T5 - The Taiwanese Coach Trip Experience

20/09/2009 by paul.

Well today was an amazing experience. The couples fellowship at church organised a trip to the North-Eastern part of Taiwan, staying within Yilan County……

View T5 - Eastern coast trip in a larger map

We set off at 7.30 am from the church in a coach. I was not warned beforehand, but Taiwanese coach trips are not ’sit-back-enjoy’ the ride journies. They are full of activities. There was singing, games, quizzes, with each person trying to do their best over a crazy microphone! We were given breakfast on the coach, and after an hour or so of craziness we arrived at an Anka distillery/chemical plant/pharmaceutial plant….. to use the restrooms - apparently this is the closest you get to motorway services in Taiwan! I resisted the temptation to buy some seriously strong wine and liquers! We then stopped at a local restaurant to try the local cuisine (unfortunately to my untamed palate it tasted the same as the food elsewhere in Taiwan). So at 9.30 everyone piles into a bowl of noodle soup with chicken and seafood (I’m learning its best not to ask what type!).

So after these two trips we head to King Car Industrial Plant. Here they seem to make any type of drink you can imagine, from bottled water through to whisky. After a short introductory video we headed, like all good Christians to the Ka Va Lan whisky distillery. Whilst it seems normal in Scotland to visit whisky distilleries, here in Taiwan it is very much a new thing, as until recently (not sure how recent!) the government controlled all alcohol production.

After a little taste and a wander through the shop (again I resisted the temptation to spend some NT!) we headed back onto the coach for mroe singing. We then stopped at a little cottage industry (I know this is a UK term, but its the best I can do at explaining it) that makes tsai-tsai and bo-tsai (spelling is just off pronunciation, probably very wrong, apologies!) which are triangular parcels made of bamboo with rice stuffed inside, either with some pork (tsai) or peanut (vegetarian=bo-tsai). One of the church members was so persuaded that I tried one tht he bought me one to eat later!

After getting back onto the coach we headed to a grand restaurant, in a Western style building. Yilan County is a flat plain and this restuarant is just on the first mountainside. You can therefore see a great distance, right out to the Pacific Ocean…

Before we went up to the third floor, we had a ten course banquet. I’m afraid I can’t remember the dishes, but there was lots (especially after breakfast and brunch!) and it was very tasty. After viewing the scenery, we headed back onto the the coach for another hour, this time going up into the mountains. We then walked up a mountain trail along a small stream. It was 2km long (and about 1km up!), at the end of which there was stunning waterfall, perhaps 80ft tall. There are some pictures, which are on their way, once I’ve made them look reasonable - I look a bit dishevelled because today it was cool - only 30C!

Back on the coach and a final stop at another restaurant for tea. This time there was an ‘all you can eat buffet’ (which wasn’t much by this stage!) and then I had a main course of salmon, followed by fruit. The only slightly disturbing things was that I had put something that looked like cress on my plate, but the minister, hsinte, came over quite quickly to tell me that it was carcinogenic, so it got put back on the plate for some other unlucky customer to munch on!

Then there was only the small matter of a two hour coach journey back to church with the usual (by now) fun and games! The drive back to Taipei was along a road with the longest tunnel in Asia. We drove for around 30 mins in the tunnel - I have no idead how long that is, but its impressive nonetheless. One leaving the tunnel we were at the foot of the Taipei 101 building, it is truly enormous, but a visit must wait for another day.

On getting back to the church at around 9pm we deposited our things in the flat, and then headed to the young persons (20-40) Bible Study and fellowship meeting. They discussed what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and talking about how we worship God on Sunday and whould try in every part of our lives to worship him. Interestingly the study finished with a quote from the Matt Redman song, When the music fades, which I’ve been asked to sing for them next week :)….

When the music fades,
all is stripped away
and I simply come;
longing just to bring
something that’s of worth,
that will bless Your heart.
I’ll bring You more than a song,
for a song in itself
is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within
through the way things appear,
You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship,
and it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus.
I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it,
when it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus.

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