Me and Frankie on walkabout in Hengchun...
As Dundee said it I went to walkabout around Hengchun to see the town and its history since there are some walls with gates dated to long time ago as well as it is day off from diving so now it is time to sightseen tour as well as visit to post office to send some gifts I purchased in Okinawa but since it was Sunday I could not post it there. It was a another sunny and warm day, mind you it was overcast and therefore not furnace hot just nice warm kind of armpit drop not armpit rive. Since we Europeans like to walk as I-Ping mentioned to me I kept to tradition to not disappoint the locals and started walking the long road to Hengchun and behold I met another white bearded “real beard not like mine metrosexual stub” man who walked in opposite direction from the town to who knows where, so I decided that on trip back I will take bus since two walking white men in one day is enough to fulfill quota and expectations of locals. At the breakfast I had a coffee, first time in long time and this was the real deal as my nearly pop open as the heart nearly jumped out but thank to my reflex I swallow quickly but the beating oh my not sure where they’ve got the beans but this was one cardiac arrest type of beans, which even Italian double espresso could not match it “scuzzi” and therefore after I started walking the control center decided to empty the dam and I had to go on quest to find a Pi room aka toilet since the coffee does that to body, remove all liquids and dehydrates the temple of mine, no matter that I’m walking public road in middle of the day. Thank God for 7 eleven and petrol stations as well as supermarket with toilets, I will leave it at that but damn coffee was good and strong. Eventually I have arrived to Hengchun and control room kept course steady aimed for post office, which is just pass police station so they don’t have to go far if anyone decide to rob a post office or a bank “which is on opposite corner” that is what I call strategic building planning 😊 Girl at first counter motioned me to another counter as I produce my little bag with gifts to her but eventually she had to work with me as the lady at counter where I was like me no English whatsoever as I have no Chinese whatsoever, got theme for comedy sketch if I would elaborate on it a bit “but not here” so after some communication try and error the parcel was accepted and I have received my QR code for tracing “behold IT used correctly” so I know when it is delivered and can now compare with Japan post as those guys were so fast that I was thinking that they hired a jet specially for my postcards. Well the chores of the day are finished now lets explore the town…. First I got lost “this it the way I explore cities” and stumble upon local market where I’ve got some fruits to quench my deficit of fresh fruit. Six apples and six oranges for €4 not bad deal, considering I was the only foreign person on the street in tank top which equals to weirdo in local language 😊 anyhow with supply of fresh fruit I continued to wandering around the streets until I saw the old gate and wall which used to surround and protect city in history. All made from red brick and nicely restored as the description plague beside it said that it is only five hundred meters of the wall are remaining in such good condition but they are working on restoring it more as I saw later walking by. It is amazing to see that such wall four meters high was enough to protect city as much as I believe it was jut to mark city borders. As I walked the group of local tourist were walking towards me and smiling saying “Ni Hao” and one said “Hello” they all seems to be pleased to see foreigner there or maybe I was just another unexpected attraction for them. As I walked the control center sends a message that it is near feeding time and that I should stop somewhere for some fuel and behold right opposite the east gate “I believe so” was this little eatery on the side of the house what looked like home build shelter for homeless people with few tables covered with red table cloth, on top which was decorative lace all covered with transparent plastic cover. Thankfully there were tow guys having lunch so when the owner came and asked me what I want “I just guess that from his tone and also by him pointing on menu on the wall” I just turned to the guys who were having the lunch and pointed on one bowl with noodle soup what looked good and order was done. The soup was yummy yummy and only for 80 dollars i.e. €2.8 and the owner and his wife I guess, were just pointing on my head and roof of this establishment as it was not build for tall people. Continued on the walkabout on the ancient walls around the city was great sightseen tour as I was above the streets and therefore had good view on the town. At the near end I came across the one small street with lots of young people and lots of trendy coffee bars and eateries which must be the trendiest spot for millennials in the town as every coffee bar looked very trendy and nicely finish as if you are in New York or London plus all the young generation getting out of the cars “God forbid hat they would walk” as the trendy shoes might get used and marked as well and the muscles used and that is no cool 😊At the midday I had finished the tour and sat down to some tea as tea is a must in Taiwan and Frankie needs to get out as some racist my say between his people since he is yellow so as I sat down and drank my tea watching the life pass by on the streets young couple of Russian came to same place for a tea and my fifteen minutes of fame as only white guy in the village was gone. Got on the bus and decided to explore a bit the other side of the Kenting as far a bus will take me since it is the cheapest sightseeing tour ever and bus 102 took me only to Kenting village where the tourist are concentrated in jails made up looking like fancy hotels so that they never leave them and just roll from bed to restaurant and then roll down to beach to get tan and photos to show friends at home. It is also the entrance to the national nature park which sadly have no time to explore now but after the diving is done I have some days left so plan is to see nature, maybe not such bus loads of tourist in Kenting National Nature Park but defo somewhere. The evening came down with sunset and the students on field trip swarmed the streets lined with food kiosks and I felt like in Bangkok, street food everywhere and people walking from one side of the road to another as the poor drivers tried to navigate their fancy boxes on four wheels around not to pick up any unwanted hitchhikers on the bonnet. Got some nicer grilled squid and some local sausage with bit of pork and chicken “way too much food for my belly” and got a new surf shorts as the one I’m using for diving start fading so I saw nice shop with lovely items so upgraded my diving wardrobe and then waited on the bus take me home as my belly was hurting from so much food that I had to get medicine in 7 eleven upon arriving across the road from my hotel. Thank God for globalization and Plzen available in fridge in Taiwan. So watching Italian Job and slowly sipping the Plzen was nice finish of my stay in Dive Village. Tomorrow is leaving time so movie finished, light out and I went cold to the dream land.
