Fullon Hotel Linkou Taoyuan

... miraculously packed in my smaller backpack and throw it all in the big 75 L one. This was sandwiched between meeting with my high school student 1-on-1 for the last time before I left the country as well as dropping off some documents with Bobo, ordering pizza and buying locks for my backpack. The lesson with Henry wwent well and I drove my scooter very slowly and carefully with a big box that was obscuring my view a lot of putting pressure on the ...

... then we had some typhoons after that. Around the 15th I took 2 days off from work so I could finally check out the amazing Taroko Gorge...only to have my plans changed due to super typhoon Sinlaku. I went to Kaoshiung instead with Emil, Derek and Dawn. I spent Friday night at Kaohsiung 202 hostel and it was just a terrible night. I swear there were bed bugs eating away at me at night and the bathroom on the 3rd floor didn't have good drains...so when I ...

... just remember them. I think that with a year of solid classes and practice, my Chinese could be rather decent! Yay for language number 5...something I never thought I would learn! I bought my laptop in Taiwan...so it has all the Chinese characters built into it as well as their phonics system (known as BoPoMoFo). I installed the Chinese language font on my laptop and am now able to write some simple things in Chinese (when I am not spending ...

... thin noodle soup), and bi-ling (rice milk). What a breakfast! Back at the airport, we trolled around to enjoy the bookstore, the duty-free shops, and the cute specialty cake stores. This would be my last piece of homy comfort before venturing into hard-core backpacking again...

... is like 10 years old and is a bit of a legend. The scooter has the name RHONDA on it right on the front. The GUY who first bought it was named RHONDA and had this scooter personalized (Taiwanese people have no concept of English names). It's this somewhat ugly shade of green and neither the gas gauge or spedometer on it work. LOL. Neither does the high beam. She was selling it for around $120 for it...so I really wasn't ...

... Bikaner, and Jaiselmer...each of the names holds its intrigue for me. While Agra, where Taj Mahal is located, is not in Rajasthan Province, it is also very near this region. It would be another ultimate dreamtrip of lifetime. Ironically, India had been No. 1 on my list for quite awhile but now falls to No. 2. So I have a new No. 1! And guess which place is my new No 1? THE place I really, really want to visit but haven't been to? 1. Truly visiting Ethiopia ...

... at night after a torrential downpour as this may be the best view going. The building has been completed for about three years and will probably soon lose its crown as the tallest building but is making the most of it while it lasts. Unlike the Rockefeller Centre in NY you cannot go out onto an outdoor deck but are confined to the safety of an internal floor and provided with an English language audio tour to explain the highlights and the various features you can look out on.

... installations. In Chilan , basically only consisting of one hotel, he drops me off. I thank him, wish him safe driving and begin my walk of 26 km and and altitude of 1.700m from 400m to 2.000m at Tai Ping Shan, plus a detour to a hot spring in a valley. Even at this early time they already collect entrance fee. I only pay the children's price of 100 instead of 150 NTD. They really look very surprised to see someone walk up there and not using any ...

This is the tallest building in the world and offers one heck of a view. The first 5 stories are the most upscale shopping i have seen probaly..... ever. They have all the high end stores from every country. The price tags let you know it was good too. Then you buy tickets to the observation ...

... the street, which I am sharing with about 30 college-age Taiwanese guys playing loud computer games. It's also the reason I can't upload any of my pictures. Just letting you all know because that also might mean that I won't get back to you as soon with email. Also, just a sidenote, but if you would like to send me mail (hint hint) there is an address that I can give you, so just email me if you want it and I'll reply back with the address (I don't really want to post it here ...