Everyone (well, not really) has been bugging me to add a litttle something to my website that they could actually read without knowing a word of Czech. Shame, it’s a wonderful and particularly complex (read complicated) language; nevertheless, I relented. Thus, today’s entry is going to be about my Beach trip! (Everyone else, get ready for an English lesson).
Meet The girls, Julia and Diana.
Wonder how the trip got started, since it was obviously supposed to rain the whole week – but I know these girls at school and they’ve got a car. Bit of a mystery, really, since they can’t technically drive it. Beats me how they’d never figured out they’d need an International Driver’s License to accompany their Russian ones, but since I’m the happy owner of one – I was the guest of honor and the appointed Driver.
A Shrine at the beach in Fulong
The drive itself was a joy; or an adventure if you like. Equipped with a GPS fully loaded with a map of Taiwan, I never realized these little electronic critters were not to be trusted. Do not and I repeat: Do Not Ever select the ‘Shortest route‘ setting. I found myself weaving through a maze of mountain roads navigated with pinpoint precision until some cartographer obviously went to his lunch break 10 minutes too early and I drove off the road. On map, that is.
Backtracking about two kilometers and consulting a paper predecessor of the little electronic liar, we safely arrived at Fu Long only about 30 minutes after the estimated time.
Peachy beach weather. Not.
About 15 minutes and a brunch later found us lying right here. Hello Pacific Ocean! Or, for spoilsports, East China Sea. I won’t kid you, splendid weather it was not. But it didn’t rain before we got into the water and it stopped long before we ever got out. The girls have been cheating and they’ve been to the place 14 days previously just when they got to Taiwan, and they had a Surfing Board waiting for them!
That horrible thing just got me badly. Either I’m just too clumsy or (and I like to think that) I’m too much of a heavyweight for their flimsy little board. Either way, we got to try it endless times and I’m certainly pondering getting someone to show me the basics on a proper-sized board. The temperatures are going to last for a month or so, plenty of time to go a’surfin. Tons of fun guaranteed!
Not one of us. Why do people make it seem so easy?
The trip back set me back to driving school, this time me (oh, my) being the dreaded bastard riding shotgun. Figures both of the girls’ Russian papers are so fresh they might actually still smudge. Our fun only lasted for about a dozen kilometers since the dusk comes blazingly fast here and with it came rain. No way am I going to risk a beginner driving an unknown route in dark and drizzle. The last bit of fun was when the pda’s battery gave out for the last 20-someting kilometers and we were driving back on sheer luck and faith in road signs.
PS: the Taiwanese consider the traffic code to be voluntary at best, sure brings adventure into the mundane task of driving.
PPS: in hope my English teacher doesn’t revoke my school grades for all the grammar mayhem I surely created. Sincere apologies
Taipei, TAIWAN