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FRIDAY OCT 24: TAIPEI TO LUODONG |
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Twins and teppanyaki |
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Ah, to arrive fresh and relaxed at 7 a.m. Taipei time -- well, at least SOME of us do, considering that Bob, Luz and Olga Bergstrom (parents and sister of the groom) sleep approximately 95% of the 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Taipei (awakening only for an occasional meal), while Donald tosses and turns and watches "Finding Nemo" three times. Jet lag aside, it's a day to get acclimated to Luodong, a rustic little Taiwanese village (OK, it's actually bigger than Clovis), check out Robbie's expansive house, meet up with Vicki Edwards' flight from Manila, eat at a teppanyaki restaurant called True Love (aw) and meet some of Robbie's many English-teacher friends, including twins J.D. and J.T. Long. (How do you tell them apart? J.D. has subtle stripes on his glasses; J.T. doesn't.) |
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HIGHLIGHTS |
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* The impression flying into Taiwan: lush jungles, soaring mountains, lots of rice paddies, enough scooters to choke an L.A. freeway.
* Luz and Jennifer talking for the entire three-hour train ride without taking any breaths. (How'd they do that?)
* The man on the train who gave up his seat so we can all sit together.
* Matthew (Sam's brother) attentive hospitality driving Olga and Vicky (who arrives on a later flight from Manila) home from Taipei.
* Discovering that Luodong and the neighboring I-Lan are not the sleepy, rural hamlets Robbie described. (Where are the chickens wandering the dusty streets? You can't see them for all the traffic and neon.)
* Bob procuring bottled water for a stray dog at the Luodong station.
* An incredible dinner at True Love (aw), the neighborhood teppanyaki restaurant.
* Luz's quote of the day: "Are you two related?" she asks the twins. |
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Top, a street scene a block from Robbie and Sam's house in Luo Dong. Above, I-Lan County's Gang of Four heads up the English-teacher contingent, while Vicky, Jennifer and Olga check out the seriously overpriced "engagement cookies" that bridal couples give their friends. |
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