Lugang Matsu Temple (Pilgrim's Building) Changhua

... out the new cable car - not yet in operation - with the base station below the Youth Activity Center<br>- Visiting a pagoda and a temple beside the lake.<br>- Driving around Sun Moon Lake to go back to Changhua. <br>- On the way visit a home-stay below the lake's South side. The owners explain to us, that this land is actually the 'Sun' part of the Sun Moon Lake. The present Sun Moon lake is the ...

... us we were close. They have 5 different tones that sound the same to me! I think I will just stick to Spanish as my second language! <br><br>I have also been going out and trying some Taiwanese things. Tea is very big here, they have tea stands all over the place so I have begun sampling some of the various cold teas. It is way too hot here to be drinking anything hot! I have also started eating some of the local food. I have yet to be too daring though ...

... Also the umbrellas here are mostly automatic, I mean they are so quick in erection that with the press of a button you are protected from the elements. I found it somewhat challenging to operate even the basic, non-automatic version we purchased in a crunch at the NT$35 store (which equals close to a dollar). When it rains here, it rains hard and sideways and it is windy. Tania and I were trying to share one umbrella, we're ...

... and have not returned since). However, those who pass the written exam must bring their scooter to their official driver's course where they must undergo a series of tests involving the ability to turn, drive without their feet touching the ground, and proper braking. I do plan on obtaining my driver's license before leaving this island... but wouldn't be surprised if I became "part of the norm" and continued to live life on the edge.

... no safety requirements for such tourist attractions. The first challenge was the high wire walk-through. It required participants to walk across a high wire about five stories above the ground and return to the starting destination. It seemed like a relatively easy challenge that would be a good starter lesson for the zip line a little later in the afternoon. That is, until our guides showed us the "safety harness" that would prevent us from ...

... is on the western side. Therefore, the clouds must make their way over a rather large set of mountain range and typically lessen in strength before it reaches our city. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Taipei (the capital and largest city), which is located right near the coast and often faces some rather strong winds when these things hit the country. Having survived 1.5 typhoons, I must admit that they are impressive forces of ...

... supposedly moved so quickly that he was "like a cat" to his friends. Hence, cat-mouse noodles. Though, we were questioning what kind of sausage meat came with those noodles... After our lunch we found a hotel and rented a room for about $33/night. Joel and I shared a hotel room that was very nice and had a strong Asian feel to it. However, the girls' hotel room had a slightly more...ummm..."romantic" theme to it when it came to the room's adult-rated décor. The ...

... test. We then played a brief spelling game and then it was time to go home for the afternoon. The four students I had on the first day were absolutely fantastic. I love the contrasting personalities these boys have, and yet, they all seem to get along very well. Some are extremely intelligent and are very advanced in their English skills. While others may have more troubles when it comes to reading and writing, it does not bother them ...

... on the scooters, slugged down a couple gallons of water, and headed back into town. We had a rather scary adventure on the way back home. The mountain roads were very steep and had some very sharp turns. The roads were so steep in some areas that for the first 10 minutes of our ride I did not need to use the gas for my scooter. On the way down, I was riding behind Joel, who was driving his scooter with Ashley (a girl from Western Kentucky ...

Hello everyone! First of all, we hope all of you had a wonderful winter holiday. We spent ours in sunny, tropical Taiwan. It didn't feel all that much like Christmas as we're used to it, but we had lots of fun nonetheless. Before going to Taiwan, the foreign English teachers at our school all had a secret Santa Christmas exchange. It happened at our favourite bar (JJokki JJokki), and Mr. Kim, the owner of the bar, supplied us with lost of delicious ...