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Liugui Township in Kaohsiung county, Southern Taiwan

In Kaohsiung county due to recent typhoons and landslides, traveling is quite limited, many roads are still destroyed, and many people in Taiwan avoid those areas now. However, for me, in love with southern Taiwan, it's hard to resist not to go over those mountain roads again. This time I want to show a bit of small mountain city called Liugui Township (六龜鄉) - it's no information in internet at all about it, and I want to fill this gap. Living here is really dangerous, as the risk of landslides are high, and the discussion whether people should go away from here still remains harsh in Taiwan. Now, in winter, when typhoon season is over, all here looks calm and silent, however, reminders of harsh summer typhoons and landslides are seen everywhere:

You can just imagine the power of raging river and what was happening here just a few month ago.
Mountains all around here looks somewhat like this:

 

 

All of them now have such a yellow sand sides, can see where the landslides were, and many of them lost their beautiful green trees cover, and now look like old, bald men standing lonely there.

Such a houses like the one above are at the highest risk to be washed away at next flood and typhoon. And there any many of them, and people prefer stay - would you like to move away from your own home?

Road goes up and up bringing us more to the middle of Kaohsiung county.

If you do not concentrate on the typhoon and landslides, views in Southern Taiwan is as breathtaking as usually.

It's fresh, just rebuilt road - and I hope this time it won't be damaged again so soon.

Luigui (Six Turtles) township itself if calm, rural southern Taiwan township with it's own 7ELEVEN, school, police and all other facilities you will find in any place in Taiwan.

Shops try survive here mostly hoping on passing traffic up to the mountains - to Baolai hotspring area. 

 

One of the most amazing things in Taiwan is the people - they live everywhere - you could drive the smallest road in most remote are - and still, you will find people sitting like this, and socializing. 

Luigui School - another thing I like in Taiwan - no matter how small is the township - school will be big enough and good building. Education is important.

Taiwan people like to do business - no matter, where and what - but you will always find someone selling something in most unexpected places.

 

If you really happen one day to be in Luigui - stop by to eat in this restaurant - it's common in Taiwan that not bright at all walls does not means that food is terrific and tasty. Local drink stand suggested us to try this, and it was really a good place.

It's as usually a family owned restaurant as most of such places in small cities in Taiwan.

Feeling of real Taiwan - it's how most of small family owned restaurants in rural areas look like.

 

Green vegetable is always present dish

炒麵 - fried noodles

蛤仔湯 - Clam soup

Nuts, pork and garlic offers really special flavor - very delicious

烤鮭魚 - Grilled salmon

In case you need directions:
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Area around Tianhou temple in Lugang, Changhua county

While in Lugang (鹿港），in northwestern Changhua county, it would be a mistake not to visit a vibrant and old spirited place near Tianhou temple, on ZhongShan (中山）street. It's worth to come at evening (not night though) time, then for those, who are more interested in "everything around", rather than temple itself, an interest choice for a food will be offered.

Tienhou temple itself of course it the one of the most bright spots in the area at the evening:

In the Qing Dynasty, general Shi Lang built the first temple of Goddess of Sea in Taiwan. However, as sooner or later you will discover in Taiwan - 7Eleven or Family mart presence in any historical towns and just immediately after such temples are very normal:
 

Anyway, Taiwan is really so convenient place to live - I had recently saw some polls from foreign expats showing that everyone says same, such things is easy to forgive. You should give up something to get something.

You won't miss also entrance to the area, it's crowded with a people and at evening looks like this:

Just after the entrance night market starts:

 This place is almost 100 % associated to dishes related to ousters and special kind of shrimps called, monkey shrimps. Below woman is selling this kind of food, you see 螳螂蝦 一口蟹 溪蝦 蚵嗲 蚵仔酥 - so, different kind of shrimps, ousters and crabs. Tienhou nightmarket is sea and river food paradise, eo expect all food to be prepared of this. 

 Another popular show around there is like this below, selling religion items, immediately to be used for praying in a temple:

If you have motorbike, parking is not an issue, but for a car - you will need park somewhere outside more far away.

Most interesting in my opinion is the food offerings just left to the temple. I took the video, while wandering near those restaurants:

 I suggested try out his restaurant - and order all food with ousters - it's really special and such kind can be found seems only here.
 

 Ousters cooked with egg, one of popular dish here.

Everyone is concentrated and working hard.

Omelet - in menu look for 蚵仔煎 - ouster omelet. 

This offering is similar to the one above - again shrimps and ousters. 

 

蚵嗲 - Ouster cocktail

Ousters served with noodles. 

And this is how the it looks like. That's the hero of Tianhou nightmarket. Here all is about and around ouster....

 .... in soup finally, if eggs and noodles are not what you want.

 They look more terrible than taste - river shrimps.

 蝦猴 - Monkey Shrimps!

Religion is same business as everything else, right?

 Moving apart the temple streets become more dark, and there are less shops.

 Souvenirs for you， dear 外國人. 

 What's particulary interesting - historical japanese era buildings, seen everywhere in a district.

 And we are saying buy to Tianhou temple leaving it behind.

Chi-tou scenic area near Lugu township, in Nantou County

For Taichungers, good place for a fast escape from a noisy city is Chi-Tou scenic area, near Lugu (鹿谷鄉), which belongs to Nantou county. It is one of seven National Taiwan University's experimental forests, and are built mostly by students hands. It's all about walking over mountain trails like this:

If you like the feeling, then it's your's. Of course, as it is with all such locations in Taiwan, it is better to come weekdays, otherwise, those trails will be overcrowded same as in city, and place will lose it's beauty. So, as official government website for area says:

The air is fresh, and there are no undesired noises. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely and carefree walk in the quiet, secluded forest, experiencing the tranquil, dark green, natural environment.  

...it will be truth weekdays only, IMHO. Anyway, we were visiting the place Monday, mostly 老人家 (as I call them), from Mainland China were sneaking over the trails. As you might imagine, travelers from Mainland China differs from local 老人 mostly by noise created - they are much louder.

Taiwan fir, China fir, red cypress - those are everywhere, but for me personally, I like this feeling of bamboo jungle:

Different areas of the forest are connected by wooden or concrete footpaths and bridges:

During the winter, water in those small rivers almost disappears. 

Time after time you can take a rest at such shelters. You will want, especially, if your interests in your facebook profile does not mentions "hiking". 

Those trees were planted here in 1950's, and according to the signs, they were testing a distances - will it be OK, if distance between trees are that short? Well, for me they look pretty well, so experiment should be successful. 

Once you spend some time in Taiwan, you'll quickly become familiar with a local phenomena I call "blue small trucks". Their exceptionally outrageous driving and almost 100 % presence over the island are proven also here in Chi-Tou.  

Some of the trails are covered by wooden chippings, they smell great, walking through them is really a pleasure - add the fresh mountain air, and you will get the picture.

Another "important" point for the area is university bridge and pond. 

The bamboo-arched bridge crosses over the blue waters of the pond.



There is a restaurant as well, however, I suggest a more special one, just down the road in Lugu - will
be introduced below.



You can't lost here, as signs are everywhere, you can grab a map at the entrance of the area. Eating is important. Right? So, I suggest this restaurant down the road - you will see the signs everywhere on a road:

As you can see they say 30年老店 - 30 nian lao dian, it's 30 years old.



This corner seat offers best view, but it's quite hot there, especially at summer.



You can choose to sit inside...



Or outside. Note the table on the right - that's a coffee - restaurant owner growths his own coffee. Below are some of the dishes you can get here:



Fish soup and bamboo...



Another fish dish



MuEr (木耳） - this restaurant kindly offered it as bonus. Taste is really like a sashimi!



Egg cake

 

View Larger Map That's where the LuGu and Chi-Tou are - for those seeking locations.

Gur-e Amir (Amir Timur, Tamerlane) mausoleum in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

The Gur-e Amir is the mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Tamerlane (also known as Timur) in Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan). It occupies an important place in the history of Islamic Architecture as the precursor and model for later great Mughal architecture tombs, including Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Timur's descendants, the ruling Mughal dynasty of North India. It has been heavily restored. When we just approached it at this early June morning, all the surroundings was quite empty, and it appeared to us as follows:





Gur-e Amir is Persian for "Tomb of the King". This architectural complex with its azure dome contains the tombs of Tamerlane, his sons Shah Rukh and Miran Shah and grandson Ulugh Beg and Muhammad Sultan.

You can watch this video below and also listen our guide comments on Amir Timur itself.



Dome itself at the time we came has been under process of renovation.



The monument is divided into three equal parts: a bulbous double dome of 35 meters high with 64 ribs, flanked by minarets 26 meters high.





The earliest part of the complex was built at the end of the 14th century by the orders of Muhammad Sultan. Now only the foundations of the madrasah and khanaka, the entrance portal and a part of one of four minarets remains.



entrance portal to the Muhammad Sultan ensemble is richly decorated with carved bricks and various mosaics. The decoration of the portal was accomplished by the skilled craftsman (ustad) Muhammad bin Mahmud Isfahani.





The exterior decoration of the walls consists of the blue, light-blue and white tiles organized into geometrical and epigraphic ornaments against a background of terracotta bricks.





Blue sign says - Fast Photo.

Inwardly the mausoleum appears as a large, high chamber with deep niches at the sides and diverse decoration. The lower part of the walls covered are by onyx slabs composed as one panel. Each of these slabs is decorated with refined paintings. Above the panel there is a marble stalactite cornice. Large expanses of the walls are decorated with painted plaster; the arches and the internal dome are ornamented by high-relief papier-mache cartouches, gilded and painted









The ornate carved headstones in the inner room of the mausoleum merely indicate the location of the actual tombs in a crypt directly underneath the main chamber. Under Ulugh Beg's government a solid block of dark green jade was placed over the grave of Tamerlane.





Formerly this stone had been used at a place of worship in the Chinese emperor's palace, then as the throne of Kabek Khan (a descendant of Genghis Khan) in Karshi. Next to Tamerlane's grave lie the marble tombstones of his sons Miran Shah and Shah Rukh and also of grandsons - Muhammad Sultan and Ulugh Beg. Tamerlane's spiritual teacher Mir Said Baraka, also rests here.



This place was used to be a water reservoir for camels. Now, it's souvenir shop. We can go in:



More pictures from back side of the mausoleum follows below:











Also a shot from a nearby street. Again note, all the cars except old Soviet Lada are Daewoo.



And we are saying bye to Amir Timur Mausoleum!

Read more about Uzbekistan:

Road from Tashkent to Samarkand - Uzbekistan 2009

Road from Tashkent to Samarkand - Uzbekistan 2009

Since today I am starting to share our trip impressions to Uzbekistan, where we was in July 2009. As a first introduction port - a bit about one of the central highways in Uzbekistan, heading from Tashkent to Samarkand.

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This is one of the best quality roads in Uzbekistan, quality is good enough, as it's one of the most busy used roads for cars traffic. 99.999 % cars in Uzbekistan consist or of Daewoo or old soviet union models still in exploitation.



Situation with speed is quite odd, as in all former soviet union. Limit is 90, but those Daewoo's drive as fast as 160 - 170 km/h, to get stopped 3 - 4 times on a road by police, which then get's bribed and then journey can continue.



WC's are available mostly in road cafe's and restaurant's as well as fuel stations. As this one.



Local's having meal near Samarkand - Tashkent highway.



You can also always stop by to buy a drink or snacks while on a road - you will for sure need a water if you can in summer to Uzbekistan - temperatures can reach as high as 40 - 45 degrees Celsium. And remember NOT to drink any water which you are not sure it's boiled. Never ever in Uzbekistan. It's not Taiwan.



Yellow ones are honey, while white one is a special, salty tasted snack popular in Uzbekistan called "khurt" - made from milk.



I bought to try them, salty. My wife did not risked eat them. Our guide all the time was telling us that you should not eat even the soups in smaller rural restaurants, as they may add there unboiled water. It can end by serious sick, and end your travel in hospital.



We ate on a road in this small restaurant.



Prepare for a much of insects and flies in Uzbekistan. This picture is what you are definitely going to see in front of your eyes, in virtually every restaurant in Uzbekistan.



We are invited in VIP room, with a sofas and separate table.



No matter where - you will be offered this kind of bread in Uzbekistan. Uzbek's eat very very fat food, plov - traditional rice & meat dish is very fat, and in case you do not eat it together with bread, you are under the risk to get stomach aches.



Very tasty milk based soup with green vegetables and egg, called "okroshka". But, again! I physically felt that there is water along with milk and that means, that you should be sure when order soup it's boiled.



This does not needs comments I guess



Uzbek's themselves prefer to sit in such chairs & tables on a carpet, and always outside of building. It's hot a way much more hot than in Taiwan.



Owner invites us come again - note the russian letter COMCA - it means - "somsa", another traditional food in Uzbekistan, bread with meat inside



Somsa get's prepared in such oven, see inside.

Stay tuned, in my next post, I am going to talk about Samarkand itself.

Yehliu Geopark in Nothern Taiwan - hoodoo stones and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits

Yehliu (野柳) is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan in the town of Wanli between Taipei and Keelung.
View Larger Map It's another yet choice for a visit, while you are in northern Taiwan. Most interesting here of course is so called hoodoo stones - all of them are formed by nature, and as a brand, or if you want - front symbol of this park is a stone called The Queen's Head (女王頭). It's a central element of the park, and if you come at weekend, you will need stand in a row (!) just to take a picture of it.



But let's start with "A" (Sesame street comes in mind, with cookie monster and others). Here is how the area looms looks like when you arrive:



Left side then is an entrance to stone park, and the blue building is a place where some guys (I was told that they are from Belorussia), performs some water show elements, dolphin shows take place and downstairs there is a live sea world exposition. Well, and of course there is a lot of restaurant's for sea food. Eating is important in Taiwan, remember it.





As you can see mostly all are restaurants.



My suggestion is to visit this one.



Host will quickly come to accept your order, but will not like to take a pictures. As I already said in post about rules for choosing a places to eat in Taiwan, do not look at interior of restaurants in Taiwan - never. Quality of food does not relates to that at all. Instead, look at how many people are inside.



Start with a appetizers. (do you want beer already?)





Sashimi (how to spell it correct?) is especially fresh and tasty here. It's reall a one you can say - you can swallow your tongue while eating it.



Also fresh shrimps





Kind of fish soup, I can't name it, but also have tofu inside



Octopus



Lobster



shi ban yu fish (石斑魚)

Now, once you are full (tzi ba la - remember say it in chinese), you can move forward to sea underground sea world and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits.



Of course admission is paid. Here's a price list. Synchronized Swimming Show is a ladies about I told before.

Show will start with a guy's climbing up the pole to perform a jump in the water





Taiwan flag vs Russian jumper

Later on, the swimsuits show:





... and then dolphins finally









...after the show, you can go downstairs to see all the live sea world. There are English annotations for each fish, so it can be interesting experience.

Catfish, lives in Nile river in Africa.







Dragon King Scorpionfish. Body color can be changed according circumstances.











Now, you are really ready to go to see stones



If you come here at weekend, you will not have a chance to make stones photos only. Humans on them will come in set.



The cape, known by geologists as the Yehliu Promontory, forms part of the Taliao Miocene Formation. It stretches approximately 1,700 meters into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain (大屯山) out of the sea



A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface.



These shapes can be viewed at the Yeliu Geopark operated by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration.



Shame on me, but I was so busy to try make this monument along with sunset, that I forgot to check who's monument it is :(.



A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes.



The most well-known is the "The Queen's Head" (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli.



Other formations include "The Fairy Shoe", "The Bee Hive", "The Ginger Rocks" and "The Sea Candles."





Evening mood in Yehliu - soon it's going to be dark already.

Jioufen - mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan.

For those, who live in Taipei, or Taoyuen, and not yet visited this place - try to get there once you have a time. Besides night market (of course, what else), there is pure charm of those Japanese era architectures and houses.

Jioufen was only an isolated village until 1893, when gold was discovered in the area. The resulting gold rush hastened the village's development into a town, and reached its peak during the Japanese rule.

Tell me fast, what's annoying there? Yes, 7ELEVEN sign. Just same annoying as in Fenchihu train station old town (also featured in my blog). Many present features of Jioufen reflect the era under Japanese colonization, with many Japanese inns surviving to this day.



Jioufen, also known as Jiufen or Chiufen (Chinese: 九份; pinyin: Jiǔfèn; Wade-Giles: Chiu3-fen4), is a mountain town in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County near Keelung, Taiwan.


View Larger Map

The street runs through most of the village with a multitude of food such as yam dishes, stinky tofu and other local specialties such as peitou meatballs and mixed vegetables topped with peanut powder and ice cream.





Street is cramped with shops, eateries, homestays and restaurants and widely decorated by red lanterns.



Meat balls



Juice stand here. Jioufen sometimes also is referred as "Little Shanghai".



There are also restaurants, street stalls and dessert shops that provide a plethora of gourmet indulgences.



And that's the "nose problem" for a novice foreigner in Taiwan - stinky or tzo tofu. Later you will adapt to this smell, and finally also you will eat it. By the way trust me - it's taste is far better than it's smell. Well, one thing I am not sure - how about living in a flat, with a windows just above tzo tofu vendor?



Northern Taiwan snack - fried fish powder.



And that's tou gan - similar to tofu food. From soybeans.



Dry sweet fruits.



Not everyone thinks that need keep nostalgic japanese era and gold rush mood here. How about those neon "restaurant" signs? But the restaurant (and homestay at second floor) is not bad, however, expensive. We had a dinner there - for this price you get good food.



Shoes, Chinese brushes and scrolls, jewelries, toys and souvenir of all sorts will be offered you in a hectic way, because you look like a tourist. Hint - do you know how to DO NOT look like a foreigner in Taiwan? my suggestions: - Do speak louder as you usually did; - Do wear a striped T-shirt (not Hawai style); - Do not wear those shorts a-la travel style with big pockets - wear jeans instead; - Keep a tea in hand; - Ask your girlfriend take Louis Vouitton bag; - Use mobile phone when making pictures; - Overreact on fireworks, and try to make video of them using mobile phone; - Wear bluetooth even if you do not drive; - When someone is talking with on phone, instead of "I see" say - 'aa-- haa haaa --- aaaa - aaa -- aaa --- long string of those sounds and end it by "dzangzi la (that's all). - In winter dress more as you would usually do at this temperatures before.



Anyway, those shops still are waiting you buy something



Chinese fast food - noodles, dumplings, soup and the like



Heavy "discounts" today for nuts. I suppose, like for any other retailer, discounts here are 365 days a year. And for you only.



Tea shops in Taiwan always will be happy to sit down with and offer tea. You will drink, and finally buy. A lot. It's a marketing & sales trick called return the favor. Can you after a drinking tea with host go away without buying anything?



If you come too late, like after 9:30 - you see most of shops will be already closed



Gold museum down there

Place to stop on your way to Kenting

It's not yet even Hengchun yet, but's where the road already goes near the sea and you already can start enjoy gorgeous views of South Taiwan seaside. While it maybe be interesting to look at this from a window of your car, here I want to suggest a good place to stop - and drink tea, coffee or juice - whatever you like. It's somewhere after Fangshan, when you slow down your speed...


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... and stop until you see those flags:





Ping E road here is really breathtaking - one side it's mountain view, and another side - sea.



Simple chairs, and tables, and this tent barely will save you from rain - but hey, are you traveling to Kenting to see Hilton president suite class furniture?



Isn't that Southern Taiwan's romantic after all?



Sit by on any of those chairs...



... and try this unexpectedly fresh and high quality coffee - really it's not just a brown color water a-la 7ELEVEN - host's of this small coffee shop are proud of their coffee.

Kenting nightmarket revisited - more pictures and comments

Kenting nightmarket is located on central road - Kenting road in a heart of Kenting. It is not in Nanwan at all, so in case you stay in Nanwan area (also featured in my blog), then you need go more down Kenting road to get to the night market. Here is a google sattelite image of Kenting nightmarket.


View Larger Map

Nightmarkets ends somewhere at Ceaser Hotel, so it's about 30 minutes for slow walk through in one direction, and then back.



Weekends and public holidays it's going to be extremely crowded, especially in summer. Come in winter, or weekdays and you will get less people, but then also there will be less merchants in nightmarket.



Amy's Cucina - left side here. Quite a famous place in Kenting, specializing for Italy cuisine, if you like pizzas, mozarrelas and the like. Usually crowded and if you really want to have a dinner here better reserve a table before. Right side one of numerous surf and beach items shop.



Almost all houses on Kenting street at first floor have a shop or restaurant, while second and third floor is homestay or small hotel. Of course 99 % of revenues are earned at weekends and holidays. Come weekdays and you can bargain very low price here.



Like in all nightmarkets in Taiwan kids entertainment are present also here.



Juicy BBQ and fried meat.



7ELEVEN, HIGH LIFE and Family Mart - all are on Kenting rd, and by words from locals - their revenue in weekends are huge, if not fantastic.



If you want to have such small table everywhere on a street - price per night (!) is NTD 1000,- (paid to the house owner in front of which you stand) and this does not includes a fee to be paid to police for allowing you stand and sell something on street. But it pays off as merchants say, and even if you want, you hardly can get a place in most busy places in Kenting nightmarket.





Merchants use various ways to attract customers attention to their product. Somewhere near Ceasar Park Hotel there is bar in truck as well.



Shop rental price in Kenting is fantastic, so I still can not understand - do they really make profit selling such cheap bath shoes here? Bigger hotels in Kenting give them away for free.







Sign says something like - students choice - pay for food and get rice as much you want for free. Budgetary restaurant.



If you choose to stay in those hotels, prepare for a noise for all night.



Thai cuisine for some reason is quite popular in Kenting. This restaurant also claims to have it.



If you think that it's much people here, then come at dragon boat festival or any longer holidays. It's not much people for Kenting night market at all.



Guava fruit.



If you decide that you need a tattoo right now and here - you are welcome.



It should not be permanent of course...







Some kind of tofu here

This dog lives on a table here



More BBQ



Although you may feel like participating in Fear Factor show, however, those spiral shells (螺) can be delicious.





People, food and homestays - that's basically what Kenting road is.





One of things special to Kenting is a colorful clothes - skirts, shirts, shorts and alike. mostly made in thailand.



Typical situation to Kenting - first floor restaurant and then hotel at the second.



Traditional ice cream restaurant. Interest place, as it's allowed to write on walls here anything you want.





Really, most are hotels





As already mentioned above - much clothes shops here sells Hawaii style shorts with palms and sunflowers.



If tattoo is not what you want, this woman can make a painting - basically your name in chinese style.



Sea food restaurant



Another sea food restaurant



And that's a pub with loud music, DJ and dance floor.



And you thought there is no McDonalds, KFC or Starbucks? Think again



LuWei.