Overnight in Tainan

Lin's department store, Tainan; the first in Taiwan, built in Japanese times 

          On Sunday, August  16, 2020,  my wife and I got on a Taiwan Snail-road train for the nice two hour ride from Taichung. Whatever we did in Tainan would be nice, and we would meet her sister and her husband for dinner. Monday morning the pool at the hotel would be open; I would be ready. We had made no other plans fore Tainan.  We had been there a few times since retiring in Taiwan in 2012, and I even participated in the 32 International Congress of Poets there. I had suggested a few places to visit  (the beach, An-ping) but she nixed the ideas. I was not sure  what we would do or when we would return Monday but I knew we would enjoy whatever we did. We took Taiwan Railroad because the station is downtown while the HSR is a forty-five minute drive away. 

Our trip began at Taichung Train Station. Here is a view of what is to be an avenue connecting the east and west sides of the station. To do so, a tall building had to be dismantled (see fenced in area) to the underpass where motor scooters are now parked. Notice the ingenious use of soda cans (top left) to channel a leak, not very well as a puddle shows.   

When we arrived, we walked ten minutes to a traffic circle where, 

across from the restored city hall, stands the newly open restored Fire Museum. 

At lunchtime, we walked  a short distance to Hai-an Road Sec. 1 where, inside a market, we found  Chikan Eatery, a long-established stall that served authentic Tainan Coffin Toast

Read "Chikan Eatery" article

It was time to take a nap so we checked in to our lodgings for the night, Silks Place.

The next morning, I swam 25 laps in their fourth floor heated pool before breakfast

The evening began with a taxi ride to Hai-an Road Sec. 1 where we met 

my wife's sister and husband for a Tainan style seafood dinner. 

Not far from the restaurant walked to an ally of 19th century buildings named Shen-nong Street;

 it was saved from demolition and turned into an artisan center 

Under the length of Hai-An Road  Sec. 1 is a parking lot that was originally supposed to be come a shopping mall but ran into red tape and politics. Along the road are over sized entrances mostly unused. Below is an air vent for the parking lot covered with pretty metalwork grilling.   

After a hearty western breakfast that came with the hotel booking, we packed our bag and took a ride to Wu's Garden; another landmark that was under renovation last time we visited Tainan.

 

The main exhibit hall of the above structure, under original Japanese wood roofing, was a memorial

 to recently deceased Tainan  lawyer and historian, Hsieh Pi-Lien

In another room of the main building was an exhibit of poetry called "Reading Wood." 

Another building on site was the original Japanese kitchen on the premises of Mr. Wu,  a 19th century businessman who made a fortune in salt export before the Japanese arrived. It is now used for little events with catering done on the premises. This nice curator made us Oriental Beauty tea. 

          There is no place like home, especially after a return from a trip, but I get tired of being home when I don't travel somewhere. Our overnight trip to Tainan was fine. We had the right attitude and enjoyed ourselves. I wouldn't mind traveling overnight somewhere in Taiwan monthly. There are a lot of little things to seek and find in the mostly ugly urban hellhole. I would love to go into the mountains or the east coast.

          Every Road Leads to Tainan is the bilingual collection of essays about the highways through Tainan. I asked the attendant of the Japanese restaurant house at Wu's Garden for any book in English and she handed me that, but it bought us a lovely tea tasting with the resident Tainan historian as we overheard a small gathering listening to folksy guitar singing in the small seated area adjourning. Later, in the food court of a department store before we returned to the train station, a nixed trip to Taipei was appeased by my wife by ordering Silk Roads from the bookstore there, so I had two road books from our journey; the one we were on and the one not taken.