101 Challenges:

Despite the extortionate cost of living and breathing in Taipei we did manage to eat out once or twice whilst visiting this glorious city. We wish we could say this was in a lovely and swanky restaurant but unfortunately it twasn't. We don't do lovely, nor do we do swanky. Both these words imply expensive.

We were challenged to visit a local night market - dubbed "Snake Alley" for our culinary delights. No prizes for guessing what it involved... (but just for the stupid readers out there, it involved snakes. You're welcome)

Night time it was when we sat down at our nice little table for two. The lovely waitress gal approached and with her, brought a couple of trays. On said trays were the following yummies; shots of Snake Blood and Snake Bile and Snake Venom and Snake Penis (which, thankfully yet bizarrely, was blended for us) and last but not least, a big bowl of scrumptious Snake Soup - which was basically just snake in a bowl of warm water. Mmmmmmmmmm.

To describe all the above (should you ever feel adventurous or stupid enough to try any of it for yourself) the blood tastes like... well, it must taste like blood really. We've both sucked on our fingers when we've cut them - tasting your own blood is ok - tasting someone or something elses - is rather wrong. It's gluey in substance and makes you sick at the mere thought of it sliding down your throat.

Bile is just wrong - how the hell did the Taiwanese come up with the idea that snake sick would be good for you? It's spicy, tangy, sour, spicy and sickly all in one and ain't nice.

Venom is worrying. Doesn't this stuff kill you? It's thick and milky and vomit inducing. Not good. Bad.

And then we have the Penis... where does a snake keep this? We thought the snake was a breed of one (trouser?) but when you drink the blended brown-coloured substance (poor snake) you can't help but feel a) Sick b) Mortified and c) As if you know you're now being condemned to hell.

Snake meat is just like chicken with the exception that chicken doesn't make you want to throw up all over your plate, table and dining partner. Chicken is also a cuter and more appetising alternative to a greasy, slimey and scary looking reptile.

If anything was going to fire our libido's into the next century and give us super-human strength, surely it was all the above or... maybe we should abandon tradition Chinese medicines and cure-foods and just start taking vitamin supplements? Anyhow, Viagra over here in Asia is cheaper than snake... we've heard!