Tea house, etc.

With a co-worker, I caught a bus to the small town where her grandparents live.

We passed by a betel nut vendor: Then there was the visit to a nearby port:
I saw so many dragonflies there. A big mass of them were flying together above one small sheltered area.

A beer festival was underway in the hot afternoon. You could get a free sample of beer, but the line was long, and it didn't seem worth the wait. We went inside here instead and got snacks.
Back to the grandparent's house. As we were leaving, a small parade in celebration of the upcoming Ghost Festival swept by us.

We drove to a mountainous area in Taipei (Ooh Lai, as I'd type the town's name). There's a market, restaurants, and hot springs. We ate dinner at one of the restaurants.
I drank sugar cane juice:


Then everyone, except for me, went to sit in the hot springs. I didn't quite feel ready to sit naked in the hot springs with them. I guess that particular Taiwanese experience will have to wait. While the group were enjoying the hot springs, I walked through a nearby street. I'd have taken more pictures, but it was too dark. I imagine it's beautiful there in the daytime. There are bridges, a river, mountains, and buildings built into them. I could hear a restaurant goer KTV-ing near an open window. I also saw a store vendor trying to whack this toad/frog out of her store. It kept coming back. Maybe it's one of those creatures that likes abuse.
Another drive through Taipei took us to a very cool tea house. It was pouring rain by this time, but it complimented the atmosphere of the place. The tea house is in a wooded area, and you need to follow a downhill path to reach it. It's open 24 hours. People were sitting outdoors in the rain at tables with big umbrellas to keep them dry. We sat inside though, ordered tea (we steeped the tea ourselves) and snacks, and played card games. I learned a few new ones.

We were driven home. I got back to my place sometime past 3am.