Saturday Evening Bike to National Palace Museum Resumed

Activities/Actions:

• Biked to/from GuGong
• Paraded with three Cows on CowParade @ NPM
  
• Snack @Shilin and Dinner @Roahe

Stat & Course condition:
A section of North Bank Keelung River bike path between DaZhi Bridge and Grand Hotel was under construction with only one lane available. The weather was nice.


Note and reflections:
Last year, the weekend bike trips to National Palace Museum started on the 19th of April [April Runs] and ended on the 25th of October [Octorber Runs: Where is a long run?]. The cease was due to weather, other activities and my completion of all exhibition rooms. Recently, the museum exhibits new themes and artifacts, so it is the time to begin a ride into Chinese's rich treasures.

Today, I started my journey around 5p and got to Shilin Park and found many totem poles at the entrance of the park. I stopped to take some photos of these craved poles in various shapes; some were made by other materials (bronze cast; recycled engine parts). I arrived at GuGong just before 6p and found three artistic cows of CowParade being fenced off by red strip. How come??!! As public arts, these cows were supposed to interact with people but, instead, being fenced off (Poor cows)--could not even take a good photo without the red tape surrounding them. (see other CowParade Posts at CowParade Taipei 2009)

The exhibition was fine with a puppet show at Saturday Night @ NPM from a Hakka Puppet Theater. I came back home around 10p after a short stop in Shilin Night Market for a fried chicken and at Roahe Night Market for BiBimBap (石頭拌飯). At a Shilin fried & grilled chicken stand, I told the seller that I want "very spicy (大辣 Da La)." She asked me three times to confirm that I really wanted "very spicy." I guess that no one ordered spiciness at this level. Actually, the "Da La" chicken was not spicy at all. (PS. Both markets were crowded as usual).

Photos:

Totem and Legend (We Are Family): A large piece of wood carved nicely.

Totem and Legend (We Are Family): Art from recycled metal and woods.

祥雲牛 Lucky Cloud-Cow

水牛翻身 Turnover Buffalo

四季平安(青花牛) Peace and Joy-Ming Blue

Hakka Chinese puppet show at NPM.

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DanShuei Fisherman's Wharf in Autumn

Activities/Actions:
Bike to DanShuei Fisherman's wharf, back to GuGong and Shilin before going home

Stat & Course condition:

Commute: Guandu to Danshui
Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 14:01:00
End Time: 15:06:00
Time Taken: 01:05:00
Route: GuanDu 2 DanShui
Total Distance: 7.15 mi.
Pace: 09:04 (avg)
Speed: 6.6 (mi/hr) (avg)



Danshui 2 Gugong

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 17:00:00
End Time: 18:00:00
Time Taken: 01:00:00
Route: DanShui 2 GuGong
Total Distance: 14.63 mi.
Pace: 04:05 (avg)
Speed: 14.63 (mi/hr) (avg)

Commute: GuGong 2 Shilin

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 19:36:00
End Time: 19:46:00
Time Taken: 00:10:00
Route: GuGong 2 Shilin
Total Distance: 2.10 mi.
Pace: 11:25 (avg)
Speed: 5.25 (mi/hr) (avg)

Commute: Shilin 2 home

Date: 11/22/2008
Start Time: 21:40:00
End Time: 22:18:00
Time Taken: 00:38:00
Route: home 2 shilin CKS
Total Distance: 9.00 mi.
Pace: 04:13 (avg)
Speed: 14.21 (mi/hr) (avg)

Note and reflections:

After the first visit to Fisherman's wharf by bus [An Adventure on Formosa] and the first fail attempt by bike [วิ่งไม่หยุด: April Runs], I determined to get there again by bike today! After departed from my walker gang [วิ่งไม่หยุด: Walking for a cause: walk for the blind], I biked to Danshuei MRT station and tried to find a way to the Wharf. Last time I got lost here, but this time I would drag my bike passing through the crowd at Danshuei Market. Along the way, I saw several cute shops, café and hotels such as a cute postcard shop pictured below. I arrived at the Wharf about an hour later and had a big ice cream!! I craved for it. The Wharf in Autumn was a nice place for clearing my clustered mind.

Enjoying my time there, listening to music and chat with people...

Around 5, I decided to bike to GuGong for a quick look at the museum and a music in Saturday Night at NPM program. Later, I joined a group of friends--Den, Jeab, Waan and Neung--for their shopping at Shilin. We were enjoying shopping and eating on the always-crowded streets for almost two hours. The girls got some clothes they wanted. Not being able to read (as well as speak) Chinese, I wanted to order Dou Hua from a picture. But the one we got is not the same as the one in the photo--What You See Is Not What You Got! After my stomach was satisfied, I left them, biking home on "my regular" Keelung River Biking trail.

Walking and biking completed my exercise today. Feel good!

Photos:

People enjoying a nice autumn weather long Danshuei River walkway.

A cute little postcard shop!

Fishing and sunshine on a bank of Danshuei River.

A yummy raisin ice cream cone at Fisherman's wharf.

Mother and daughter fishing under the twilight sky.

A view of Bali Port

Lovers, bikes and sunset

Saturday Night at NPM

Waan and Jeab on their shopping spree in Shilin

It must be good because of a long line.

Fruit ice

"Which one should I eat first, ice or chicken?"

Well, WYSINWYG!

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