Chishang Day 2

 For breakfast I ate the half of my sandwich left over from yesterday, and some of that really nice red/longan honey tea. Then I went out to 漢堡大師, the affliated eatery with the minsu cause I saw they had a hashbrown, lol. I arrived and opted to eat inside as there were only 2 other diners. I got a milk tea and the hash brown. It was served with ketchup. The tea was lukewarm lol. The hashbrown was pretty nice. I finished and walked out but forgot my umbrella so went back in for it, and the boss was just about to come after me for it. 

Back to the minsu, pooped and got ready to go. On my wa down the stairs I met the SEA lady doing housekeeping as I asked her if the roaming dogs were strays or pets. She said she thinks they're strays, did they chase you? I said not really, one followed a few steps last night when I rode the bike, and since I've been chased by a stray before I've got a bit of trauma. I thanked her and went downstairs.

I took a poncho and a minsu bike and cycled around Dapo pond, and saw lots of workers and their trucks/heavy vehicles clearing dead branches and broken trees. It was very muddy. I was blocked from going from one side, so I went through the bridge side. That took me to the same place last year that I took that amazing photo near the end of the day. When I was taking photos a European girl was also there and I offered to take photos for her (and she did for me). I told her if you walk along the edge and just around the corner it'll look like you're in the middle of the rice fields. This was one entry platform before the pagoda, so you had to walk pretty far down to get to the corner. I told her to watch out and not step on the blown over rice as the'll still harvest it, cause I noticed she stepped on one. She was pretty timid but I wished her a good day either way. I then went down to the pagoda and got a beautiful shot with my Golden Kamuy nuis. After that, I decided to go have some tofu as it was about just after 10am and I had digested enough to fit some more.

Off to Da Chi. I got there and it wasn't too busy! Score! I also really needed to pee so after filling out my order sheet and standing in line for a bit, I went to pee first. And then ordered after I came out. I was number 26. When my order was called I asked for a bit more soy sauce, and just a bit of chilli. I sat at the two small tables near the gate (like last year), and pulled my poncho over the spare seat so it could dry. Time to dig in!! Man the tofu is so pure here. The tofu flower is so nice, and the tofu skin is so good. Their chilli is also really good? Not too spicy. The soy sauce got pretty salty after a while but it balances good with the tofu skin. After I was finished I took my tray to the recycle station, and decided to cycle back and rent an e-bike instead as I felt pushing the manual one got really tiring on the way to Da Chi. 

As I was about to leave, I passed by next door which had a small cart outside. A gentleman called out to me as I had stopped and stared at the cart trying to make out what the sign said. He was saying names of the menu items. I decided to go in and ask what they were selling - I asked if it was food and he said they're drinks, if you want food you can go next door. I said I just came from next door. Haha. I asked what was what he just said - turns out the peculiar names were coffee bean names. Lmao. That's what they were selling. I asked him when he closes, he said depends, usually 2pm. So I said I'll go ride around first, digest a bit and come back. He was wearing a light maroon coloured tribal patterned headband (so I wondered if he was indigenious) and a matching dark red colour mask. 

So off I go, I went back to the minsu to return the bike so I can rent an e-bike from the station. I realised that they had done housekeeping on my room?! I had a quick look but nothing was missing. Phew. I ended up needing to poop again? Wow I've sure been pooping a lot even though I've reduced my Blis K12 to just 1 daily. Once that was done I put the hankie I forgot into my bag and a spare mask in case the one I was wearing got soaked. I walked to the station and hired from the same place as last year. I asked for an e-one and the lady boss pointed to a moped for me? I said, no a pedal one but electronic. I hired a white one last year. She said they haven't arrived yet (someone was delivering it) and then called out to someone. She said that the white ones last year tended to freeze up or break with the gears, so she returned that fleet. I said I found it really easy to ride though? She said she changes/upgrades the fleet every year. Another dude came along and hired a bike but only had a $1000 bill, and boss didn't have change. She said he can pay upon return - and commented to me he's a regular. I had a look in my wallet and I only had $190 in change, and $1000 bill. But lady boss said it's OK - are you sure? Yeah. Ok then! Thanks!

I rode off and decided to head back to the coffee place as it was about 1pm now. As I parked the bike, it wasn't raining but started spitting so I wrappped my poncho around the seat so it wouldn't get wet. There was a lady there this time, and 4 other people came at the same time just after me. I said to the lady that a handsome man had backoned me over to introduce the coffee to me. I said I don't drink coffee - do you have one that would be suitable? She made me I guess a decaf?? No idea. She asked if sour was OK and I said yep. She made me a cup ($100). The other people there had a dog and while the lady was making their orders the dog laid down and snoozed. Their face was away from me but that's what one of the others said. One of the men asked me how it was and if I could taste xxx? And pointed to another lady in the group that shes really good at tasting. IDK lol. I told them it tastes like peculiar tea and I don't drink coffee. They chatted for a bit and then left once their orders were done. A cold Americano? Or latte. It was drip coffee so it took some time. 

It started pouring whilst I was drinking. The coffee tasted sour, with the slight bitterness, and a faint fruity flavour/note? But it's drysweet after. I ended up chatting with the lady who said her husband had gone to harvest rice. And learnt earlier from the group chatting that the rice that's fallen over from the typhoon is now considered 災害米 and the assoc. buys them for half price. The assoc buys them in 台斤 and the govt would subsidy in 公斤 so there's a bit of a loss. As long as the ears aren't soaked and not too close to the ground, the rice can be harvested by machine. I asked if they would hand harvest the fallen rice parts and the rest by machine, but nope they just machine it. She also commented that younger people are more willing to take up farming because machines do a lot of the work now. 

She also said that her husband is 65 and still has a lot of dreams/goals, and she says coffee is one of his interests. She hopes that this is his last one and no more lol. They had to go take lessons in brewing for 2 years, and thought about the shop for 4 years. They only opened the shop in Feb this year. The husband made the cart himself. Their shop name is Mi May which is dai'yu for "beibai", 不錯. The sign saying Nanay Tayni Kiso! means "hope you will come" in Amis language. So nice. She mentioned they considered removing the little garden out front and making a outdoor sheltered sitting area, but ultimately decided against it as it was too much investment and then would be too much stress/pressure. I said the cart itself has its own charm and is very cute. She said that they decided to keep it small and simple, and made the cart wide enough for one so only one person can man it at a time, otherwise if they both man it they will fight lol. She said initially she didn't have interest in coffee, but to support her husband she ended up developing an interest in it. It was still raining and she commented the table used to be a sewing machine - the machine broke so they just used the legs as the stand and put a new plank on top, in matching colour. At some point I asked to borrow their toilet - she let me in their house (aww thank you) and had to walk through the hallway (she closed the doors as she went along, and commented to not mind as it's their house, I said it's OK I'll pretend not to look/see it. She was obviously a little embarassed) to the back of the house where the toilet is. They had a cute sink. The walls have a line of flowers near the bottom above the brown skirting in the hallway. I thanked her for letting me borrow her toilet. She told me about Tu Garden, 杜圓, which used to be a lumber/wood business run by a couple but they had no children. They adopted a son who went to Tainan and established a famous building company? And once the parents passed away the wood business ceded trading and the son made the house/area into a garden and a mini musuem which people can visit. She mentioned that since opening the business she meeting with and finding out a lot from different customers from around the world. Initially they weren't sure if they should wave/call out/beckon to people passing by as some would intentionally avert their gaze and avoid them. But they decided to anyway since if they come, they come. If they don't they don't.

She told me to beware of debris on the road and once the rain let up I went on my way. I thanked her a lot and said see you perhaps next year.

I went on my way and tried to make for 杜圓 (but I didn't make it until around 5pm on my way back, and they had a sign saying they were closed today). I stopped at the waterwheel, and then Kaneshiro tree, where I helped take photos for an older couple and the lady started showing me photos of her garden in Tainan (50坪 big) and her many many pot plants. She said she has a daughter 3 years younger than me. She talked a lot. xD I wished her and her husband fun when they left.

A tour guide was also there before the couple left and he was saying to go that way for Angel Avenue. I asked him if there was a toilet there, and he said it was in the other direction. I decided I could hold it and went to Angel Avenue. Took some photos and left. On my way up I ended up stopping at some assoc or society since I needed a toilet and saw that they had a toilet. But they said it was for members only, and said there was a public one a little bit ahead. When I went to leave a car of 4 guys came in (I had met them just before and said hi them them at some point) and said they were going to take a photo at the basketball court right next door. I wished them fun, and as I left I noticed they had riec drying on the court, so turned around to get a photo. Lol, the guys asked why I came back? I said I didn't notice the rice earlier. And they asked to take a photo with me - 1 of the guys took the photo with me and 3 guys. They offered to take a photo of me with their car, haha, and then with the rice on the ground. At some point I mentioned I'm from NZ and one of the guys had been there before, and know a lot of NZers. They asked if the air was better there? I said it's just as good as here, but that's because I come from a big city. We left together and they asked me where Brown Bouvelard was. I said should be along this road and then turn left. But I'm not sure I got lost lol - they said they also got lost. I wished them fun and they drove off further while I stopped somewhere that was like a museum?

They were a store/café that sold various products and I noticed they had stamps - but I didn't bring my stamp book with me. 😭 It was like 3:50pm and they close at 4pm, and the lady said I could come back tomorrow morning since they open at 8am before needing to catch the train? But I said it'll be raining really hard. She ended up getting a A4 sheet for me to stamp on, and changed the well-worn blue inkpad with a new black one (she went to look for the ink refill). I thanked her so much. As I was leaving I asked if the public toilets were up ahead? She said I can go down the side of the building and use their one. I thanked her again. Phew can finally pee.

Whe I came out she wasn't to be seen so I left for Brown Bouvelard. I met a pair of ladies who took photos for me and I took photos for them. One of them said the other was really good at taking photos, lol. I followed them to Kaneshiro tree as they asked me to if I wanted to follow - I said I've been but I don't mind. I wasn't sure which one was the tree but turns out it's just straight down from Brown Bouverlard. When we got there there wasn't many people and there was a service vehicle. I got some photos of them and then realised the servicemen were putting reinforcement on the tree to prep for the typhoon.  A male cyclist in lycra was taking photos of the tree and I asked if he wanted me to take a photo of him. I took is photos. He showed a lot of interest?? A bit over friendly. He asked if us 3 wanted a photo but one of the ladies said that we just met lol. The ladies left as it started to rain again and I wished them fun. One of them who was driving tried to do a U turn on their 2 seater car and they commented on how they don't have a lisence LOL. I said I also don't have a license in Taiwan haha. The cylist stayed for a few more sentences and commented on how I'm riding alone? But I said bye to him and wished him fun and ran away.

They blocked off the tree just as we finished taking photos. They were reinforcing it with cables. 

On my way back I ran into the 4 guys at some point and I was busy trying to keep the hood, holding it with my hand from flying away, they passed from the other way and shouted hi to me, and I shouted back just after they passed and I realised who it was lol. I wanted to try for Tu Garden. I headed for the waterwheel and looked at the map. I ended up cycling on the road for a bit at the waterwheel, and saw quite a few trucks pass. I ended up passing a tiny gammy shop with doors exactly like 姥姥's juanchun house. TToTT Felt instant connection. There's an altar at the very back. I decided to get closer for a photo and then a man came out and walked towards me as I was parking the bike. Did I want anything? I asked if I could buy a drink as I was quite thirsty. He asked which one, supau please. Chilled or no? The one on the shelf is fine. $30. He got me change for $100 from inside the house. I felt a bit awkward taking a photo with him right there, but he ended up going to offer incense on the altar. So I quickly snapped a photo. It was almost 5pm now.

I got lost again and realised after google maps-ing, that Tu Garden is on near the inner path for cycles. I went back in and and eventually found it. Sadly it was closed today so I headed back towards the station to return my bike. On the way there when I entered teh town, near an intersection I saw the two ladies prior in their red 2-seater pass at an intersection, going across the road from me (I was going straight). I don't think they realised it was me so I didn't wave as I didn't want to distract them from crossing the road. 

I got to the station and it was about 5:10pm. They were rounding up and parking all the bikes, and moving bikes to storage. The boss lady called out to another guy saying there's a red one to go. I thanked the lady, walked a few steps, and then realised, and turned around walked back and told the lady 我騎得很快樂. She nodded and acknowledged, and I thanked her again and walked to the station. I wanted to buy the mochi I got last year. I had a look at the shop and saw the 5 flavour packaging but couldn't figure out what it is. I asked the shop boss, he said it's the Japanese sweet that looks like jelly and served with tea. OH IT's YOUKAN. He said the harder one is youkan and a softer one is xxx (I forgot the name). The difference is in the water content. He started to offer me a taster for the yuzu mochi and I said I got that last year it was very delicious. He pointed to the shelf with them and said that only his shop stocks it here. I saw that they had brown sugar flavour ?! and he said it was a new flavour that came out this year. I ended up buying a yuzu and brown sugar one. 

Well, walked back to the minsu and had a sit down with some tea. And then debated about dinner. I ended up choosing Shouher首禾 as they seemed to be run by Amis? The other minsu affliated place was a vege restaurant. I debated to call for takeaway or not, and decided to walk down to ask, and if not then I'll buy a bentou from the famous 飯包 place. I got there and there was a few people, place is small. And I realised it was their family. I asked if they do takeaway, and they asked me what I wanted. Chicken curry, please - we only have pork katsu curry. That's OK! I walked in and the boss lady started to prep my order. At the counter I noticed they had a stamp - oh no. I didn't bring my book. I asked if I could pay first ($120 total with $80 meal coupon from minsu so $60 only), and come back later cause I wanted to get my book to stamp. She said OK.

I walked back and grabbed my book, and since it doesn't fit in my ita waist bag, I just had the butt stick out. I walked and took care not to get it wet. When I got back my order was ready and the other older lady handed it to me - I said I wanted to stamp first, thank you. The lady who took my order said I wanted to stamp too. After I stamped I thanked them and the lady thanked back. As I was leaving the daughter, I think she said that I have to eat the veges too, and I said OK. Haha. I was curious about their 原住民套餐 but didn't end up asking and was worried it would be too big a serving.

I got back and opened the curry, it had a strong nice herb/spice mix on the intial bites. Then I got desensitised to it. It's quite a large serving. For some reason my appetite is really small? I had to take 3 breaks to finish the whole meal. I wrote my postcards in between. And then took a shower afterwards. 

I still had watermelon from the nightmarket so ate that after the shower and flossed & rinsed my teeth again. I was absolutely stuffed. Now just to blog and find out if Taiwan Railways will suspend service because of the typhoon tomorrow.... announcement at 10pm. Turns out we might be OK, the 308 train isn't suspended. Phew. I can get to Kaoshiung tomorrow.