JiuFen

I had not left Taipei for a few days. Until yesterday. With two japanese postdocs and two korean visitors, we went to Jiu Fen, on the coast just East of Taipei. After having lunch with sushi and wait for the storm of every afternoon to end, we took a train to Ruei Feng, and a bus from there to Jiu Fen (nine portions), which is a village that clings to the wall of a mountain just in front of the sea, not far from KeeLung. The first view we had of the sea, after turning a bend in the road, was spectacular. We were quite high and could see a bay and a harbour down there, and the sea. There was a large temple in front of us, at the feet of a tall mountain, behind which there would be the sea. We could see a series of small pavilions that were in a path that came down from the top to Jiu Fen.


Once in the village, we took a walk through one of the commercial streets, that also winds up the mountain. It was full of little shops and lights, but fairly clean and nice.

We stopped in an ocarina shop. They had all kinds of types, shapes and colors!. When they tried some of them, be it to attract buyers or to test one for somebody who was interested in buying it, the music transformed the shop. Very nice. The truth is that they sold several to our small group.

After that, a stop to eat one of the typical taiwanese desserts;

and then, more walking through the market, to see a famous downhill street; and ended up having a traditional-style tea and some food in front of the magnificient view of the sea and the coast. After spending five days in a room listening to talks, I enjoyed such a relaxing evening.


So much that we almost missed the last bus to go back to the railway station to take the train back to Taipei. We were lucky again, even if we had to wait for almot an hour at the station. We had the ocarinas to spend the time, though. A very nice sound.