A solo trip

It's kind of funny; I have traveled all over the world, to many countries. And for most of these journeys, I have traveled alone. While many people would consider that boring or scary, I have come to really appreciate solo travel for the most part. There's something really nice about setting your own pace without having to worry about someone else.

Life in Taiwan has been more social than I originally expected though, and I often find myself with people here. It's definitely a lot of fun, but I found that I missed the solitude a little bit. And so on a long weekend, I took a solo trip to Wulai to unwind.

Wulai (烏來) is a small town in southern New Taipei City. Located up in the mountains, a dizzying bus ride was required to reach Wulai. It's famous for its hot springs, and there is also a small street market and a waterfall nearby. And so on the most perfect sunny spring day, I set off.

Perfect sunny day! Not too hot, with a light breeze

A view of the old street

It's a beautiful little town, flanked by lush mountains

The waterfall was also very picturesque! I don't know why but
I now have 20 pictures of this waterfall in 12 angles. :P

No filters needed for these vibrant colors!

I ended up staying a night in Wulai, at a hotel that offered hot spring spas. There was a public Japanese-style bath, where the genders were segregated. I went to that one briefly and enjoyed a nice warm soak. But my fingers were doomed to be pruney that evening as well, because I had a private bath in my room!

Relaxing!

It was really cool. I called a number from the phone in my room, and the tub would automatically start to fill. It definitely felt very luxurious to have TWO baths in one day. I tend to get bored easily in baths, so two short soaks was a lot more fun than a single long one.

My stay included both dinner and breakfast on the balcony,
accompanied by a beautiful view

While not particularly exciting, this little jaunt away from regular life was a refreshing way to spend a day and a half!

Not a lazy Sunday

I feel like I've been so busy the past few months with creating a social network in Taiwan, that I've been neglecting things like travel and going to see new places. So on this quiet-ish weekend, I took the plunge and trekked a little bit out of the way... to northeast Taiwan. Not exactly long distance travel, but still a nice little day trip.

Jiufen (九份) is easily accessible via bus from Taipei, and so in about 2 hours, I arrived at a quaint mountain town, complete with narrow winding streets and sweeping views. It was easy to amble along for a few hours, browsing the many bespoke shops (as well as more tourist-oriented souvenir places). Food vendors beckoned from every corner, tantalizing smells wafting into the streets. It was a nice way to spend a pretty Sunday afternoon.

Jiufen is located in a very hilly region

The ride up was a little dizzying... just like being back in Cannes! :)

Supposedly, Hayao Miyazaki drew inspiration from this town for his movie, "Spirited Away". See any resemblance?

The narrow streets were packed with visitors

Ha. Dragon. Ball.

Look, a cute kitty!

During cloudy moments, the fog makes the view look very surreal

Curvy mountain roads, everywhere!

A cool wall next to one of numerous staircases in Jiufen

Looks pretty, but they're actually flavored malt syrup candy! 

As I finished browsing around Jiufen, I contemplated traveling a wee bit further to see the Golden Waterfall, located in nearby Jinguashi (金瓜石). Its golden hue was supposed to be imparted by volcanic sulfur. I found a bus (thank goodness for Google maps!), and was on my way.

Unfortunately, my going was not smooth, and after several mishaps that included me losing my Easycard (with over 400nt still on it! Waaaah!), I finally arrived at the Golden Waterfall. Are these pictures worth the 12 dollars or so that it took to get me there?

If only I could you know, get some ACTUAL gold from these waters

I believe that on certain days, the water itself takes on a more
golden hue too

The actual waterfall... which was not very big or impressive.
Oh sadness.

Tired and defeated by the transportation gods, I bused my way back to Taipei. I fell asleep for a short nap during the ride, and it was kind of amazing how that restored my mood. So despite the less than perfect ending to this day, it does carry a few lessons. Most importantly: when all else fails, take a nap. It works for 4 year old toddlers, and it works for 40 year old adults. Whee!

Refreshment for the soul

It's still hot in Taiwan, and it's getting to be the end of November! How is this possible?? Luckily though, it's not nearly as warm as it was a few months ago. So it's been great to head outside and take advantage of the weather before it apparently turns humidly cold and rainy.

In Cantonese, hiking is called "行山". It makes sense, it's about walking. But apparently, people in Taiwan use the term "爬山" instead, which makes me think of rock climbers scaling impossibly steep cliffs. But it means the same thing, even though one sounds so much more impressive!

So today, I went to 爬山. In reality, the hiking trails here aren't even what I would consider trails in the states. These roads are all paved, with lots of built-in wooden stairs for easy traveling. All the vegetation is neatly trimmed to stay off the paths, and little pavilions dot the landscape to give hikers a resting spot.

Still, it was very relaxing yet rejuvenating to do a little exercise on a Sunday morning. Better yet, I was able to do this with a friend, and thus I felt like I got a good workout physically, mentally, and emotionally!

Lots and lots and lots of stairs

18 Peaks Mountain is a park area located pretty smack dab in the middle of Hsinchu, a town about an hour train ride away from Taoyuan. I think the park would be prettier in the Spring, when there are flowers blooming. Still, we got some nice views as we walked upwards.

The city of Hsinchu down below

One of the many pavilions that are scattered around the park. This
one was surprisingly empty; many of the others were filled with
older residents who were out strolling for the day.

Can I randomly bump into a temple in Hsinchu? Why yes, I can.

It seems counterproductive to tire myself out physically before the start of a workweek, but a long peaceful night's sleep should take care of that. Looking forward to more outdoor activities as long as the weather permits!

Snapshots

Life has been really busy and eventful so far in Taiwan, but I never seem to have enough pictures for a full fledged entry. So here are a few random shots taken on various outings over the past few weeks.

This large temple is located near my apartment. It's interesting how in Asia, modern life can be interrupted at regular
intervals by these imposing buildings.

A pretty view of a river running through Beitou. The area is best
known for its hot springs.

Beitou's Thermal Valley, an expanse of water that is so hot that
it is literally steaming. 

Steaming!

A really interesting piece of art from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.
It looks like a messy splatter of paint, but is actually
embroidery. Spot the 'imagine' in the middle...?

Another interesting piece. The caption reads: 'between a
rock and a hard place'.

With the weather finally cooling down in Taiwan, it's definitely time to get outdoors and see more great sites. Hopefully more entries soon, with pretty pictures!

Day trip to Houtong

I've been really busy in Taiwan, getting settled in Taoyuan and starting work. It's been a lot to juggle, but hopefully I'm getting the hang of it. Luckily, a nice 4-day weekend has come about, to celebrate the mid-autumn moon festival. This is one of those holidays that I used to never remember in the states, and now it's an actual two days off from work!

Unluckily though, a couple typhoons have been blowing by just as the holiday began. Although we weren't really affected here in northern Taiwan, there was still some wind and rain. There was one beautiful day though, and some other teachers and I took advantage of that to go on a day trip. And hour and a half on the train later, and we were in Houtong (猴硐).

Houtong was originally a coal mining village, but as coal stopped being a primary energy source, the industry died and many residents moved away. About 10 years ago, a local cat lover started to take care of the strays in the village, which soon garnered attention online, and now Houtong is known as a  cat village.

The area itself is gorgeous in its own right. I've read that there are some hiking trails and a nice waterfall nearby, so I'll definitely be returning when the weather gets cooler, for some exploring. In the meantime, this scenery isn't so bad! :)

Beautiful view! No filter!

As we alighted from the train stop, various cute little cat motifs greeted us. Apparently the cats attract a lot of visitors to this village. Imagine that; stray cats helping support the economy of a village. No wonder all the cats I saw today were plump and complacently happy!

Cat art decorated much of the village, making it seem whimsical and delightful.

Naturally, tourists all lined up to take a picture with these figures. Taiwanese people
apparently love kawaii things just as much as the Japanese!

One of the real cats. Just lounging. 'Cause, you know, life is hard!

One of the little guys. Tourists can go buy cat food and feed them: win for the local economy, and win for the cats!

Besides the cats, we were able to take a short tour of an old mining facility, and 'play' with some of the tools they used back then. It was an interesting little peek into the often arduous and dangerous profession of a miner.

Another random pretty picture. Taiwan is very lush and green outside the main cities.

On a hot day, it's tempting to think about diving into that clear river!

Contentment

Compared to the harsh winters of New York, the month of March in Cannes is like a gentle lamb. Although not nearly as tropical as places like Miami or Hong Kong, it is nevertheless wonderful to take a stroll on a sunny day. It's sometimes these simple pleasures in life that brings out the most joy; the wind in my hair, beautiful scenery in front of me, listening to my favorite music. It is, perhaps, the essence of the words 知足.

Although Cannes' shore doesn't always feature sandy beaches, the water is still beautiful. This is a mere 3 minute
walk from my apartment!

Off-season in Cannes means lots of boats docked. Come summer, the area will be
filled with people taking these boats out for the day.

All lined up in a row.

After about 10 minutes of walking down a very narrow sidewalk between the sea and some perilous traffic, I reach
my destination: a deserted pier.

The pier leads straight out to the water, with no safety rails! It was calming to be

surrounded by the water, watching the seagulls fly by.

Sitting on the pier. It got a little chilly, but it was worth it!

Some young kids (maybe like 10 years old?) were taking sailing classes as I walked by. There they are, sailing away!
It looks really impressive, no? And they were having so much fun!

My journeys have really taken me to some breathtaking places.

Spring has been sighted!

I am so happy that we had a mild winter in Osaka this year. Nevertheless, I am overjoyed to find the first cherry blossoms blooming already. It's a sure sign of warmer weather to come (and unfortunately, of allergy season!).

It was a beautiful sunny day at the park, and the few trees in bloom made for a beautiful splash of color among all the greenery.

It is lovely to be able to enjoy Hanami one more time in Japan before I leave!

Leaves change color!?

The Floridian in me never stops being amazed by seasons. While Spring always makes me happy because it's a sign of warmer weather to come, Fall foliage is a showstopper. One of my favorite things to do in the Fall in New York was to walk around looking at trees, and so I wanted to do the same in Japan.

I took a train to the northern outskirts of Osaka, to Minoo Park. It's listed on many websites as one of the most popular destinations for Fall foliage viewing. And it was REALLY popular. Apparently everyone in Osaka had the same idea as I did this weekend, and we all headed to the same darn place! I couldn't believe the crowds!

Minoo Park featured many food stalls along its nicely paved path, so it wasn't too difficult of a hike. After about 3 km, the path ended in a waterfall. It wasn't the most impressive waterfall I've seen, but it was still nice to be around nature.

If you look closely, you can see the old ladies frying up
battered maple leaves! Unfortunately the lines were about
20 people deep... I didn't get any!

Pretty Japanese maple trees

Overhead view of some of the beautiful colors

Autumn in Japan!

Getting close to the waterfall (you can kind of see
how many people are around!)

The waterfall (although it's a bad picture... my
camera is really bad!)

Not all the trees turned color... wonder why?

It's a shame that all this will disappear in a few weeks, and then it gets cold! Rats!