Day 2 so far

As we braved the markets yesterday, Mr. Yeh took us to some "old" historic towns. The first one was Sansia. We visited the Tzushr Temple built in 1769. It was incredibly ornate and beautiful. Many locals were burning incense and leaving gifts as offerings. We walked down the old marketplace and visited shops.

Afterward, we visited Yingee, a popular ceramics destination. We shopped on the old market street there, and of course, I couldn't resist a pottery store. We saw a kid's parade with dancing dragons. It's amazing how busy the streets are. Driving is an adventure, and we decided the white lines are also there for fashion.

At Yingee, we had food at various stands for lunch. A pineapple sausage on a stick started the meal, followed by an interesting concoction of what I think was tofu, mung bean, or something else I selected, a sweetish beef-flavored liquid, all topped with shaved ice. Steamed bread with sausage and onion stuffing (very yummy) and green tea followed that—finally, a 1-inch squid deep-fried and covered with a spicy powder and sweet, spicy sauce. Our driver was surprised we would try almost anything.

We visited a tea-tasting stand in an indoor shopping center. I had my first adventure with Asian bathrooms. It looked very clean so I decided to give it a try. Let's say I don't know what I was thinking about packing toilet seat covers. You don't need them when there are no toilet seats. 

Mr. Yeh and his son (I think) were very helpful. They bargained for us, and many items were almost half the price listed. At every stop, we bought something, and they carried it back to the car. I don't know what my Blogetts were talking about when they said Mr. Yeh spoke "very little" English. I don't know if he speaks any. I tried to tell him and his son we wanted to eat. After trying many words, I finally put my fingers to my mouth and made chewing noises. I probably looked like a cow. They nodded yes and walked us past many food booths, back to the car. We started driving and he handed me the phone. I said, "Hello," and it was Samantha, TWCA's social worker and translator. She wanted to know what we were trying to tell Mr. Yeh. I felt a little embarrassed. Our first conversation was about asking to eat and pee.

We are back to rest for a few hours, then Mr. Yeh takes us to Snake Alley.