Monday, May 7, 2012

Penghu Paradise Day 1



Here are some photos from my recent trip to Penghu, a group of small islands in the South China Sea between Taiwan and China.
I didn't get to Penghu until Sunday evening, so Day 1 actually starts on Monday.








Click on photos to enlarge

I eventually arrived at 7:40pm Sunday evening, and was met at the airport by the owner of the B&B I would stay at during my last night in Penghu. The man's name is Lǐ Jiā-Gàn 李家贛 and he told me to call him Gan-ge 贛哥 (Older Brother Gan).

However, his name is pronounced exactly like a swear word, so imagine my surprise when I continually referred to him as "F*ck older brother."
Speaking of unfortunate names

Gan-ge and his wife insisted I have dinner in their home, even though I wouldn't be staying with them for a couple more days. They introduced me to Penghu and gave me some suggestions on where I might visit while there. Such warm and hospitable people! This was a real workout for my Chinese abilities, but it helped me to see that my comprehension has improved.

The first night I stayed at He Xing Hotel. It was clean and roomy; however, the bed was hard as a rock. I ended up sleeping on top of the pillows.

That first evening I didn't need my TV, as I was treated to a light show from God.



OK, so this is where Day 1 really begins…

For breakfast I had Shao Bing Cong Dan: Eggs and onions on a baked, sesame seed-coated roll.

Again, imagine my surprise when I found out Shao Bing (the sesame roll) is a euphemism for "stupid c*nt."

It being a holiday weekend, I couldn't find any gas-powered scooters available to rent, so I went with an electric model. It didn't have much power, but it was good enough for sightseeing. The great thing is, you can go to any of the island's twenty-three 7-11 stores and exchange your battery for a fresh one--no charge, no hassle!

This blog entry is called 'Penghu Paradise,' so I suppose I'd better start showing some scenery photos. Enjoy!

The next photos are of abandoned military housing (I think). I was trying to be artsy-fartsy.

Here's the Facebook page for I Love Taiwan 我愛台灣: https://www.facebook.com/ILoveTaiwanWoAiTaiWan

After 7 hours of sightseeing (and 4 scooter batteries) it was time for dinner and back to the hotel. I spotted the Havana Café earlier in the day and, using that blond Chinese woman billboard as a makeshift GPS, I was able to locate it again.

After dinner it was time to head to the fireworks festival that just happened to be going on while I was in Penghu. A video is coming…


Despite applying sunscreen every 2 hours, I still ended up with sunburned legs, arms, and neck. So, after slathering myself with aloe lotion, I fell asleep while watching a mahjong game show.

Day 2 

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