Toyo Hotel Hualien

... he said "oh it's actually quite big", so I felt justified hehehe. That night, I couldn't help but think that I only paid a bit more and got to stay at the Shangri-La instead of this insect-ridden place. The activity centre actually wasn't that bad and the people were actually really really nice. I'll try to stop with the comparisons soon, except when I'm looking for accommodations now, I'm always trying to see if there are cheap rooms in 5 star hotels. Oh dear.

... we took a short hike through several tunnels and paths to Baiyang waterfall. The highlight, however, was a side trail by the waterfall that led us to the Water Curtain Cave. We waded through crisp and refreshing knee-high water into the cave to the water curtain inside. It was a pleasant detour after 13 kms.

We took a one-hour bus back to the main entrance of the park, and then decided ...

Drive to Hualien, stop a volcanic island Sansiantai Island ( a good place to listen to the sea because the sand is made of lava so when waves come in make a "goloogoloo" sound.) Then we drove to have lunch at a place where there are 8 "Buddha" caves. It is in the mountains that line the coast, and we drank some holy water that was running out of the mountains. We walked through three caves out of the eight - we climbed very high into the ...

... I probably could have spent another 4 hours or so at the museum, but Dr Wu has a pretty tight schedule to keep us on, so off we go. From the earthquake museum, we headed to lunch at a restaurant Dr Wu picked out especially for Ted. The restaurant's specialty is cooking dishes that contain no meat, but tastes like you are eating fish, beef, or chicken. I would have been fooled had he not told us in advance. The waitress brought each of us 12 different small ...

... and I had decided to go on a Sunday day-trip (which is quite common for us). I one of the books I teach from, I found a write-up about this one park that is famous for its Maple trees and how they change to this bright red color between November and January. The place was a bit far away...and there were multiple steps to getting there...but Meghan and I just love a good challenge. We left the dorm at 8:30 AM and took the train to Taichung (1.5 hours). We then took a bus to this city ...

... shrines, waterfalls, and the magnificent views of the gorge. I was surprised at the water running in the streams below. It wasn't dirty, but more of a cloudy hue, as if someone had put chalk in it. I researched the gorge on the internet since I've been back (since the tour and all pamphlets were in Chinese) and found the following information from Wikipedia: "Taroko Gorge and its surrounding ...

... what one would find in a provincial capital in Thailand for the same price. Most of the hotels here cost twice as much on average, but with a little searching, it was possible for me to dig up this gem. As I was very tired, I spent the afternoon in bed - rising at 5 p.m. for lunch in my room. I then walked to the train station to book my return journey to Taipei for Friday (It might seem more sensible to continue my journey down the east coast of Taiwan to get to the south, but ...

... his examination, his girl friend following in a distance - they must have rested somewhere for the night. Soon they are gone and disappear behind the next hill. I pass by the Tropic of Cancer, the geographical point where the subtropics and tropics meet, basically step on or over it and look at a monument marking the location. I reach Basian Caves, which I decide to walk and visit. It is a park-like area at the foot of the ...

... Please see the photos I took in the attached album ). It's all fascinating, but I must say I get very tired after a whole day on my feet doing sightseeing. Meanwhile I have somehow lost my way and a teacher on a motocycle asks where I want to go. He says I should get on the motorcycle and he brings me almost to my hostel - that does good. I have a very easy evening. Tomorrow I have a pretty long stretch to Niou Shan ( Huting ).

... smallest tribe with only 5.000 to 6.000 population. - Weaving : Among all tribes the Truko were the most skilled at weaving hemp cloth. The fibers were twisted between the fingers and no spinning wheel was used. They also used a seated back strap loom. Weaving was considered women's work and the quality of te weaving determined the womens' social status. They believe that the fabrics will become a bridge to link them to a wonderful heaven for them ...