The first tale is not really a travel story, but simply a day-trip up north. I went up to see Tonya in Hsinchu. Instead of just having a meal together and then returning south, I decided to look for some attractions to make the experience more rewarding. I walked from the main train station to the restaurant we had chosen, but alas, it was not possible to simply arrive without a booking. It was a brunch eatery, so we were slightly early for other dining spots. We whiled away the time at a bakery with a coffee and pastry. Then we headed to a burger place called Happy Ending (though it translates from the Chinese as Comedy Ending). This was quirkily decorated and we both felt immediately piqued. The burgers were well priced and with equally unconventional flavour combinations. However, when we sunk our teeth into them, they did not taste Western, but rather more like Taiwanese breakfast burgers. It is something to do with the patty, which is not as meaty as the Western option; if my taste buds are to be trusted, it contains a large amount of tofu or similar soy product. The bread buns, too, were the sweetened Taiwanese variety. I did not enjoy mine, though I did finish it.
After lunch, we drove up Dongda Road in search of a museum. Once spotted, we had to find parking. Veering off the road, we came to a metal
gate. There was another just a few feet
to the left. Beyond that was a
coin-operated machine. All instructions
were in Chinese. Fortunately, an
attendant was also present, and she came to our rescue. We entered through one of the metal
doors. Here, we vacated the
vehicle. The rest would be done for
us. The actual parking spaces rose above
our heads in ten levels. A set of platforms
and hoists which were operated mechanically first slid the car deeper into the
building where it was turned around on a metal turntable. It was then hoisted straight upwards as if it
were a helicopter, onto an available platform. The attendant said that there
was space for 160 vehicles in this cramped garage. Payment would be made upon
our return, and the vehicle retrieved according to its license plate number.
We’d come to visit Hsinchu City Military Dependents’ Villages Museum. What is that all about? Well, after the nationalists were defeated by the communists on the mainland, around two million soldiers and civilians from all over the mainland relocated to Taiwan. The nationalist government built villages in response to the ensuing housing crisis. At this museum, relics are displayed along with historical information. It was somewhat crowded when we visited, and I spotted a 10-year-old boy punching one of the mannequins, inciting a clamorous rebuke from his mother.
Leaving this establishment, we searched for a coffee shop, but
instead came upon a Caves Books Store.
We ambled in. I found a title
I’ve yet to read: Still Alice
by Lisa Genova, about a woman who suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s. I’ve read such a book before, Elizabeth is Missing by Emma
Healey, and it was a great read. Still Alice has also been made
into a film of the same name. I look
forward to getting around to it.
That was it for my day-trip, and I returned to Taichung.
