Showing posts with label 淡水. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 淡水. Show all posts

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z Showcased in Leading Asia Trend Magazine





Taipei In A Day: Includes Taiwan From A To Z is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com. Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com!

It has been a pleasure helping countless travelers to Taiwan enjoy their travels with greater ease.  Thank you to everyone who has provided a positive review of my guidebook and custom "Taipei In A Day (台北一日遊)" tour  based on my best-selling Taiwan travel book, Taipei in a Day: Includes Taiwan from A to Z,  I sincerely appreciate it.  

Have fun and enjoy your time on Taiwan, and if you need a personal Taiwan guide, I provide custom "Taipei in a Day (台北一日遊)" tours based on my best-selling Taiwan tour guide!  Feel free to contact me via www.taipeiinaday.com for details.  --Scott

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Donovan’s Coffee (杜坊咖啡)

Taiwanese have a keen interest in lifestyle trends popular abroad, and modern cafés and coffee shops now line the road along Danshui River (淡水河). Less than a two-minute walk from the MRT you’ll receive a warm welcome and superb Irish coffee (NT $110/160 iced) at Donovan’s Coffee (杜坊咖啡), Gongming Street, #10-1, 2F (淡水鎮公明街56巷10之1號2樓) (02) 2625-6234. Jovial expat owner Tim hails from Limerick, Ireland, known for its sedate River Shannon and King John's Castle, and the homey décor jogs memories of historical walking and boat tours. This cozy corner café boasts delectable drinks, free Wi-Fi to get you wired (along with the caffeine) and a balcony with a view. Open 11 am to 9 pm (10 pm weekends) Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays).

Friday, January 9, 2009

Drift to Danshui (流浪到淡水)

Two blind performers, guitarist Jin Men-wang (金門王) and his accordion-playing musical cohort Li Bing-hui (李炳輝), left an indelible print on Taiwan.

Jin, whose real name was Wang Ying-tan (王英坦), lost his left hand and eyesight on the island of Kinmen at the age of fourteen when a package he found turned out to be an explosive device. Undeterred, he turned down government assistance and performed various jobs, including telephone operator, to support himself; due to his passion for music, he strapped iron sheets onto his left arm and taught himself how to play the guitar. Danshui native Li heard Jin crooning by the river and the two began performing together, rising to stardom with their unique brand of Taiwanese folk songs.

This dynamic duo is well-known on Taiwan for their Taiwanese karaoke super-hit, “Drift to Danshui” (流浪到淡水), ("You've come to dance, I've come to sing, whatever our fate may be, everyone come together and raise a glass, cheers!") Unfortunately, Jin passed away from a heart ailment at the age of 49 on May 5, 2002.

Li, who had once supported himself by giving massages, now runs a successful chain of local parlors. Many of his employees are also blind, as seeing-impaired masseuses are known for their preciseness. You could still hear their music and spot photos and other memorabilia of the two performers around Danshui.

Watch the video for “Drift to Danshui” (流浪到淡水) here.

Taipei In A Day: Includes Taiwan From A To Z is available here, Amazon.com and at Barnes andNoble.com. Thank you again for making Taipei In A Day the highest-rated Taiwan travel book on amazon.com!

It has been a pleasure helping countless travelers to Taiwan enjoy their travels with greater ease.  Thank you to everyone who has provided a positive review of my guidebook and custom "Taipei In A Day (台北一日遊)" tour  based on my best-selling Taiwan travel book, Taipei in a Day: Includes Taiwan from A to Z,  I sincerely appreciate it.  

Have fun and enjoy your time on Taiwan, and if you need a personal Taiwan guide, I provide custom "Taipei in a Day (台北一日遊)" tours based on my best-selling Taiwan tour guide!  Feel free to contact me via www.taipeiinaday.com for details.  --Scott