Saturday, April 6, 2024

Around The World In 72 Days - Return To Tamsui, You Can't Go Home

It is rare to go back to a spot where you've had a phenomenal serendipitous experience and have it meet expectations when you return. So it was with our visit to Tamsui on the outskirts of Taipei. When we were there in 2017, we had a magical moment. Of course, we didn't expect that to happen. But we remembered Tamsui as a quiet place with numerous areas to wander and explore. We remembered the food as being good too. 

Our first inkling that something very different was afoot was on the Metro. It is along ride out to Tamsui. It is the last stop on the line. Yet no one was getting off the train. Only more were getting on, a lot of them with children. 

(Speaking of Metro, how many Metro's have a special family sleeping area? And why is that white woman glaring at me?)

 

We get off the train to find ourselves engulfed with people! I asked one of the grandkids to do an internet search on whether today was a holiday. Sure enough. It is national children's day! So much for the quiet exploration of Tamsui!

OMG there are even organized tour groups!

🤯


 

 Enjoying the bliss of quiet Tamsui


We were hungry. We were in no mood to be tourist ripped off like yesterday. We moved out from the tourist area and found a hole-in-the-wall local joint serving classic Taiwanese Beef Soup Noodles. It was good.


The Soups - Mine was a Curry Soup

 With some Cabbage and Kimchi (why Korean Kimchi in Taiwan, I'm not sure)

 Well, we're here so let's see what this festival is all about.

Samples of Fried Cuttlefish


Friends getting together


 Candied Fruit

 

 Tall White Guys standing out

 

 Oysters (damn, wish I wasn't full from lunch)

 The Universal Symbol of Squid 


Variations on a Theme of Ice Cream

 


 Passing on the Traditional Family Value of Gambling


Need to Mend a Broken Heart?

Need Wooden Cooking Utensils?

 

 Wondering Why the Hell Someone is Taking Pictures of Signs?

SIGNS OF THE WORLD

Do Not Levitate Apple Cores!


No Crushing of Plants with Heels (Flat Shoes Only!)


Do Not Rant at Your Food Cart!


Exaggerated Kung Fu Style Frisbee Catching Prohibited


2 comments:

alexis said...

the soup looks fantastic!!!

Renee Michelle Goertzen said...

Thank goodness the tour groups found you! I know you would be disappointed if you hadn't seen a few.