I'd forgotten that Taiwan used to be called Formosa. I don't think that I ever realized how many cultures have occupied this island - the Portugese, the Dutch, (Abel Tasman came from here) the Japanes, and of cause tthe Chinese. All have left their legacies. We have stopped in two ports here - Kaoshiung in the south and now Taipei in the north. We've seen some beautiful temples - we were told that budddhists and those that follow confusius all worship in the same temples. They are beautiful with lots of red wood and intricate carving. We've also seen many monuments to the various battles. One guide told us that in southern china there are 200 missiles set up pointing at Taiwan. "If they shoot today you be famous in your country". We decided we didn't want to be that famous! We learned a lot of history and the names Sun Yat Sen and Chiang Kai Shek roll off our tongues - even if we are not sure of the spelling. We had lunch in the most amazing hotel ìn Taipei called The Grand Hotel - it doesn't seem to have a chinese name. Which is strange because it too is built in chinese style with red pillars and carving . I'll try to add some pics. Apparently I need a new App to do it. So i'll do that and expand on this when the internet is cheaper. All good so far.
