Sad news. The camera won't start. All day long. So, I'll resort to word pictures.

Last night we went out to a night market near our hotel. Night markets are a big thing here in Taiwan. Blocks and blocks of little stores with everything imaginable and loud music and food. Lots of lights, neon and otherwise. We looked around for a bit and then went into a place that looked interesting for food. It was! We went downstairs and were offered a booth with a nice curtain hanging down, offering some semblance of semi-privacy. In the middle of the table was a gas burner and the waiter promptly offered us plates to carry upstairs and load down with all kinds of meat and veggies. While were upstairs picking up little chunks of pumpkin, cabbage, fish balls, bean curd, sprouts and other unidentified objects, the waiter placed four long plates of thinly sliced meat (lamb, pork, and beef) on our table. We collected our little bow of rice and we were ready to eat that staple of the Taiwanese cuisine entitled Hot Pot! It was delicious. The waiter pours broth into a divided bowl. One side has spices for spicy hot taste and the other side is milder. The broth begins to boil and you can start putting your choice of veggies and meat in to cook. As it finishes cooking, you pull out what you want and dip it into a special sauce you create yourself using about twenty or thirty ingredients all prepared at another bar area much like the veggie and meat bar. Add the rice and you've got a delicious meal! All you can eat. All you can drink and free ice cream at the end. My chop stick skills are getting better and better. Jennifer and I ate for about twenty-five dollars. She was looking for sandals and shirts and I just followed along as full as a tick. (I told you I would resort to word pictures.) We had trouble sleeping last night (due to jet lag) and got up around 3am to surf the web and snack. That resulted in us oversleeping this morning and getting a later start than we intended.

Today, we went to both ends of the North/South metro in Taipei. On the southern end is Xindian (pronounced Shing Dien), where there is a beautiful green river. People were jumping off diving boards and high rocks into the water. The suspension bridge crossing the river was interesting. We padded around there for a while then rode the metro all the way to the north end of the system to Danshui (pronounced Dawn Shway), a nice little wharf with Loads and Loads of souvenirs and games of luck, not skill. I bought up a bunch of souvenirs for friends back in Mexico. There were lots of little sidewalk stands with fried squid on a stick. I passed and continued passing until we came to a Subway upon our return to the hotel. Jennifer bought some nice decorated hand-held fans for all the ladies in our church. I just told her flatly that the men weren't getting anything. LOL

We hustled back to the middle of town where our hotel is and are now safely entrenched here until morning light. Tomorrow, we plan to go to the town where Jennifer worked for two and a half years. She has lots of friends there and I'm supposed to speak in the church she worked in on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll have batteries my camera likes by then. Until later.