. Sigh.. (costing me $110 to replace the lcd)
Now, can only use the camera like a normal film cam. Can't see the pictures, and still have to pay for the repair. It's under warranty, but doubt they will cover the repair for lcd. Sob.. lcd very ex ah.. Worse thing is still got 1/3 of my trip to go.. Dunnoe how my pictures will turn out..
Am in JiaYi now. This internet cafe cannot make it. Can't even allow me to see my pictures on the PC. Won't allow the access of the drives. So stupid.. so can't upload any new pictures. Paiseh.
Well.. a brief into the happenings since last entry (will add in pictures when I can):
15/7: As mentioned, did white water rafting on XiuGuLuan river in RuiSui, HuaLian. It's designated a Class 3 (out of 6) raft. We grouped up with another 5 Taiwanese on a raft. As typhoon just went by, the water level was pretty high. The instructors said that the probability of overturning is like 100%, but we didn't. Haa. Too kiasee i think. The Taiwaneses were more interesting in splashing water at other people on the rafts than really rafting. They hardly rowed at all. So our raft ended up v
earing the the right a lot as the two sides are of different strengths. Had to backrow to steer the raft back. It wasn't exceptionally exciting. Only a very few occasions was it really challenging. But was an interesting experience. (The Taiwanese even brought XiaoMiJiu and betel nuts on the raft!) Got to know a Zhang Lao Ban. He's really a smart businessman. Not very ambitious, rather slowly build up a steady business that he can hand over to his children. Had dinner at his xiao chi dian, with the most famous item being green tea meat ball (lve cha ba wan).16/7: Headed down to Green Island, TaiDong. Didn't do much this day. Rested mostly. This is the night which my camera broke. Sigh. Enjoyed the cycling, but damn.. What an expensive enjoyment!
17/7: Went for snokelling in the morning. Now I finally understand why many people are passionate about diving/snorkelling! The underwater world is so beautiful! Though was only a snorkel, the view had me feeling like I was in a real life aquarium. Brillant!! The fishes were so colourful. I was many different kinds of butterfly fish etc. It was like transporting HuaLian's aquarium here onto Green Island. If anyone has the chance to visit Green Island, snorkelling is a must! Interestingly, on the beach, there grew a plant (vine like) with sap of the leaves that's very good for preventing fogging of the masks. Just need to crush a few leaves and rub it on the masks, and lasts for the whole snorkelling session. It's really quite perculiar, how mother nature works! Had she already known that people will go there for snorkelling!?!? Haa.
Rented a car in the afternoon and went round driving to the different sites of Green Island. The island is pretty small, needs only about 30 mins by the motorbike to go round it once. There are some interesting coastal formations which w
as given names by the locals. One resembled a dog lying in front of a sleeping beauty! Green Island used to where political prisoners were held up about 50 years ago.. Known as the 2-2-8 (er-er-ba) incident. It was a scary time in Taiwan's history. Many were wronglyfully persecuted. So on the island, there are 3 prisons which have now been converted into memorial areas.18/7: Woke up early in the morning (3.30am!!) to see the sunrise at
the hot spring area. This hot spring is one of the only 3 salt water hot springs in the world. Sad to say, it was too cloudy, so the sunrise view wasn't very good. But still had fun soaking in the hot springs. Some can be really quite hot.. Remember to always take it slow and easy! The outdoor pools had natural pools that are formed into small lagoons by the coral rocks. So can see fishes! Very fun. For lunch, we tried their local speciality - sea grass ice. Well.. sea grass tastes like seaweed though minus the strong sea taste. It's quite nice actually. Afternoon, headed back to TaiDong, then GaoXiong.Got to GaoXiong quite late, so could only walked around the famous AiHe (Love River). It's been cleaned up and done up nicely in the last few years. Eh.. Maybe I was there on the weekday or was too too late, quite quiet. Think I still prefer Singapore river! Haa.. Our city lights are prettier!
19/7: Decided to stayed an extra day in GaoXiong. Headed to a Lotus pond region (though we hardly saw any lotus.. Haa!) It's a lake with many temples dotting around it. Think was fate (as one of the Ah Pek said), we happen to chance upon a celebration at one of the temples. It was the birth of GuanLaoYe. So there was lots of bustle in the temple. We even had a free vegetarian lunch! Quite nice too! Full 10 course! Haa.. Was really fun!After lunch, we headed to this Pier 2 art area! On the brochures, it seems like a really interesting place with wall art etc. Had to walked quite far under the blazing heat to get there. The area, to our utter disappointment, was like a dead town. There were no exhibits, no people (a few souls at a cafe that's all).. well.. Nothing to see! Yeesh.
Headed over to QiJin park, a beach area. Sigh.. The whole park is like Pier 2. All hype but nothing worth seeing. Could see that it was once a very nice beach, but with the lack of maintaneance, the whole place crumbles. Litter everywhere. Facilities not working. It's a very sad sight. Only saving grace was the beautiful sunset. Interestingly, the sand there isn't the normal yellowish white type, but black! And it's very fine sand. So very comforting to walk on. The locals still go over to the park though... I wonder why.
20/7: Spent the morning in the art musuem. Though I have seen better ones, this is still not bad. Mainly art works by Taiwanese and the area is out of the main city, so quite blissful and quiet. GaoXiong on the whole... Sigh.. in short.. the descriptions on the brochures and sights in real life.. well.. are 10 000 leagues apart! Didn't have quite a good impression of the city. What a waste. Don't think I will visit it again anytime soon. Headed over to JiaYi in the afternoon, to catch the train up to AliShan the next morning.
Will write again. Got to go YangMingShan!
Next up...
21/7: Alishan
22/7: AliShan-Taipei- XiMenDing
23/7: TaiPei-JiuFen(Glorious food shopping)-ChiangKaShek Memorial Hall-LongShanXi
posted by Nia at
7:24 PM
1 Comments:
ah.. my condolences to your camera..
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