Hot pot lunch

We are at downtown Hualien today shopping, and decided to try the local hot pot.




Lunch for the three of us costed $10US, and it was a very good lunch. Next time I will bring a towel, because although the air con was cold, I sweat like a dog eating hot pot in the summer.


and for breakfast, this place is fast, hot, and good. I usually have a small plate of rice noodle, a bowl of pork blood soup, and a cold soy milk, all for $2US. The man to the right is the owner, hell of a nice guy, greets everyone who walks in, and thanks everyone upon leaving. Breakfast rush is usually swamp city, with workers and students stopping by on their scooters, and grab something on the run. This guy can be sweating and working his ass off, but you cannot take the smile off his face. He truly enjoys his work, along with his wife and daughter. They start prepping around 3am, and the shop opens at 5:30am. It closes at 11am and they go home for the day. When things slow down after 9am, the owner disappears sometimes. I asked his wife where he goes, and she said he is checking on his stocks. Taiwanese people, like most Asians, love gambling, and the stock market is a casino at your finger tips these days........

Here we are at Hualien port, not much but a row of warehouses just like in the movies where they hide the kidnapped victims. Frankie said that. That's why she was staying close to the car in order to flee......

a typical side street in Hualien city......first thing comes to mind is...quaint. Hualien is an old town and time stands still in many places. There are some new buildings, but due to height restrictions, there are only a few tall condos and office towers. These developers who got away with it must have bribed their way out......

at each intersection, scooters are jockeying for positions and gun their 100cc motor as soon as it turns green. They go anywhere and everywhere. But as a driver of a car, I really don't have to do much because they watch for you. Unlike the traffic chaos in mainland China, folks here are very agressive but very defensive. Very few run red lights and most are skillful drivers.