9.5.24

Taiwan Pt. 2

 Our first full day in Taiwan took us to the National Palace Museum.  The museum held a fantastic collection of historic, and some current, art reflecting the aesthetic of the country.

I saw more jade than I ever need to see again in my life!  And then there were Buddhas, of course. And a beautiful panel.





For lunch, we drove into the mountains to the "lily ranch", where we had another zillion courses of wonderful asian food.  The best tofu I've ever had (usually I can't stand the stuff).





Since it wasn't far, we also stopped at a National Park featuring an active volcano.


Thankfully it stays at a slow simmer rather than a big eruption.  Too close to Taipei for comfort.


7.5.24

The Big Trip--Taiwan Pt. 1

 


We can't believe we did it!  After years in the planning (COVID interferred), our son and daughter-in-law finally got us to Taiwan to visit her family and see the country.  And it was all fabulous!

I don't know where to start, we were in a constant state of amazement.  Taipei is a great city, quite big (I was told a population of 2 mil, but it seemed bigger).  Several "districts", each with their own tall buildings and great architecture.  Our first day, shedding off jet lag, we went to Taipei 101, at one time the tallest building in the world.  

After a lunch consisting of a zillion courses (every meal seemed to have a zillion courses!), we zipped (ear popping elevators!) up to the observation deck for a 360 degree view of the city.  It was hazy (pollution from mainland China?  Humidity (it was high)), so the pics aren't super sharp, but still give a good idea of the city.

First, the atrium of Taipei 101:


From the observation deck:




The new Taipei Dome for baseball (I would find out that baseball is VERY popular in Taiwan).





Here are some other interesting buildings found in the city.  Some are office buildings, others are apartment buildings:




Pretty wild!  And I appreciate more mundane structures like this freeway overpass and this port entrance that add great design to the construction rather than the more simple design we usually find the US.



The pics give a brief overview of all the neat building we saw.  Of course there was much of the traditional also along side the modern.  Stay tuned, more pics of our trip to come.

28.4.24

Cheeseburger in Paradise?

I found a couple interesting burger choices on this Dana Point restaurant menu...


 

25.3.24

Our Radio Shows

It's Alive! It's Alive! 

 After months and months of work, the web site for our radio shows in the late 70's is up and running.
 

Hear great blues programs on Smokey's Blues Hour 


Hear great rock and much more on Rev. Willis Review/Rave On!



Hear eclectic sounda beyond belief on Music From Planet Earth


All shows were digitized and cleaned from cassette and reel to reel tape.  While some problems exist, the shows are very listenable (or even downloadable).  We will have even more shows and other materials on the site in the near future.

Give 'em a listen.  Better than podcasts!


27.12.23

Aloha Adventures

Some pics from our December Hawaii trip.  Sadly, Lahaina wasn't available to us for obvious reasons, so we decided to try Paradise Bay on the Windward side of Oahu.  Good things... the view...

Also the remoteness and quiet was appealing.  And we had our own cabin.  Sadly, while most of the cabin was fine, the kitchen area was ridiculous.  Poor lighting, no counter space, no electrical outlets for the coffee machine and toaster, so we were disappointed with an otherwise fine resort.

Worrying about places to eat, we did find a few good restaurants.  Wonderful Thai at Chao Phya in Kaneohe.  But the amazing place was Haleiwa Joes, overlooking the Haiku Gardens (wedding events).  Great food, great service, amazing views...


The resort also featured a couple added attractions... very friendly chickens...


And Uncle Danny entertained us every night with rather excellent ukelele and vocals.  His Hawaiian 12 Days of Christmas was hilarious.


 Walking around the area, I discovered a wonderful way to repurpose old surfboards...


Very close to the resort was the Valley of Temples, essentially an expansive cemetery featuring several structures and representing multiple religions.  Of special note was the Buddhist temple, a replica of the famous temple in Kyoto.  We took a brief tour which was well worth our time.  Here's the temple with Ms. Buddha herself.  And I bought the t-shirt.



On our way back to the airport, we stopped at the famous Pali Overlook.  I took this panorama photo.


An enjoyable trip.  I always wanted to see the East side of Oahu.  Next year, Turtle Bay on the North Shore.