A Slight Problem and Last Dinner

Oh dear!  A problem with disassembling the bike ready for boxing.  I couldn't remove the left crank and pedal.

The removal tool screws into the thread on the crank and then the second thread on the tool pushes the crank off.  I'd already managed to remove the right crank, but the left wouldn't budge.

Eventually I realised it was a combination of two issues.  The first was the thread on the tool had stripped.

I knew the thread was getting "dodgy" before leaving Perth but was confident it would work in Taiwan.  Obviously that didn't happen and I then realised why!  The bike shop in Hualien had removed the crank when they replaced the bike hydraulic brake hoses. Then they used a very strong version of Loctite when reinstalling the crank.

The crank and pedal had to be removed for the airline to accept the bike.  Moreover it wouldn't fit into the box unless removed.  The afternoon was spent walking around Taipei from bike shop to bike shop searching for a replacement tools.  At the 4th shop I was eventually able to purchase another tool.  The bike shop assistant spoke excellent English.  Then he mentioned he had studied at Murdoch University in Perth.  No Australian accent?

After a long afternoon of walking I arrived back at the accommodation all hot, sweaty and tired.  I spent another 15 minutes carefully removing the crank with the new tool. 

Although my feet were sore after all the walking I needed to venture back out in search of food for dinner.  I decided to go to one of Taipei's main night food markets.  But rather than walk the 6-8km round trip I took the MRT.  The train fare was A$1.00 each way.

The Raohe Street Night Market is at Songshan with the Songshan Ciyou Temple outside the eastern gate

Just a few of the available choices

Grilled beef cubes

Black Pork Sausages

Roast beef pieces on a skewer.  Perhaps more aptly, grilled beef on a skewer

Octopus Balls 

Options include Spicy Duck Blood Soup; The same again but with Pig Intestines; Spicy Stinky Tofu; etc

Mini piklets (drop scones) with various spreads between

Pan fried buns

Combination snails and abalone

I opted for the chinese burger.  The photo showed a fried egg.  The burger actually contained a cold boiled egg.

I decided against having the chocolate coated ice cream for dessert opting instead for an orange juice.

 

Grilled eggs on a bed of sliced cabbage.

Last day tomorrow