>I have to visit Taiwan for 5 days in the very near future (Dec 6-12) and
>wondered if there are any Triumph listers/contacts there (or if anyone can
>suggest some) ... unlikely, I know, but the roads look great.
Tony,
When I was there, a few months ago, I found virtually no LBC content,
besides one or two modern Mini's. (I did see a very nice MGB in Hong Kong
though.) There is a Harley Dealer in Taipei which could have been
transplanted out of the mid-west, FYI. Try to see the Chiang Kai-Shek
Memorial Hall. It's a pretty awesome tribute to the man, similar in some
respects to our Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.
If you are doing any shopping (family, secretary, etc.), there is a crafts
center, which was very reasonably priced for the typical and upline tourist
type gifts. It is the Chinese Handicraft Mart at No. 1 Hsu Chow Road,
Taipei, http://gift.com.tw. It is a collection of articles from local
crafters. (I found a similar "mini-mall" in Delhi, India and sought it out
in Taipei.) Good values, no haggling. This place will be a great time
saver, if you are going to be bringing multiple gifts home. Visit them
before you take any local tours, as the tour operators will bring you a (WAY
overpriced) gift shop (kickbacks?) at the end of the tour. I was fortunate
(lucky) to have done this.
Don't forget the requisite visit to Snake Alley for bowl snake soup (a
virility enhancer) and yes, it does taste just like chicken <smile>.
Overall, a nice place to visit for a few days. If you can scoot over to
Hong Kong, their currency took a greater hit to the US Dollar, so things
(like fine silk (ahem) items for the Missus) are much better priced than
Taiwan. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Oh, one more interesting point. The food is excellent. Be adventurous!
Throughout my visit, my host constantly expressed concern over going my
capability to tolerate the spicy food at a Chinese Szechwan (spicy)
restaurant. We eventually went to the one he frequented. The food was
excellent, but not as hot as what I have had here in the states, so if you
get the same line, don't worry about it. Enjoy!
Te-Chien (sp?)
Jack Brooks
1960 TR3A
1974 Norton 850 Commando
Hillsdale, NJ
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