The Roving Reporter

Monkey see, monkey take...

Posted by: Amy Reiter

Monday, March 12, 2007 4:21 AM

It's amazing to think we've been here a week. I feel like I'm starting to get to know the city's layout, as in, "my hotel is north of that tall building with the triangles on top," or "OK, I'm at Kaohsiung Harbor, I think I'm going the wrong direction."

But I also still feel jet lagged. I've traveled a lot and generally am pretty normal in a day or two, but I think the busy schedule we're keeping -- meetings, tours, job visits, etc., from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., typically -- has made the adjustment a little slower. In a few days, we're visiting a famous spa outside Kaohsiung, which I think has hot springs. I'm really hoping that's a participatory tour.

Today we toured and exercised in Taiwan's largest gymnasium, with a basketball court, a pool and lots of equipment. The gym's manager, John, holds dual Taiwan/American citizenship, and said he's trying to turn Kaohsiung into a city of exercisers. Currently, he said, only 2 percent of Taiwanese people exercise regularly.

Then, after lunch at a vegetarian buffet and much discussion about what we should visit in the afternoon, we went to Monkey Mountain, which is about what you might guess. We climbed a lot of stairs, rising out of the smog and into a beautiful view of the city, and got to a clearing where a bunch of monkeys were hanging out on trees, playing with and picking at each other, and staring at us. As we were told, we held onto our belongings, because these little tan monkeys, about the size of a mid-weight dog, will steal your water, your camera, maybe even your purse.

Besides the monkeys, Monkey Mountain also has a shrine dedicated to martyrs. It was built by the Japanese during their occupation at the turn of the 20th century. Planted on top of the mountain, cool, clean breezes filtered into the courtyard. I could see the harbor and all of the city from the entrance to the bright red and yellow of the quiet courtyard. It was about as restful a shrine as I could imagine.

Now we're off to dinner.

word of the day:
peng you = friend

Amy

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