– By Passionfruit
Biking with a purpose! For pineapple smoothies!
August is hot here, therefor we haven’t done a lot of biking this month. I’ve had a couple bouts of heat stroke/exhaustion (they seem to go hand in hand) and they wipe me out for multiple days. Apparently it takes several days for your internal body temp to return to normal.
That said, the lure of a fresh pineapple smoothie could not be resisted. Allison, Johann, Scott and I spandexed up on what turned out to be a beautiful day and headed south, in search of THE famous pineapple smoothies. Our destination was in Nantou, in an area known for its pineapples, just 28 miles south. Here’s the destination map pin.
A few words about Taiwanese pineapples:
- They may be the cutest fruit, ever. I had never seen a pineapple plant until we moved here and started biking in the country side. See photo below and you’ll agree how adorbs they are.
- Pineapples are sold everywhere, from markets to trucks alongside the road.
- Every vendor will ask if you want it cut. Locals don’t seem to like touching the rough outer skin. Vendors cut the leaves and skin off with a machete, and very quickly. The fruit is then placed it in a perfectly sized plastic bag. It’s fun to watch the cutting part.
- Taiwan pineapples are exported mainly to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada.
Smoothie success with bonus passionfruit on top! SCORE
One smoothie wasn’t enough to replace all those lost electrolytes so we headed across the street for round 2.
The gift shop sold some interesting items… croissant neck pillow anyone?
My patio garden now includes pineapple plants
You too can become a tropical gardener. Simply cut off the fruit, soak in water until roots sprout and then pot. Viola!
