Tomorrow we leave Dounan. The last few days the Li family has spared no expense to make us feel at home and keep us well entertained.
Yesterday we drove to Lukang, an old port town that the Dutch occupied in the 17th century. The city has been very well preserved and tourists flock to the many temples and the older style Chinese houses. Lukang also has a fabulous street market that winds so many ways that even our tour guides got lost. At the market I was sure to utilize Mrs. Li as a translator to inquire after some Chinese medicines. I enjoyed the lotus juice and the coral drink. We also bought preserved fruit with a peppermint infusion. As usual, there was no shortage of food vendors. As sharing meals is customary, we all tried the fried mushrooms, salty cake, fried mini eggs on a stick, meat dumplings, and candied strawberries (my favorite). (Aaron: Don’t forget the fried squid!)
To finish off our tour of Lukang, we visited the Folk Arts Museum. Among Qing Dynasty furniture we also saw displays of shoes worn by foot-bound women, opium smoking devices, puppets, street performers’ knives, and agricultural equipment.
Later that evening we sat around the Li’s table and ate duck, rice cakes and freshly picked papaya from their tree. Like any close family we chatted about politics and religion.
Today we climbed “coffee mountain.” I’ve never before seen coffee plants and I expected them to be taller. The drive through the country also offered views of pineapple, bamboo, and sugarcane fields. And of course, there is never a shortage of rice fields.
Tonight the Li Family is hosting a large barbecue. Apparently they bought six chickens and a duck which will all be roasted whole. Also on the menu is fresh pineapple along with roasted sweet potato and sweet corn. And Mrs. Li keeps telling me that there will be a karaoke party until early morning.
When we take the bus to Taipei tomorrow I will miss the company of Mrs. Li. It’s also been nice not having to figure out meals. One of our big stresses on this trip is picking restaurants everyday. But in two days I’ll be back in Hong Kong and soaking up the city life.
§Commentary