We docked in Keelung in a pouring rain. We had an excursion planned to take us to Taipei for a look at the lifestyle in the city. We boarded the bus and began the hour trip to Taipei hoping for better weather. Cathy, our tour guide began telling us some of the sights we would see through the day.
Our first stop was the Long Shan Buddhist Temple. It was filled with people, some outside visitors like us, but also with people worshipping. Cathy explained how many of them worlds come asking a question of their gods by using two wooden pieces that looked like a quarter of a ruby grapefruit. She said the would ask their question and drop the pieces. Depending on how they landed, you either got a yes, no or no answer. People also brought food for the monks to eat It was an elaborate temple.
We walked around the corner and found the Grass Lane, one of the city’s herbal markets. We strolled through the narrow alley filled crowd na variety of dried herbs – mushrooms, grass, seeds and even some fruits. At the end we sampled a herbal rose tea.
We did an early lunch at Din Tai Fong, an internationally recognized dumpling restaurant. We had a traditional dumpling meal with pork, fish, chicken dumplings and soup and fried rice. All of the dumplings were hand made onsite. We were stuffed by the time they brought the last course of dumplings. It was delicious and a fantastic experience.
After lunch we made a quick stop at the Nan-Men market, Taipei’s traditional farmer’s market. Sharon wandered through the market and purchased several food items.
Our next stop was a tea house. Cathy, got lost on the way there and we ended up walking way out of our way. We sat at tables and had a server go through the process of heating the tea pot before placing tea leaves in it. They then mashed the tea in the pot and filled it with water. After some steeping, they poured it into a glass pitcher and repeated the process. They poured tea into the tall (actually they are very short) glasses and placed our tea cups on top before handing them to you. You grasped the two together and quickly flipped the glass and cup which puts the tea in the cup. You then roll the tall glass between your hands and take a whiff before sipping your tea. The server then refilled your tea cup for a second cup. It’s a very intricate process.
Still dodging the rain, our next stop was to the older part of town and Dihua street lined with merchants. It was an interesting look at how the people in the city shop for their daily living. Cathy had shared that most people in Taipei live in very small apartments and may not have a kitchen living only with a tea pot and a hot plate. As we began our way back to Keelung, we also passed the street where the night market is held. During the day, the street is a normal street, but at night, the street becomes a vibrant market.
We made it back to the ship and finished our excursion in the rain. We had an informative day in Taipei seeing some of the culture and lifestyle. We enjoy those glimpses into life in other cultures. Tomorrow’s a sea day and then a stop in South Korea before we begin seeing Japan.