Travels on my Birthday

Taiwan ©Solange Hando

Which birthday? Well, let us say somewhere on the wiser side of middle-age.

Lovely celebration with the Tsou tribe up in the hills... See the tiny peach in my right hand? Straight from the garden and a special present from the family.

Rio de Janeiro ©Solange Hando

Well, I could show you the clocktower near the beach confirming the date but this is a much more exciting picture.

Loved this view from Corcovado and in the afternoon, went up the Sugar loaf  (front right) up two cable cars. Fabulous.

Namibia ©Solange Hando

I loved Namibia and I still dream about this beautiful cheetah out in the wild, just posing for my birthday, it seemed, in the heat of the day.

Did you know Namibia was the first country in the world to include conservation in its Constitution?

Wildlife always has the right of way and it certainly works, can't beat it.

Peru ©Solange Hando

Hold on, don't let me drift!

This is me on Lake Titicaca with the Uros Indians who build their homes on reed islands. Up there, on the roof of the world, this was indeed an amazing day.

Madagascar ©Solange Hando

My birthday wish? There it was, a real lemur in the wild, hard work for me clambering through the forest but so easy for them swinging from branch to branch...

Watched many different species in different areas, guides knew exactly where to go.

Reunion Island ©Solange Hando

Something I'd never done before, flying on a microflight over a volcanic island...on the other side of the world.

Scenery wise, never seen any island as dramatic as this one, canyons, craters and peaks everywhere and, would you believe it, this is a French department...

Costa Rica ©Solange Hando

Celebrating with Local Farmer

Remembering lots of  happy times

and planning many more
Blogged on my birhday
at home
Lockdown 2020

Taipei 101

Taipei 101, Taiwan ©Solange Hando

 Taipei 101 is celebrating its tenth birthday. Open on New Year's eve 2004, it was at that time the world's highest building, a feat of engineering which combined modern technology and Eastern philosophy.

Today, at 508 metres, it's only in fifth place but it remains a tower of superlatives and the most eco-friendly of them all. Figures still defy the imagination: 550 000 tons, 380 piles sunk 80 metres into the ground plus 30 into the bedrock, 32 000 sprinklers, 24 000 glass panels and so it goes on.

Taipei Tower ©Solange Hando

To top it all, the tower boasts the world's fastest lift to whiz you up and down to your chosen floor. There are 101 altogether, a binary number, symbol of the digital age, divided into eight sections, an auspicious number, and designed like tapering treasure chests to catch every droplet of good fortune coming down from the heavens.

Luxury Shopping in Taipei 101 ©Solange Hando

So what's inside?

The lower floors, 1 to 15, are for shopping, all gleaming designer boutiques and great swathes of orchids leading to a vast bustling food court.

The upper floors are for business and finance but floors 88 to 91 are open for the public, brave enough to cope with the entrance queues and dizzying heights.

 The Tuned Mass Damper ©Solange Hando

But before heading for the views, everyone wants to see the gold-painted damper, a massive pendulum, hanging between floors 92 and 87 and designed to swing and keep the tower straight in case of earthquakes and gale force winds.

Taipei stands on a tectonic fault where quakes and typhoons are part of life but for the past 10 years, the damper has done its work.

 One View from the Top ©Solange Hando

Now, Taipei is at your feet, skyscrapers, tiny pagodas, roads, parks and mountains beyond.

In poor weather, you may have to be content with the 'cloud walk'  when on a computerised floor, clouds disperse now and then to allow glimpses of the cityscape.

Then, you can enjoy the traditional milk tea and pineapple cake, send a postcard home, suitably franked, and look around the dazzling Coral Art Gallery and the adjoining boutique offering the most exclusive items.

Fortune Telling in Taiwan

Fortune Telling, Taipei Night Market ©Solange Hando

In Taiwan, visiting an astrologer makes perfect sense.

There's nothing fatalistic about it, it's simply a way to help you make informed decisions and move in the right direction. Even politicians and academics consult astrologers for advice, sometimes on a regular basis.

One of the most popular places to discuss your future is the Shilin night market in Taipei. Walk along the brightly-coloured alley, choose your fortune teller and see what the palm of your hand or the cards might say. It may be related to your name and the year, month, day and time of your birth.

Auspicious Waterfall ©Solange Hando

But of course, you can always give fate a helping hand.

Surround yourself with auspicious symbols, water, red lanterns, goldfish and more, and plan your living and working space according to Feng Shui principles.

Longshan temple in Taipei

Then you can make your way to the Longshan temple draped in clouds of incense from morning to night.

It's a bustling yet quiet place where you can consult the most revered astrologers in the land, pick a number to open a magic drawer and see your fate revealed or throw the red divining blocks which will answer 'yes' or 'no' to your question according to the way they land.

Offerings in Longshan Temple ©Solange Hando

Offerings of flowers, vegetables and fruit are left in the courtyard to ensure prayers are remembered and if a blessing is requested on behalf of someone else, a photograph can be added with a note, perhaps for a sick relative or a student about to sit important exams.

Taipei 101 ©Solange Hando

Does it work?

Just look at Taipei 101, the world's highest tower when it was built and a booming business and financial centre. Here, everything was designed to ensure good fortune, the binary numbers, the slender silhouette as strong as bamboo, the treasure chests piled on top of each other, the fountain, the coin decorations.

And guess what?

The tower sits right on a fault line and after ten years of tremors and storms, it still stands above the city, a proud icon of the digital age based on new technology and ancient beliefs.

Discover Calligraphy in Taiwan Monastery

Fo Guang Shan Monastery, Taiwan ©Solange Hando

Isn't this a lovely place to discover the true meaning of calligraphy?

Tucked in lush greenery near Kaoshiung in southern Taiwan, Fo Guang Shan welcomes visitors with its own guesthouse and retreats and courses which include the ancient art of calligraphy.

Whether you opt for short or longer sessions, it's best to book early. The monastery attracts people from across the island and beyond, some just want to look around, others come in search of peace and uplifting vibes. 

Concentration, Key to Calligraphy ©Solange Hando

In Fo Guang Shan, there's far more to calligraphy than learning to draw characters. It's a spiritual experience and before entering the calligraphy hall, you will be asked to remove your shoes and lower your voice.

Sit quietly, body relaxed and balanced (that takes some practice) to allow the free flow of energy.

It isn't so much a physical activity but a journey into the soul, a kind of meditation when nothing matters but paper and brush and the page you are invited to copy.

Feel the Vibes, Taiwan ©Solange Hando

Meanwhile in the carefully tended grounds, hundreds of Buddha images glow in the midday sun and somehow you feel the vibes in the silence of this hall, as guided by nun or monk, you learn to breathe deeply, relax and go with the flow, left hand holding the paper down, right hand and wrist guiding the body and tip of the brush.

No need to worry about styles or strokes, just keep your eyes on the spot and forget everything else. Calligraphy isn't about what you do but how you do it, that's the most important lesson of all.

Fo Guang Shan Calligraphy ©Solange Hando

Adopt the right frame of mind and when you take home your carefully rolled up manuscript, it won't just be a souvenir but a lasting reminder of the peace you enjoyed in Fo Guang Shan.

All Taiwanese will tell you: creating characters is only the first step. To achieve a truly spiritual experience, each one must be transformed into a 'beautiful flower' and that can only come from the soul.

Calligraphy Hall in Fo Guang Shan ©Solange Hando

Did you know that in some quarters people shave a baby's hair to make a calligraphy brush? It brings good luck to everyone around.

You won't have to go that far in Fo Guang Shan but relax, respect and when you step out of this golden pagoda hall, you'll feel renewed and refreshed.

Taiwan, Fo Guang Shan Monastery and Guest House

Fo Guang Shan Giant Buddha ©Solange Hando

Located near Kaohsiung on the south west coast of Taiwan, Fo Guang Shan, the largest monastery on the island, is  home to over 100 monks and nuns engaged in education and charitable work.

Like monasteries in Kathmandu, it is welcoming place. Guests of all faiths can visit for the day or stay the night in Japanese or Western-style rooms, ranging from simple, with air-con and en-suite, to more upmarket. Booking is essential as accommodation may be scarce during retreats and conferences.

Rooftops and Domes in lush grounds, Fo Guang Shan ©Solange Hando

Spreading across five peaks, the grounds are all flowers and trees, lotus ponds, quaint bridges, moon gates and temples and shrines scattered in luxuriant greenery.

Even when day trippers arrive, heading up the hill in golf-style buggies, there's always a quiet spot to relax and gaze at the view, from the myriad Buddha lining the way to the main peak to the Kaoping river meandering across the plain far below.

Helping in the Garden ©Solange Hando

Wander around and you find Fo Guang Shan full of surprises, here a stone cherub having fun in the garden, there a calligraphy hall, as respected as a shrine, or the main temple with three large golden Buddhas on the altar and 14 800 little ones around the walls.

A Good Deed for the Day ©Solange Hando

So what can visitors do?

Have an amazingly quiet night, join in dawn prayers, if they wish to, and feast on the best vegetarian food in Taiwan, most popular the auspicious noodles and the traditional hot pot.

Then you can watch a nun feeding the fish for luck, visit the museum and the cultural centre where local artists exhibit their work free of charge, or try your hand at calligraphy (booking required).

Shop in Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan, ©Solange Hando

The shop sells refreshments and souvenirs and there's a chance to learn about Humanistic Buddhism, a modern concept based on the value of work and involvement in the community.

Everyone here has a job on site, be it showing visitors around, teaching in the college, caring for the old or working in the orphanage. The monastery also provides employment for locals who tend the gardens or work in the kitchens.

Floating Candles in the Pure Land Cave ©Solange Hando

But the pride and joy of Fo Guang Shan is the Pure Land Cave, a slightly disneyesque representation of heaven with talking birds, moving statues and atmospheric lighting. The idea is to encourage a good life on earth, not through fear of hell but the promise of beautiful things  in heaven.

It's a good place to leave a donation, make a wish and light a candle. Let it float away on the water before returning to the real world and the giant Buddha glowing in the sunset on the hill top.