Wow I am so tired. Lots of walking yesterday. Nevertheless I got up around the same time as I wanted to try make most of the day and before it gets really hot. Tried to work out my plan of attack today.... but the internet was kinda slow at the homestay. Argh.... well decided I will go back to Anping and then head to Chikhan Tower in the afternoon since I can walk back from there and it closes at like 8pm. So, Eternal Golden Castle 億載金城 Yizai Jinchen today and hopefully treehouse again.
Got myself ready, remember the picaridin. Went downstairs in an N95, dropped by the post shop to buy some stamps, and then called 55688 for the first time. I got a really friendly driver, and he made friendly convo. Dropped me off at the entrance and told me to be safe and have fun. Awww. Changed my mask in the parking lot, and then toilet. The toilets are really clean.
Decided to buy the combo ticket (I didn't check the details, they had a explanation info sheet at the ticketing counter and then decided if I was going to go Yizai Jinchen then I may as well loop around to the Treehouse to finish what I didn't see!). Sadly, this means I miss out on the artwork on the individual tickets.
Let's go in! Turns out I met a volunteer tour guide at the gate and she showed me those fish with the pointy beaks the small black fish, has their mouth on the top of their head! Oh cool!
She also took me and another lady at the gate around. The lady explained that the bricks in the gate were taken from the remains of Fort Zeelandia to repair the gate, so you can see the difference in colour/size. There are holes in the wall put in there by homeless previously... for their tents. That's a real shame.
After we entered, I could see there were white gazebos being set up. Turns out there's a musical event in the weekend. Oh cool! They're setting up a stage and stuff on the lawn. The ladye xplained there used to be a pond in the middle of the field, for repelling fire attacks. It has been filled in now. We started walking towards the first lot of canons, then another group of 4 people joined the mini tour lol. The lady explained that there is only 1 real cannon, and the rest are replicas. The real one has guidance lines inside the barrel. At that time they sold/melted the metal down of the cannons because short on resource. An official or someone, hid one underground and that's how one of them survived to today. The real one has a hole on top for the wick to light the cannon (it's been filled in though, the indent is still there). The replicas don't.
She also explained the various trees, there's one that changes with each season (it looks like the tree we find a lot in NZ, with the round green berries), so the people used it to tell the seasons. One tree has peeling soft bark and the leaves smell like Luyoujin (green oil). She told us to check the sign and see what nationality person designed the fortress (it was French engineer). After finding the cannon, she told a dry joke, the punch line being 五神六組 to 無神六組 lol. After that she left us.
I had a look around and found the old embankments of the ammunition store? It's covered and protected and has huge strong fans extracting air from there (to keep it dry?), it was really cool. I walked around the whole place, checked out the various cannons, the battery, embankments and such. It's a pretty cool ancient. Theres a statue bust of Shen-bao zhen too. I had a look in the gift shop, and bought a t-shirt as a souvenir. Only $300! And 5 bags of tea of different types, $15 ea = $75. Then asked the lady I wanted the ice cream from the drinks station. I got the blueberry yoghurt $50 this time. More creamier this one. Not bad. Not as refreshing as the dragon fruit, but I think I enjoyed it more overall. Had a break and rested my feet.
After that, I googled food and there's a food truck charcoal grill just 6 min walk up the corner near a campsite? I managed to find it (there are signs saying beware of snakes), and the boss uncle there can't really speak Mandarin, only daiyu. Oh no. A lady there said I need to preorder by phone??? TO be able to eat at the truck?? And another couople that arrived said I can eat the oden, and give the boss the skewers to count. Communication was an issue, I wanted a sausage. But the oden was filling enough, (I picked too much), and had 2 pieces of daikon 3 skewers. The skewers are better with the spicy sauce. $50 for all. It's quite a popular truck, people kept coming, and the seats were full at one stage. I thanked boss and left.
I swapped to an N95 after cleaning my face at the toilets, and called 55688 to get to Anping Old Street area. This driver was more quiet and drives a bit more 猛 (vigorous). Told him just anywhere near the Old Street is fine, anywhere convenient. Spotted a store with a Gojou Satoru cutout at the front lol???? on the way. Got dropped off at the Old Street entrance, it's similar to Lukang Old Street. I went to find the cutout store lol, it's a prawn crackers store with Kimetsu no Yaiba tins and Jujutsu Kaisen tins on the store front sign. I didn't bother crossing the road to go in. Went back to old street, and there is a shop selling wooden toys and such from Czech Republic. The shop owner there is Czech? and worked in NZ (we ended up speaking English after he asked me where I was from) for a year, couple months in Blenheim and Gisborne each. Met his Taiwanese wife in NZ and ended up in Taiwan LOL. I bought a set of "magic" colouring pencils as a gift for a friend's mum. IIRC it was $490.
Finished browsing the Old Street and wanted some drink. Went to the same stall as yesterday but next door, asked for donggua cha, the boss ended up getting it from the same cart as yesterday LOL. $20.
Drank the tea and headed to the outer wall remnants. The tiny one is pretty much used as a residential fence??? Amazing. Boggles the mind. And then headed to Treehouse.
I skipped the museum this time, and just checked out the Calligraphy building. It's small and neat. The artworks there are very beautiful. The flight of stairs is the exact same type of stone and metal bars as the one in Laolao's old Juanchun house. I forgot to photo. After the Calligraphy building, I needed to rest my feet. I found the cafe, but they don't really have outdoor seating. There's some next to the river at the far end of the Treehouse but I needed to poop so I headed to the toilet first. Relief~ and then headed to the koi pond and sat there for a while. Then moved to the other side after people have left. It's so hot I keep sweating in my mask so I needed time out.
Decided to go to the 安平小砲台 since it's only a 11 min walk and checked it out. The bricks are the same type, it's just small and cute. Across the road is a cementary. Ooohh.
Had enough and N95'd up and called 55688. The taxi driver has a sign saying he's hard of hearing, so please speak loud for your destination. He made convo about his surname 衛 and how it was uncommon. I tried to speak louder for him to hear. Once he saw a request from the train/transport station from same name, and went to pick them up - turned out to be his son LOL. He said my surname isn't that common too. He kept talking about different encounters with 衛. Probably because I wasn't very good at convo, sorry abei... he dropped me off at the Chikhan Tower and I wished him an easy day until hometime.
Chikahn Tower is partially under reconstruction. So I only got to see the first tower. But that's ok!! Kinda nice to not to have to see that much lol. They were playing videos upstairs about the reconstruction process after the earthquake in Kaoshiung a couple of years ago. It was really interesting. And History videos too. I hope I can find these on youtube later? They're done by the Tainan Cultural Department and Confuscious Temple Culture Association. My feet was so tired so I wasn't able to watch as much. Catched the sunset for some nice photos. And then stayed long enough after browsing teh gift shop (I bought more postcards, and stamped them....) whilst resting my feet after (I think I got bitten here, I must have sweated picaridin off) to see the lights go up.
The little tunned of the original Fort entrance (Dutch) that the Japanese excavated is cool, and the construction is pretty awesome. The neat details about the reconstruction process on display was interesting too. After that, I just had dinner next door since they had outdoor seating. The noodles were kinda bland, the vermicilli was nice, but the soup was a bit too sweet and rich. For some reason I had a hard time eating the texture of the fish paste pieces. The egg pudding chawan steam was a little salty but very very nice. I enjoyed that more. I think I was dehydrated. Since I only have a little bit left of my bottle now.
Walked home, passed teh big roundabout, and marvelled?? Confused?? As it's an intersection BUT also has roads going in a circle so how do you navigate this? I had to cross via going around the circle to get to the other side.
Dropped into the Pagan Bakery again, and bought a savoury and sweet bread. Home now, tired as, I think I got a little sunburnt. Deffo dehydrated.
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