Fisherman’s Wharf to Lotus World
From Dong-shih Fisherman’s Wharf to Lotus World As I have shared, the people of Taiwan are so very warm and welcoming. On two separate weekends lately, I was invited to join two families as they spent their respective Saturday and Sunday doing family-type activities in Central Taiwan.
I joined first grade triplets, Jack, Eric and Tim, along with their parents as we headed to Dong-shih Fisherman’s Wharf on the Strait of Taiwan. I had never heard of this particular park, as it is relatively new to the area. It is actually an old fishing wharf, which has been converted into a beach-type play area for families. Some of the older fishing boats are anchored to add to the scenario.
Sand is trucked in and there are many water play areas for both young and old alike. As it is fall here, most Taiwanese say that it is too cold to play in the water park fountains but the kids had a ball in the sand. I say kids but actually all ages were enjoying the very
coarse, clean sand.
Late afternoon, we departed Dong-shih Fisherman’s Wharf where we headed into Puzih City for dinner at a most unusual restaurant, in this area. It was the Scandinavia Factory Restaurant. The restaurant featured wonderful art works by the owner and the aura was Finnish yet the food, definitely Taiwanese/Chinese. It was delicious and for seven year olds, Jack, Eric and Tim were really hungry little boys. They sampled everyone’s selections!
After dinner, we took the boys to a local Christian Community Center where they enjoyed another 90 minutes of supervised play, while we, adults, shopped for fresh fruits and veggies. We all had a very enjoyable day and I’m positive the boys slept well that night.
Last Sunday, I met second grader Angel, her first grade brother, Viter and their Mom, in front of Siang-He School at 8:30 in the morning. I knew we were going someplace but had absolutely no idea as to where. Well, it proved to be a really full day of surprises. First, we picked up Grandmother, a farmer; met Brother, who was playing with his son and their remote-controlled boat; and then began a road trip to visit Mom’s sister, brother-in-law and their three children in Tainan County. I’m not exactly sure where in the county but I so enjoyed the openness of the area and the welcome into their home.
After seeing their soy sauce manufacturing factory; visiting the chickens and dogs, we ate sliced pears while the children decided we should bike to the Ba Lao Ye Dairy Farm/Animal Petting Farm about five minutes from the house. Again, having no idea what was in-store, I was pleasantly surprised at what I saw at the dairy farm…rabbits, goats, a hog (reminded me of the Razorbacks), and of course, cows. The children got to bottle feed two of the calves.
After returning from the dairy farm, we next, headed to Lotus World Restaurant. I was totally overwhelmed by the huge lotus ponds, which although fall, still had blooming lotus. My hosts shared that in spring and summer, the full effect of the blossoms is overwhelming…the types, colors, and sizes. They even have guided tours and performances to highlight their flowers. Once again, the food was plentiful and we all enjoyed.
Next, we took a short ride to a large store, which sold all types of wines and spirits. The canisters were works of art, in themselves. Believe it or not, entertainment and a gift shop were also on the premises.
Finally, we headed back to the sister’s home. We chatted with several translation books present, listened while the children sang Karaoke and three of the adults played flute, saxophone, and violin. Oh, Angel graced us with a very quick rendition as she wanted to return to playing with her cousins.
The evening concluded with another meal and tired children falling asleep on the way back to Puzih. It was quite a memorable day, once again.
