more...taiwan...

Fisherman's Wharf at Dan Shui (Taipei)

Tamago Ya (Taipei) where we had a not-too-happy but 100% FOC meal.

Ooh..赚到！

Matyr Shrine (Taipei) and there's roomie's fave boy right at the centre..

hualien

a little about my taiwan trip here..though it has been a month since i've been back haha. first stop in taiwan is HuaLien. if you are the nature loving sort, and would like to enjoy a slower pace of life, this is the place to be. it strikes me as all natural, the people not unlike countryside folks who lead simple lives and easily contented. the first activity we indulged in is a hike to the Taroko gorge (太鲁戈). I cannot quite describe the sights, except that it was pretty unforgettable. the pace of the hike was pretty alright for city dwellers and for unfit white collar workers like hou and i. the guide, Greg, though not native of Taiwan (he's canadian, ang moh), knows the Taroko gorge and other nature reserve areas in Hua Lien like the back of his hand. it is also apparent the passion he has for nature. in all, we had an exhausting first day but the day was peppered with excitement. Greg brought us to a trail whereby we had to go through a series of 9 pitch dark tunnels to get to the Water Curtain Cave eventually. The tunnels varied in length and were all entirely dark. it was so dark that despite Greg assuring us the ground was flat and it was perfectly safe to take normal strides, i couldn't help myself but inch my way along uncertainly, while angeline and greg were practically skipping through. obviously i am not an adventurous and free spirited person and i am so ashamed of myself. damn. haha. first i have difficulty jumping from stone to stone (my legs are too much shorter. shit.) and then i am inching along on flat ground. omg. where is the ncc girl in me?

Our hostel in Hualien (Famosa) and the lady owner, who also happens to be Greg's fiancee. She was pretty pleasant though i didn't have much to chat to her about. my bad. however, i must add, the hostel is nice and clean enough. though i didn't sleep well on both nights (1st night, i had a 90% flat pillow. 2nd night, i was sick and the toilet bowl was my best friend. further, the mosquitoes were attacking my face. think they like the smell of bile?)

the second day in hualien was spent water rafting. we were all enthusiastic and all hyped up about it. despite wearing fantastic looking shoes (our first pair of shoes!), oversized life jackets and turtle helmets, we were still excited. however, as there was little rain for some time, the river was as exciting as a swimming pool. other than the occasional "rapids" and lots of splashing water at other rafts, it was pretty much dull. we were a little disappointed and i vow to come back again! when the water is more...alive. we were told everyone who came had a great time. guess we can only blame it on bad luck.