Bright neon lights exist in Australia but this dance studio seemed exceptional. Near Love River and main railway station area of the city.
Archive for April, 2010
Katarina
Hand-made metal tools and quality sesame oil for sale
The area is Jiangtztsue on my old map, and as local westerners know, spelling will vary between maps in the translations.
It’s a bit of a mental test when you first arrive. It may take months to begin feeling comfortable enough to explore the streets alone – a small pocket compass was my best friend, and still is, attached to a key ring.
Recently with friends we visited small factory shops in an old street.
The knives of various design must have had specific purposes probably in butchery. Just what is the mystery.
Hammer-axes were interesting for me. (I missed getting a good picture).
A long time back I worked in Sydney’s Chinatown for a company that ripened and sold bananas arriving in heavy wooden crates from the tropical north.
We each carried hammer-axes resembling red Indian tomahawks.
‘Great fun to work with a weapon‘ I thought to myself at the time.
Here in the old street called HuanHe was where small tomahawk axes, knives and other metal tools are hand made.
In Australia today – bananas come in cartons.
I don’t think Sanchong City makes it onto the international tourist must-see list.
Australians I’ve met that have visited Taiwan stay for a couple of days and think they have ‘seen the place’.
You need a local guide to show the hidden charms of the surrounding cities.
I enjoy Sanchong, on the delta are across from the Taipei bridge.
The region floods regularly so it’s the furthest thing from the luxury of Tienmu on the lower slope of Grass Mountain, (Yangmingshan) where most western foreigners live.
At the drum factory with it’s lavish showroom, seeing how the animal skin is stretched onto the huge hollow timber drum (same as those we see in every temple) was a revelation. It’s a slow process taking many days or weeks while the skin keeps stretching to it’s maximum and ropes are tightened regularly.
A large drum is about US $1000 from memory. I won’t be getting one but it’s good information to know for those in the music business at home.
A real post card showing the coral eating starfish Crown of Thorns
Unfortunately the weather is not always this good. Prevailing South East trade winds rarely stop blowing and the further north one travels in Australia the stronger the breeze becomes.
Tip for travelers. Listen to the evening weather forecast. If predicted wind strength for tomorrow exceeds 15 knots – stay onshore. Otherwise expect some spray. Perfect conditions are 5 to 10 knots.
In the above mock postcard, we had calm conditions, a blue sky and clear water. As for the coral – a year later it was destroyed by crown-of-thorns starfish. This was Ellison Reef off Mission Beach. The loss did not effect tourism. Good coral remains at the popular Beaver Cay location. Mission Beach is about one hour south from Cairns, by car.
It’s a rainforested region with low density tourism. Nice place.
Australian visitors delight in the B&W police cars, just like a Blues Brothers movie? All cabs are yellow – and they can spot a foreigner fast, one driver told me.
Waiting time is rarely more than 30 seconds in the city. Fares are cheap – as compared with Australia.
Little English is spoken by staff in the better-priced cheap hotels.
