Hualien, Taiwan

[Nitcha]

Yep it's the quintessential East Asian retreat. Stunning, fresh ocean winds, and very good value for money (comfortable ensuite hotels from around 520 baht due to a lack of tourists from China in the last couple of years following a tour group ban for political reasons)

I met quite a few Taipei residents who head there on every possible weekend by car or electric train. With that in mind, it's a great place to spend weekdays (like such places as Koh Samet)

[Nitcha]

They certainly like their attractive stations

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A few streets have a few overhead cables, but most have none. None of that ghastly black spaghetti that blights the more backward Asian countries.

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[Nitcha]

For a small city it has a very lively night market, these bring one of the best things about Taiwan generally.

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[Bonglek]

Did you Bong Lek?

I'm afraid I did. I had just come from free and easy Thailand and so when Kitten took an interest in me I just followed my Thai instincts. I'll never forget here face when the tour operator asked if we wanted twin beds or single and I quickly said single. That was something she had not bargained for.

Anyway , come the first night of the tour and there we were horizontal and cheek by jowel, she confided in me that she hated sex. Bummer thinks me. So why don't you like sex ?

She said her ex Chinese husband would just jump on her without foreplay and do the business as quick as possible which she found painful.

Well, soon cleared up that problem double quick and she couldn't believe how nice it could be.

The trouble came when she confided in me that upon her divorce her husband got custody of her son and banned her from ever seeing him again. That's when all her emotional scars came to the surface. It was absolutely killing her to have her son taken from her.

Unfortunately, I felt that all her suppressed love etc wanted to come and abide with me on the rebound.

Hugh Cow was right. I was a cad but had I known what I was walking into I would have kept it platonic. Anyway , upon reflection , I felt it would be better for us both if I left Taiwan. I didn't have a pot to piss in at the time and when I arrived back in Bangkok I had about 3000 baht to my name. Fortunately, an old flame from Thermaes took pity on me and I shacked up with her for a week until I got on my feet again. She even bought my camera off me for 3000 baht as fortunately she was flush at the time. What a gal she was and a real pocket rocket. I often wonder if marriage to her would have worked out but I guess I'll never know now, tucked away as I am now in Petchabuns quiet backwaters.