What to do while I'm doing my weeks washing in the launderette? Answer, sit in the air-conditioned 7-Eleven, drink iced coffee and eat a local delicacy called a "Twix". At the same time as trying to do some reading, but finding ones attention drifting to the busy crossroads outside. Ah, Taiwan.

Day trip from Taichung to Kaohsiung (in the South) on the HSR, Taiwans high speed train that runs from the North to the South. Very impressed, smart clean stations, easy ticket purchase and the train zips along at nearly 300kmh. The bottom photo shows an indicated speed of 290kmh (hope you can see that...the photo was taken on my HTC phone).

 Sun Moon Lake situated atop the central mountains of Taiwan was our destination today. And what a brilliant day out. A beautiful place, green, cool (compared with the city) and very touristy! So an hours bus ride up to the mountains and then we toured around the lake on a boat. So with hunger pangs gnawing at us what to eat, BBQ'd 'squashed' bird (we couldn't tell if it was a small chicken or large sparrow) or dried squid...hmmm...how about a Chocolate Sundae and a Strawberry Sundae? So that was that, we didn't need to eat for the rest of the day. 

Special activity afternoon at Uni...it's like Play Dough (for those of a certain age) but with something that was made of rice. We were given tuition by an expert. The results from R - L: Dolphin (including waves) Lucky Carrot and Hamburger. Then we were given time to come up with our own creations, I 'created' the red, yellow and green things....they are birds...and I wonder if anyone else has come up with them.

"Ta-daa!" I am come out of my home this morning to scooter off to Uni and behold, the road is re-surfaced. I think they must have been working past 9pm last night. (And a possible point of minor interest, my car/scooter garage and house is the one with the green traffic cone outside)

Ok, that's enough about food for now. As I was composing that last blog I heard the noise of workmen outside. So with camera in hand I stepped outside. Now please remember it is 8pm and these guys started working on the roads nearby at 8am! I am constantly impressed at how hard the Taiwanese work! They can strip 500 metres of it's top layer and have it resurfaced in a few hours. In fact my options to get home this afternoon were to either play 'chicken' with the heavy machinery or to walk over recently laid tarmac (in flip flops!). I chose the later option, it was, shall we say, a 'warming' experience.

 One of my favourite meals. Beef and Rice. Served with spicy black pepper sauce, onions and a fried egg. In fact it comes out of the kitchen sizzling and the egg cooks as you eat, the cast iron plate is that hot. Tea is also included, and all for the price of just £1.90. 

 And this is how the little restaurants are often set out. Plastic chairs and tables. Plus a TV, playing a continual loop of the days news.

Two of my favourite places. The steak & rice restaurant on the right. And to it's left is a fancy bread and cake shop (I hope you can read it's sign!). Both less than five minutes walk from home.