Taipei Sparkly Pavement of Awesomeness

I freaking love the pavement in Taipei City. I've said it before, and I am saying it again. It's so pretty at night! Like walking on a bed of stars (if I wanted to wax poetic) but more likely to say...

I'm strutting on Glitter!!!

<3

Random thought

Random thought time...

How come bidets are not common in the States? They are friggin awesome-sauce!

I've come to realize that in Asia, you don't throw toilet paper into the toilet. You toss it in the trash. So, to make this feasible, they use bidets to get all the gunky yuck off, then just dry themselves.

Makes total sense.

So in the States, you don't have to worry about flushing toilet paper. Fine. But just how clean does wiping like that get you? Not to mention, you need to use more paper to make sure you get mostly clean.

It makes so much more sense to just use a bidet. So much cleaner. Much less waste of toilet paper.

I want to install a new toilet seat that has the bidet option at some point.

Little Bear-ception January 30, 365 challenge

The neat little off shoot during the hiking trail at Sun Moon Lake. Little Bear really wanted to pose. I think he made a good shot :D

Trail up to see the Pagoda in Sun Moon Lake (we didn't make it all the way T.T)

So bit of backstory...

I'm massively out of shape.

Ok, not massively, but I'm pretty pathetic. Overweight, and have no muscle. Even so, I am trying to overcome these issues and improve my overall health. Kitsune and I are working on it together. So I am pushing myself to experience these trails because I don't want to miss out due to my wussiness.

Anyways, during our boat tour we got off on the first stop to hike up and see the temples and eventually the Pagoda. It was wet and a bit slippery as the path was just some flat stones, but overall they weather wasn't bad.

The entrance to the hiking trail. It's mud all around it. You actually are supposed to step through.

The first temple area that you came across after climbing a bunch of stairs was really busy. Of course, it's the closest to the docks, and there are vendors everywhere selling fruit. I'm not sure how many people actually choose to do the hike up to see the other temple and pagoda. We didn't come across too many people on our way up, and a few of them only went half way (basically once the path started to steadily go uphill, they turned around).

It was a quiet path, and you felt surrounded by green while on it.

Pretty scenic overlook spot.

View from the overlook

There was a moss covered turtle man friend that Little Bear came out to say hello to at the overlook

Hitching a ride on the Kitsune

We came across these giant ferns  that somewhat hung over the path. I wanted to get a picture of Little Bear against them. They are really big!

Funny sign that was posted in several spots. We never came across any dogs, nor heard any.

Neat little spot off the path 

Now the uphill parts really started to get serious. We had encountered several short bursts previously, but after this point it was pretty much all uphill. My pictures just do not due the inclines justice. Also, there were plenty of my favorite things of all....stairs.

Stairs of Doom.

They just kept winding up and up past our view.

Lots and lots of stairs. Ugh. At this point I'm panting and bright red, so I didn't really have the energy to take many pictures. I did, however, have to get a picture of the last set of dreaded stairs of doom that we had to overcome.

Thankfully this was the last set of stairs before arriving at the temple.

Ugh. I hate you stairs.

Survived! I'm such a wuss! The path in reality really isn't bad. Relatively easy. Sigh.

Thankful to be done with the stairs and plastered with sweat (not only from exertion, but the humidity was no joke), I slowly limped over to the temple gates. My knees were so janked from the stairs that I had to go slow. They wanted to just check out on me horrid things that they are. Total Prima Donnas.

The view was amazing from up there however.

Oh look...more stairs.

I had a total tantrum at this point as Kitsune really really really wanted to continue on to the Pagoda. I, on the other hand, was having none of it. I was done with going uphill. I was doubly done with stairs. My knees were done, and I wanted absolutely nothing with continuing upwards. Thankfully, I happened to read the time wrong (honestly, I did! No lie!), and convinced Kitsune we didn't have time to continue on with how slow I would need to go, see all of the pagoda, and hike all the way back down to the docks. Grudgingly, he gave in and after touring the temple, we headed back.

Then he looked at his phone and realized we had enough time to have gone to the Pagoda. Needless to say, he wasn't happy. It's a good thing that we didn't take the time to do the hike farther up however, because if we had, we wouldn't have had the time to stop and wander around the second part of the tour. The aboriginal side with the night market we enjoyed seeing. So it all worked out in the end!

Main temple

little off shoot at the front of the temple

opposite side off shoot of the temple

Place to have your fortune told? Not sure what exactly these were.

The scenery around the temple was amazing. We were fairly high up, and the day was clear enough that we had a great view.

FengJia Night Market

While River manned her store, Kitsune and I wandered about FengJia night market. We had been wandering all over that day and we were pretty tired, so we ended up resting at a McDonald's for a little while. We had 3-4 hours before we needed to meet up with River again, so we wanted to rest our feet.

needed to buy something to sit inside. Little Bear approved of our choice :D

Wet and sweaty. It had been a long day in the misty rain.

After resting we wandered back out into the night market to eat some foods. It is always fun to wander about busy places like this and feel the energy, and see all the things.

Afterwards, we met up with River and we hung out with David, the owner of the coffee shop next to River's soap shop. He's a neat, fun dude, and we enjoyed getting to know him.

at the bus stop to head back to River's home. You can see Garden Mall in the corner, where her shop is.

Nomura Sushi Date Night Amazingness

Kitsune booked a reservation to sit at the sushi bar at Nomura Sushi on the recommendation of our friends Dio and Leanne. We ordered their highest option and let me tell you...

It was soooooo worth it.

We really enjoyed dinner, and speaking with the sushi chef in training and Nomura himself. I, of course, took pictures of everything for posterity. :D

Mushroom with caviar and greens, tamago (egg) w/Ikura (salmon eggs), Shrimp w/ something that had cream cheese >.<, and a sweet thing but not sure what it was. 

Tai (snapper) sashimi

Ika (squid) 

Tai w/ scallion wrapped in Konbu  

Bonito (skipjack) OMG this was so so good. it almost bested Hamachi (yellow tail)!!

Crab with egg hollandaise sauce (super sweet and I quite liked it which surprised me as I don't like crab)

Cucumber and seaweed under the crab. The knife work is awesome

Nomura-san at his sushi block working away

Raw Oyster from Mie (I did eat it. I still don't like it. Ugh.)

Japanese green tea (from powder)

Current set-up  

Shirako (fish sperm) w/ peanuts, scallions, and saffron; cooked Toro (fatty tuna) w/miso, lotus root, and sardine cracker.

 We were open to eat whatever they offered, so I had my first experience with fish sperm. It's not quite what I expected, and I didn't hate it. However, I don't think I would ever seek it out. The texture is a bit off putting, and of course, just the fact of what it is fights with you.

New set up at the start of the Nigiri part.

Kimmedai (splendid alfonsino) This is an amazing fish. First time having it, and it is super flavorful 

Saiyuri (needle fish)

Kawahagi w/liver ( file fish) I really liked this one

Chopstick rest

Toro (fatty tuna) Omg this was melt in the mouth good. 

Kohada (japanese gizzard shad) We thought it was Saba (mackerel) from the skin. This was a first as well. Tasty fish

Mirugai (Giant clam/geoduck) When Nomura placed the nigiri on the plate, he slaps his finger against the clam. Because it is so fresh it still has nerve impulses so it starts to curl as he places it. So cool. Still not one I really enjoy however.

Amaebi (sweet shrimp) much better than any I have had in the states, but still not one I actively seek out.

Saba (mackerel) Here was the mackerel. Super flavorful, and just fabulous. Best saba I have had actually.

Murasaki (sea urchin) I didn't eat it. I don't enjoy sea urchin usually, but it's Kitsune's favorite. I let him have mine.

Ebi no Atama (shrimp head soup) Tasty broth, way too many onions. I didn't suck the brains of my shrimp either. I know, sacrilege. But ew.

Anago (sea eel) their specialty. Best anago I have ever had

Dessert set up, with tea

Sweet tofu with fruit, and dongo in sauce

Lovely evening, well worth it for the experience. If you are ever in Taipei, get a seat at the sushi bar at Nomura's! You won't be disappointed.