tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13240286219891312022024-02-21T21:23:53.271+08:00Samantha in FormosaAdventures in TaiwanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-86013088517112350972013-05-04T15:08:00.000+08:002013-05-04T15:08:54.634+08:00Taiwan Touch Your Heart<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There is SOME truth in advertising.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It touched mine.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I left Taiwan back in November, I knew I’d be back again some day. All my good deeds and positive karma joined together with the forces of the universe, and it worked out perfectly for me to return to Formosa before heading off to Vietnam. As I stepped off the plane in Taipei, I was transported back to <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2011/08/it-was-just-like-movies.html" target="_blank">my first arrival on the island</a>. Except this time, I had family waiting for me; just like coming home!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The first weekend of my trip, I attended my old roommate’s wedding. Muni married her long-time love Nick in the longest wedding ceremony I have ever been to. And the reception! So much food, so much entertainment, so many guests.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muni and Dad walking down the aisle</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abi sings a song for Muni and Nick</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Reuniting with all my people was what I was most looking forward to. And having no job or any other silly responsibilities gave me the time and opportunity to do all the things I wanted to do.....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Spending time with some of my favorite Wugu-ites at Nick and Muni’s wedding!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Most of) the Shane Wugu crew!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating 12 courses at the wedding reception with Ellen</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Biking from Wugu to Danshui with Yun Lin!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trusty rented bike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ferry back across the Danshui River with Yun Lin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking over Guandu Bridge</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Soaking in the hot springs at Wulai with Alex!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex weighs the pros and cons of public hot springs</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Catching up with Abi over Yummy Burger!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Familiar ol' Wugu bus stop!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Taking in the sights from the Neihu Miramar Ferris Wheel with Cody and Austin!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neihu Ferris Wheel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rollin' over Taipei</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Meeting up with friends from all over the place!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My old students Terry and Jack came to visit during dinner!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpXBONoq1utF9LLFwrXosgxK6MwH6z4N5MY447u2uTfMTw5xHRsdeg_Wx4dCaQHFKecll5CCSjMHuRsjFpAx9kuN4asR154CiBunova7tHmD9UOO22yb6ZgZXAoqP5ohsv-u3y4VZRSi2/s1600/P1040721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpXBONoq1utF9LLFwrXosgxK6MwH6z4N5MY447u2uTfMTw5xHRsdeg_Wx4dCaQHFKecll5CCSjMHuRsjFpAx9kuN4asR154CiBunova7tHmD9UOO22yb6ZgZXAoqP5ohsv-u3y4VZRSi2/s320/P1040721.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dora rests after cooking a delicious curry dinner.<br />Fire wants to be juuuuust like mom....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Uj2ZFlP2737NV6fpg3heIcz2CEEP6BPKikBLXFgxu4vrsPjUFbNMLHC08ueBj87tVhYFWiNnl98eku52iIYej-LJlxFCm2D8kxLlP0vieGezocWByn8HwKZSewgC_FNB4m1Yr91qb0G/s1600/P3240067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1Uj2ZFlP2737NV6fpg3heIcz2CEEP6BPKikBLXFgxu4vrsPjUFbNMLHC08ueBj87tVhYFWiNnl98eku52iIYej-LJlxFCm2D8kxLlP0vieGezocWByn8HwKZSewgC_FNB4m1Yr91qb0G/s320/P3240067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Betsy and I are likely the most fabulous people in the bar.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIozd6OmOvxOqoL56Spoi2AXuBEA-aAG_iyFb3mgBfjrrvRUr9L5vE2In_pbaUOMSzDou8STRwvy7ZSsabZKjj_JGUtCkv1JVjrO62ZTGpBUWOY4Tt5a4nDXjPxJ3MQ_i4pOgq5vYfYjr/s1600/P3240069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIozd6OmOvxOqoL56Spoi2AXuBEA-aAG_iyFb3mgBfjrrvRUr9L5vE2In_pbaUOMSzDou8STRwvy7ZSsabZKjj_JGUtCkv1JVjrO62ZTGpBUWOY4Tt5a4nDXjPxJ3MQ_i4pOgq5vYfYjr/s320/P3240069.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">True moment of laughter with Janet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqsAySroJmJR599OkavQNhkIk15BRiZTUxPlacHiJKWn8lUKg8dY9NTt8FQwGMZ4wtEM8go0Dgy1RQR4UnCl9IAQmkUpH91kHEJTHAkkRh96va0FtkC5nnGMJHIkUQnz_OLAHXrxmgEfq/s1600/P3240070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqsAySroJmJR599OkavQNhkIk15BRiZTUxPlacHiJKWn8lUKg8dY9NTt8FQwGMZ4wtEM8go0Dgy1RQR4UnCl9IAQmkUpH91kHEJTHAkkRh96va0FtkC5nnGMJHIkUQnz_OLAHXrxmgEfq/s320/P3240070.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late night drinks with Cody, Ben Ben, and Aiyana</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Spending loads of quality time with the Taiwan branch of the Baker Tree!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVBPJHPcj19_PptLKAJ_SsOOqnpaBSXdvkr-OMeFwyBxvfOxnGhXhtinIA8mg882-FTso12RrR5J3pS9uANuIdcZyTxsiECPPCVoG3hm8rCDTtVa70w5CaOTIay73AGT33u5_U5C91teU/s1600/178609_3542791823380_2028581359_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVBPJHPcj19_PptLKAJ_SsOOqnpaBSXdvkr-OMeFwyBxvfOxnGhXhtinIA8mg882-FTso12RrR5J3pS9uANuIdcZyTxsiECPPCVoG3hm8rCDTtVa70w5CaOTIay73AGT33u5_U5C91teU/s320/178609_3542791823380_2028581359_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah... we're obviously related. Emily, Austin, Cody, and me!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And even a little freelance teaching when I filled in at Shane for a day!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpw0KipByAFD5E0wvFRnoQqrBKfOr9nLHy9vNDvKely36IMRzfxWARVrNqamAcgoZw-e45Yx3PCJ8S6O77O0irD4YS2ygV9K1CcZp1i3gVf5hl2RsLcZWJbMysbTeXXh9-sT0XFsfJ-7nw/s1600/PA260136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpw0KipByAFD5E0wvFRnoQqrBKfOr9nLHy9vNDvKely36IMRzfxWARVrNqamAcgoZw-e45Yx3PCJ8S6O77O0irD4YS2ygV9K1CcZp1i3gVf5hl2RsLcZWJbMysbTeXXh9-sT0XFsfJ-7nw/s320/PA260136.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I miss teaching these kids!!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The two weeks I spent back in Taiwan were amazing. I knew that Taiwan would always feel like home in some way, but being back there with my friends and family made me realize that a bigger part of my heart than I expected will belong to the tiny little island forever. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRc0q9xQEQ4" target="_blank">Taiwan Touch Your Heart!! <3 </a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And STAY TUNED for my new blog about life in Vietnam. Coming soon.... <a href="http://samanthainsaigon.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Samantha in Saigon</a>!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-81099451552000327872013-01-24T06:11:00.000+08:002013-01-24T06:11:11.519+08:00Samantha in China<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">For some reason, I’ve always wanted to visit China. So when I decided to teach in Taiwan, I knew I couldn’t go back home until I spent some time in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><i>Dàlù. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> How could I be so close and NOT set eyes on one of the <a href="http://world.n7w.com/new-7-wonders/the-official-new7wonders-of-the-world/" target="_blank">Seven Wonders of the World</a>?</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bucket List: check!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So after <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/11/penghu-you-can-do-what-with-cactus.html" target="_blank">two weeks</a> of <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/12/alishan.html" target="_blank">travel around Taiwan</a>, I repacked my suitcase for the cold weather of Beijing, and set off to the airport with my partner-in-crime, Chia-Chien. A full day of airports, trains, subways, and rude hotel managers later, we settled in to a cute and quiet bar called the <a href="http://www.hg2beijing.com/bars/bar/---drum-and-bell---beijing-china" target="_blank">Drum and Bell</a>. Next time you’re in Beijing, find it!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a cold beer at the Drum and Bell Bar</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning, we headed straight for Tiananmen Gate, to pay homage to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mao_zedong.shtml" target="_blank">Chairman Mao</a>. There were cops EVERYWHERE! Of course, there is always a large police presence at Tiananmen, but we were lucky enough to be touring the capital city during “election” week. The Chinese government was changing leadership, and they were not about to have any form of resistance or protest. So we waited in line, avoided eye contact with the officials, and hurried through security checks to enter the Forbidden City.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKosoETxlD9jgyNOphNLyzdESuQwb0gxoen2tSoELh9d-tolQcJ0w_M221CXBfarJpOV9OWFQTOiFkBdKaCiRRZRroXqXvBlBJlganmRONHwVi95D3kfME_mcAlPiEWdV3rd3sD6GqqBDv/s1600/P1030930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKosoETxlD9jgyNOphNLyzdESuQwb0gxoen2tSoELh9d-tolQcJ0w_M221CXBfarJpOV9OWFQTOiFkBdKaCiRRZRroXqXvBlBJlganmRONHwVi95D3kfME_mcAlPiEWdV3rd3sD6GqqBDv/s320/P1030930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How now, Chairman Mao?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For 500 years, commoners weren’t allowed inside the palace grounds, so Chia-Chien and I relished every moment inside the walls. The over-the-top grandeur of the Forbidden City is nothing to sneeze at. Walking around the palace, listening in on other people’s tour guides, I realized just how little I knew of the history of the Forbidden City. The architecture and artifacts were beautiful, and we could have easily spent all day inside, walking around the various buildings, temples, libraries, and exhibits.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50lupeQfkm2f4aZDTzUAxSjL4Z-aVe8DW4A7MuTKNXoSjj8hqzD1ZIRM4R_GzGD1vs2M8x-Pw6ll6EKXuP0ewG0WVDNPeUmEo4-BZk_PCglZ44kKJ6PKdXdtBPZqSndBU6W0JJWxQXbQr/s1600/P1030948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg50lupeQfkm2f4aZDTzUAxSjL4Z-aVe8DW4A7MuTKNXoSjj8hqzD1ZIRM4R_GzGD1vs2M8x-Pw6ll6EKXuP0ewG0WVDNPeUmEo4-BZk_PCglZ44kKJ6PKdXdtBPZqSndBU6W0JJWxQXbQr/s320/P1030948.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace Guard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forbidden City</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Outside the walls on the other side, we entered Jingshan Park, which features a hill built from the land excavated during the construction of the moat (moat!!) around the Forbidden City. We climbed the hill and wandered the paths, watching Beijingers stroll, play Chinese Checkers (the real kind), smoke cigarettes next to the “No Smoking” sign, and play hacky sack. At the top of the hill, there were amazing views of Beijing, including a panoramic of the Forbidden City palace and temples below.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forbidden City from the top of Jingshan</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back down the hill, we stopped in at a tea shop for a traditional tea ceremony. The lady nearly dragged us inside, but I’m glad we stopped. The tea was delicious; I bought black lychee tea with rose buds.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF4hDhvozgFm1kGrwyyruE05ou47OODyz97x3U9JKEXgyBbbP04eR4tRZ7LHC37ozrZC1oQpjNGhIrL4jv_vF_ipTjihUeoFgZC9c6yHoqr13N4i2iRFcs5S1hY82cChlqVXfueVa5bZq/s1600/P1040042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF4hDhvozgFm1kGrwyyruE05ou47OODyz97x3U9JKEXgyBbbP04eR4tRZ7LHC37ozrZC1oQpjNGhIrL4jv_vF_ipTjihUeoFgZC9c6yHoqr13N4i2iRFcs5S1hY82cChlqVXfueVa5bZq/s320/P1040042.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steepin' some tea</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Feeling revived and highly caffeinated, we meandered over to Beihai Park. The park surrounds a pretty lake, on which you can rent paddle boats during warmer weather. It was a bit brisk for those kind of shenanigans, so we stuck to walking around, looking around. We stopped for a break by the lake and ate a lunch of fried wonton chips and sweet honey cakes. For about $2US, it was the tastiest street food I could have asked for.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qdkEegkd9ZB6auy05CpGy3aJLh7WfBnmdCmDxyiqD5Jbr2kq7lxRJ7qck1Rga1Ds2mgnWV2rnS3M7fB9tifRjMc6F1apHaq9BgdZlUDggPWs3tX1hEbCzzUBoDY46T95QVEeXHoArWPy/s1600/P1040052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qdkEegkd9ZB6auy05CpGy3aJLh7WfBnmdCmDxyiqD5Jbr2kq7lxRJ7qck1Rga1Ds2mgnWV2rnS3M7fB9tifRjMc6F1apHaq9BgdZlUDggPWs3tX1hEbCzzUBoDY46T95QVEeXHoArWPy/s320/P1040052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beihai Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0lW1kXd-qlwU_fktHdZ8s5vkzRTzGw7-waEHueMeaNf_3rXTIB96kvazOLOStKYw_M_bl-hAfpHWNEKLq2WqtqKe2omGYSBrDmJLADrSBKn-fvhmhZbi0w8aFl6j8MOSI0HFscxN4UwK/s1600/P1040054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE0lW1kXd-qlwU_fktHdZ8s5vkzRTzGw7-waEHueMeaNf_3rXTIB96kvazOLOStKYw_M_bl-hAfpHWNEKLq2WqtqKe2omGYSBrDmJLADrSBKn-fvhmhZbi0w8aFl6j8MOSI0HFscxN4UwK/s320/P1040054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strolling along Jade Islet</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Apparently we hadn’t seen enough bodies of water for one day, so we exited Beihai and headed over to Houhai. This area is very popular with the locals, for shopping, eating, drinking, and playing. Even in the chilly temperatures, there were lots of people out socializing, and I could see why it was a popular hangout. We even saw a couple hard-core Beijingers braving the frigid water for a swim across the lake.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4fg5vjKJzUxnBv5iu-Jfcdz30bSYIxY_RrlOpcstYnK-w_ASgYcezl5QXNg8IwRcijFfFZZrO_nv2OLIzcPmB5zNwT9BMcNk3HsiZHf-RPk15nML9XT4_0f6asfJJdlmu9RQwYhaFCRB/s1600/P1040083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4fg5vjKJzUxnBv5iu-Jfcdz30bSYIxY_RrlOpcstYnK-w_ASgYcezl5QXNg8IwRcijFfFZZrO_nv2OLIzcPmB5zNwT9BMcNk3HsiZHf-RPk15nML9XT4_0f6asfJJdlmu9RQwYhaFCRB/s320/P1040083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedicated swimmer</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Venturing off the beaten path, we got lost in a nearby <i>hutong</i>, or alleyway. The <i>hutong</i> are ancient streets dating back hundreds of years, and wandering down the twisting, dead-end paths was one of my favorite parts of Beijing. We quickly discovered that the old homes did not have bathrooms, as we saw old lady after old lady teeter out of her home, across the street, and into one of the many public bathrooms located all through the neighborhood. Can you imagine? Less than three blocks from the hustle and bustle of modern restaurants, bars, and shops, and people are living without a toilet in their home. And parts of the <i>hutong</i> were fixed up as tourist attractions themselves. The contrast was sobering.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJNT6OZHtWQ8lNrrW_74gVGnNLbdW9Bq3TO8c5D7bWudFMP16bvtyghs5e0IecGdVcpx8cEEW9qlPz18jTCocubz0xrWYdARpVdk-fFtA06eGQNDE_uksDjG-AtGcel7seHSs5-aWu6Yp/s1600/P1040097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJNT6OZHtWQ8lNrrW_74gVGnNLbdW9Bq3TO8c5D7bWudFMP16bvtyghs5e0IecGdVcpx8cEEW9qlPz18jTCocubz0xrWYdARpVdk-fFtA06eGQNDE_uksDjG-AtGcel7seHSs5-aWu6Yp/s320/P1040097.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hutong street</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That night, we hopped in a rickshaw and putt-putt-ed down the frighteningly busy streets to <a href="http://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/quanjude" target="_blank"><i>Quánjùdé,</i> a famous Peking Duck restaurant.</a> It was possibly the most delicious bird ever. We ordered a duck and some side dishes, and ten minutes later, a man rolled a cart next to our table and carved the duck right there. He was incredibly fast and precise, and his hard work was devoured with a smile.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp4SHCCoDedRce3KhhyphenhypheneCLPziJbOTQVbA4RlXTE6I9Ixx-psGFTvgsFfinheuZKuapwkIOeKwPq47GPUogPXkZ9GVPdEzNgSUkk-7hb8HHrpY-R4x0Nh_lq0i41AeTVoRUV14tkzgkfbH/s1600/P1040105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnp4SHCCoDedRce3KhhyphenhypheneCLPziJbOTQVbA4RlXTE6I9Ixx-psGFTvgsFfinheuZKuapwkIOeKwPq47GPUogPXkZ9GVPdEzNgSUkk-7hb8HHrpY-R4x0Nh_lq0i41AeTVoRUV14tkzgkfbH/s320/P1040105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quack quack, chop chop</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With full bellies, we paid the bill, hailed a taxi, witnessed a fist fight between cabbies, and called it a night. We had to rise early in the morning to start the best day EVER.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We gobbled down our breakfast buffet, jumped in the waiting bus, and began our tour of the Sacred Way and the Great Wall. We had quite the international crowd, including tourists from Pittsburg, Austria, Scotland, Switzerland, and Malaysia. And of course Milwaukee and Taiwan. Our fearless leader Amy guided us first to the <a href="http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/china/beijing/ming-tombs-spirit-way.php" target="_blank">Sacred/Spirit Way at the Ming Tombs</a>. The Sacred Way is the road leading up to the emperors’ tombs and is lined with statues of real and mythical creatures to guard the path. It is considered the road to heaven. The statues were beautiful!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdllvA9RHbDXNG8Je22c9gjR7n-KTOs_nUL0gAPPOvkLhZYHSEgNj-gOjicx4SbwnD0TFKwdS2Yv7d6UPbKw83uwU-uAK_KZ0-4dpxJisMPMiUMKg_5lzYNFOuaNq5hBnr71w35r9qddu0/s1600/P1040106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdllvA9RHbDXNG8Je22c9gjR7n-KTOs_nUL0gAPPOvkLhZYHSEgNj-gOjicx4SbwnD0TFKwdS2Yv7d6UPbKw83uwU-uAK_KZ0-4dpxJisMPMiUMKg_5lzYNFOuaNq5hBnr71w35r9qddu0/s320/P1040106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Sacred Way</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCPyWt1j-UDeZSzysQrbOP-6N4ESwTk1ICYORJdpHda2XdDTt0sYrnCPyYs51jP_7RgdbTw31DE3z1_DsHWapQ5NGNgOY70sA_uDVfuJ1G94Qx8So6sSlbxmi7jwefEw_aIkX2GlpgG38/s1600/P1040111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCPyWt1j-UDeZSzysQrbOP-6N4ESwTk1ICYORJdpHda2XdDTt0sYrnCPyYs51jP_7RgdbTw31DE3z1_DsHWapQ5NGNgOY70sA_uDVfuJ1G94Qx8So6sSlbxmi7jwefEw_aIkX2GlpgG38/s320/P1040111.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guard</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrXTAOx5LVIkob3wReN_VRHpPlyfJRtweP5IyI2N8qEky2iBzGnS9w2w_7VwBUOv-XlYGuV4_8ce-WmuvpaUev3_vRiXNWxmLrD5Wh_EmIh9ZjKQLmcKsE_lNo6Kys8XlDaIyNKgSerid/s1600/P1040131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrXTAOx5LVIkob3wReN_VRHpPlyfJRtweP5IyI2N8qEky2iBzGnS9w2w_7VwBUOv-XlYGuV4_8ce-WmuvpaUev3_vRiXNWxmLrD5Wh_EmIh9ZjKQLmcKsE_lNo6Kys8XlDaIyNKgSerid/s320/P1040131.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mythical creature</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After walking the road to heaven, we boarded the bus and stopped at a local jade factory, for a lesson in geology and some high-pressure sales pitches. We also ate lunch, which was the true highlight for me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And now, after much ado, we arrived at THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA! Hooray! Definitely on my bucket list, and it should definitely be on yours!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We visited the <a href="http://www.mutianyugreatwall.net/" target="_blank">Mutianyu section of the wall</a>. This is a lesser-visited section of the Wall, but no less breathtaking. Mutianyu offers a couple miles of exploring along the Wall, with both updated and ancient areas to wander. We took a ski lift up from the parking area to the entrance.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMt30qu9Jft4pody6rnITOH7QrDTZw1LyO56ShHKduwx4TuYpKYCB7TlwW9hzaQO5vvUtoRP251q7f3PKTHkSshSGXt-dhykGy0x8FbLQRIX_ZqhIKjaGlaHPpW8O-oTcE4La4em4kj2q/s1600/P1040150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMt30qu9Jft4pody6rnITOH7QrDTZw1LyO56ShHKduwx4TuYpKYCB7TlwW9hzaQO5vvUtoRP251q7f3PKTHkSshSGXt-dhykGy0x8FbLQRIX_ZqhIKjaGlaHPpW8O-oTcE4La4em4kj2q/s320/P1040150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski lift to the Great Wall</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This section of the Wall is quite steep in places, and we were often crawling up the stairs with our hands, as if climbing a ladder. I can’t even describe.... I mean the beauty... the history.... I just.... I mean.... just look!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINc-83nAiIL1Cr53GFsuBLrzqpvDWwASaZ-C7kL2dxKWQNIYUbgHq-QmyZQe9HvQuddtVcSEY574I2nyyREl2fWrufFwpTs9w89dNRhbkn8cqsJUxjdRF6pc2_yk64y8IZ7cPT0fMoN3u/s1600/P1040154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINc-83nAiIL1Cr53GFsuBLrzqpvDWwASaZ-C7kL2dxKWQNIYUbgHq-QmyZQe9HvQuddtVcSEY574I2nyyREl2fWrufFwpTs9w89dNRhbkn8cqsJUxjdRF6pc2_yk64y8IZ7cPT0fMoN3u/s320/P1040154.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Wall of China</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09TBJJppT-iI-RgcP_UJ_6En56qch4AJxHcH9DxPP27-fPAtYMXKnhEMSrW2JkVsy4wcQOeAw7bZI1P2ir8GFTGRbhGZLRQD_7baSAl0OZUNMugk-VuJYna_2lyDJ69Gh_MWW6Gb3nl3J/s1600/P1040162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09TBJJppT-iI-RgcP_UJ_6En56qch4AJxHcH9DxPP27-fPAtYMXKnhEMSrW2JkVsy4wcQOeAw7bZI1P2ir8GFTGRbhGZLRQD_7baSAl0OZUNMugk-VuJYna_2lyDJ69Gh_MWW6Gb3nl3J/s320/P1040162.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall / mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS8ZfR4yXIsVgHKlLgfBdIrVD324dR9idIF83eqb7M9AF-zNFpD6DDBxboG1A9hU4Ujhyphenhyphenxfzpz97css6_BwMAB84sBEEHFIauTaVtDoiBWullDj_R505kdZMUNGvFEeesTu4hqsfJ-V62/s1600/P1040171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS8ZfR4yXIsVgHKlLgfBdIrVD324dR9idIF83eqb7M9AF-zNFpD6DDBxboG1A9hU4Ujhyphenhyphenxfzpz97css6_BwMAB84sBEEHFIauTaVtDoiBWullDj_R505kdZMUNGvFEeesTu4hqsfJ-V62/s320/P1040171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the vertical stairs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy53sQAumCLucdcRd_vPB0WbXL8zcb_7Iplcv6PtkZyvYtN5qSLc-pmC3j3gNfofV7mMht3SwR_XdwfC9jS9UrcHjFJr8tlILCzTILX9y81x-VrPPNchKqPVHOACLF88PtCFWcJHnrmJqk/s1600/P1040178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy53sQAumCLucdcRd_vPB0WbXL8zcb_7Iplcv6PtkZyvYtN5qSLc-pmC3j3gNfofV7mMht3SwR_XdwfC9jS9UrcHjFJr8tlILCzTILX9y81x-VrPPNchKqPVHOACLF88PtCFWcJHnrmJqk/s320/P1040178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Kt7hnDo5Kx8MotBiwZF-8dQyOLEvokNszap8YsKRL_afN_UOpOPxeTQdJwKH1rfGBcIllxrJlHon_Z_nQfDtfwMYE1aMilB0Rlc-SW_ozdGZuf-g0v7o51NhDp2VcbAmb0rLF4BOdZ8T/s1600/P1040183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Kt7hnDo5Kx8MotBiwZF-8dQyOLEvokNszap8YsKRL_afN_UOpOPxeTQdJwKH1rfGBcIllxrJlHon_Z_nQfDtfwMYE1aMilB0Rlc-SW_ozdGZuf-g0v7o51NhDp2VcbAmb0rLF4BOdZ8T/s320/P1040183.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mutianyu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1vaqppiYaXtWPiJNruqF_MEdbVKg9UMT7M1hx8UwkvLaAcKenoqfPsMY1xtyEVBymLbOPLKQ9bxMSp7WdlxUMa1zybPsHtqCnNeT0KYzs61r0mH51eDmAJwWY2lF6R1aEMHWXmiyrj3Y/s1600/P1040254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1vaqppiYaXtWPiJNruqF_MEdbVKg9UMT7M1hx8UwkvLaAcKenoqfPsMY1xtyEVBymLbOPLKQ9bxMSp7WdlxUMa1zybPsHtqCnNeT0KYzs61r0mH51eDmAJwWY2lF6R1aEMHWXmiyrj3Y/s320/P1040254.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhvagddQ8Z_CqIMvv1zic1zRm8BdO2jXILPkFcPCkHrUAqmHDZdVH3xTeHvPobVSuVkhSjrb-l9herROl7TYQoimrrQ7wLNaxTzQPkmf9Yilk5_2N8rCqH90yAe0_ZiguFhd1UOu-MaJU/s1600/P1040255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhvagddQ8Z_CqIMvv1zic1zRm8BdO2jXILPkFcPCkHrUAqmHDZdVH3xTeHvPobVSuVkhSjrb-l9herROl7TYQoimrrQ7wLNaxTzQPkmf9Yilk5_2N8rCqH90yAe0_ZiguFhd1UOu-MaJU/s320/P1040255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So steep!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We spent about 2 hours or so walking along the Great Wall (I’ll never get tired of saying that), including the area that was clearly marked “Do not enter! No visitors beyond this point!”, but was not otherwise blocked off. This forbidden zone was an area of the wall that was much older and not well-maintained. In fact, there were several places where the wall had completely crumbled, leaving nothing between you and a rocky fall to your death off the side of a mountain. It was my favorite part.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-PS3Yn2KgfnfXJO3EGil6ZZhxxgxy-rzGw03Ke7D6Bheh7gW9wvqpVcKEuQwP9hIc-8TT3ffcCGKxi8UIEIU1uRTmahtNUhSLtC14xk3HXAkIs6npilCP4Rcc4yb50pf_Ou0BwlV9x8w/s1600/P1040212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-PS3Yn2KgfnfXJO3EGil6ZZhxxgxy-rzGw03Ke7D6Bheh7gW9wvqpVcKEuQwP9hIc-8TT3ffcCGKxi8UIEIU1uRTmahtNUhSLtC14xk3HXAkIs6npilCP4Rcc4yb50pf_Ou0BwlV9x8w/s320/P1040212.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Wall gazing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvartIerUJTuhi_SL-FnzRVGczLe_sUs7GMzmG_F6rJijM3Qn_42IP0J0iC96tXAzQt5ImKkZGVozUD3kPychIPTiBKQ5jWpusWzPPhAjw7sS9D4SXD1y_vdwm53-hjlIeqW8ZsIqiPVS/s1600/P1040231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvartIerUJTuhi_SL-FnzRVGczLe_sUs7GMzmG_F6rJijM3Qn_42IP0J0iC96tXAzQt5ImKkZGVozUD3kPychIPTiBKQ5jWpusWzPPhAjw7sS9D4SXD1y_vdwm53-hjlIeqW8ZsIqiPVS/s320/P1040231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crumbling old wall</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJTThg9oT5wzNP1VPiZL2q527xn4lzHYP7oGb5rrg9G5rfpwuDoDxPBio4tkb0uJegqZopmon3u-k86HxFy0QO0OYOU1Jrrp_qSTHUU6_dKH5b04zLO4e3DfSmGn2tMxz6Xfw82mzk_cD/s1600/702633_10151547096254502_652358535_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmJTThg9oT5wzNP1VPiZL2q527xn4lzHYP7oGb5rrg9G5rfpwuDoDxPBio4tkb0uJegqZopmon3u-k86HxFy0QO0OYOU1Jrrp_qSTHUU6_dKH5b04zLO4e3DfSmGn2tMxz6Xfw82mzk_cD/s320/702633_10151547096254502_652358535_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on top of the world!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not to be outdone by the journey up the mountain, the mode of transportation back down to the parking lot was none other than a toboggan. That’s ride, a bobsled ride to exit the Great Wall of China. Why not?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsr0uU6BxhirTVcacyrALvaGgKcOI-Voqj3lXisR448QvuUn_Bb8pERob4HMQAQScnf1gssPUEk-8jD9YqYmon258VXeMebknBcqTs2oKEeShON7eVm2voZB4OCvvoFF7Ao3naSXyOuzOl/s1600/P1040269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsr0uU6BxhirTVcacyrALvaGgKcOI-Voqj3lXisR448QvuUn_Bb8pERob4HMQAQScnf1gssPUEk-8jD9YqYmon258VXeMebknBcqTs2oKEeShON7eVm2voZB4OCvvoFF7Ao3naSXyOuzOl/s320/P1040269.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's bobsled time!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Later that night, we ate at a restaurant called the <a href="http://www.thebeijinger.com/directory/xinjiang-red-rose" target="_blank">Xinjiang Red Rose</a>. It serves regional Chinese food and offers live music and dancing. The food was great and the entertainment was wonderful. The only bad thing I can say about this place is that they allow smoking, and the men at nearby tables were liberal with their cigars and pipes. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At breakfast the next morning, Chia-Chien got hit up by some Taoist monks for money, which I found pretty funny, but apparently she did not. They invited us to join their table, and when we politely declined, one of them told Chia-Chien about her future, gave her a prayer card, then asked for payment. She handed him a few bills, to which he replied, “It’s really not enough.” Ummmmm, beggars can’t be choosers.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We packed our bags with a couple stolen items from the breakfast buffet and took the subway to the far north west side of the city to the Summer Palace. We exited the station and were immediately greeted by a half dozen cab and rickshaw drivers, insisting that we should take a ride to the Summer Palace because it was “so far” away, much too far to walk. A five-minute walk later, we arrived at the Summer Palace gates. So far.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHKHN-2qm7qRxPDwi3WVFYaYdg6XARh6EfBvouh_ADdt6i52gaNLQ2LwJ0L90h04AreJPquqgsM_aaBNs8kWBxvH1H7DRCpPtZ8cFqdKpJFqiTjbYCFTusgU2MXTYFtS4UmQWEFWm0Hyu/s1600/P1040297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHKHN-2qm7qRxPDwi3WVFYaYdg6XARh6EfBvouh_ADdt6i52gaNLQ2LwJ0L90h04AreJPquqgsM_aaBNs8kWBxvH1H7DRCpPtZ8cFqdKpJFqiTjbYCFTusgU2MXTYFtS4UmQWEFWm0Hyu/s320/P1040297.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer Palace Gate</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Built by one of the Emperors as a summertime escape from the city, the <a href="http://www.summerpalace-china.com/en/index.html" target="_blank">Summer Palace</a> is a sprawling collection of temples, gardens, and bridges that easily takes a full day to explore. One of the main areas is Longevity Hill, which is a manmade hill built from the dirt used to enlarge the neighboring Kunming Lake. It was on this hill that I encountered a lovely Beijing man who found great joy in laughing at me for no apparent reason. Oh, and also we saw these beautiful sights.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU6KZdQojd_1MojyJ_cWpuOcX97AHuTj7D0DxuhFfHInCxqq6IbyuQW_byiz7lJka5y2j7Ky2-QpazlJy38cC_tKk9AFpqzmP3ckqCOffc6_tj77tfGOrWIn6uBHCEBItZ6vqmIzPjAN5/s1600/P1040316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU6KZdQojd_1MojyJ_cWpuOcX97AHuTj7D0DxuhFfHInCxqq6IbyuQW_byiz7lJka5y2j7Ky2-QpazlJy38cC_tKk9AFpqzmP3ckqCOffc6_tj77tfGOrWIn6uBHCEBItZ6vqmIzPjAN5/s320/P1040316.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower of the Fragrance of Buddha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PGmCaw2Mr7BQ1M96j5GUFfLFBSzcUC4WjUo3Ifq6-4YK9YL1hqE4JKtr3J5Czs9APeby98tIrJDvC4ZicqXoPxX69p4TWGxN2cu_wA5NLtQYt2MdLERpTNDlCosey7ZOyvoBfttvBQWE/s1600/P1040336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PGmCaw2Mr7BQ1M96j5GUFfLFBSzcUC4WjUo3Ifq6-4YK9YL1hqE4JKtr3J5Czs9APeby98tIrJDvC4ZicqXoPxX69p4TWGxN2cu_wA5NLtQYt2MdLERpTNDlCosey7ZOyvoBfttvBQWE/s320/P1040336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pavilion of the Five Regions</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of my favorite areas of the Summer Palace was Suzhou Jie, or Suzhou Street. This street is built along a river, with just a narrow sidewalk between the shops and the water. Apparently, Emperor Qianlong liked the style of the merchant streets typical to south China and ordered Suzhou Jie built at the Summer Palace, so he could enjoy the shops and restaurants when he vacationed to the grounds. When I grow up, I want to be an emperor.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suzhou Jie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace hideaway</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally, we walked along the Long Corridor, which is a spectacularly painted covered walkway stretching nearly 1km along Kunming Lake. Now the emperor could stroll outside without being bothered by that pesky sun or possible rain.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long Corridor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling of the Long Corridor</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At the opposite end of the Long Corridor, a strange marble boat sits in the water of Kunming Lake. This infamous structure is a symbol of the pure extravagance of the royal family. Who needs a marble boat??</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marble boat on Kunming Lake</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That afternoon, we were so hungry we were ready to eat our own arms. Luckily, we found a northern-Chinese ethnic restaurant and ordered some dumplings and a fish “side dish.” Again, the food was overwhelmingly delicious, and I’m sorry, but take a look at this fish!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our "side dish": spicy fish with peppers over lotus roots</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Chia-Chien had grown tired of doing all the translating and trying to explain Chinese history for me, so we split up for an evening of solo sight seeing. I headed back to Tiananmen Square to see what all the fuss was about. When I arrived, I remembered that the Chinese government was changing leadership and the whole area around Tiananmen was closed off. I was able to walk around the perimeter, but I couldn’t cross the barrier into the actual Square.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiananmen Gate at night</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Government building next to Tiananmen Square<br />I'm SURE they were choosing the new leader at this very moment!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And now, for a story of intrigue and bad language.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At the south end of the Square, there is an old pedestrian street called Qianmen, where they’ve installed a trolley to transport tourists along the shopping district. It was here that I encountered a pair of grifters. Two very friendly Beijingers chatted me up and invited me to have tea with them. They took me to a tea shop that must employ them as scam artists and tried their best to stick me with the bill at the end. I didn’t pay for them, but I did get ripped off with outrageously expensive tea. The menu said 50Y per person, which is a bit under $10US. That alone was pricey enough, but when the bill came, they had charged us 50Y EACH for the tea, so since each of us ordered tea and sampled each selection, we had to pay 150Y per person. That’s almost $25US! I had already made them removed a 100Y sitting fee, and I was angry that the menu had been so misleading. Obviously I wouldn’t have sampled their tea if I knew I’d be paying for it. Anyways, the bill came, I begrudgingly paid my 150Y, and waited for the girls to do the same. They hesitated, looked at me with wide eyes, mentioned they didn’t have any cash, and awkwardly waited for me to offer to pay for their part. I did not.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qianmen Pedestrian Street</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Wait, it gets better. The girls offered to walk with me back to the subway station, where we would take trains in different directions to get home. When we walked across the street, I noticed a few things I wanted to check out, so I told them to go ahead without me into the station. Three minutes later, I saw two girls in very familiar coats scurrying out of the subway station and across the crowded plaza. I knew then that I’d been had. Those girls were scam artists, employed to do just what they did to me and they were headed back to find more suckers. I was feeling cheated by the Beijingers and somehow emboldened by the proximity of Tiananmen Square, so I followed those ne’er-do-wells back in to Qianmen. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">James Bond style, I hid behind bushes and blended in with tourists groups until I spotted the girls hiding in a bank lobby. I went in, approached them, and said, “So this is your job? Trying to scam visitors out of money at tea shops?” They looked down at their hands and said they were confused by the subway map and need to find a different line to get home. Likely excuse. I snottily informed them that this kind of behavior is what makes the Chinese people look bad in the eyes of the world. I admit, this was a stretch, but I was on a roll. Now a security guard from the bank was approaching, and I didn’t want to get involved in an international crisis. I mustered up all my courage and my only Mandarin foul language and said, “<i>Gan ni ma</i>!” (fuck your mother). Yeah, take that!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful entrance to Qianmen Street</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sadly, this incident was only one of many that left a bad taste in my mouth towards the Beijingers. The city, sights, and food were great, but I didn’t much care for the people. Compared to the Taiwanese, I’m not sure anything can compare. And I know, I know, I was only there for a few days and didn’t get to know the locals personally. But still. Just ask Chia-Chien; she’ll tell ya.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Scams and extreme subway-spooning aside, I am so thankful for my time in China. I will never forget standing on the Great Wall, strolling around the Summer Palace, or stepping back in to history at the Forbidden City. And I’ll never forget the free booze on the international flight home.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uhhh, excuse me.... Can I have another beer?</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-24317941316160196642012-12-06T06:15:00.001+08:002012-12-06T06:15:17.228+08:00Alishan<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One day after returning from <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/11/penghu-you-can-do-what-with-cactus.html" target="_blank">my trip to Penghu</a>, I hopped <a href="http://twtraffic.tra.gov.tw/twrail/English/e_index.aspx" target="_blank">a train to Chiayi</a> with Alishan in my sights. My friend Ellen and I had traveled together before, over the summer to <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/08/deep-dark-asia.html" target="_blank">Green Island</a>, and I was looking forward to spending more time with her before leaving Taiwan.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we arrived at the train station in Chiayi, we knew we had to catch a bus out to Alishan. What we didn’t know is that our train arrived just 10 minutes before the last bus of the day departed the station. So we ran across the street to the bus depot, only to find out that the bus seats were sold out and we’d have to buy a standing room ticket for the 2.5 hour ride up the mountain. No thanks. Luckily there was a crazy old taxi driver lady offering to drive us up. Ellen used her masterful negotiating skills and finally secured a decent price for the trip. Our cab ride was truly international; the two other passengers were tourists as well, one from Japan and one from Malaysia. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The crazy taxi driver lady was also a crazy driver, and I was envious that the other passengers were able to fall asleep and be oblivious to the frightening twists and turns at top speed along narrow mountain roads with no guardrails but plenty of passing coach buses. I couldn’t help but imagine how my obituary would read: “American dies in fiery death after taxi catapults off Taiwanese mountain road.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But we survived.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was nearly dark. The air was clear, clean, and cool. It was only about 55°F, but people were of course all bundled up in their winter gear, as if we were at a ski resort in Aspen, instead of a mountainside town in Taiwan. I will admit, it did feel colder than I expected, so when we settled in to a tea shop for a free tasting, I was happy to have the warm beverage. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning, we woke up at 4:30am, took the train up the mountain to Zhushan Station, walked up the road a bit to the Ogasawara Mountain Viewing Area, and saw this:</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDexQUxtz3B-NP8vAkiN-zjeFtZV_u_kdVjt6afhnvDL567CukKaMtx3TS9dOOOZJwPz29Bm83zgUXaZMk2rX0M5M1GLQIUxNsVjn6f_L9Zdp53xagNltpooAWWCZv_cpjxpfu1G3HIG2Z/s1600/P1030514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDexQUxtz3B-NP8vAkiN-zjeFtZV_u_kdVjt6afhnvDL567CukKaMtx3TS9dOOOZJwPz29Bm83zgUXaZMk2rX0M5M1GLQIUxNsVjn6f_L9Zdp53xagNltpooAWWCZv_cpjxpfu1G3HIG2Z/s320/P1030514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on Alishan<br />
Peak of Yushan to left of sun<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOq8qudq8c12CcQLGs72otetj2z51uEV5Cw1aGDPCpNRIdW3Mn-xwZrITLB4i5X93yly1KhdcliP0MWKyPm3A5jCrBB1VqzJvqrozn1yP4mt8ul9ot1vQZJXV_bX7csSKALlpitqZxJzQt/s1600/P1030530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOq8qudq8c12CcQLGs72otetj2z51uEV5Cw1aGDPCpNRIdW3Mn-xwZrITLB4i5X93yly1KhdcliP0MWKyPm3A5jCrBB1VqzJvqrozn1yP4mt8ul9ot1vQZJXV_bX7csSKALlpitqZxJzQt/s320/P1030530.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea of Clouds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0MFaYIVyeDiEWlXxD1Ln6H41wsEjdss1bGc-O_M43RMrvNrd8W2XIXwGkUbe1NCHM9_PBcJHjaSOu1jVraevIjbltznZEaWcAKQyZWDIyGeqkSfFklAEZx5PO3py2jr3n-mb0BEFETw2/s1600/P1030557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0MFaYIVyeDiEWlXxD1Ln6H41wsEjdss1bGc-O_M43RMrvNrd8W2XIXwGkUbe1NCHM9_PBcJHjaSOu1jVraevIjbltznZEaWcAKQyZWDIyGeqkSfFklAEZx5PO3py2jr3n-mb0BEFETw2/s320/P1030557.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ogasawara Mountain Viewing Area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzyajrF1i-mPlFtWdggFR_xJ44JsU7K5FSRcTsKNMO30Gw-zWBLC89k8B9CKP-ntmAGARH3mZ0uv0qWyc8cv8ClO4v96yEOZw1bodgaRBGuvywpqO932j06RnFBt3sbdvnRfdN7R_ddeN/s1600/P1030535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnzyajrF1i-mPlFtWdggFR_xJ44JsU7K5FSRcTsKNMO30Gw-zWBLC89k8B9CKP-ntmAGARH3mZ0uv0qWyc8cv8ClO4v96yEOZw1bodgaRBGuvywpqO932j06RnFBt3sbdvnRfdN7R_ddeN/s320/P1030535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning, Sunshine</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We waited for the crowds to thin out after the sunrise. The last train back down the mountain leaves about 30 minutes after the sun rises, so we didn’t have to wait long. Instead of taking the train, we hiked back down the mountain roads towards Alishan Station. Along the way, we saw many beautiful sights, including the Duigaoyue Viewing Area and the Alishan Forest.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_er7vMWCeh0M-uoHc4WnhAglC97z6qB8Vi7jhYNMl_aOGzRDin2EQ9e3Xk3HnrGByvQHR_0ZL4A5mIts0gOGis4AD0EHCSLXPzoNESlvBC0Uliudkh7H1wpLRW2nwmiFBZjet-t5aEgLV/s1600/P1030578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_er7vMWCeh0M-uoHc4WnhAglC97z6qB8Vi7jhYNMl_aOGzRDin2EQ9e3Xk3HnrGByvQHR_0ZL4A5mIts0gOGis4AD0EHCSLXPzoNESlvBC0Uliudkh7H1wpLRW2nwmiFBZjet-t5aEgLV/s320/P1030578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking along the Duigaoyue Trail<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0MqwxDRmyk5hQ_CxUkQDMggg2fl72nVO2CLrsEPhi4cJuEzJMH_G7QY327D1job43jYnEcsyKaoPZLgwdxvmVQiqw-Sc3Bx7ZMoH7uSl2XCh2Et-HV-gXjaPM0de38hyphenhyphenPvhRBYQRvwAZ/s1600/P1030584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0MqwxDRmyk5hQ_CxUkQDMggg2fl72nVO2CLrsEPhi4cJuEzJMH_G7QY327D1job43jYnEcsyKaoPZLgwdxvmVQiqw-Sc3Bx7ZMoH7uSl2XCh2Et-HV-gXjaPM0de38hyphenhyphenPvhRBYQRvwAZ/s320/P1030584.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duigaoyue Viewing Area</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4uTW7eYZ5nTIsz0LdcGvPEUqohjlg_zSsGW3wfQdcENReVjDNsPIOkdurHew28uZm0ag1Bf9M50Kc9-04XWQ1JhYpesqDVth5XXiIVdtVGNRnyGasmUf7hV7l3mcBchjiMMOVoYKwuZE/s1600/P1030587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4uTW7eYZ5nTIsz0LdcGvPEUqohjlg_zSsGW3wfQdcENReVjDNsPIOkdurHew28uZm0ag1Bf9M50Kc9-04XWQ1JhYpesqDVth5XXiIVdtVGNRnyGasmUf7hV7l3mcBchjiMMOVoYKwuZE/s320/P1030587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alishan National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNRT9ihMceIbZ70Alu7GkqYTMQ6h2DEYnNMaqQQ0YtDdu7Mb0f4w0f5ldmyQ8ORQM3KZJZWdzHdt0vmWJ2oH6OnCZRvw5IAjnRXaqyjfL_pKLpODyvQUrZ19drxsUcC6C3Qe_BYrRDyMT/s1600/P1030593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMNRT9ihMceIbZ70Alu7GkqYTMQ6h2DEYnNMaqQQ0YtDdu7Mb0f4w0f5ldmyQ8ORQM3KZJZWdzHdt0vmWJ2oH6OnCZRvw5IAjnRXaqyjfL_pKLpODyvQUrZ19drxsUcC6C3Qe_BYrRDyMT/s320/P1030593.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alishan National Forest</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just past the Zhaoping Station, we came across a set of abandoned railroad tracks leading to the Shuishan Giant Tree. From what I remember from reading the sign, the rail line used to lead to a depot station for the workers on Alishan, but the line is no longer in use. The trail leading out to the Giant Tree was about 2km going directly down the old tracks. My camera battery was running out, but I managed to snap a few shots. At the end of the tracks, there’s a train trestle over a small stream that puts you close to the Shuishan Giant Tree. After climbing up some rocky steps, there’s a beautiful viewing area around this humongous tree!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49eiIPJPkhSvyO_EtI165AM69Y5TrrqDEw7trnJ3hhqtiqX0x4E1M1izHtEsraVHy00t3ihq2kht7DlMG7KpmowOLQFhZ3wwYGiURl8F3RFPjB1VWT7CqxAffndg5SSALOmTju4b837bW/s1600/P1030599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49eiIPJPkhSvyO_EtI165AM69Y5TrrqDEw7trnJ3hhqtiqX0x4E1M1izHtEsraVHy00t3ihq2kht7DlMG7KpmowOLQFhZ3wwYGiURl8F3RFPjB1VWT7CqxAffndg5SSALOmTju4b837bW/s320/P1030599.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned train tracks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysSfefVwESenbjOqfIAZvdduY_oNdfjWjTtJKfYEExGD7hp3rAaIkcR0l6fyNQupy89PiLCg15JuoAt7Mvzpc6ePrPhXm_XBaHmlrwjnRiH_rxgs2_zz5oYacUEAQifEXnpXgbuZIQit9/s1600/P1030602+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysSfefVwESenbjOqfIAZvdduY_oNdfjWjTtJKfYEExGD7hp3rAaIkcR0l6fyNQupy89PiLCg15JuoAt7Mvzpc6ePrPhXm_XBaHmlrwjnRiH_rxgs2_zz5oYacUEAQifEXnpXgbuZIQit9/s320/P1030602+-+Version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge near Shuishan Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWktUc3_9kF4VMWs9rxBY7P_t4X2hZQuVfy5zpn990Akqr9yNM6PHKlEice0a-1o07Eh6THIlYC_UBPezfjlD6Fm1cle7kyFKrPUKpNd9onapJX-8nTmrD4YgnQkbr-5QCwXNO_y97wJF/s1600/P1030603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWktUc3_9kF4VMWs9rxBY7P_t4X2hZQuVfy5zpn990Akqr9yNM6PHKlEice0a-1o07Eh6THIlYC_UBPezfjlD6Fm1cle7kyFKrPUKpNd9onapJX-8nTmrD4YgnQkbr-5QCwXNO_y97wJF/s320/P1030603.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shuishan Giant Tree<br />(with normal-sized trees for reference)</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Feeling quite accomplished for just 11 o’clock in the morning, we ate an early lunch, took a quick nap, and recharged our batteries. Next, we took the train from Alishan Station up to Zhaoping Station, just a 7-minute ride. From there, we hiked out to the Sister Ponds, passing many animal shaped (and named, of course) tree roots and boulders.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Gghmdfq-uLln1vOWDhOeyvkikJryTTb3X9urJrCXzIAfUAM9JKSNROiAXIZVwQ97nSfq4cHedd0tVaY7cI18yB4gJE-ZZXRnePN42Bu7GUK6gd1hBm-WIe02uTEL3TajC_OzWUKkgT8J/s1600/P1030605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Gghmdfq-uLln1vOWDhOeyvkikJryTTb3X9urJrCXzIAfUAM9JKSNROiAXIZVwQ97nSfq4cHedd0tVaY7cI18yB4gJE-ZZXRnePN42Bu7GUK6gd1hBm-WIe02uTEL3TajC_OzWUKkgT8J/s320/P1030605.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roots</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96oc6mlfBgbbPhOy4Ocx4k0w8tsHP25cWe8T4meuxoBfCPizPzTs7yhFPiJlKJqRCoClx_Dy_Ph2Azczjy78yHUFYB-kUd_q6jR6mQN6gE6pzLt1C5lb6YkKT9bweO9CY9KMp65SJ84JZ/s1600/P1030609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96oc6mlfBgbbPhOy4Ocx4k0w8tsHP25cWe8T4meuxoBfCPizPzTs7yhFPiJlKJqRCoClx_Dy_Ph2Azczjy78yHUFYB-kUd_q6jR6mQN6gE6pzLt1C5lb6YkKT9bweO9CY9KMp65SJ84JZ/s320/P1030609.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch your head</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT-9eCLroxgVSvmd9loCWzk4XyHDUv_weybbZwF9gWDRGQvFTONbu6pxVpazx56gJZgyx_8xxwxFrClh-TTBYKN1UA-zwpfAIlsAzxnQ8QnmAuWcvg4T_IHWjshjGJ6quPv0DxWHX6dOT/s1600/P1030614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyT-9eCLroxgVSvmd9loCWzk4XyHDUv_weybbZwF9gWDRGQvFTONbu6pxVpazx56gJZgyx_8xxwxFrClh-TTBYKN1UA-zwpfAIlsAzxnQ8QnmAuWcvg4T_IHWjshjGJ6quPv0DxWHX6dOT/s320/P1030614.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Younger Sister Pond</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG6X2r9qrC84vvjpTkVBvDH1i7wNPMcvltSC3HzXN9oqlGu9bmmUTax_aULnA1Ux1q7ikiUz0Z7JvLOu9hMoULNafA0AxgMiN5P6JBBJwt4S7p_u7ef2FGEwXRdqvDH0wGkxWdQEEXFFl/s1600/P1030617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG6X2r9qrC84vvjpTkVBvDH1i7wNPMcvltSC3HzXN9oqlGu9bmmUTax_aULnA1Ux1q7ikiUz0Z7JvLOu9hMoULNafA0AxgMiN5P6JBBJwt4S7p_u7ef2FGEwXRdqvDH0wGkxWdQEEXFFl/s320/P1030617.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Brothers Trees<br />next to Two Sisters Pond<br />(three trees growing from single fallen trunk)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4c9g_TnBO5cAiE-0uKyFXcZEz8i0sXH3gE08fs_I6gecp-oYgeo6mpljftr3TNJsi50F6zLFDBuFRuOtHwuVtdznam2uuTWb5tgtq0imXY6VMaBm6xuIjj9qm2obHaJnR4KC5_ul_8Th/s1600/P1030618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4c9g_TnBO5cAiE-0uKyFXcZEz8i0sXH3gE08fs_I6gecp-oYgeo6mpljftr3TNJsi50F6zLFDBuFRuOtHwuVtdznam2uuTWb5tgtq0imXY6VMaBm6xuIjj9qm2obHaJnR4KC5_ul_8Th/s320/P1030618.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pig Tree Stump</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZZaCaXOUrQfoFSk13XHh6BgyvCWd2dlRL-pFkIpq9SuNyVqt7pS3FHIr42RvDgHDg4MgnQYJfnRuAPIzwnER5n6_e_3wvnpVloNYVqQ1oehmzjyO-ICMf4gy25UIHReOhh5W9d5nr3Yv/s1600/P1030620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZZaCaXOUrQfoFSk13XHh6BgyvCWd2dlRL-pFkIpq9SuNyVqt7pS3FHIr42RvDgHDg4MgnQYJfnRuAPIzwnER5n6_e_3wvnpVloNYVqQ1oehmzjyO-ICMf4gy25UIHReOhh5W9d5nr3Yv/s320/P1030620.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eternal Love Roots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hiking on, through the ever-present masses of Chinese tour groups, we arrived at the Elephant Trunk Tree and Three Generation Tree. The Elephant Trunk Tree just looks like an elephant, but the Three Generation Tree actually has a story behind it. Something like 1,000 years ago, the first generation tree died and fell down. A seedling then began to grow from the decaying trunk, thus becoming the second generation tree. After the second tree was struck by lightning, the third generation tree began to grow from the same trunk! The sign in front of the tree told the story much better, but either way, kudos to you, nature.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pplzDJ0CFypbI0-A7m7I0j9Tb_pnwKu-EzZ7fnJ0SxwrJ9Ezx1m-O9FZiQDX4TWtwQAzwC-UJOh1AzVkR197Kx_wzx6ygL2ZwztZ-qKXFI6s5Nl9U_n6YMKA5MNSyuz4Su_k4kRlCAol/s1600/P1030625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pplzDJ0CFypbI0-A7m7I0j9Tb_pnwKu-EzZ7fnJ0SxwrJ9Ezx1m-O9FZiQDX4TWtwQAzwC-UJOh1AzVkR197Kx_wzx6ygL2ZwztZ-qKXFI6s5Nl9U_n6YMKA5MNSyuz4Su_k4kRlCAol/s320/P1030625.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just squint.... Elephant Trunk Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6nhwkN4s5Gt0HNu9X5ob62VH7htz5cjXO3a8KBDL9A6Ic8UvkTwNtcZB3Vxm1QQi5hwSlmpfVIvrlhpF2c-YUsPQt7Y-hiSCNSLLh-EOJtqB2_7bAMVfPDt_qb8f7pRt03DY387sp8Cr/s1600/P1030626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6nhwkN4s5Gt0HNu9X5ob62VH7htz5cjXO3a8KBDL9A6Ic8UvkTwNtcZB3Vxm1QQi5hwSlmpfVIvrlhpF2c-YUsPQt7Y-hiSCNSLLh-EOJtqB2_7bAMVfPDt_qb8f7pRt03DY387sp8Cr/s320/P1030626.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Generations Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We wanted to free ourselves from the tangles of tourists, so we took the path less traveled on the Giant Tree Boardwalk. The raised walkway wandered through the forest past countless old giant cypress trees, finally looping back to the touristy monuments and museum.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XC9IipcUVS-ipcP5KGH5bzzr9AL1JXWVMLtrE8yHriqVxpzTJH9kwMjvQBIWwhDhBqw0R3nkmwcBqQmVBpPfOFAAXR5u5H0RhdrjLv52dUVuSAV0OFWQKKyDtVtQXk_tF4o_eID8gEN3/s1600/P1030628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XC9IipcUVS-ipcP5KGH5bzzr9AL1JXWVMLtrE8yHriqVxpzTJH9kwMjvQBIWwhDhBqw0R3nkmwcBqQmVBpPfOFAAXR5u5H0RhdrjLv52dUVuSAV0OFWQKKyDtVtQXk_tF4o_eID8gEN3/s320/P1030628.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge to the Giant Tree Boardwalk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQf9fmyFbPpdgBf4i7JKFxz82vWRqlpm9c92Q3G7WEijmbyHzdaEWrhrKXrQAwK4kdhM74jbJZ40R7DSh05oJAqvmpcqx0JuvRi-kDamKe59KqyQ84G4UkIfw6vYZ4C32RA8n2w3LX1Xu/s1600/P1030632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQf9fmyFbPpdgBf4i7JKFxz82vWRqlpm9c92Q3G7WEijmbyHzdaEWrhrKXrQAwK4kdhM74jbJZ40R7DSh05oJAqvmpcqx0JuvRi-kDamKe59KqyQ84G4UkIfw6vYZ4C32RA8n2w3LX1Xu/s320/P1030632.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Tree Boardwalk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ViDLAs93Gen2qZ15tp1b-59Rtxm5UnCQ8jlgRdWRqHdO1uLF5uY-VcPyZfL6uOwYNbKFmXa7nvvjGhSZ_rmUDRwbKUN0Swuz8e18se5ee-4euS-wQYQRGoobWvL4Lz-vDYk4e-eP-HZs/s1600/P1030638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ViDLAs93Gen2qZ15tp1b-59Rtxm5UnCQ8jlgRdWRqHdO1uLF5uY-VcPyZfL6uOwYNbKFmXa7nvvjGhSZ_rmUDRwbKUN0Swuz8e18se5ee-4euS-wQYQRGoobWvL4Lz-vDYk4e-eP-HZs/s320/P1030638.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant tree / tiny Ellen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJgYWEZy5mm3pXx3CD3FRzzYw3XGJvQv8J8qplR2sA9KMsgMgL4hGxKswPIxSddfbumIf5tUpbHski9ig9vG5Zwv9Bku7CmixYUxAhxePHQUMmEVy4pdmCpzp4OCunYf6yTXjj6vcpQSl/s1600/P1030641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJgYWEZy5mm3pXx3CD3FRzzYw3XGJvQv8J8qplR2sA9KMsgMgL4hGxKswPIxSddfbumIf5tUpbHski9ig9vG5Zwv9Bku7CmixYUxAhxePHQUMmEVy4pdmCpzp4OCunYf6yTXjj6vcpQSl/s320/P1030641.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alishan National Forest</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADN5fVpHwYd-I8jl8-NvzbgD2pISfmqKAdUNZeyca4cREjTbishfzV6GuKhEQYLiMGOWpfrufITWsNYaKCQVV6o1HSfc2M5XyRWMgfkex7MSNs2QOMwv8VZ_l1yK_mgebCmqbnsLXlAWx/s1600/P1030646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADN5fVpHwYd-I8jl8-NvzbgD2pISfmqKAdUNZeyca4cREjTbishfzV6GuKhEQYLiMGOWpfrufITWsNYaKCQVV6o1HSfc2M5XyRWMgfkex7MSNs2QOMwv8VZ_l1yK_mgebCmqbnsLXlAWx/s320/P1030646.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant Tree Boardwalk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMpbe4s6UzjZ5a5_Hg7FeelU5fRHEhabBHV4eDrfZVkYglS9uecV6iHl42SpFZdFCICW8wkVO3iNSM_2YgQcF35hOEtafibqyYyuGKWQG4-vnIODL2UfQRu52nIr-yYdlbCd63eVweMDz/s1600/P1030660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMpbe4s6UzjZ5a5_Hg7FeelU5fRHEhabBHV4eDrfZVkYglS9uecV6iHl42SpFZdFCICW8wkVO3iNSM_2YgQcF35hOEtafibqyYyuGKWQG4-vnIODL2UfQRu52nIr-yYdlbCd63eVweMDz/s320/P1030660.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Secret Passage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH9IbVp0ojEDaEgqlF-LsnC-C4yvB4wNrZdNYxRUFXYU90_h5VW2NB7xVRbmBgBBv2suroTYCHX15d65xM7_JwlC9uqtnTKjuXOj4nAPr_jcJoO5XVORG-VPl_sCnvdp6eNLGDPQ2G3Q_/s1600/P1030662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVH9IbVp0ojEDaEgqlF-LsnC-C4yvB4wNrZdNYxRUFXYU90_h5VW2NB7xVRbmBgBBv2suroTYCHX15d65xM7_JwlC9uqtnTKjuXOj4nAPr_jcJoO5XVORG-VPl_sCnvdp6eNLGDPQ2G3Q_/s320/P1030662.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Trunk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We skipped the museum, but took a photo stop at the Tree Spirit Pagoda and the 1000-Year Cypress.</span></div>
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72yx0UeUT7XDmb4CfxJz1sXdAZ86Q336Tb2wuR7wg3Bjn4Q8mu_9pTvNvW4NplmCh0e1RocvAcHJXZDzTPNHnmdJZidaf9xrZEAGEecNzPnLG8t9r1NDcGpf0-lr8JrFVmW0MKmglpNfs/s1600/P1030664.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72yx0UeUT7XDmb4CfxJz1sXdAZ86Q336Tb2wuR7wg3Bjn4Q8mu_9pTvNvW4NplmCh0e1RocvAcHJXZDzTPNHnmdJZidaf9xrZEAGEecNzPnLG8t9r1NDcGpf0-lr8JrFVmW0MKmglpNfs/s320/P1030664.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spirit Tree Pagoda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BCCeUI7qmcsaublaSCYSiQuYN_jhHsKMhyphenhyphenuxGDNbZF8zkQo6LutUdLp69EOaP3Pm10y8SLmXLV6s2C-ZmAKbb7zYDnPJEJYu-mLcsTr7BKXx5MUpLCsa7G60YFbPUr6dLGLYRIo50OXO/s1600/P1030666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6BCCeUI7qmcsaublaSCYSiQuYN_jhHsKMhyphenhyphenuxGDNbZF8zkQo6LutUdLp69EOaP3Pm10y8SLmXLV6s2C-ZmAKbb7zYDnPJEJYu-mLcsTr7BKXx5MUpLCsa7G60YFbPUr6dLGLYRIo50OXO/s320/P1030666.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1000-Year Cypress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally we came to Shemu (Sacred Tree) Station, were the famous Alishan Sacred Tree lies. Once the largest tree in Taiwan, this tree has been through the ringer. It stood through earthquakes, typhoons, and was hit by lightning at least twice before eventually falling a little over ten years ago. The Taiwanese government chose to help the falling process, preserving a larger portion of the tree to lay down by the tracks near its original location. The tree was thousands of years old and apparently it took more than ten people to circle the circumference. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ha-TwjFcD2jd9f7JeeA2PjM3cRLy-0PnDG4jIF-mPB9nRTwhtgcGl3b-qbk22Ns3lsajZYretzSACuhABDNEkZ48fSC5CoDp_VRp4dxNtAMs2x4t37mATmBUIdVbEvDrnB5slYVDZsVb/s1600/P1030690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ha-TwjFcD2jd9f7JeeA2PjM3cRLy-0PnDG4jIF-mPB9nRTwhtgcGl3b-qbk22Ns3lsajZYretzSACuhABDNEkZ48fSC5CoDp_VRp4dxNtAMs2x4t37mATmBUIdVbEvDrnB5slYVDZsVb/s320/P1030690.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alishan Shemu Sacred Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">From Shemu Station, we took the train back down the mountain to Alishan Station. The train on Alishan is so unique. The mountain is so steep, the train cannot go straight up the tracks from station to station. There are a series of switchbacks along the tracks at each station, where the train pulls in one way, then leaves for the next station going the opposite direction. Basically, the train zigzags its way up and down the mountain. And the scenery is breathtaking!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOJLxPpBuxprAoBfWGwjvApKJxX9ASBWNgsIhOBREj2X40jXdbo_hkCwCpaRSBHaoAondR81bSLBSacW0czVJbPtsKWgjwHWqE1qa0UR5Kix955V05CNxkL-Dk2seDPQX-pUzYn77j0ux/s1600/P1030652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOJLxPpBuxprAoBfWGwjvApKJxX9ASBWNgsIhOBREj2X40jXdbo_hkCwCpaRSBHaoAondR81bSLBSacW0czVJbPtsKWgjwHWqE1qa0UR5Kix955V05CNxkL-Dk2seDPQX-pUzYn77j0ux/s320/P1030652.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train pulling in at Shemu Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1UUDYzgKDIr14xkWzeTnQVAXVDxCqjsA3zRYItPGuTVPeVHqj8u7i7C2g7fEj8-JrghhQSguDh72eI4UOZu23EQJS_nIVXz48JuRsWhT7_rGgD1mN8mCk9nj3_-sXUWnFAincvy0wKHu/s1600/P1030674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1UUDYzgKDIr14xkWzeTnQVAXVDxCqjsA3zRYItPGuTVPeVHqj8u7i7C2g7fEj8-JrghhQSguDh72eI4UOZu23EQJS_nIVXz48JuRsWhT7_rGgD1mN8mCk9nj3_-sXUWnFAincvy0wKHu/s320/P1030674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train leaving Shemu Station<br />(opposite direction)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvRUJIlarWO0m-xLrN4Qs4Hxn0o2eKdpZ79pVoszFR-SuMw-nRZHRZUgDPBEENf9P6sHSdOylCRFoMVgFhLZDpCnb0gmXKc3V5AMaaztEEmDfcVQ2GA1JWOaqfsr8OCaG9z6_FBrcNzKR/s1600/P1030703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvRUJIlarWO0m-xLrN4Qs4Hxn0o2eKdpZ79pVoszFR-SuMw-nRZHRZUgDPBEENf9P6sHSdOylCRFoMVgFhLZDpCnb0gmXKc3V5AMaaztEEmDfcVQ2GA1JWOaqfsr8OCaG9z6_FBrcNzKR/s320/P1030703.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passenger Ellen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJx2_b9GEHnEknwbMJWOhnaI822ktdG9rYk6a9z2NxzOO7yZedTeoJD1msHPLwM51rwFoXPvm_MC7DGMeXk8OsyZCS77PiUUpTiQru-EzBIEbiWKzRnJIgj5fyGBfsnfzVwW-BvgbF3SoX/s1600/P1030719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJx2_b9GEHnEknwbMJWOhnaI822ktdG9rYk6a9z2NxzOO7yZedTeoJD1msHPLwM51rwFoXPvm_MC7DGMeXk8OsyZCS77PiUUpTiQru-EzBIEbiWKzRnJIgj5fyGBfsnfzVwW-BvgbF3SoX/s320/P1030719.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train pulling in at Alishan Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tKC7nFxBaTD-oly8vpY7dmLMIB0S8krF_JjVjZ9qN2P2vc7kywSUYT7LIugKYnzM0Dx4-GDfZOQAE1zOyOEI8LfYYIvPg-ay11rq1feZcaUQqu82YkIKX_47gEroDKZitlhVssGfsGZO/s1600/P1030724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tKC7nFxBaTD-oly8vpY7dmLMIB0S8krF_JjVjZ9qN2P2vc7kywSUYT7LIugKYnzM0Dx4-GDfZOQAE1zOyOEI8LfYYIvPg-ay11rq1feZcaUQqu82YkIKX_47gEroDKZitlhVssGfsGZO/s320/P1030724.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train parking for the night at Alishan Station</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That night, we watched the sunset, to balance out the earlier sunrise. Equally beautiful:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_i3IZ9ZFRSlXFgPPqjEGCxE6NYC0cMK19YbdaTR4IjngwhriVSuuTY-C68orB8d_Z80LijIMDfgCirydPzuIqKxLTT0OiI0LDNvIhWBsdYipGB26ZNfSZuZiXaclTL4zKvFVpVco7ESw/s1600/P1030748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_i3IZ9ZFRSlXFgPPqjEGCxE6NYC0cMK19YbdaTR4IjngwhriVSuuTY-C68orB8d_Z80LijIMDfgCirydPzuIqKxLTT0OiI0LDNvIhWBsdYipGB26ZNfSZuZiXaclTL4zKvFVpVco7ESw/s320/P1030748.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Alishan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBniWcd2P9I69vbBP0HynSGZdLqaWnX2wMrjVHz3XaZeu_2cKpcJe1nLsV7sb1sojj16MW-LavGCc6SvztWsMcB3ySE-6Y3IZsTUE5j5-cuaa247OQRVqv84wMbFvDdnksDYCK0deFqgWG/s1600/P1030778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBniWcd2P9I69vbBP0HynSGZdLqaWnX2wMrjVHz3XaZeu_2cKpcJe1nLsV7sb1sojj16MW-LavGCc6SvztWsMcB3ySE-6Y3IZsTUE5j5-cuaa247OQRVqv84wMbFvDdnksDYCK0deFqgWG/s320/P1030778.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see almost every color of the spectrum!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After a very good nights’ sleep, we woke up refreshed and ready to say goodbye to Alishan. Ellen once again used her excellent negotiation skills and confirmed a ride for us from Alishan back to the Chiayi Train Station, with a stop at Fenqihu along the way.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.ali-nsa.net/user/Article.aspx?Lang=2&SNo=04003735" target="_blank">Fenqihu is an old Hakka village</a> that used to be an important stop along the railway between Chiayi and Alishan. However, due to typhoons, earthquakes, and landslides, the railway through this area is closed. The village is still a popular stop for tourists, and we spent maybe an hour and a half wandering the streets and trails.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwQllybWSIsusjvMWGNL8X5kzyLhF54Jn4yLFpHyJyFhJcZAPaSnrAHJUbshFCre3F33zNZM2nuF4_cK_MQZpCkfDNWTIg76482eBPQCSgHLb9Zbl2YK7z_J1Nd3u4ThrI76BeM7_0SRK/s1600/P1030853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwQllybWSIsusjvMWGNL8X5kzyLhF54Jn4yLFpHyJyFhJcZAPaSnrAHJUbshFCre3F33zNZM2nuF4_cK_MQZpCkfDNWTIg76482eBPQCSgHLb9Zbl2YK7z_J1Nd3u4ThrI76BeM7_0SRK/s320/P1030853.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Fenqihu Station</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTarHHnHrX39BrlZLuNiJi8PTNrU58HRUwpZ6hjmVACHGQohB6DjO-9LQIPwCUo8wAi2_S6g_I1Fp4ERJFzEW564VJu9tzWUw9KAIZ7WMJ-a9x7r_MXf2Q9DRTmPyZuDgoJ2Fz0-Pw0XS/s1600/P1030804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTarHHnHrX39BrlZLuNiJi8PTNrU58HRUwpZ6hjmVACHGQohB6DjO-9LQIPwCUo8wAi2_S6g_I1Fp4ERJFzEW564VJu9tzWUw9KAIZ7WMJ-a9x7r_MXf2Q9DRTmPyZuDgoJ2Fz0-Pw0XS/s320/P1030804.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fenqihu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02V78uPvkAR1UwbWEwLBy_SmfLLMe2fKnybmexyr_cxFovEakK2AOZZ3G7dOp4F9GbAQ5taS4eKVu9aBZZpGSwf8uTsESnD0jx0iNnqTSlSR3Osgi5Nc29IIV6RhQT-xUv1e1JSrqLE00/s1600/P1030806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02V78uPvkAR1UwbWEwLBy_SmfLLMe2fKnybmexyr_cxFovEakK2AOZZ3G7dOp4F9GbAQ5taS4eKVu9aBZZpGSwf8uTsESnD0jx0iNnqTSlSR3Osgi5Nc29IIV6RhQT-xUv1e1JSrqLE00/s320/P1030806.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fenqihu home</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi03P21JHmUQ7eEn4eu8pnBQx0DCmp_Rk3BM-3qafJfEjkjlcu5fI2ov4UrKhVcr1xjTfpIeN25NzOnoiR9TxphJulRKmFKxSlgcUFgLwOmU-N8PwzWJABywHXEb5ov8_Jvh7FZtbXlauY/s1600/P1030818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi03P21JHmUQ7eEn4eu8pnBQx0DCmp_Rk3BM-3qafJfEjkjlcu5fI2ov4UrKhVcr1xjTfpIeN25NzOnoiR9TxphJulRKmFKxSlgcUFgLwOmU-N8PwzWJABywHXEb5ov8_Jvh7FZtbXlauY/s320/P1030818.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fenqihu Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4WgKrRo7s1dtzD6v0JXxR68F1sDCsiG8zv9PdywiXAVPjIaDf0Vivg9ny1a_OQWSPea3PEhtn8eoO690TnH7cqeRpndXVW9XlId1FwwNZF0nHnaXn8HN1JZtzmG9zW-tu7ocIqj1NUJG/s1600/P1030811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz4WgKrRo7s1dtzD6v0JXxR68F1sDCsiG8zv9PdywiXAVPjIaDf0Vivg9ny1a_OQWSPea3PEhtn8eoO690TnH7cqeRpndXVW9XlId1FwwNZF0nHnaXn8HN1JZtzmG9zW-tu7ocIqj1NUJG/s320/P1030811.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fenqihu</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA0D0xHrQtAXVm6ynwPES4YKO7lURjtUQ4npMaKIwN5uDrCfCIXJBqBZ74m8B4361vaNWDaLc8l9e69fCXjq5qhxI8yLgjg75s5a9hLpQMjI51Suywl1pzF7NklPtRERuie1ysljdUlUh/s1600/P1030812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGA0D0xHrQtAXVm6ynwPES4YKO7lURjtUQ4npMaKIwN5uDrCfCIXJBqBZ74m8B4361vaNWDaLc8l9e69fCXjq5qhxI8yLgjg75s5a9hLpQMjI51Suywl1pzF7NklPtRERuie1ysljdUlUh/s320/P1030812.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bamboo forest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVu9rxPoSoUtbctK7ys1_9MshuIG8YO8BXwTpLq77-ZZQ-J-uOifAHt_bq-6hHdw7BTeeLlMQvT5sH78bz7tLLR3P47QZj1JTidv7zomn_UZOPhVKAcmJkBB9xj7EK5ABATtj4f0ihK2m/s1600/P1030855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVu9rxPoSoUtbctK7ys1_9MshuIG8YO8BXwTpLq77-ZZQ-J-uOifAHt_bq-6hHdw7BTeeLlMQvT5sH78bz7tLLR3P47QZj1JTidv7zomn_UZOPhVKAcmJkBB9xj7EK5ABATtj4f0ihK2m/s320/P1030855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curious square bamboo</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Another terrifying taxi ride back down the mountain later, we arrived at Chiayi just in time for our train back to Taipei. I have to wonder how I got so lucky to visit this wonderful gem of Taiwan, and to travel (again!) with my wonderful gem of a friend Ellen!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_mvfm7zMoA4RagoVEhTYgZUUvhDr0UIdlAsE5FuVUdCxiQTfcoyoxavWpzVqVpCrew92JmV5BrlOCT6QFdtDdnzQIi3hpQyv84r3cYhkCsdjQ6uzuAZw2vW7bsGAloNOFmsqE9esPKz/s1600/P1030802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz_mvfm7zMoA4RagoVEhTYgZUUvhDr0UIdlAsE5FuVUdCxiQTfcoyoxavWpzVqVpCrew92JmV5BrlOCT6QFdtDdnzQIi3hpQyv84r3cYhkCsdjQ6uzuAZw2vW7bsGAloNOFmsqE9esPKz/s320/P1030802.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Ellen at Alishan Station</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-21302641870327036022012-11-29T08:29:00.001+08:002014-01-02T20:12:18.814+08:00Penghu - You can do WHAT with a cactus?!?<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Needing a vacation from our vacation-lives, Alex and I booked a trip to <a href="http://www.penghu-nsa.gov.tw/user/main.aspx?lang=2" target="_blank">Penghu</a>. A 40-minute flight later, we were officially on island time, far away from the gray, drizzly Taipei grind. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Penghu is an archipelago in the Taiwan Strait, between Taiwan and China. It’s made up of nearly 100 islands, and the landscape is vastly different than the rest of Taiwan. We are used to seeing mountains and tall trees on the main island of Taiwan, but Penghu is a flat set of islands, full of waving grasses and spiky cactus. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penghu</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After checking in to hotel and getting to know the friendly and helpful staff, we ventured out to explore the only real city to speak of in Penghu -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magong_City" target="_blank">Makung</a>. We quickly discovered that we were some of the only tourists in town. The high season ends in September, and we traveled at the beginning of November. The wind had kicked up, the temperatures had dropped, and the sightseers had packed their bags. So, no waiting in line or throwing elbows to force our way in front of gangs of tour groups. Perfect. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All alone</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our wanderings led us all around town, from the old streets of Zhongyang to the Confucius Temple and Martyr Shrine. Oh, and I had recently bought a new camera, so this post will be FULL of pics. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FZPxmItIdc_QjNkRdGqA2ThrdxYcOwiEHCTzG-lVAVgduJ_aQ1yQX8hGtYTHK9cHAKCfkRrh1KLdN0VNTAlsKc8lsamhcf7pfHkpm9jkG6cxPT6pgLktQooShq_phfGa0QKuL4zqOfzu/s1600/P1020769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FZPxmItIdc_QjNkRdGqA2ThrdxYcOwiEHCTzG-lVAVgduJ_aQ1yQX8hGtYTHK9cHAKCfkRrh1KLdN0VNTAlsKc8lsamhcf7pfHkpm9jkG6cxPT6pgLktQooShq_phfGa0QKuL4zqOfzu/s320/P1020769.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zhongyang Old Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makung City</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makung door</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squid drying on the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite Buddha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6savjpE2C-InE1up83Rtq6gPI8hD2ddarSR07i_iuSEdRx_nahn5D-14z2kVf1GfQ-qWeJx1Ro8nd6IAUChWdG2rNHmuJepSXhp38SAyIrRx85OhkvDb7RnCqBItnv7DelEoZaqb1HO8B/s1600/P1020806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6savjpE2C-InE1up83Rtq6gPI8hD2ddarSR07i_iuSEdRx_nahn5D-14z2kVf1GfQ-qWeJx1Ro8nd6IAUChWdG2rNHmuJepSXhp38SAyIrRx85OhkvDb7RnCqBItnv7DelEoZaqb1HO8B/s320/P1020806.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confucius Temple, Penghu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus Shaved Ice! Cactus ice cream and cactus jelly.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning, we woke up early and took a day trip to some of the outer islands. The ferry out to Chimei was a puke-fest, but I managed to keep my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee" target="_blank">congee</a> down. Although the tour didn’t make a stop at Tongpan Island, the captain slowed down enough for us to take a few pictures. Tongpan is known for the natural basalt column cliffs surrounding the island. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tongpan Island, Penghu</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our first stop was Chimei Island, at the southern end of the archipelago. Chimei means “Seven Beauties”, which refers to the legend of seven women who threw themselves to a watery death in the ocean rather than give themselves over to Japanese pirates. The adventure began right away, in the parking lot behind the dock. Alex and I had signed up to rent a scooter to ride around the islands, instead of going on the tour bus with the larger group. Neither of us have an international license, but we were just planning on faking it. I mean, millions of people bop around on those scooters everyday; it can’t be THAT difficult. Unfortunately, our complete ignorance of scooter operation was quite obvious to the little old lady who was passing out the keys. We were quickly chased out of the parking lot and forced to join the masses on the tour bus. If we could have just gotten it started.....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The bus took us to the Waiting for Husband Rock. The Taiwanese love to give names to inanimate natural objects, and apparently this one looks like a pregnant woman laying on her back. According to legend, a fisherman went out to sea, and his faithful wife waited for him by the reef. But when a storm brewed up and the husband didn’t return, the wife continued to wait. After several days (weeks?) the villagers became quite concerned for the woman’s health, especially after it was discovered that she was pregnant. But the wife kept waiting, and of course, ended up dying. So, now the reef has taken the form of a pregnant woman, lying in wait. Which came first, the legend or the rock? </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby bump</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next up was Little Taiwan Rock, which -- you guessed it -- is a rock that looks like Taiwan. But, this one really can’t be argued; it DOES look like Taiwan. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiao Taiwan</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The final stop on Chimei was the most photographed spot on Penghu, Two-Heart Stone Weir. Amazing as it would be if this was a natural weir, it’s not; it’s man-made. No less beautiful, though. Designed to trap fish during low tide, the Stone Weir is just one of hundreds throughout the islands. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So beautiful</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf8_Y2l_ZFp-GbQiZlgl1rr69_EYIbZYEbi2FcZPywLAoC82y8sDF_idfyZ8EvbStVyu-r-bNVdjgLVqeHvr91PRvRH3dS_lxLaivu9VFpKfspH_qhdnj0njl50tMJWUmXUNf9yWpPhv4/s1600/P1020895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkf8_Y2l_ZFp-GbQiZlgl1rr69_EYIbZYEbi2FcZPywLAoC82y8sDF_idfyZ8EvbStVyu-r-bNVdjgLVqeHvr91PRvRH3dS_lxLaivu9VFpKfspH_qhdnj0njl50tMJWUmXUNf9yWpPhv4/s320/P1020895.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So cute</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back on the ferry, we climbed up top to ride with the wind in our hair. Once again I was reminded how few safety precautions the rest of the world observes, compared to America. The boat ride was wild, rocketing over waves and flinging us about, causing us to laugh and let our hair fly-- I mean, scream and hold the rails with a death grip. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1EI3ZpjlstSSQ0WmYNi3JANchQ4-pfpujc60DNstWvmxKKA3JVXM4EXTIOq-HptSykm4EKOXzrayf3fJNC7I8q9qXkyUJOX9YybLr7Liv3BrFgm6Ur-SLWoh0pT8fFgFQ-_pFZJZznrT/s1600/P1020913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1EI3ZpjlstSSQ0WmYNi3JANchQ4-pfpujc60DNstWvmxKKA3JVXM4EXTIOq-HptSykm4EKOXzrayf3fJNC7I8q9qXkyUJOX9YybLr7Liv3BrFgm6Ur-SLWoh0pT8fFgFQ-_pFZJZznrT/s320/P1020913.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our only safeguard -- a thin railing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNZXPra9_bTRs7-gezZMVzSpT8AKC_dPYyg8TAmJKpO9IWBUymCz8X5jcItN56JSw34GloPk-x6mMdu-rWoXcKJvlzURygF7zB04bOvaQIhCnApgJG9np0jpObMAP8AaRmQn70R1dViOJ/s1600/P1020910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBNZXPra9_bTRs7-gezZMVzSpT8AKC_dPYyg8TAmJKpO9IWBUymCz8X5jcItN56JSw34GloPk-x6mMdu-rWoXcKJvlzURygF7zB04bOvaQIhCnApgJG9np0jpObMAP8AaRmQn70R1dViOJ/s320/P1020910.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex enjoying the ride</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The ferry docked next on Wang’an Island, where we were once again denied access to scooters. Never discouraged, we joined the tour group on Tientaishan, a mountain (hill) said to be formed from the oldest piece of basalt on Penghu. At the top is yet another strange, legendary rock formation: the Immortal Lu Tungbin’s footprint, which was left behind when he squatted down to pee. Really. That’s the legend. I’d come up with something better myself, but to each his own. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJxjvULxh2UAmP58lEkSXFK0qURwBWbZ4ZDcN4-oU0C5O_HqpnpepRdsIGzN4gRKspW4Y4PHeszGl9b_vZLNIDCsphjPQJMqX4ZzK06uipm3VKinCfFUN7nkc7-luazwhDy6zLLVZcsN/s1600/P1020927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nJxjvULxh2UAmP58lEkSXFK0qURwBWbZ4ZDcN4-oU0C5O_HqpnpepRdsIGzN4gRKspW4Y4PHeszGl9b_vZLNIDCsphjPQJMqX4ZzK06uipm3VKinCfFUN7nkc7-luazwhDy6zLLVZcsN/s320/P1020927.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lu Tungbin's footprint</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Later, at the Zhongshe Old Residence, we discovered how life used to be on Wang’an Island. The abandoned seaside neighborhood was a bit eerie, but that didn’t stop me from taking approximately one million pictures. Here are just a few. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKNYq4KWWO12osirssTBJtV1bhdsQ4LmKh4h8XZAgITMaFZ7XbfdVxiRmXHCp8f4SFZlkS-c_huUZP-eGU6ucJVdT8LLfL5oDQLq6XUu6mYzxLx6wgpwS9Br5IG2z2LOLUbJ4wfb0V_QP/s1600/P1020947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNKNYq4KWWO12osirssTBJtV1bhdsQ4LmKh4h8XZAgITMaFZ7XbfdVxiRmXHCp8f4SFZlkS-c_huUZP-eGU6ucJVdT8LLfL5oDQLq6XUu6mYzxLx6wgpwS9Br5IG2z2LOLUbJ4wfb0V_QP/s320/P1020947.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zhongshe Old Residence</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENzLCvhM5TurshMVXcmgkAUMNvpvsT71p2RG0OHQmtRu78nmfl0P83-sAvJ7ZAv_1WhJm1LPl0gmRRdAmk_0VvCRcDMTW3Y8RbhzxR9TBgfu6PJgkgROct9QQUw7k-tf3i4itRRBzrrC9/s1600/P1020967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENzLCvhM5TurshMVXcmgkAUMNvpvsT71p2RG0OHQmtRu78nmfl0P83-sAvJ7ZAv_1WhJm1LPl0gmRRdAmk_0VvCRcDMTW3Y8RbhzxR9TBgfu6PJgkgROct9QQUw7k-tf3i4itRRBzrrC9/s320/P1020967.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside an abandoned home</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDBgEP5fA4DdbEHpVajm7QM29gET8OMeAbeaxbbA0eAAO5f6MvlyJ1rB2OmgdItA03ZGIEy9loXEw0yJmYFAG2u1ojAQRT706G6CfUgcDDuP6R1PcJ7mjQB1n_cvkkrIEYlQkerVd6sr6/s1600/P1020968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDBgEP5fA4DdbEHpVajm7QM29gET8OMeAbeaxbbA0eAAO5f6MvlyJ1rB2OmgdItA03ZGIEy9loXEw0yJmYFAG2u1ojAQRT706G6CfUgcDDuP6R1PcJ7mjQB1n_cvkkrIEYlQkerVd6sr6/s320/P1020968.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door barricaded against strong winds</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3YVTP7posUsf7Vdtz_R3MgejxmlbfyBcNJ53Tud1XodW_qcn0vJEEoga2nVYuVx2vfULct5L8ZmY6NwBiKrXSQcinfnMkDkvoLBMAiwyiG4_RPKVBdjOh443qNJEybf_TzYk5cLpHU3E/s1600/P1020976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3YVTP7posUsf7Vdtz_R3MgejxmlbfyBcNJ53Tud1XodW_qcn0vJEEoga2nVYuVx2vfULct5L8ZmY6NwBiKrXSQcinfnMkDkvoLBMAiwyiG4_RPKVBdjOh443qNJEybf_TzYk5cLpHU3E/s320/P1020976.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making myself at home</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOrsJ07BdAwCPqCvA22edSPQkvnW4A1JlpMYIxOThEd77Z7e1K0xHUhmP8BuqtI_EUfMVr1Ceb8bqTNPWWeM81z4e_BphKN3aAlFj_Pq6JVmJnQTwlzuoZMquxqwBg6uS9za_3OWz9eC7/s1600/P1020981.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOrsJ07BdAwCPqCvA22edSPQkvnW4A1JlpMYIxOThEd77Z7e1K0xHUhmP8BuqtI_EUfMVr1Ceb8bqTNPWWeM81z4e_BphKN3aAlFj_Pq6JVmJnQTwlzuoZMquxqwBg6uS9za_3OWz9eC7/s320/P1020981.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone home?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Finally, we stopped at Wangankou Beach, which is adjacent to the Green Turtle Conservation Center. We didn’t see any turtles, but we did bask in the glory of the golden sand, crystal blue water, and complete absence of any other people. Gorgeous. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdP_mbjwNhlLzzzbCFzznDv0-hEsSLgSfoDSESHjkmfpPeSGrbalAac5YrLB3oeW4IG2JV8CrhYw8QENQLP-9Zp-WCe04JitglUJIgpyiNKnoj5MWOWmIOu-YrC-uA-BjH4_WhgJMmq_X/s1600/P1020983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqdP_mbjwNhlLzzzbCFzznDv0-hEsSLgSfoDSESHjkmfpPeSGrbalAac5YrLB3oeW4IG2JV8CrhYw8QENQLP-9Zp-WCe04JitglUJIgpyiNKnoj5MWOWmIOu-YrC-uA-BjH4_WhgJMmq_X/s320/P1020983.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wangankou</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_5MC0cFleHylObIsLMmqHLhtTi7flEq1EURYZ31L708SLw5uB7xLlkl9IBMb98BYk3015K_AMREhHdEPnGG7fPVh9cgoAOSiuNErB8glqI8Uc1N4r7nRpvxEufe_WFKSZinqR0BLelr9/s1600/P1020989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_5MC0cFleHylObIsLMmqHLhtTi7flEq1EURYZ31L708SLw5uB7xLlkl9IBMb98BYk3015K_AMREhHdEPnGG7fPVh9cgoAOSiuNErB8glqI8Uc1N4r7nRpvxEufe_WFKSZinqR0BLelr9/s320/P1020989.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmczpF_ZAAfVPDxJDnitITMLUU3PF96JekiJmYcxaFoFJwBVud17POulpAihCcyebSHtQmsAleIsu6wchbBSW7zYKT-9eqecsDTqGAaEesseQJZxJchnm6lc2Vt4Gcn3wl1gr24WhMx_-z/s1600/P1020994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmczpF_ZAAfVPDxJDnitITMLUU3PF96JekiJmYcxaFoFJwBVud17POulpAihCcyebSHtQmsAleIsu6wchbBSW7zYKT-9eqecsDTqGAaEesseQJZxJchnm6lc2Vt4Gcn3wl1gr24WhMx_-z/s320/P1020994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peace</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back on the main Penghu Island, we grabbed some dinner and a handful of beers from 7-11 and headed down to Kuanyin Pavilion Park to watch the sunset. Sitting at the bay watching the windsurfers and recounting the day’s adventures, we watched the sun dip down and the colors of the Rainbow Bridge light up. Life is good. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UY49A8HDwdn3a8lhVJVe1OpUjONfb53xpIs0BShpA6gAz9vk30vOddxlMj2ASFaNjO4IWSN-xD_6kkOcwoFYR7whKJcVqa8erpGx_fpXca58KgBtU4cwQGDXbWWdNBObc0SdD_-Iiffy/s1600/P1030047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UY49A8HDwdn3a8lhVJVe1OpUjONfb53xpIs0BShpA6gAz9vk30vOddxlMj2ASFaNjO4IWSN-xD_6kkOcwoFYR7whKJcVqa8erpGx_fpXca58KgBtU4cwQGDXbWWdNBObc0SdD_-Iiffy/s320/P1030047.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset ride</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly50EVLUcM0IWK9XR2V1gI1tiWdSHy04-MaVEqe1wwEXIizxv4rCy4W7BYR0aQH3US5iSgaxtAB8BEVrV8RKnKd-3u8a75QdD4YdDNqxep6oERPpQ2gHj7lWeczQutzZ_ehQISzSbzFa1/s1600/P1030077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhly50EVLUcM0IWK9XR2V1gI1tiWdSHy04-MaVEqe1wwEXIizxv4rCy4W7BYR0aQH3US5iSgaxtAB8BEVrV8RKnKd-3u8a75QdD4YdDNqxep6oERPpQ2gHj7lWeczQutzZ_ehQISzSbzFa1/s320/P1030077.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Pedestrian Bridge, Penghu</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We ended the night with one good decision -- the “Absolutely Drunk” cocktail at Freud Pub -- and a series of bad decisions, which shall remain untold. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pp44BghfIuIg10di77qNXrXCiFZF9lH_bzDZMv8sXB3JavCjuJ1GMhBP4BMH_Icm9YvlNr_Ob_bClBQj5XPPIr5UGvUCC_BsUFyrrW50XpWOjlt1E76LpKaNUg7dmuyy_WXSCJuyReUH/s1600/P1030092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9pp44BghfIuIg10di77qNXrXCiFZF9lH_bzDZMv8sXB3JavCjuJ1GMhBP4BMH_Icm9YvlNr_Ob_bClBQj5XPPIr5UGvUCC_BsUFyrrW50XpWOjlt1E76LpKaNUg7dmuyy_WXSCJuyReUH/s320/P1030092.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Absolutely Drunk -- I called it a Penghu Island Iced Tea. <br />
Six kinds of alcohol mixed with cactus juice. Yeah.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX88tA77Cnv-idgSJWrLo5_1CS4ZUDQtR1B4Gf_qnnBoKmKxR4eZ8A9C2k_c3Q1mTdP7Va4B6nDNBiXugPojp2QcLImG9uDY-c-NVravDVp_FYqBjipd2wHcK_nQyxtumj9o3SliFc5Fw/s1600/P1030097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX88tA77Cnv-idgSJWrLo5_1CS4ZUDQtR1B4Gf_qnnBoKmKxR4eZ8A9C2k_c3Q1mTdP7Va4B6nDNBiXugPojp2QcLImG9uDY-c-NVravDVp_FYqBjipd2wHcK_nQyxtumj9o3SliFc5Fw/s320/P1030097.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freud Pub, Penghu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next day didn’t really begin until around noon, you know...because it was vacation... We were once again denied scooters. We were also admonished for requesting bicycle rentals, since apparently it’s crazy to ride bikes when it’s windy out. Resourceful as we are, we marched up to the (only) bus station and figured out where we wanted to go and how to get there. Then we missed the bus. Dang you, Absolutely Drunk!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While we waited for the next bus to arrive, we had an hour and a half to kill around town. We walked along the Makung Old Wall and stumbled upon another old deserted neighborhood. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmPRd9K-yDYBNvkFJuOzKmYr0ppbttQEOJTdKXIefoUwBLY-SGPqEd5nEEuzcr1KIJoaUa0AsHP-AuGJ_iktje6Km1ADbLLn3cfWDdNLf-47qxQEV_5daYoJ9N0WX2gAkEWZuNr0OahVL/s1600/P1030109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmPRd9K-yDYBNvkFJuOzKmYr0ppbttQEOJTdKXIefoUwBLY-SGPqEd5nEEuzcr1KIJoaUa0AsHP-AuGJ_iktje6Km1ADbLLn3cfWDdNLf-47qxQEV_5daYoJ9N0WX2gAkEWZuNr0OahVL/s320/P1030109.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makung Old Wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12faJyBnbhyphenhyphenWB-J5RQ-F8RYoz6e6zq2eEQ-Ho2wlqBQ4YfCzmIkX0FLAD3kBEWhVE7w_t97cCDZhW6ngz04_DFhq3Gokyx0t5sp6Js4-W1tRaSjNkZ8XvIPWsb-hgJELjFiC9WfUFNArA/s1600/P1030118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12faJyBnbhyphenhyphenWB-J5RQ-F8RYoz6e6zq2eEQ-Ho2wlqBQ4YfCzmIkX0FLAD3kBEWhVE7w_t97cCDZhW6ngz04_DFhq3Gokyx0t5sp6Js4-W1tRaSjNkZ8XvIPWsb-hgJELjFiC9WfUFNArA/s320/P1030118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Village from water's edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZylN-Vj-MPW1s2L6yRVsLFpBg_MrWh5HZ7PVvhYz0WSTUUY0REGZfKaWjCI8QCaOke52OMoBFdovuPMr8zosNaHNklAnKdJII3rURMW3H7qBJqouvohbElqPnlwH_N31Ob0VZTsywXGJ/s1600/P1030122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZylN-Vj-MPW1s2L6yRVsLFpBg_MrWh5HZ7PVvhYz0WSTUUY0REGZfKaWjCI8QCaOke52OMoBFdovuPMr8zosNaHNklAnKdJII3rURMW3H7qBJqouvohbElqPnlwH_N31Ob0VZTsywXGJ/s320/P1030122.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Village tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_7sAsTxRU8h1-Ues-IxrUVs1bR6TUVshkZddwm0NFXoYoP3f2q7RQG0xZeuHdZ6BsHBnOSdFTJ6wi218KSEWaM4qRjHA4F-iT5usZYIJEEXrx-O3g4brPRl_0fmoQE6hxdbEXjUpR2ou/s1600/P1030131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_7sAsTxRU8h1-Ues-IxrUVs1bR6TUVshkZddwm0NFXoYoP3f2q7RQG0xZeuHdZ6BsHBnOSdFTJ6wi218KSEWaM4qRjHA4F-iT5usZYIJEEXrx-O3g4brPRl_0fmoQE6hxdbEXjUpR2ou/s320/P1030131.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coral wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswsvBNmNFwHblh5nNn2EXEzvj3TSAaKIvjLONzRfkPtUPdgb_JTbj6wPoIJfpN8QX808brzII-z-QDCdre3jPnSj2hS_A_JFWrsiia_JizVS8g9XMFcy_NpQ5hKthWH_wP5ZLLM-hTW9c/s1600/P1030138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswsvBNmNFwHblh5nNn2EXEzvj3TSAaKIvjLONzRfkPtUPdgb_JTbj6wPoIJfpN8QX808brzII-z-QDCdre3jPnSj2hS_A_JFWrsiia_JizVS8g9XMFcy_NpQ5hKthWH_wP5ZLLM-hTW9c/s320/P1030138.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Village home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the crack of 3pm, we were on our way to see the sights at Fengkuei Cave. According to my <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/taiwan" target="_blank">Lonely Planet</a> guide, Fengkuei Cave is famous for a fantastic water and sound show during strong winds at high tide. We waited around for a while, hoping for a performance, but nothing ever happened. We tried asking the little old men outside the local shop when high tide was, but they were only interested in commenting on my extreme, freakish height. Ahhh, Taiwan. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SQspxsMk2WkhmruV5aQ912YQPtQcBVlEU207amuGo1flmje1VHGekpq03xS08dTkqhy5QdcEI-jvmRwJ3OyUSmaOciuFqQHob2G648bglIdCTdWYMCVQFrLUFxNyPn3DQ-2kIMqIIGHu/s1600/P1030148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SQspxsMk2WkhmruV5aQ912YQPtQcBVlEU207amuGo1flmje1VHGekpq03xS08dTkqhy5QdcEI-jvmRwJ3OyUSmaOciuFqQHob2G648bglIdCTdWYMCVQFrLUFxNyPn3DQ-2kIMqIIGHu/s320/P1030148.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fengkuei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKskPOQcuGO0PDnyAcuxknljB45bJRMXia038xXHtPBskXveoiWf4bvNCDlACHTOUG_RD44bp9SFALTCVhlYp0LJrW4HvRuq00qSBsW-eeS2SkpyuqfovMwoTebMOtvy4_txMwpuhZWR7i/s1600/P1030154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKskPOQcuGO0PDnyAcuxknljB45bJRMXia038xXHtPBskXveoiWf4bvNCDlACHTOUG_RD44bp9SFALTCVhlYp0LJrW4HvRuq00qSBsW-eeS2SkpyuqfovMwoTebMOtvy4_txMwpuhZWR7i/s320/P1030154.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishermen at Fengkuei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJokAykpN5FNfSfpBAKn0W4VRpwDzKYd_kDyN-0rkJpcMQZ5UoaUW1SWN8mN9V4E2m5kncZmbURO-yiaH1Qk5sUdXZAgHllIsElHudz_NFSbd8kWURuVwgdVgElkt_0HIK-eBLmAQrxR0M/s1600/P1030171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJokAykpN5FNfSfpBAKn0W4VRpwDzKYd_kDyN-0rkJpcMQZ5UoaUW1SWN8mN9V4E2m5kncZmbURO-yiaH1Qk5sUdXZAgHllIsElHudz_NFSbd8kWURuVwgdVgElkt_0HIK-eBLmAQrxR0M/s320/P1030171.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penghu playground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cqU3XIbGlSDAIKxePRXFd6SLxCeQmzzngQpIA_m92_nKN7t3n5KylhtdhPvaQ9U3fAiSatMQeI4h2QUwxCw9VsEAzPNqd1-mP4H7k8QSGwLJ2ugaj3KEGHXGs4lsGImgh-Df2XNDZFHq/s1600/P1030178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cqU3XIbGlSDAIKxePRXFd6SLxCeQmzzngQpIA_m92_nKN7t3n5KylhtdhPvaQ9U3fAiSatMQeI4h2QUwxCw9VsEAzPNqd1-mP4H7k8QSGwLJ2ugaj3KEGHXGs4lsGImgh-Df2XNDZFHq/s320/P1030178.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really? <br />
People live here and see this everyday?<br />
What am I doing with my life?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That night, famished from our busy day of waiting around, we ordered up some of the local delicacies at Jang Jin Restaurant. We cleaned our plates of fresh fried prawns, pumpkin rice noodles, fresh-caught fish, ginger soup, and sea cucumber salad. <i>Hen haochi</i>. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh7a26olmdGNR65G6yMyHR5sBw3gEYBgH4j3nX8ZhEoUVfEypH0ylOtp3l28clyapHQhu1pT4glAyJ5QFB9KgvDUy2GCL8J1nq6jBCtJTjdNzWTVulJ2cKTgrMKHMZNBTD-RPsCjRwOUk/s1600/P1030193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFh7a26olmdGNR65G6yMyHR5sBw3gEYBgH4j3nX8ZhEoUVfEypH0ylOtp3l28clyapHQhu1pT4glAyJ5QFB9KgvDUy2GCL8J1nq6jBCtJTjdNzWTVulJ2cKTgrMKHMZNBTD-RPsCjRwOUk/s320/P1030193.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seafood feast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our original plan of renting bikes to ride around the main islands was put to rest by the many rental shops that laughed and looked at us crazily when we inquired about pricing and availability, so we opted for a private taxi hire for the day. Mr. E was our faithful driver, and for the low-low price of $1800NT ($60US), we toured Huhsi, Baisha, and Hsiyu in style. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mr. E pulled over at the Baisha Wind Power Plant, and by “pulled over” I mean “turned off the main highway and drove up the bike path to the shore.” Oh, Taiwan. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gd4CybsQOvGaFqLlGwRHN_BQPh3acxeDih08E7SP-DvcctnZ_MhMOEF86zwIDyx7i3ttwRPlPqObrSdcXNNA6SOGf2halp79ZqcwLnXiyw_9to2AIR4MYLidGJb4879f9tpw8dyhHMOm/s1600/P1030201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gd4CybsQOvGaFqLlGwRHN_BQPh3acxeDih08E7SP-DvcctnZ_MhMOEF86zwIDyx7i3ttwRPlPqObrSdcXNNA6SOGf2halp79ZqcwLnXiyw_9to2AIR4MYLidGJb4879f9tpw8dyhHMOm/s320/P1030201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wind power</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBMRjHAA86XJJKaWoHbGUwTDYHjUpw7E5KtJBL6sMHZXhSGE4MG-vkgXGf120Hl6g6L-p-KgnoEzo-LKN9Qti88krph0hzO6QpoW8DmD2tVbPseShNSqZMmaudWjE2n7LHbH8VTvh7hep/s1600/P1030200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBMRjHAA86XJJKaWoHbGUwTDYHjUpw7E5KtJBL6sMHZXhSGE4MG-vkgXGf120Hl6g6L-p-KgnoEzo-LKN9Qti88krph0hzO6QpoW8DmD2tVbPseShNSqZMmaudWjE2n7LHbH8VTvh7hep/s320/P1030200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hair is caught in a windmill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next stop was the famous Tongliang Banyan Tree. The roots of this single, 300-year-old tree have spread their way across nearly 6,500 square feet. Lucky for us, no other tourists were around, so we had the entire area peacefully to ourselves. We did bother the locals for some cactus sorbet at the nearby shop. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T_k3_qIiKHtpqblgACt-Oaa_TGRw3S9ei3bWkcazSCwPiezc-Ae_e05CjTLbpgOunjNMFMgyHptKRKp3unFBpaeOUkYoEs3zSMxpNy9TP_NxkqCX-B0B2XG5SWu4ixHLZnRA8H1msxy7/s1600/P1030220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-T_k3_qIiKHtpqblgACt-Oaa_TGRw3S9ei3bWkcazSCwPiezc-Ae_e05CjTLbpgOunjNMFMgyHptKRKp3unFBpaeOUkYoEs3zSMxpNy9TP_NxkqCX-B0B2XG5SWu4ixHLZnRA8H1msxy7/s320/P1030220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tongliang Banyan Tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7hoBvEQjNBs8gB-dAdJaOed6g5kVQes0xyLZfKHS1dy-0FSyV0BHICVAv4C-aQwGVHP2MC37BsUkvQmmrpIRyO7fJS92Uit8xcuNF8EWIwrbRWPmjrGd8dEOxNU_2u7kiFbpfQQo9bES/s1600/P1030216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ7hoBvEQjNBs8gB-dAdJaOed6g5kVQes0xyLZfKHS1dy-0FSyV0BHICVAv4C-aQwGVHP2MC37BsUkvQmmrpIRyO7fJS92Uit8xcuNF8EWIwrbRWPmjrGd8dEOxNU_2u7kiFbpfQQo9bES/s320/P1030216.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twisted, tangled roots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ksaylD-jLuc7lHS9AS1QKgnSoHFC5ya5bqwiH-XJJn5ZekS2hCFFcjwfMatTxd6yBz69rditbA49WHNNfoGzfWa6gr7ITNOYEFWX9FwWoJuWHSz-PhVzTZIlpabfcQ3xjUILFmdWF0cU/s1600/P1030227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ksaylD-jLuc7lHS9AS1QKgnSoHFC5ya5bqwiH-XJJn5ZekS2hCFFcjwfMatTxd6yBz69rditbA49WHNNfoGzfWa6gr7ITNOYEFWX9FwWoJuWHSz-PhVzTZIlpabfcQ3xjUILFmdWF0cU/s320/P1030227.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cactus food!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wCrNvjDo-7K6Hzq7O1suMpEYiw4O_cOhq_FTXKj_04RI9GIgOwqHXznN64ibnAx-sfhtqFdTcIMS_AmqR1-BSoOOoyJYIiE1DVfABdaRG0ScCfpyCzcKhemWO6rvO5k1sHhKZq304uB7/s1600/P1030224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6wCrNvjDo-7K6Hzq7O1suMpEYiw4O_cOhq_FTXKj_04RI9GIgOwqHXznN64ibnAx-sfhtqFdTcIMS_AmqR1-BSoOOoyJYIiE1DVfABdaRG0ScCfpyCzcKhemWO6rvO5k1sHhKZq304uB7/s320/P1030224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chomp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After crossing the Trans-Ocean Bridge, we stopped at Da-Yi Temple. Having seen SO MANY temples in Taiwan, I admit I’m less than impressed with them now. But this temple has a deep dark secret that sounded fascinating in the guide book and did not disappoint in person. Past a sign proclaiming government approval, downstairs in the basement, the temple is transformed into a neon coral freak show. Sneaking through the DayGlo painted sea coral walls, you come to a shallow pond surrounded by floodlights. And there, in the corners hiding beneath the faux habitat, are real live sea turtles! Really! In the basement! Of a temple! In a shallow pond! Surrounded by neon coral! Here’s proof: </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHsmjq3dhHKwHl9Rh7n2JwKfDIDH8dw0XV9-7ol4Ikk0bwU8YoU3dPyYCLZTbP-MCyu3fcWwNARDoalrywO2JeLeAccQpu_ptLXXomCUloC_c8o66IEufjEuZInRb6lOiU_Lo2T0EdtAk/s1600/P1030263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHsmjq3dhHKwHl9Rh7n2JwKfDIDH8dw0XV9-7ol4Ikk0bwU8YoU3dPyYCLZTbP-MCyu3fcWwNARDoalrywO2JeLeAccQpu_ptLXXomCUloC_c8o66IEufjEuZInRb6lOiU_Lo2T0EdtAk/s320/P1030263.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disclaimer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCdd-t3lgLrE_-xNznr0RCCQEpGv8L7tup5sBrFhWvkgyRHphISxdAvY0ywx1w1PspQmfDT66yrL-r7chI_JA3ZlR0KTJrqGXVaLqOxOHfw1Z7gT2R17DyJooRGlfkxWB4I2R6stXofaH/s1600/P1030259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCdd-t3lgLrE_-xNznr0RCCQEpGv8L7tup5sBrFhWvkgyRHphISxdAvY0ywx1w1PspQmfDT66yrL-r7chI_JA3ZlR0KTJrqGXVaLqOxOHfw1Z7gT2R17DyJooRGlfkxWB4I2R6stXofaH/s320/P1030259.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Vegas Coral?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wZlfDjkwifnG0ZirzLoipfSfDJKUhl9wXqwIWikFYJOOKZOX9Xf7jWYJNkUp_IVsBW8ZPojRqUUnIEvp2i56-pSzpvo12fLzcDoOmAaue4xnvyQlzNwmf8nvS-dTtR5DXkL60DsXQiuB/s1600/P1030247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wZlfDjkwifnG0ZirzLoipfSfDJKUhl9wXqwIWikFYJOOKZOX9Xf7jWYJNkUp_IVsBW8ZPojRqUUnIEvp2i56-pSzpvo12fLzcDoOmAaue4xnvyQlzNwmf8nvS-dTtR5DXkL60DsXQiuB/s320/P1030247.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Way out on the western tip of the island, we climbed up to Yuwengdao Lighthouse. British officers used to stand guard here for ten years at a time. Boooooring. But beautiful views! </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnaokCK9SbkoBFmS0yLZs9Tz8s1ZDfAmR2-vr00gQdnDkAkxm0znvj7A3MjJy7VAOVLbi521EaK5PANHU29d4q_ZV7RRX_3s8F8kP6Z7U6nTj1TTEE_CVhDIH3s6sKepjF7RkkxmfIREg/s1600/P1030276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEnaokCK9SbkoBFmS0yLZs9Tz8s1ZDfAmR2-vr00gQdnDkAkxm0znvj7A3MjJy7VAOVLbi521EaK5PANHU29d4q_ZV7RRX_3s8F8kP6Z7U6nTj1TTEE_CVhDIH3s6sKepjF7RkkxmfIREg/s320/P1030276.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Yuwengdao Lighthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivya1LSQDRbXNIh1PF5EN5GLqLfmD8Qxp04g1-r2D18qRhsdkWENUVlU0ZlpRwH2qIGFag3xcVlN1CjbnZsvU0gtFtOAJEy7i4PZPY1F9tuoBe1-P5lZYmvYNTFvG2Khlx1WwB651pwYgB/s1600/P1030288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivya1LSQDRbXNIh1PF5EN5GLqLfmD8Qxp04g1-r2D18qRhsdkWENUVlU0ZlpRwH2qIGFag3xcVlN1CjbnZsvU0gtFtOAJEy7i4PZPY1F9tuoBe1-P5lZYmvYNTFvG2Khlx1WwB651pwYgB/s320/P1030288.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuwengdao Lighthouse, Penghu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMet1z2Z-tuUgNXi5WiYj9x5sdnmB-ZzlRDVT8dWntLBt5hPV1-sYjjzwByDpslcfoiG_ucu4PJuvj6qMbbMbHVDx8f6sMmzOIGH1F83Ua4c0YVKZMvzmEhUgiQ27GaMV95O-kCj7C_8bv/s1600/P1030281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMet1z2Z-tuUgNXi5WiYj9x5sdnmB-ZzlRDVT8dWntLBt5hPV1-sYjjzwByDpslcfoiG_ucu4PJuvj6qMbbMbHVDx8f6sMmzOIGH1F83Ua4c0YVKZMvzmEhUgiQ27GaMV95O-kCj7C_8bv/s320/P1030281.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Mr. E</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We soon found ourselves underground again, this time in the bunkers of the West Fortress. Once home to 5,000 soldiers, the grounds are now open to tourists. And surprise! We were alone again! </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYZzjGYNg7SXMjwzJdAeBQP9cuuP9Wnp6RLpo1SIwPQYxm19_f0JGw9BWYdfcHsZy7pmFCLVjjgMF0L2yW_Rbj3lvKAI9U23GetaDLest84TQBlSNtOH6zXe2_zKvEmwMzdgqM0FRtWr6/s1600/P1030302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYZzjGYNg7SXMjwzJdAeBQP9cuuP9Wnp6RLpo1SIwPQYxm19_f0JGw9BWYdfcHsZy7pmFCLVjjgMF0L2yW_Rbj3lvKAI9U23GetaDLest84TQBlSNtOH6zXe2_zKvEmwMzdgqM0FRtWr6/s320/P1030302.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Underground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGwEWkjnORstvshP9HL9lYDFlNA9SUplvAM8pzrz3h2MxvJ-7ol3o0bjXmQWhkKkMy2YoAbVsgiPDKpBCVUqMGzd3sApt0I-g2S1ZsWn0aJ_C38sJYAo66T_SHMT7HPNPB6S6Kfc1T0Qf/s1600/P1030314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGwEWkjnORstvshP9HL9lYDFlNA9SUplvAM8pzrz3h2MxvJ-7ol3o0bjXmQWhkKkMy2YoAbVsgiPDKpBCVUqMGzd3sApt0I-g2S1ZsWn0aJ_C38sJYAo66T_SHMT7HPNPB6S6Kfc1T0Qf/s320/P1030314.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bang</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4ig51kWs4JV4j9pLd682nK8hfdv7Jll0MDIdMAhUph6rvBe46VOg09Jd8j5n4xYtj8wxxjl_ie3EsbpSph3lJ83yYzV_erwHnHs2lJumIlMvrewzJYb61EkqtQ_mXI8eZqgb5RqG4A6B/s1600/P1030333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4ig51kWs4JV4j9pLd682nK8hfdv7Jll0MDIdMAhUph6rvBe46VOg09Jd8j5n4xYtj8wxxjl_ie3EsbpSph3lJ83yYzV_erwHnHs2lJumIlMvrewzJYb61EkqtQ_mXI8eZqgb5RqG4A6B/s320/P1030333.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Fortress, Penghu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not wanting us to miss a thing, Mr. E stopped at the Daguoye Columnar Basalt. These seaside cliffs were formed by the cooling lava that created the Penghu Archipelago. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8nSuo3hZcyV6pIYhSYgLx0MbrrDIrA12LENVrL1JxkpfOO-jp3c73biUO9OFJSuzFw8nPe5jdK0udziJJT29eD3Utts1PfXFAjp3KTYGcus1FcfxX2DZpqA_h_picUotn7SvRr40lluc/s1600/P1030339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8nSuo3hZcyV6pIYhSYgLx0MbrrDIrA12LENVrL1JxkpfOO-jp3c73biUO9OFJSuzFw8nPe5jdK0udziJJT29eD3Utts1PfXFAjp3KTYGcus1FcfxX2DZpqA_h_picUotn7SvRr40lluc/s320/P1030339.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geology rocks :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuO3FIgTgHjrfMRTU5s5zWq85CEyYpCpADXS0r8hhbxYOpuRJ5PDHrd7b3bSynTszSe_59AQSX9bcTDioEFgWMLZNdFMOiswlCmoYAyMJ7mNlGU8SH8N9RfqU0Y8Ak9d9vcLRbNlVEJL0/s1600/P1030340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuO3FIgTgHjrfMRTU5s5zWq85CEyYpCpADXS0r8hhbxYOpuRJ5PDHrd7b3bSynTszSe_59AQSX9bcTDioEFgWMLZNdFMOiswlCmoYAyMJ7mNlGU8SH8N9RfqU0Y8Ak9d9vcLRbNlVEJL0/s320/P1030340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daguoye Columnar Basalt, Penghu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our final destination was yet another old village built of coral rock. The Erkan Old Residences are still partially inhabited, which made them quite different from the others we had wandered through. At one home, a young man welcomed us in, showed us historical artifacts, and sold us refreshing cactus drinks. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1bn9An6cyXZft3N_He33DuCpI49ERFETnoEKh3NKdl54w260pzi-CJtLgQogsdt1_k_Pnv32SQZL5l72aAFYR1NOXSRDqtibh1C8Gb_XwQfOLPOe3l9JuQOwiZZ627clO13JZjjCt1xQ/s1600/P1030359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY1bn9An6cyXZft3N_He33DuCpI49ERFETnoEKh3NKdl54w260pzi-CJtLgQogsdt1_k_Pnv32SQZL5l72aAFYR1NOXSRDqtibh1C8Gb_XwQfOLPOe3l9JuQOwiZZ627clO13JZjjCt1xQ/s320/P1030359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erkan Old Residence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZB9rytBI2IkB0IuFBp7n6_jmv-0e4xW0puy0LYh-PzmjBpZ8o9kFqQAcADJOtTv-DwZyBnR4pHOS8QqM953mfAf2qQEiLBUXNUTenpRvZNpGAaS_wrxqDekonv-AI5ciqKAxSTCsp-Ck/s1600/P1030352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZB9rytBI2IkB0IuFBp7n6_jmv-0e4xW0puy0LYh-PzmjBpZ8o9kFqQAcADJOtTv-DwZyBnR4pHOS8QqM953mfAf2qQEiLBUXNUTenpRvZNpGAaS_wrxqDekonv-AI5ciqKAxSTCsp-Ck/s320/P1030352.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Village map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzOjFslGHMM8KIcqrnxbpbFqBdsjZ4tx-IOLM4GBaiT5mZagFZeCjxydGLwakMwqy6dxpSvYmch1bQ-IwEKQPQR3nnFfShY-XUD04p_k1N2oGvo-B7wnNqIEOSU7KDFPNpWWxUjSaGz31/s1600/P1030353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzOjFslGHMM8KIcqrnxbpbFqBdsjZ4tx-IOLM4GBaiT5mZagFZeCjxydGLwakMwqy6dxpSvYmch1bQ-IwEKQPQR3nnFfShY-XUD04p_k1N2oGvo-B7wnNqIEOSU7KDFPNpWWxUjSaGz31/s320/P1030353.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erkan streets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gJXE9HJoS3fdXfmIbe9mefIOEfNFJNx_T4Z5KGbCe1iaA0Cw1hBauU6KPPZbVTfABdfDxPEcK6k-x02U2dTLL_vPP0AhuD35diy-LgwEV24kmKW7mJraCsjWn1GipZhJOHAPmhwT0MKC/s1600/P1030364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gJXE9HJoS3fdXfmIbe9mefIOEfNFJNx_T4Z5KGbCe1iaA0Cw1hBauU6KPPZbVTfABdfDxPEcK6k-x02U2dTLL_vPP0AhuD35diy-LgwEV24kmKW7mJraCsjWn1GipZhJOHAPmhwT0MKC/s320/P1030364.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erkan home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDprkOqaiFLK2PKPoVyn_gPpz9Nk_-x9JYumjaq7u4I5_RI3nAXDNk_OsHtCiHEN5TixZBGA_VviJ-wtuxebWe6wzA20mtN1x24EU9XYw0OK1N8qTOZqMO3gVq-Hh92t5vTotzDrtNTtS/s1600/P1030365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDprkOqaiFLK2PKPoVyn_gPpz9Nk_-x9JYumjaq7u4I5_RI3nAXDNk_OsHtCiHEN5TixZBGA_VviJ-wtuxebWe6wzA20mtN1x24EU9XYw0OK1N8qTOZqMO3gVq-Hh92t5vTotzDrtNTtS/s320/P1030365.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQRaCNTiGHaWbNae_mnIyFFGPAnIoWO6ZcUqpMpRseVMOcRS9yF7eF8KCPyVNPEi5cYcsdOn4JyB013g2vQhq8dkf02ABr3oMaoMoLgYXJrr6iFVU4sHCkh6lpDvzQkQ5PnBAKbVJySyW/s1600/P1030368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQRaCNTiGHaWbNae_mnIyFFGPAnIoWO6ZcUqpMpRseVMOcRS9yF7eF8KCPyVNPEi5cYcsdOn4JyB013g2vQhq8dkf02ABr3oMaoMoLgYXJrr6iFVU4sHCkh6lpDvzQkQ5PnBAKbVJySyW/s320/P1030368.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red and white cactus juice with cactus aloe</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back in Makung that evening, we went on a cactus-flavored food and beverage hunt. We sampled cactus mochi, cactus cakes, cactus wine, and finally settled in at a bar for a few cactus cocktails. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tuGQArEyiJ_CEwKgcU9P0q_BYnUIf8JsXES-UxZ7_5vfxaoc6I8fjcp2bYXL92YzPJHayoCr7JXq2anEgVPisAWxgE1IXalmOzHwl_DdeliehR3_3mZH-v4YeQ70yt4OdESJeWMh7P3A/s1600/P1030380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5tuGQArEyiJ_CEwKgcU9P0q_BYnUIf8JsXES-UxZ7_5vfxaoc6I8fjcp2bYXL92YzPJHayoCr7JXq2anEgVPisAWxgE1IXalmOzHwl_DdeliehR3_3mZH-v4YeQ70yt4OdESJeWMh7P3A/s320/P1030380.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sleeping Beauty" - cactus juice and tequila</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw7AEQql5JqH28vASx2ciK7GBKceS3Ql6rT1MGkbI4PYfFOhyphenhyphennvqvGEmHt63iecTswQsTovWitAh64mkwGTkw2JJ_WHkAkeqQsAvecLZ5XdFD22tzUqevw9CpPcQfdk3mTFKFzaQ4E3z9/s1600/P1030384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUw7AEQql5JqH28vASx2ciK7GBKceS3Ql6rT1MGkbI4PYfFOhyphenhyphennvqvGEmHt63iecTswQsTovWitAh64mkwGTkw2JJ_WHkAkeqQsAvecLZ5XdFD22tzUqevw9CpPcQfdk3mTFKFzaQ4E3z9/s320/P1030384.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Dancing Mary" - cactus juice and vodka<br />
And Dancing Alex :)</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The last day of our island getaway had alas arrived. Refusing to waste one moment, we hopped a bus to the deserted beach at Aimen. We were the only sunbathers, and the only people altogether, aside from the occasional police patrolman or sanitation worker. The beach was gorgeous, and I could see it being a very busy and popular spot in warmer weather. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FtWdk7Oa7EHjItHu1ovqflFXY6OGFYiCAc4eIGWgj3aiV9f6myQyTMDGjQBT2xJRzyj_r475DWMQZTB6F5nTr4c32XbJRHcoBYo0OAx3_DrOKE7j_LyVrr_mVeG3Ehpx5vRIqV8P4QJS/s1600/P1030441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FtWdk7Oa7EHjItHu1ovqflFXY6OGFYiCAc4eIGWgj3aiV9f6myQyTMDGjQBT2xJRzyj_r475DWMQZTB6F5nTr4c32XbJRHcoBYo0OAx3_DrOKE7j_LyVrr_mVeG3Ehpx5vRIqV8P4QJS/s320/P1030441.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aimen Beach</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEIPI7kpqyqO205GWNdlZOSxgqcDhL3EDBJpHdnW4w8JmxYmQgUfAdPhmLibNor0tDAnNXkjg7rm4BI-JFDbPcFq1eDxqm1ByuutPD3T5k07J29wyLd5Ihs-ca4b_Rd3SIbwEtF5ynaup/s1600/P1030409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEIPI7kpqyqO205GWNdlZOSxgqcDhL3EDBJpHdnW4w8JmxYmQgUfAdPhmLibNor0tDAnNXkjg7rm4BI-JFDbPcFq1eDxqm1ByuutPD3T5k07J29wyLd5Ihs-ca4b_Rd3SIbwEtF5ynaup/s320/P1030409.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another secluded private beach? Yes, please.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrSlmVlsiY-eZDB9UNuAx9jq8K_FzJ1VpP5duo3C79CrAJYun1luEd_NLGf4-rTo6ZY8pnCTVAQjS0fLdHGAb5dU3YACqgB2yLtD0JilERE7g3gKxwoqITgeF8_q5Hd_CfkZJ0VbTCDse/s1600/P1030439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrSlmVlsiY-eZDB9UNuAx9jq8K_FzJ1VpP5duo3C79CrAJYun1luEd_NLGf4-rTo6ZY8pnCTVAQjS0fLdHGAb5dU3YACqgB2yLtD0JilERE7g3gKxwoqITgeF8_q5Hd_CfkZJ0VbTCDse/s320/P1030439.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drifing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwibFaHmWujs90OONG6-DAFtJ2jU_HAY_1qffayHut51oN5jOUtOQwWb0jwdCnybb8Y3u1ezAFY7zdRBdcBQ3XT8SMbqU5ZFm48AiyQYEFljTMeP6OO9B8DYjb9jMNIfgVMSUfRShTaV4j/s1600/P1030410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwibFaHmWujs90OONG6-DAFtJ2jU_HAY_1qffayHut51oN5jOUtOQwWb0jwdCnybb8Y3u1ezAFY7zdRBdcBQ3XT8SMbqU5ZFm48AiyQYEFljTMeP6OO9B8DYjb9jMNIfgVMSUfRShTaV4j/s320/P1030410.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Testing the water</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Penghu was amazing, and I highly recommend you go! The landscape is so vastly different than the rest of Taiwan, even the beach town of Kenting. Five days was the perfect amount of time, and contrary to the many warnings I received before going, the wind was not a problem and the temperatures were not too low. Of course, when the tradeoff is a remote island nearly devoid of tourists but full of charm, there’s a lot I’m willing to put up with. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc146qIetXwxtuJ42RILpqkfwpbjg9O5rWYuDpdMS61PyOjPavJTOejN_nKZj3bB2ceLmy6naqiCBEcFBCQAT4q9mCFjpop2bnain-sylHH3eLj9Fj_b76qD9r0JGMhpL9O5fq1sroquvr/s1600/P1030453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc146qIetXwxtuJ42RILpqkfwpbjg9O5rWYuDpdMS61PyOjPavJTOejN_nKZj3bB2ceLmy6naqiCBEcFBCQAT4q9mCFjpop2bnain-sylHH3eLj9Fj_b76qD9r0JGMhpL9O5fq1sroquvr/s320/P1030453.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last meal</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-13780019923016533802012-11-09T00:20:00.000+08:002012-11-09T00:20:12.192+08:00Chinese Medicine<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A couple months ago, I went for a run and hurt my knee. Maybe I twisted it; I’m not really sure. In any case, I messed it up good and did nothing to take care of it. In fact, a few weeks later, <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.tw/2012/10/return-to-jiufen.html" target="_blank">I went to Jiufen for the weekend</a> and hiked for hours in the mountains. Silly me, that was a bad idea. By the following Thursday, I could barely walk, let alone stand for hours teaching or maneuver up and down flights of stairs.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My boss, Fuho, offered to take me to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_Chinese_medicine" target="_blank">Chinese Medicine doctor</a>, and I thought, “When in Rome.....” Or, Taiwan.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We arrived at the clinic (at 9:30pm and without an appointment, mind you), I waved my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Taiwan" target="_blank">National Health Care card</a>, paid $100NT (about $3US), and sat down to wait my turn. After about 35 seconds, they called my number, and I went in to see the doctor. Fuho translated for me and explained my ailment to the doctor. He took my blood pressure and looked at my knee. It was visibly swollen and he said he could feel the heat under my skin. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He sent me back out to the lobby, and the nurse/receptionist brought me an ice pack. Then the doctor came back with a box of needles and a cotton swab. I looked up at Fuho for reassurance, and she said, “Is it ok? He has needles. Are you ok?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Uhhhhhh..... sure......” <i>Needles? What’s going on?</i> None of the other patients seemed to be screaming in pain, so I decided to just go with it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The doctor swabbed my knee with alcohol and poked me with some acupuncture needles. I didn’t hurt at all, the needles were so tiny. Then I just sat there for maybe five minutes, waiting to be cured.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiIy0jq6duOq38I9Smv93uiRa6D8d1NGG53lBlAMBET5bOkApSPVtsTka41W2x8cF7GiYR-SAVVLInwQP2CIFzg6eWqSUyny19gI_sPd_rbEyT7caEwfqFdy1mJgMfszUEOk7PFduRf_6/s1600/PA290143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWiIy0jq6duOq38I9Smv93uiRa6D8d1NGG53lBlAMBET5bOkApSPVtsTka41W2x8cF7GiYR-SAVVLInwQP2CIFzg6eWqSUyny19gI_sPd_rbEyT7caEwfqFdy1mJgMfszUEOk7PFduRf_6/s320/PA290143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Acupuncture needles</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When he removed the needles, I thought I was finished, and frankly I didn’t think that was worth my three dollars. But the doctor indicated that I should go around the corner to another room for further treatment.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I sat down with the next doctor, and again Fuho explained to the doctor what was wrong. When she mentioned the running and hiking, he tut-tutted his tongue at me and began “massaging” the area around my knee. I felt like I was being punished for the physical activities that caused my injury! He ground his thumb so deeply into the tissue above my kneecap, I knew I would have a bruise. As I sat gripping the arms of the chair in pain, the doctor reached over into a drawer and pulled out a <a href="http://www.satas.com/en/massage-tools/14607-gua-sha-f-15-x-25-cm.html" target="_blank">bone-shaped stick that could ONLY be a torture device</a> of ancient medicinal practice. He dug the end of that thing into my calf muscle and I truly thought I was going to have to kick him in the face to make him stop.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He finally realized I wasn’t having fun and stopped. He seemed a bit pissed that I wasn’t letting him do his job, and he put down the tool and said, “Walk. Go.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I go up and walked around. I must admit, my knee felt better. In fact, it felt so much better, I was willing to overlook the bruising and pain to allow him to finish whatever “massage therapy” he thought I needed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He finished by wrapping my knee in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_herbology" target="_blank">Chinese herbs</a>. The herbs smelled to me like barbecue, and I woke up later that night wondering who was cooking at 3am.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiGhQqcItAbrWJsIoDJo8SEH0aZTr1_KHdfrTygEfeAcWiPOj6EyDxk9tppSHh3Hr40kv8WfZUyHj6akBIskXQXPvJ9FPyEiI8R772IEOcI9u6aqhEN2t5kRgEj0_r1iNzVgl6Pr54ui9/s1600/PA260128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiGhQqcItAbrWJsIoDJo8SEH0aZTr1_KHdfrTygEfeAcWiPOj6EyDxk9tppSHh3Hr40kv8WfZUyHj6akBIskXQXPvJ9FPyEiI8R772IEOcI9u6aqhEN2t5kRgEj0_r1iNzVgl6Pr54ui9/s320/PA260128.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All wrapped up and ready to go</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next day, I went back to the doctor because he told me I needed to go every day for the next week. Again I paid $100NT, talked to the doctor, sat through acupuncture, and was directed to the back room for further treatment.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Aware of the pain that could be fast approaching, I was hesitant as I walked towards the other doctor. But this time, there was no pointy-bone-tool massage. Just a lot of this: </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FUPmuYTwCew6XftAZm1abOJKs25JAC9e4HlBEB3YxgXQX191duSTyfnCKVU6uC_n5rd_wDlAjNb0MiXicf_kMDoK4ShBF8gPiZAW9xup9UxtGWKhnDjrO5j0ihACKUFWLM5nZ06ToVZa/s1600/PA260123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FUPmuYTwCew6XftAZm1abOJKs25JAC9e4HlBEB3YxgXQX191duSTyfnCKVU6uC_n5rd_wDlAjNb0MiXicf_kMDoK4ShBF8gPiZAW9xup9UxtGWKhnDjrO5j0ihACKUFWLM5nZ06ToVZa/s320/PA260123.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air cupping</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What the F?!? Yeah, that happened. I’m glad I have a healthy sense of adventure because this was possibly one of the strangest things I have ever allowed to be done to me. Apparently <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupping_therapy" target="_blank">air cupping</a> is a regular practice in Chinese Medicine, and less risky than the older version using fire to create suction, instead of an air gun. I asked for details about what exactly was happening, and I guess the idea is to draw the bad blood out in order to allow healthy blood to flow back to my knee.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My knee felt better by the next morning, and I got this cool hickey! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbtuw01HvtMZo4hX1G1gKHXTJjglImFGTKOdWcjYBM5eKtWU3HPAyZAmUCXFWZv5tWsJ4yLC4dmT-qObDY1s9ybU5o-0TiiOcVERqpTp_aHqnBrq-qByIGE2F9TpfyouGGeUwIYVOTs7g/s1600/P1020713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbtuw01HvtMZo4hX1G1gKHXTJjglImFGTKOdWcjYBM5eKtWU3HPAyZAmUCXFWZv5tWsJ4yLC4dmT-qObDY1s9ybU5o-0TiiOcVERqpTp_aHqnBrq-qByIGE2F9TpfyouGGeUwIYVOTs7g/s320/P1020713.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knee hickey -- bad blood</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After just two treatments, I was able to walk and bend my knee without pain! I decided to keep going back for the next week, just for safe measure. Each time, the doctor finished the treatment with a BBQ-- I mean, Chinese medicinal herb-- wrap. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One visit, I braved the language barrier alone, so I couldn’t get many answers to my questions about this apparatus: </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiMQsV58Zn1ulZEuSg4nH5Kkp-ftb8V-_zUJ8pLNo3C3Z-ZBr43jdC0EtIVM26U2stSgbR_hc63a44vaq23I6krNi2YIA6HZQ8_v5WV1QbkCHWvNRS-XUEa8ttMRanjediERpaEpbQnv7/s1600/30-10-12_1742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiMQsV58Zn1ulZEuSg4nH5Kkp-ftb8V-_zUJ8pLNo3C3Z-ZBr43jdC0EtIVM26U2stSgbR_hc63a44vaq23I6krNi2YIA6HZQ8_v5WV1QbkCHWvNRS-XUEa8ttMRanjediERpaEpbQnv7/s320/30-10-12_1742.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chemistry class didn't prepare me for this.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I asked my Taiwanese friends after the fact, I learned that this a form of <a href="http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/moxibustion.php" target="_blank">moxibustion</a>, which uses the herb mugwort to facilitate healing. The doctor inserted a couple acupuncture needles and sat me down in front of the machine. It looked like a tea kettle attached to an elaborate hose system supplying heat. I forgot my camera, so I took a picture with my phone.... sorry for the poor quality. Anyways, the nurse turned on the heat, and as the water in the pot boiled, hot steamy air was directed at my knee. The doctor asked if the temperature was tolerable, then told me not to move. The steam was actual pretty nice, and the smell wasn’t too offensive. I definitely prefer this method of moxibustion to the other options, which can cause scarring!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My most recent trip to the doctor ended with me sitting on a massage table in the back room of the small clinic, hooked up to electrodes, unable to effectively communicate with the doctor, and thinking to myself, “Why is this my life?” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPSzHxoMTpisfWumT-VspU_6loHjd8gaQvp3Y4Q6TDGvZdrc3B6oPYpfpC_1b4HuSEo1elgSRQJOEWHgwZXaF3-UkT81wtnGKIMUFNRGCpVFVrqSjMdaYhxWbqrHVd5WSVPaYp_CPCfu_/s1600/P1020736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPSzHxoMTpisfWumT-VspU_6loHjd8gaQvp3Y4Q6TDGvZdrc3B6oPYpfpC_1b4HuSEo1elgSRQJOEWHgwZXaF3-UkT81wtnGKIMUFNRGCpVFVrqSjMdaYhxWbqrHVd5WSVPaYp_CPCfu_/s320/P1020736.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19px;">Duìbùqǐ, nà shì shénme</span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This form of treatment is called <a href="http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/electroacupuncture.php" target="_blank">electroacupuncture</a>. </span> Basically, the doctor placed four electrodes on my leg, flipped the switch, and sent electrical currents through my muscles for about ten minutes. So weird. I don’t know how to accurately describe the sensation, but the closest thing I can compare it to is sitting in one of those massage chairs that has a bunch of different settings. Except, INSIDE your leg. Yeah, like that.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhJRs653X13BRjEhb4PHaSSIptONpK5KsyreYkoqEywodzJ2kEGxE8IS_IjJsJkyPRfFTCJzX8102iTilJIDpAqHWsC2OnZ_WXbKGx4iQXyZEyVuxPWQY-ej0wsA6R2blmoF3wHPuGJfV/s1600/P1020739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhJRs653X13BRjEhb4PHaSSIptONpK5KsyreYkoqEywodzJ2kEGxE8IS_IjJsJkyPRfFTCJzX8102iTilJIDpAqHWsC2OnZ_WXbKGx4iQXyZEyVuxPWQY-ej0wsA6R2blmoF3wHPuGJfV/s320/P1020739.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The strangest part? My life here is just weird enough to make this "ok"....</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Every time I looked over at the doctor with what I’m sure was some mixture of doubt and horror, he smiled back, waved his hand, and said, “Massage-y!”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Strange experiences and unanswered questions aside, I am a Chinese Medicine believer now, for sure! Those guys must understand some mystery that I cannot quite grasp. My knee is feeling better, and I never took a single pill! Just don’t tell them I’m planning on hiking the <a href="http://www.greatwall-of-china.com/" target="_blank">Great Wall</a> next week.... </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-26708204364274562552012-11-01T09:06:00.000+08:002012-11-09T00:24:50.691+08:00Teacher Samantha Goes to School<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Having taught in public schools in America for four years, I wanted to see how the public schools in Taiwan compared. I had heard about many of the differences from my students at the private “cram school” where I’ve been teaching for past year. And of course, every teacher in America knows that students in many Asian countries are outperforming their American counterparts on standardized tests. So when I got the opportunity to visit a local elementary school for a day, I sharpened my pencils and headed back to school.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I arrived at the front gate of De-Yin Elementary School and was escorted to Grade 3 Class 8 (or 308) by Huang Laoshi (Teacher Huang). </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcjzpSqOAuBpPQZZQv9zf90f9qj7InD2xUh-g2zvLDmEt3DM1NWXqPrbfjm9VLtpt3ELrPwdWYjDIbKtSR9Ii2xusyo0IoGJ0QtSxYl2MCOsfkdXYldpasdH4PEAcX9w0pjabCUcIDA69/s1600/PA180002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcjzpSqOAuBpPQZZQv9zf90f9qj7InD2xUh-g2zvLDmEt3DM1NWXqPrbfjm9VLtpt3ELrPwdWYjDIbKtSR9Ii2xusyo0IoGJ0QtSxYl2MCOsfkdXYldpasdH4PEAcX9w0pjabCUcIDA69/s320/PA180002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main entrance, De-Yin Elementary School</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Class was already in session, and while the students were excited and distracted by the <i>waiguo ren</i> (foreigner) at the door, the teacher kept the lesson going. The class was studying magnets, and the science teacher, Lee Laoshi, was leading while Teacher Huang had time to correct workbooks and plan lessons. Immediately I was impressed. A specialized science teacher in the elementary school? Planning time for the classroom teacher? Ahhhh, mere pipe dreams back in Milwaukee Public Schools. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYy1KQPluwQjN185JCfXBy46VeS0EPfUcGiWEzXt7mg_XHzULsofz3y5nqZxz50Qea1n1Y_v1iGGrDQKLy_0vqany9iwh0d3t2tCA7bY5aM0ULeeR2D2ifIuWsF25r630dk5TZrAVG6SE9/s1600/PA180010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYy1KQPluwQjN185JCfXBy46VeS0EPfUcGiWEzXt7mg_XHzULsofz3y5nqZxz50Qea1n1Y_v1iGGrDQKLy_0vqany9iwh0d3t2tCA7bY5aM0ULeeR2D2ifIuWsF25r630dk5TZrAVG6SE9/s320/PA180010.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teacher Lee explains magnets</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After the 40-minute lesson, there was a 10-minute break before the next lesson began. Apparently, here in Taiwan, there is no mandatory daily 90-minute reading block followed by a 75-minute math block for these young 8-year-old minds. According to the weekly classroom schedule, EVERY lesson is followed by a 10-minute break. All day. Huh. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDwZeNnZVExRGo6ndM36JvkFUJI2W45VV7wgQ7sojqfhfwT4jEI_6M8rK1gdaJQr_cWcbmAcJbpZdhTwiQXug3JL_B1AJU2A72ipCd1hlHZMqAEHJsVwfnPR_N7wOjhyphenhyphenT_ETucuCpQCS9/s1600/PA180016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDwZeNnZVExRGo6ndM36JvkFUJI2W45VV7wgQ7sojqfhfwT4jEI_6M8rK1gdaJQr_cWcbmAcJbpZdhTwiQXug3JL_B1AJU2A72ipCd1hlHZMqAEHJsVwfnPR_N7wOjhyphenhyphenT_ETucuCpQCS9/s320/PA180016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weekly Schedule for Class 308</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The regularly-scheduled Social Studies lesson was postponed because the whole school had an earthquake drill. I’ve participated in fire drills, tornado drills, and emergency lock-down drills, but never an earthquake drill. At first, I wasn’t exactly clear on what we were practicing for. The teachers put on hard hats and the students climbed under the desks while the principal or some other authority spoke over the loud speakers. I thought maybe we were preparing for a missile attack from China. I always think the worst. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyeY6q_fM7cbjs7rc6ljKDM_7Apzgmwlsr0xjEJgGY7RsZz3oy8_rGL42HDfu1tX_Is-0vFcr28QOoDqJCgtbIwDHudBVS9FM4QpGhTbMo1iw9yu52IHW7pzN50PoacrsxFctyVxwRwWB/s1600/PA180011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyeY6q_fM7cbjs7rc6ljKDM_7Apzgmwlsr0xjEJgGY7RsZz3oy8_rGL42HDfu1tX_Is-0vFcr28QOoDqJCgtbIwDHudBVS9FM4QpGhTbMo1iw9yu52IHW7pzN50PoacrsxFctyVxwRwWB/s320/PA180011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duck and Cover</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-4CmuHI5hPIP_51MHY9TbGLwdvmXmOAb8fu1ELT3eqxAb2mQoXy3h59sExF8kmKbRjPZGHB09b4diMMTUiWNGCiqWSbSC8rXJLRFBG_RLVNT7xh5ALJ9_-b035lggTp9tN6q9NNvRZE-/s1600/PA180013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-4CmuHI5hPIP_51MHY9TbGLwdvmXmOAb8fu1ELT3eqxAb2mQoXy3h59sExF8kmKbRjPZGHB09b4diMMTUiWNGCiqWSbSC8rXJLRFBG_RLVNT7xh5ALJ9_-b035lggTp9tN6q9NNvRZE-/s320/PA180013.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earthquake! (P.S. Only my head fit under my desk)</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After a couple minutes huddled on the floor, some sort of signal told everyone to stand up, calmly line up at the door holding a book over their heads, and file outside in an orderly fashion. Since I didn’t know what was really happening, I forgot to grab my camera in the confusion. But once we got outside, the entire school sat quietly on the outdoor track and listened to the principal explain what would happen in the event of a real earthquake. Then the fire department came over and sprayed the hose at a pretend fire while EMTs simulated first aid on a couple lucky student volunteers. Overall, the drill was very thorough. Nothing like the fire drills I’m used to. And the students were so ORDERLY. No kids were yelling or running around. They just sat in their neat rows, girls in one group, boys in another, class by class, lined up from first grade all the way to sixth. Truly impressive.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After all that excitement, you would think the rest of the morning would be shot, but no: the students came back in to the class, settled into their seats, and took out their books for the next lesson. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Teacher Huang led a math lesson about using a scale to measure weight in grams and kilograms. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-jhXLddL8btTTjo5PMofA7i5GIAxcfJyrra3AXDPDPulyk1EjsMN86dw5ge8lIQSDu6fxXQnO_OhWX2voGCmgzmOfcncWqz2Oagm4j3xdiNSISHxNM18EupL7__HS24n5WJpUan3CzV-/s1600/PA180019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-jhXLddL8btTTjo5PMofA7i5GIAxcfJyrra3AXDPDPulyk1EjsMN86dw5ge8lIQSDu6fxXQnO_OhWX2voGCmgzmOfcncWqz2Oagm4j3xdiNSISHxNM18EupL7__HS24n5WJpUan3CzV-/s320/PA180019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard at work</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_s1hK2bE03Ihojj4FIPEhn4GRWSDROkT9pjqumS5X9A-ogWmRqyqIqZShVs9j15TgPP6CMDErbyTZSkVygGbyugywKyLcnRU7BKVHLBm-WPSc6V1uiKDMdE8YzQpN27Jr6PVDARQHk9a/s1600/PA180023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_s1hK2bE03Ihojj4FIPEhn4GRWSDROkT9pjqumS5X9A-ogWmRqyqIqZShVs9j15TgPP6CMDErbyTZSkVygGbyugywKyLcnRU7BKVHLBm-WPSc6V1uiKDMdE8YzQpN27Jr6PVDARQHk9a/s320/PA180023.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that whole-class engagement!!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At lunchtime, the students stayed in the classroom, and lunch was delivered directly to the class. Each student bought his or her own bowls and utensils, and it was self-serve from the trays of food. The school lunch consisted of rice, an egg dish, cooked spinach, pork and pea pods, french fries, soup, and an orange. That’s GOT to be healthier than pizza, chicken nuggets, brownies, and chocolate milk, right?!? </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzZ-y3w_JgWJRP9ZBKcgfiVc7uJ87MB0b_48SlHF070VwDn95vzx36gDlVTasrErGjKpRGq9Dk0B2TNZFSyrXohtGhZ8hISQy_ooCfR4eoBAJUFIMHZb7mwml_O5xISc3JPLpXoCZnPcl/s1600/PA180030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzZ-y3w_JgWJRP9ZBKcgfiVc7uJ87MB0b_48SlHF070VwDn95vzx36gDlVTasrErGjKpRGq9Dk0B2TNZFSyrXohtGhZ8hISQy_ooCfR4eoBAJUFIMHZb7mwml_O5xISc3JPLpXoCZnPcl/s320/PA180030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunchtime</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMggqKdU-M4J3_Sc9Oj2NxSBrmmDBIT4kpzpeVgh2XwxRgtD6O-04yk2t0TIBh3rwlP78CQn9z1z-ZwIpUbato2IHBMFJxKEOjq-4Y1x9voN8KfVwn3kj5ceMBQv1Q7yOPcn6zH7s3u6Pp/s1600/PA180028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMggqKdU-M4J3_Sc9Oj2NxSBrmmDBIT4kpzpeVgh2XwxRgtD6O-04yk2t0TIBh3rwlP78CQn9z1z-ZwIpUbato2IHBMFJxKEOjq-4Y1x9voN8KfVwn3kj5ceMBQv1Q7yOPcn6zH7s3u6Pp/s320/PA180028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, so orderly</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NSLl4b_mhGH8jwOSA2umABLMUrURkY3D9l_BbZcDOH9trOXMSgDir5xMfDykjfiX6ktLM0niKcTHA4pDajJqiMSVcPlO3x7VDILRiFM2JFm0Q38OaEP5AJOY3aKfLuMv7A-AUCrpf-lz/s1600/PA180031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NSLl4b_mhGH8jwOSA2umABLMUrURkY3D9l_BbZcDOH9trOXMSgDir5xMfDykjfiX6ktLM0niKcTHA4pDajJqiMSVcPlO3x7VDILRiFM2JFm0Q38OaEP5AJOY3aKfLuMv7A-AUCrpf-lz/s320/PA180031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No food fights</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SQZY7-czPJV9lnVictIH1wWZdw30qYx4_pHOP4Qr7lSkQQn7YGiEhT0U2el-hKcxA62yVr5NNuZamaqU7BvObclEtya2kLfG7GAsC7wtuKIRylnq91bVcmq4S5GVZvkGjqHwRb2JIfH3/s1600/PA180032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7SQZY7-czPJV9lnVictIH1wWZdw30qYx4_pHOP4Qr7lSkQQn7YGiEhT0U2el-hKcxA62yVr5NNuZamaqU7BvObclEtya2kLfG7GAsC7wtuKIRylnq91bVcmq4S5GVZvkGjqHwRb2JIfH3/s320/PA180032.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty tasty school lunch. Beats the heck outta "mock<br />
chicken leg".... Why is it "mock"? So gross.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lunch lasted 45 minutes, and the students took their time eating. No wolfing down the food to get outside to recess 5 minutes sooner. I got to spend some time talking with the students. Some of them spoke English well enough to ask some questions and tell me about their family and friends. More than anything, they were curious and eager to be friendly with me. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQRUuWaxydveIBxZe_aHLNi1iMbqSz-ZHtWa6w7hfU_jRBi_bX-MdCs-G7ZMwge9JSy5jUenNg3p6faTQM-xQHyPD_cLONiCdepGpkinBHkfgZIld6kU9OTwkdiOycUCAe4ZQM1anlwlx/s1600/PA180033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQRUuWaxydveIBxZe_aHLNi1iMbqSz-ZHtWa6w7hfU_jRBi_bX-MdCs-G7ZMwge9JSy5jUenNg3p6faTQM-xQHyPD_cLONiCdepGpkinBHkfgZIld6kU9OTwkdiOycUCAe4ZQM1anlwlx/s320/PA180033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being kids</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After lunch, it was nap time. Yes, you read that correctly: nap time. And this wasn’t some half-hearted attempted at rest. The kids had pillows stored in the cabinets and put jackets over their heads to block out the light. Rest time was 45 minutes, and even the teacher got to partake! She passed the task of watching the class on to a student monitor, who dutifully took note of any classmates who were not resting. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u1Expw_jaIamLGCLPX4bJCaXPTkJkJdQ1wVgSAeCVV_6pRfOfMHyCeR-UaGIJdZYEbuZXU7j_ITLTqEtvxkUWxrtIB_nWAIGOHuG_bsbO1DDha3csmaxg-kgHRcVO5IUvrYDwyA-UGLv/s1600/PA180055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9u1Expw_jaIamLGCLPX4bJCaXPTkJkJdQ1wVgSAeCVV_6pRfOfMHyCeR-UaGIJdZYEbuZXU7j_ITLTqEtvxkUWxrtIB_nWAIGOHuG_bsbO1DDha3csmaxg-kgHRcVO5IUvrYDwyA-UGLv/s320/PA180055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhh, peace and quiet</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I took this opportunity to wander around the school. I found that all the classes were napping, even the older kids. Probably pretty good for digestion. The halls were empty and quiet, giving no indication that far more than 1,000 young children were present. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR23dje1_9iX1USbQrGBrqr_SSRZWpoK-AOZN2EmsXOpqkiKAUKhwE9w3sZlnVBwgQXPo8B7D_NVee8958AsfoyDp6rCiUnVBtqYi3Nw2CYNv_KAPEMhpcjZRiXdnpG5WSXsq04-FKEgGZ/s1600/PA180040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR23dje1_9iX1USbQrGBrqr_SSRZWpoK-AOZN2EmsXOpqkiKAUKhwE9w3sZlnVBwgQXPo8B7D_NVee8958AsfoyDp6rCiUnVBtqYi3Nw2CYNv_KAPEMhpcjZRiXdnpG5WSXsq04-FKEgGZ/s320/PA180040.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hallway</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDnS057p2XeOO96MamBkJNBnssWg22TUxwkDzE6iksarrLT8QmH0GWMtZwdwNOMdxlhz9Gv7C72XEoSVoxMh_BjR5p-kfBnckqw8UXs1qdQsO4Tm2CprGSsCulBcOnn6r0UuAZkDCkoGC/s1600/PA180041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDnS057p2XeOO96MamBkJNBnssWg22TUxwkDzE6iksarrLT8QmH0GWMtZwdwNOMdxlhz9Gv7C72XEoSVoxMh_BjR5p-kfBnckqw8UXs1qdQsO4Tm2CprGSsCulBcOnn6r0UuAZkDCkoGC/s320/PA180041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few nap-time resisters</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-c3RmppafnsZeBlldxj6OK8YjgX9RmHO6f-yZ5Un4t5Im2LEZRjkOD0-Dvk-uKsh3b1U2Jjcvui2wR06xTY0UnY44xcKO8CBCB_-VrpmctT-88ZDKu94vx_YHmEc8keS-29MhXE0DY-h/s1600/PA180042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-c3RmppafnsZeBlldxj6OK8YjgX9RmHO6f-yZ5Un4t5Im2LEZRjkOD0-Dvk-uKsh3b1U2Jjcvui2wR06xTY0UnY44xcKO8CBCB_-VrpmctT-88ZDKu94vx_YHmEc8keS-29MhXE0DY-h/s320/PA180042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">De-Yin Elementary School. And yes, this is an average-sized school.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin9AhAxPk2xbQTYi-Fl5ZeCwJsWqNoQmYmp6RIJ1Krg6YNXyepghU-E_FkXqMCsNArtEGLguAUPId60qT5Bv_vlBbfdjbs7ZD3EOY0jmsUHXwPsiR9sHvlRQyqfwcRFIeBCtc81zSBrJH/s1600/PA180046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin9AhAxPk2xbQTYi-Fl5ZeCwJsWqNoQmYmp6RIJ1Krg6YNXyepghU-E_FkXqMCsNArtEGLguAUPId60qT5Bv_vlBbfdjbs7ZD3EOY0jmsUHXwPsiR9sHvlRQyqfwcRFIeBCtc81zSBrJH/s320/PA180046.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Track</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6BYaFMyFtqs2q6KFDWQMUbJaScbM_1eA5GWeJufTzxtPQnQyVXZdADB9qYZG3q2Js0E3K_xolpy70dHef7ovY6zRdz7XKycNxso_nVzodehjs0tnPGvHLGskWx3zP9QAu6ulzQG4192n/s1600/PA180047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6BYaFMyFtqs2q6KFDWQMUbJaScbM_1eA5GWeJufTzxtPQnQyVXZdADB9qYZG3q2Js0E3K_xolpy70dHef7ovY6zRdz7XKycNxso_nVzodehjs0tnPGvHLGskWx3zP9QAu6ulzQG4192n/s320/PA180047.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">De-Yin Elementary School courtyard</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Break-time ended and Mandarin class began. The day’s lesson was Chinese calligraphy, so the students took out their special tools: paper, brushes, and ink. Teacher Huang instructed the class on proper brush grip and showed a video demonstrating the strokes. The students seemed to really enjoy this lesson, working with great concentration and precision. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcW-MpevlCSOwpWtJoH4aRL4LNTcdqr3-AiEVjmweuhnXS8_BdeGr4c4B-L1fy-u1ghyFOq5l2s-imiFOmhduflaNW2eitNrJT_BfFcDxbM7RrbfpPZm2qEmLDlmW11krLwhL1AaXj3lH/s1600/PA180060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcW-MpevlCSOwpWtJoH4aRL4LNTcdqr3-AiEVjmweuhnXS8_BdeGr4c4B-L1fy-u1ghyFOq5l2s-imiFOmhduflaNW2eitNrJT_BfFcDxbM7RrbfpPZm2qEmLDlmW11krLwhL1AaXj3lH/s320/PA180060.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preparing materials</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXVwuqyrYupNp6-t9hrLQiqvFIwvK0hXVB7iWD6pScjoze7wYoJ3Bf9Pl68VTYwMYI12YAjbM_jGrKE9JOE9Yv2-WuHvQWq6EpbuZnCiU_jb9N8N9sLkBugeRzDELPZ2Ce626ARx1BuAM/s1600/PA180066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyXVwuqyrYupNp6-t9hrLQiqvFIwvK0hXVB7iWD6pScjoze7wYoJ3Bf9Pl68VTYwMYI12YAjbM_jGrKE9JOE9Yv2-WuHvQWq6EpbuZnCiU_jb9N8N9sLkBugeRzDELPZ2Ce626ARx1BuAM/s320/PA180066.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Direct instruction"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0hr5fF8PtI2M2ArQ_nkcq-cx1__33-H85QofPf2HT6Jk350OMx_y389E6JaYlXHI1HO2gVAxmNgyOo7nKlCHkSRU0fk9dFQ25Yb1uJktRSfIb_USHKWEPROetwTy6JWURX90tS7VIMva/s1600/PA180068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0hr5fF8PtI2M2ArQ_nkcq-cx1__33-H85QofPf2HT6Jk350OMx_y389E6JaYlXHI1HO2gVAxmNgyOo7nKlCHkSRU0fk9dFQ25Yb1uJktRSfIb_USHKWEPROetwTy6JWURX90tS7VIMva/s320/PA180068.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calligraphy class</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had to leave before the school day ended, but on my bus ride back to work, I tried to reflect on what I had seen at De-Yin Elementary School and determine the major difference between the public schools in Taiwan and America. I only had one day to observe, and I am sure there are many many layers of things I did not see. But what is it? What is it that makes the public school systems so different?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One thing is certain: the kids are just as sweet in Wugu as they are in Milwaukee! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K5YZc77TaPNzC75Fs-DbTTM7kOHqJF6YyV-6eOB7bGjNl3N5oeM4wrJWtlWnT31T-Z_51U5LyviJSZUM0s5wJDKKRLcGfHvgBA858PBqHVLAmdWM7AJtBRT1_c5LsFTp0ayJUZ3X4nyS/s1600/PA180034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1K5YZc77TaPNzC75Fs-DbTTM7kOHqJF6YyV-6eOB7bGjNl3N5oeM4wrJWtlWnT31T-Z_51U5LyviJSZUM0s5wJDKKRLcGfHvgBA858PBqHVLAmdWM7AJtBRT1_c5LsFTp0ayJUZ3X4nyS/s320/PA180034.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks, Class 308!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-52417338891795721032012-10-25T08:50:00.001+08:002012-10-25T08:50:46.383+08:00Return to Jiufen<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve been to many places on this island, but returning to the same area never fails to offer a new adventure. I recently returned to<a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Jiufen" target="_blank"> the northern town of Jiufen</a> with my cousins and their friends. I had been once before on <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.tw/2012/04/jiufen.html" target="_blank">a day trip with some friends</a>, but this trip was an overnight escapade. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After an hour’s drive to the coast, we arrived at the base of Jilongshan, the tallest peak in the area. While we waited for the whole group to arrive, we took in the sights of the Remains of the 13 Levels. This haunting structure is what’s left of the old copper-smelting refinery. When I first saw it, I thought (hoped?) it was an old prison. It’s pretty creepy-looking. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UWf_qR5LB9aZqQKtUC9uL8HL0QOyv6fJfXMcIEQzQcDHROW8U7kQbNz0wSmRPB6yNvnowCiqgOA6CySE4SnhV8Z3W_Zc-i9WsD_oEbE9-KN5VHrLcpe1Gyqv0EZd0Jl_rmjmIRnE4o34/s1600/PA130761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UWf_qR5LB9aZqQKtUC9uL8HL0QOyv6fJfXMcIEQzQcDHROW8U7kQbNz0wSmRPB6yNvnowCiqgOA6CySE4SnhV8Z3W_Zc-i9WsD_oEbE9-KN5VHrLcpe1Gyqv0EZd0Jl_rmjmIRnE4o34/s320/PA130761.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spooky copper refinery leftovers</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We hopped back in the car for a dizzying drive up through the mountain roads (and alleys) to find our hotel. How people orient themselves to these twisting, turning, narrow “streets” is beyond me. But we found our way (thanks to GPS), ate dinner, and settled in to the hotel.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzIZeELmun5IT_3VZ7WUbi80rw41CJmr-yS4FeP50nnok-ZNpFgTvrFt5H8BVtR2-bzshi3JPcRcEyUYqm3lGhql5Y5wejHysTYVmRaOy6ssIi9K-vcYjwkoArfsTZf2FKi4mJL9TcexR/s1600/PA130775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWzIZeELmun5IT_3VZ7WUbi80rw41CJmr-yS4FeP50nnok-ZNpFgTvrFt5H8BVtR2-bzshi3JPcRcEyUYqm3lGhql5Y5wejHysTYVmRaOy6ssIi9K-vcYjwkoArfsTZf2FKi4mJL9TcexR/s320/PA130775.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Streets of Jiufen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lIoci_wOKsajwlSP9fq5StEa8pyO8VBs1InazFBdCgwA3JiZbx1_jg3llGLF3CTqZYYwSp8MWkSLVitc2Ap3wtE__xSPK529rsMeyhGklmaIzUZf3RzgGyxKXbgrAqqp2cSSy9fR8bfT/s1600/PA140793.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lIoci_wOKsajwlSP9fq5StEa8pyO8VBs1InazFBdCgwA3JiZbx1_jg3llGLF3CTqZYYwSp8MWkSLVitc2Ap3wtE__xSPK529rsMeyhGklmaIzUZf3RzgGyxKXbgrAqqp2cSSy9fR8bfT/s320/PA140793.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cute little hotel</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning, I set my alarm for very-early-o’clock and went out to see the sunrise over the mountains. Unfortunately, the sky was quite overcast, so mostly I just watched the night turn into day, without actually seeing the sun. Ah, oh well. The little town was so quiet and peaceful -- a big change from Taipei.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNwkchULIbIQ6k11XYouPem4joB84BcJGrf35Kk8y3drLR-6FLOKDu4siywAsCR7aXCTAbHBIlF2rG2RydBkZLlpQjErIwXoOJ_KKFkvSR0VIA6tR7j22C2QC9alhPBcd0tNW70P_FAYx/s1600/PA140794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsNwkchULIbIQ6k11XYouPem4joB84BcJGrf35Kk8y3drLR-6FLOKDu4siywAsCR7aXCTAbHBIlF2rG2RydBkZLlpQjErIwXoOJ_KKFkvSR0VIA6tR7j22C2QC9alhPBcd0tNW70P_FAYx/s320/PA140794.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkIw4INxHirU-Qmc5hbETfBFvlYsfDF8u58yzVlPlA3L1SoHExUlz9vsXQ_eqH9SQouphaAE8w5jUBpKxuTl9XOdb4KkerbV1OS-S1wOUMBi9uRW-jKRVcZmljRN8UUf17klQm4CZzoXh/s1600/PA140805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkIw4INxHirU-Qmc5hbETfBFvlYsfDF8u58yzVlPlA3L1SoHExUlz9vsXQ_eqH9SQouphaAE8w5jUBpKxuTl9XOdb4KkerbV1OS-S1wOUMBi9uRW-jKRVcZmljRN8UUf17klQm4CZzoXh/s320/PA140805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun coming up over the hills</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I went back to bed for a couple hours, then set off on a solo hike, while most of the rest of the group went shopping on the old streets. I didn’t have a map to speak of, so I pretty much just wandered around for two hours, taking whichever street, alley, or path I thought looked interesting. I quickly came upon a Junior High School at the top of a rise above town. I discovered a trail that led to an old set of entry doors that were bolted shut, but the view from the top was beautiful. And the set of steps leading from the school back down to the town seemed to go on forever. Made the college-days climb up <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=bascom+hill&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=q1qHUJD5G-PqmAW814CADA&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=888&bih=424" target="_blank">Bascom Hill</a> seem like nothing. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpir5hP0OH0KuC_H-QL7Q8nas0BCRfVV9QhW9Fv4alhTHkFXA09hVFBCKEK0T3Amh1PpbfIW2oG7WkvDuXdJf0LWIUI1AFTUFeV9Vyz4SL90EXM3tc1ZdAPNlDAlfp04m-e-IXKytD39Cd/s1600/PA140808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpir5hP0OH0KuC_H-QL7Q8nas0BCRfVV9QhW9Fv4alhTHkFXA09hVFBCKEK0T3Amh1PpbfIW2oG7WkvDuXdJf0LWIUI1AFTUFeV9Vyz4SL90EXM3tc1ZdAPNlDAlfp04m-e-IXKytD39Cd/s320/PA140808.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shows MAYBE 1/10th of the stairs up to the school.<br />
I couldn't fit them all in one photo...</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I walked on, taking hundreds of pictures and enjoying the quiet solitude and clean air. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountainside homes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoYxNYUqARMyrO48QuJ1p97GlYT3AySyQO40JZEwZSvMPqXHdG9idqVDjGkof6d7LkjRgMx7HAfXZM0XhQiH5M8iVKYH3eOcm-jeNQ5hLPBh5k6YrmFvQg4cZ5117Lp16lpSO-lMU7gnP/s1600/PA140803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoYxNYUqARMyrO48QuJ1p97GlYT3AySyQO40JZEwZSvMPqXHdG9idqVDjGkof6d7LkjRgMx7HAfXZM0XhQiH5M8iVKYH3eOcm-jeNQ5hLPBh5k6YrmFvQg4cZ5117Lp16lpSO-lMU7gnP/s320/PA140803.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jilongshan in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmqY1UV7riay9hd5bDK09-VvlCMH405PfjntOXgkNAnSL0kLWsIPPWkyyxC9wlMdxCYo8_H6RpaZtK6h6_9YrzzCLR6yMQmITSghHJakaqT5b-YOf0QkrIGp6rcK6GlB7sx8payXpGUUQ/s1600/PA140818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmqY1UV7riay9hd5bDK09-VvlCMH405PfjntOXgkNAnSL0kLWsIPPWkyyxC9wlMdxCYo8_H6RpaZtK6h6_9YrzzCLR6yMQmITSghHJakaqT5b-YOf0QkrIGp6rcK6GlB7sx8payXpGUUQ/s320/PA140818.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wandering around town</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqZTygSgxhncXV7hmqaLg7NutOdOjhOPCAKJsqg9Kgcv6iLIQkZIClcX1WdknPUu20-q8EBBacmrcfanG3nW4h3vgc_MS6fPmb1JVeFkMFh-o05Y_NlTRZ85oFUuZhb_AhVYFohq117r9/s1600/PA140821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqZTygSgxhncXV7hmqaLg7NutOdOjhOPCAKJsqg9Kgcv6iLIQkZIClcX1WdknPUu20-q8EBBacmrcfanG3nW4h3vgc_MS6fPmb1JVeFkMFh-o05Y_NlTRZ85oFUuZhb_AhVYFohq117r9/s320/PA140821.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZzu9Rce52keEftrvM4FJ2wKEsD5psc0AodVNrGXRJ-SsqxsfLkKpiCXMunDpWC6OBbHaUutAHthdwJR4W7MUONU3fl_c2QRYkBaRESfRIBoD4Cf7XWoKIB-Fz2EPjEtJszdqsQLkWp8R/s1600/PA140824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZzu9Rce52keEftrvM4FJ2wKEsD5psc0AodVNrGXRJ-SsqxsfLkKpiCXMunDpWC6OBbHaUutAHthdwJR4W7MUONU3fl_c2QRYkBaRESfRIBoD4Cf7XWoKIB-Fz2EPjEtJszdqsQLkWp8R/s320/PA140824.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front yard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRDFiaMtLMRwhrCw0c4lK_grA0uPv9ZkU8Fi38dK8bs3EgFAMvvYgH4AhR9VJBWayxAkd8-RX0RAiJkclkXtnRmaG4eUmr0Tcheu0pdgJyQoi1fi4befxG6o-OgmClpR9OpcWbazQ91Lr/s1600/PA140833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRDFiaMtLMRwhrCw0c4lK_grA0uPv9ZkU8Fi38dK8bs3EgFAMvvYgH4AhR9VJBWayxAkd8-RX0RAiJkclkXtnRmaG4eUmr0Tcheu0pdgJyQoi1fi4befxG6o-OgmClpR9OpcWbazQ91Lr/s320/PA140833.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel leading to Songde Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGTSZU9oOOFkVIUmMqOI6A3vergmlJrdrFccudY82Fw3sbFEyxsrk6Voz0syE4lBa64kc2AxtrfuD_CUDHlZC_glccr1KvGgy6LxZPud08C-fjmDPROtnLdbY_kiMI0iSeSHAEHH2cpPe/s1600/PA140839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGTSZU9oOOFkVIUmMqOI6A3vergmlJrdrFccudY82Fw3sbFEyxsrk6Voz0syE4lBa64kc2AxtrfuD_CUDHlZC_glccr1KvGgy6LxZPud08C-fjmDPROtnLdbY_kiMI0iSeSHAEHH2cpPe/s320/PA140839.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stopped here to listen to the monks chanting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE-VnP_bfB-shIgDkc06dTdPYSBzqYe0WtgYrsQQa23JhwzIUAT16OU2OCtdaBgA3UBREV0gW_6wjv8JMk8AJWgxNgcIFNaZpNwa3JWWqLbt2v3Luqhj1qe4WvvyPZhQdanGx8b6B13QT/s1600/PA140841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZE-VnP_bfB-shIgDkc06dTdPYSBzqYe0WtgYrsQQa23JhwzIUAT16OU2OCtdaBgA3UBREV0gW_6wjv8JMk8AJWgxNgcIFNaZpNwa3JWWqLbt2v3Luqhj1qe4WvvyPZhQdanGx8b6B13QT/s320/PA140841.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7i8R7zG1QGVnuTeIT6WFVVxoYDx8MAc85N-JNwp66LuNhWfX-eSRjV0ylJ0zsA1L07d6z0PReWN9yS4bAPuusKtrJRtOu77psrvJv8JvLgh6TsM5huEGfrJb9ruy9I3C5Rj1GTNUjgWgt/s1600/PA140848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7i8R7zG1QGVnuTeIT6WFVVxoYDx8MAc85N-JNwp66LuNhWfX-eSRjV0ylJ0zsA1L07d6z0PReWN9yS4bAPuusKtrJRtOu77psrvJv8JvLgh6TsM5huEGfrJb9ruy9I3C5Rj1GTNUjgWgt/s320/PA140848.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost made it to the top</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOlhEp9qRXoXux_SqU6fs3Ujk3WlvFALYOZHwz_F2uvupUN5Nb7nbo8p6cbU9YD6avWHgnynv9Gzs_Jt69njwMoPsVtAzwvU4GkuY8U7itKKrJLDSAmTzjVsM2O3-d8kIL3JfBm67hlVg/s1600/PA140858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOlhEp9qRXoXux_SqU6fs3Ujk3WlvFALYOZHwz_F2uvupUN5Nb7nbo8p6cbU9YD6avWHgnynv9Gzs_Jt69njwMoPsVtAzwvU4GkuY8U7itKKrJLDSAmTzjVsM2O3-d8kIL3JfBm67hlVg/s320/PA140858.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen home</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With the whole group together again, we visited the Gold Museum and Ecological Park in <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Jinguashi" target="_blank">Jinguash</a>i. I had been there before on my previous trip, but sure enough, I discovered several different things I did not see the first time!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We went to the Crown Prince Chalet, which was built to accommodate the royal Japanese family in the 1920s. From the grounds, we could see Keelung Mountain and Teapot Mountain, as well as a view of the town below, which was once the most crowded residential area in Taiwan. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYlHprY-ik64AhDkLv5unSITyYuUpzYxjAigeNqxYfFdxkmmoewD5gJKzdeW3MNszBQyAXZtB62zRrg_bVuzbdMfAfydP4yw8-Z9HnZnMzinJ5Cwn390heu2ny6EV4iEBYI7rcJ3uB0sP/s1600/PA140880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYlHprY-ik64AhDkLv5unSITyYuUpzYxjAigeNqxYfFdxkmmoewD5gJKzdeW3MNszBQyAXZtB62zRrg_bVuzbdMfAfydP4yw8-Z9HnZnMzinJ5Cwn390heu2ny6EV4iEBYI7rcJ3uB0sP/s320/PA140880.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the grounds of the Crown Prince Chalet</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next we headed for the Gold Museum. Since I had already taken the tour and <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.tw/2012/04/jiufen.html" target="_blank">touched the mega-sized gold bar</a>, I opted for another “short” hike up to see the Jinguahsi Shinto Shrine. Way up high on the slopes, having climbed maybe 7 million uneven stone steps, I looked out over the Ecological Park from the beautiful temple ruins. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6VljM_DcqX9ZyOQcTLvU_N5QfIltjCDRUjEAtgV1Ki28rs1l-RDxDSQMgTPBkEwyxYDVeyKyBmuiRMH-XKgesY2Jgc0y57Z9m4gUr-KjaXJHc1-7q-Gi5VMvt_DQdt60rLpMAm2oIi-s/s1600/PA140892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-6VljM_DcqX9ZyOQcTLvU_N5QfIltjCDRUjEAtgV1Ki28rs1l-RDxDSQMgTPBkEwyxYDVeyKyBmuiRMH-XKgesY2Jgc0y57Z9m4gUr-KjaXJHc1-7q-Gi5VMvt_DQdt60rLpMAm2oIi-s/s320/PA140892.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jinguashi Shinto Shrine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSqxSWKZERc3bW7QYtTKU_V_jAw88ILFE1tmdR_y0IoOc1Wvij35haVQllMKyUngwf5dQplOMpBRd9ey__seBFf5pGPOZt8DOblNl3yh2MRmOfSjYi_izoyBTeBVvv54570SYrIsebBcj/s1600/PA140890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSqxSWKZERc3bW7QYtTKU_V_jAw88ILFE1tmdR_y0IoOc1Wvij35haVQllMKyUngwf5dQplOMpBRd9ey__seBFf5pGPOZt8DOblNl3yh2MRmOfSjYi_izoyBTeBVvv54570SYrIsebBcj/s320/PA140890.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple ruins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_hRoBx1sn50HM3Ftvbtzi8mBWOsYZKXP73F2vnv0XjfD37GrPHYRdsAKgRCpo8kfa6nA8nd5a5DZdMnC050AE0CiWKuyXqSxqBk-rIOlxfgle-RQv39edwr9fnB9JAAFyN-4ziVLVNfW/s1600/PA140893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_hRoBx1sn50HM3Ftvbtzi8mBWOsYZKXP73F2vnv0XjfD37GrPHYRdsAKgRCpo8kfa6nA8nd5a5DZdMnC050AE0CiWKuyXqSxqBk-rIOlxfgle-RQv39edwr9fnB9JAAFyN-4ziVLVNfW/s320/PA140893.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windy</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This trip was special because I got to travel with my cousin Cody, his wife Emily, and their son Austin. It has been so incredible spending time with family way over here in Taiwan, especially family that I never get to spend time with back in the States. But this trip was also special because it reminded me that no matter how many places I have visited in Taiwan over the last 14 months, there will always be something new and wonderful to discover when I return to Taiwan in the future!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-32163523252881821012012-10-16T12:52:00.000+08:002012-10-16T12:52:41.876+08:00Pingtung - Rukai Villages<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In honor of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_of_the_Republic_of_China" target="_blank">10/10 - the National Day of Taiwan</a> - we had the day off! I was lucky enough to be invited to Pingtung with my roommates to visit family. Pingtung is the southernmost county in Taiwan, and home to the aboriginal tribe of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rukai_people" target="_blank">Rukai people</a>. My roommates, Abi and Muni, and their family are part of the <a href="http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=834&Itemid=157" target="_blank">Rukai tribe</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We took an overnight bus to reach Pingtung City and were taken to the home of Abi and Muni’s parents. The family, and many others from the tribe, have relocated out of the mountains from remote Ali Village. Ali was greatly damaged during <a href="http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xitem=181556&CtNode=416" target="_blank">Typhoon Morakot in 2009, leaving villagers displaced, homes destroyed, and roads inaccessible</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After a quick nap, we drove up into the mountains to the village of Shenshan, which translates to “God’s Mountain.” And it was beautiful! The drive up the narrow, winding mountain roads was made slightly more nerve-wracking by all the construction crews working on repairing the damaged sections washed out in the latest round of typhoons.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In Shenshan, the Rukai tribe was holding a multi-day sports competition between area villages. We spent some time cheering on the Vedai team in men’s volleyball and at the track meet. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFCpEmSgFNh0Ce1aKoQne3NNqsHcpMjtiX_IIwoFA0AYKlXe2-HTekG6b220WDXzu402oSS8smAGZuRdg4z4OspXGN9wauNg_YJMDVREJMta32g5w-SLANl0yAW3U5lLtTYHBzWuGjpIE/s1600/PA100689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFCpEmSgFNh0Ce1aKoQne3NNqsHcpMjtiX_IIwoFA0AYKlXe2-HTekG6b220WDXzu402oSS8smAGZuRdg4z4OspXGN9wauNg_YJMDVREJMta32g5w-SLANl0yAW3U5lLtTYHBzWuGjpIE/s320/PA100689.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Vedai (the red guys)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkGLOMpK23Mdci9N9xwk_gW6iNWkzAz4mJQ0wQfngY8hRVzCr9O0KlHq6k3PGwRfht0DfRdgi-EkjZOsGh4C2mdbAEXKL6ZP82DjP3D16IZWstclPVUINAHCnBI7tb3mohfhlP6BeEICf/s1600/PA100697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkGLOMpK23Mdci9N9xwk_gW6iNWkzAz4mJQ0wQfngY8hRVzCr9O0KlHq6k3PGwRfht0DfRdgi-EkjZOsGh4C2mdbAEXKL6ZP82DjP3D16IZWstclPVUINAHCnBI7tb3mohfhlP6BeEICf/s320/PA100697.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids' relay race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxUr7FyB7Un_9jmZ95qRggVDzPcbrs8Jf22-vdEy6fOObrDSDqwHeGEXm8nfThYd_KhbaLmpw_4xnxDnoBhoxW3pSYNaeBj-t2HJP85tdEwleD8688g2ybuef-dV3YFnu_6kxk0yrFEtL/s1600/PA100702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxxUr7FyB7Un_9jmZ95qRggVDzPcbrs8Jf22-vdEy6fOObrDSDqwHeGEXm8nfThYd_KhbaLmpw_4xnxDnoBhoxW3pSYNaeBj-t2HJP85tdEwleD8688g2ybuef-dV3YFnu_6kxk0yrFEtL/s320/PA100702.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adults' relay race -- check out the barefoot runners!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pQE0Xexule8Y5FpgL5roGggXaL-r8AHireUmlPa3Ny79YQwr9DcC11Mn4xoaclWKjx8GOYtMMBSpBFjP-Bi93aOQ2mnkZRuqjJhMwLoQfoTDGCIXXy4nefMJtYdYLsYkLGFl_7sEyRDU/s1600/PA100704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1pQE0Xexule8Y5FpgL5roGggXaL-r8AHireUmlPa3Ny79YQwr9DcC11Mn4xoaclWKjx8GOYtMMBSpBFjP-Bi93aOQ2mnkZRuqjJhMwLoQfoTDGCIXXy4nefMJtYdYLsYkLGFl_7sEyRDU/s320/PA100704.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my favorite cheerleader, Kiki :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We walked around Shenshan, taking in the views and wandering the narrow village streets. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIRv-TDMLPz_GNdcgMRlMhMvnhm2nTPDOhUadjrpR-_9Hd_Wyp3B0RqKdg16lxJxkQns-bRdcxY2bimId-71FNxSOjC_G_ekYsPF241g_T5N4OURt0k0hp-TzDjZ5rF-HYLTrJHudyGzh/s1600/PA100684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIRv-TDMLPz_GNdcgMRlMhMvnhm2nTPDOhUadjrpR-_9Hd_Wyp3B0RqKdg16lxJxkQns-bRdcxY2bimId-71FNxSOjC_G_ekYsPF241g_T5N4OURt0k0hp-TzDjZ5rF-HYLTrJHudyGzh/s320/PA100684.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shenshan Village</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMowvMHK199A4xWfUA6-8d4YnMaex0MvkO7MwuJ4hrbEcHoaRWJ7phCpLvotPLoO9bBXoj0BiIKiBiKP7wK7Xc7a_JJTATgCgSvTRYxlD9qjLM72fVt-nyF8CA9X2JGgiR9yV-uZHUIRVI/s1600/PA100685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMowvMHK199A4xWfUA6-8d4YnMaex0MvkO7MwuJ4hrbEcHoaRWJ7phCpLvotPLoO9bBXoj0BiIKiBiKP7wK7Xc7a_JJTATgCgSvTRYxlD9qjLM72fVt-nyF8CA9X2JGgiR9yV-uZHUIRVI/s320/PA100685.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional home (with a nontraditional roof)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6cLtYPDshMVhBuTzLgufIZwkG6SrH3MzAq5hmASuJQbj09Kv8hwJcXtMhPXk_4Etq43HucvZqqpRRCLt-FR9OZJerQn6rbIHIJyuAsKSgKmD4CBLwl9N5zrFSDvlFAEMkcHrWh4tFUXD/s1600/PA100705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc6cLtYPDshMVhBuTzLgufIZwkG6SrH3MzAq5hmASuJQbj09Kv8hwJcXtMhPXk_4Etq43HucvZqqpRRCLt-FR9OZJerQn6rbIHIJyuAsKSgKmD4CBLwl9N5zrFSDvlFAEMkcHrWh4tFUXD/s320/PA100705.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festivities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZ_U00o9zrPOgAPpo7S-DNPMSQ-3IB4jQdNZIvJhEf89N0ekIbJzAgqymWgh3lPY2uIzdO-b-6tf_utOyaFWdbc-t2h1PUllbgqpc2K06P9KuqxtVe8GZJV9vKaFJu2IHo-vbcK56-eCW/s1600/PA100714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBZ_U00o9zrPOgAPpo7S-DNPMSQ-3IB4jQdNZIvJhEf89N0ekIbJzAgqymWgh3lPY2uIzdO-b-6tf_utOyaFWdbc-t2h1PUllbgqpc2K06P9KuqxtVe8GZJV9vKaFJu2IHo-vbcK56-eCW/s320/PA100714.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Village road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASHkKZZQqmhR3GOMjsv0xFudVV8iNjDr03w1y0ZeE1H2tv4hCZWMhA0bk2xcwa_lBaMhyphenhyphenNG1JfgA15YqAwcz1RDQwhEWDYYRWqdatxCYByO4EpHt8WVOJeD3KhUx8yhpEU4Rg7-pZ_rt1/s1600/PA100715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjASHkKZZQqmhR3GOMjsv0xFudVV8iNjDr03w1y0ZeE1H2tv4hCZWMhA0bk2xcwa_lBaMhyphenhyphenNG1JfgA15YqAwcz1RDQwhEWDYYRWqdatxCYByO4EpHt8WVOJeD3KhUx8yhpEU4Rg7-pZ_rt1/s320/PA100715.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marriage mural</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqNYuZcgLwyt03sRn3W2MEOjscO_lRgv21p1MnUZqBlUD8YZGSN6_QMD__p7GBiIA-8KtLMOtoFbimS1hlrVHgbrQSCewKvDJs7C-xafhaT1-ReJ6LSLUgpCd0NyiYAOeFIugBki6OYc0/s1600/PA100716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqNYuZcgLwyt03sRn3W2MEOjscO_lRgv21p1MnUZqBlUD8YZGSN6_QMD__p7GBiIA-8KtLMOtoFbimS1hlrVHgbrQSCewKvDJs7C-xafhaT1-ReJ6LSLUgpCd0NyiYAOeFIugBki6OYc0/s320/PA100716.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYK6h1SuV6xb2sNKGvKZWAX_8rUOUjqxyMn1VnowCsGfjsl26iqAcDNeqmruxsaghcshjPEj1rarLg0LVuD6YUWSZP334wRnYXa_0XyU0dbO9hz-SNDEg0C1QiYeiullMD5W-WZtnshSGs/s1600/PA100717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYK6h1SuV6xb2sNKGvKZWAX_8rUOUjqxyMn1VnowCsGfjsl26iqAcDNeqmruxsaghcshjPEj1rarLg0LVuD6YUWSZP334wRnYXa_0XyU0dbO9hz-SNDEg0C1QiYeiullMD5W-WZtnshSGs/s320/PA100717.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shenshan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A quick car ride further up into the mountains, we arrived in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wutai,_Pingtung" target="_blank">Wutai (Vedai) village</a>. Wutai means “far place” - and for good reason. It is remote. Really far up there. Like.... I didn’t even see a 7-Eleven. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3PdL0sjG9GQwCKBPfV1ktXDEH-EB_zeYqXAN7Uz_ZUB4d0joL-u8EP-rJmqRIPXk15OTRiPk3Z8RImIqYc2moYj2JAjopRhRxLUuLpKLfPqjE3adsRACsomaSloaAqnQzWeN_i5FPXYs/s1600/PA100735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3PdL0sjG9GQwCKBPfV1ktXDEH-EB_zeYqXAN7Uz_ZUB4d0joL-u8EP-rJmqRIPXk15OTRiPk3Z8RImIqYc2moYj2JAjopRhRxLUuLpKLfPqjE3adsRACsomaSloaAqnQzWeN_i5FPXYs/s320/PA100735.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wutai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1iMzX3rla59A-PKoQTLCHb8DWs3ScClp9QoGBwLCUgXqMZTtf1drfGPiNbN9iXtvgExMd44XugB_taJk_Foy9YR-AOHcx0HVU-SuNeveTy18Dtt2Wt68d13_By40DP8w4u1hjIm6vnIt/s1600/PA100737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1iMzX3rla59A-PKoQTLCHb8DWs3ScClp9QoGBwLCUgXqMZTtf1drfGPiNbN9iXtvgExMd44XugB_taJk_Foy9YR-AOHcx0HVU-SuNeveTy18Dtt2Wt68d13_By40DP8w4u1hjIm6vnIt/s320/PA100737.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wutai</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pWA575_JGE1Ev5Qs5PniiZ7_K9O06ocTUjmEZ16FEtITTR-F88O3L8BfgrlapZJkTuRQHzCKwJ1bTDpFCZXRtcYb-8xMMb60Ry3ns0GZPBBLc-glC3yq-D4jujL2JW6GudaTBg3m0pYW/s1600/PA100757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pWA575_JGE1Ev5Qs5PniiZ7_K9O06ocTUjmEZ16FEtITTR-F88O3L8BfgrlapZJkTuRQHzCKwJ1bTDpFCZXRtcYb-8xMMb60Ry3ns0GZPBBLc-glC3yq-D4jujL2JW6GudaTBg3m0pYW/s320/PA100757.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Far Place" sounds about right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We stopped for lunch at the Wutai church, where the pastor invited us in and brewed some locally-grown coffee to share with us. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w1Zfq2uIrl6iyuEI7BWNdSXaQfl_12MARZsIf4RsIWx89J5v3L7omx6fklB7_F_FKGz8Uf5J2ODjwAxpCOHZDMDp9jnvZjQvOfw5vk9VCTB8KVn3ecLI2Na8iNdQAJOeHHu-EIfFNk27/s1600/PA100743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0w1Zfq2uIrl6iyuEI7BWNdSXaQfl_12MARZsIf4RsIWx89J5v3L7omx6fklB7_F_FKGz8Uf5J2ODjwAxpCOHZDMDp9jnvZjQvOfw5vk9VCTB8KVn3ecLI2Na8iNdQAJOeHHu-EIfFNk27/s320/PA100743.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wutai Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBis7WTevL4hw4N-zn7XVjlJV1GMfp6e6uXmp2tyWrflATntuFUXqL1wGqdNnhHJeAeh8YM1UlXmAJ0H_V1li2-9FC9G_0snAofTGQw5tMyOjamnSMkQgm_SJUcj1l4P9oFeDlz2_JnVT/s1600/PA100733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBis7WTevL4hw4N-zn7XVjlJV1GMfp6e6uXmp2tyWrflATntuFUXqL1wGqdNnhHJeAeh8YM1UlXmAJ0H_V1li2-9FC9G_0snAofTGQw5tMyOjamnSMkQgm_SJUcj1l4P9oFeDlz2_JnVT/s320/PA100733.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wutai Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWBLNi8ThqmHCIr73wubxvbFhuqyZzuaogY2zy6MN2x7irw1ryPUQNT9dyohBYIt3YCat0l_PEpzTGbdknwadhoc5DuOKSHvDDdLw23XHCpZanVi7lFM4o2idXS_ZmmZXpPedAUqi3FMY/s1600/PA100729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJWBLNi8ThqmHCIr73wubxvbFhuqyZzuaogY2zy6MN2x7irw1ryPUQNT9dyohBYIt3YCat0l_PEpzTGbdknwadhoc5DuOKSHvDDdLw23XHCpZanVi7lFM4o2idXS_ZmmZXpPedAUqi3FMY/s320/PA100729.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pastor brews up some local coffee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Revived and buzzing from caffeine, we wandered off through the streets of Wutai. The tribal culture is strong here, and most of the homes are decorated with tribal carvings and paintings. Many of the walls and structures are built with the traditional stone-slab method. The village was beautiful, peaceful, and so different from life in Taipei. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streets of Wutai</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stone-slab wall with carvings telling tribal stories</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wutai</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hunters returning with their kill -- wild boar and bear</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remains of a traditional home</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our trip was very short -- we were in Pingtung for less than 24 hours -- but with my personal tour guides, I feel I got a real insiders experience. And I learned one word from the Rukai language. It means both “hello” and “goodbye” -- <i>sa bao</i>! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clockwise from top left: Muni, A Mei, Stacy, Abi, and Anna<br />My traveling partners in crime :)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-8664453042588814362012-09-14T11:21:00.001+08:002012-09-14T11:21:16.398+08:00Yingge - Ceramics Village<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Way back in April, on Easter morning, I met a group of friends at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_Railway_Station" target="_blank">the train station</a> and headed off to <a href="http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002091&id=R180" target="_blank">Yingge</a>. Just a short train ride away, Yingge was a lovely spring escape from the madness of Taipei City.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yingge</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yingge is known as the “Ceramics Town” due to its long history of both high- and low-quality pottery. Since this was officially a Girls Day, we were ready for some browsing, shopping, and hands-on crafting! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls Day!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As we wondering up and down the Old Streets (which, ironically, were created in the 1990s to increase tourism), we were overwhelmed with shop after shop hawking ceramic bowls, teapots, teacups, and vases. Some of the finer pieces were surprisingly pricey, but a lot of the wares were cheap -- and made in China.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yingge Ceramics</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many pots!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After enjoying copious street food and people-watching, we left the Old Streets and walked over to the <a href="http://www.ceramics.tpc.gov.tw/en-us/Home.ycm" target="_blank">Yingge Ceramics Museum</a>. Entry was free (hooray!) and it wasn’t over-crowded with other tourists. We walked around a bit, looking at the displays and learning about the history of ceramics. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yingge Ceramics Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Outside the museum, there is a strange sculpture garden, full of bizarre art with weird titles. One of my favorites was “Assaulting Normandy Ice Cream.” Not sure of the artistic connection between D-Day and Mint Chocolate Chip....</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Assaulting Normandy Ice Cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sculpture Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3ChUxCgl364h3CyMm3MI4Nv86MsShlfHAhNdsx75tdZEFT8KTS1il5Ncj0MkBqKDp71B8YuMgWrwsnnoDABc6YFZR1xrzuqBxXqNVbOQMDl_Y-Sb1jwrvEuKqAOMz7o6-KLaCxDiEek_/s1600/P4080737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3ChUxCgl364h3CyMm3MI4Nv86MsShlfHAhNdsx75tdZEFT8KTS1il5Ncj0MkBqKDp71B8YuMgWrwsnnoDABc6YFZR1xrzuqBxXqNVbOQMDl_Y-Sb1jwrvEuKqAOMz7o6-KLaCxDiEek_/s320/P4080737.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carpet?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our main objective, however, was to sign up for the ceramics studio. We waited in line, paid $50NT (about $1.50US), and headed into the workshop. The instructor did not speak English, but she did a great job demonstrating the steps to take our chunk of clay and turn it into art in under an hour. Unfortunately, they did not offer a <a href="http://www.boreme.com/posting.php?id=24112" target="_blank">"Ghost" reenactment class</a>. I'm sure they could have charged extra for that. Swayze!!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzQiqtgJBitYtXwoU6RcPB5E85PusoRrndZ0O6v6DXDl_SbJ4gKLyuhISqGGFBsF1g0P7rbP38UDdwEv9IRK_rfJ2gl4J04o0hYVGzi_UO-CrF5ZS39MvrdgY9I4d29t2hq2X64Eb09O2/s1600/P4080742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzQiqtgJBitYtXwoU6RcPB5E85PusoRrndZ0O6v6DXDl_SbJ4gKLyuhISqGGFBsF1g0P7rbP38UDdwEv9IRK_rfJ2gl4J04o0hYVGzi_UO-CrF5ZS39MvrdgY9I4d29t2hq2X64Eb09O2/s320/P4080742.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crafty fun</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They provided all the tools for cutting, molding, and carving the clay, as well as paint to decorate the final product. For an additional $150NT (5 bucks!), they will fire your creation and ship it to your home!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Of course, I didn’t know that I had to notify my doorman that a package would be arriving, nor did I pre-pay him the $150NT delivery fee, so my package never came. Month after month, I waited patiently, wondering if it got lost in the mail, or if (more likely) I wrote down my address incorrectly. Then, just a few weeks ago, I was invited back to Yingge with my cousins. Lucky for me, Emily offered to call the museum to check the status of my ceramic masterpiece, then even went to the studio to pick it up for me. What a gal! And now, at long last, I am reunited with my..... ashtray?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvKChsQurYlJO8BI5Lv6KlfdZsi_HwSiLPfLCqhAHEDht4kVrgUhdhFQeqifmlvuUFiWv3gvX2Is6NXKc2uCvY060YMMXas52yv-0c1S9oUFE_wF63DGeSI9nkWSiDXd0Ow9ggckhKnL0/s1600/P9140562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvKChsQurYlJO8BI5Lv6KlfdZsi_HwSiLPfLCqhAHEDht4kVrgUhdhFQeqifmlvuUFiWv3gvX2Is6NXKc2uCvY060YMMXas52yv-0c1S9oUFE_wF63DGeSI9nkWSiDXd0Ow9ggckhKnL0/s320/P9140562.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masterpiece!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-59374370189034122832012-09-08T17:31:00.000+08:002012-09-08T17:31:08.378+08:00Stop Rubbing It In My Face<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve been in Taiwan for a little over a year now. If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’ve had many adventures and seen lots of awesome things. I’ve kept busy, making an effort to meet new people, travel to new places, and experience things I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do back at home.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But it hasn’t all been fun and games. Don’t worry. If you’ve been reading my posts, thinking to yourself, “Geez, Samantha. Is there anything you <i>haven’t</i> done?!?” -- Fear not! Here’s a list of things you have more than likely had the opportunity to do over the last 13 months that, sadly, I have not. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#1 - Drive a car.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s weird to think about, really. As Americans, we rely on our cars to take us EVERYWHERE. We are so lazy. I would sometimes drive to <a href="http://alterracoffee.com/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Alterra for an iced coffee</a> because 5 blocks was just too far to walk. But here in Taiwan, things are more compact, and public transportation is convenient and reasonably priced. I walk to work; I take the bus and metro train into and around the city; I take a cab home late at night. It’s quite freeing. But I do miss rolling around town with my windows down, blasting my music and singing loudly, to the delight of the people next to me at the red light.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#2 - Use a clothes dryer.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Modern electric clothes dryers have only been around for 100 years or so (I googled it), and probably most people in the world don’t use them. So I know -- first world problem. But I never realized how convenient they are. Without one, I have to plan ahead my laundry chores so that I give my clothes a day to dry before I can wear them. And maybe it’s the air blowing in from <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.tw/2011/12/12-days-of-wugu.html" target="_blank">the stinky creek outside the window here in Wugu</a>, but I think my clothes smell better from the dryer. I miss you, <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=snuggle+bear&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=wwFLULWXLKfumAWNx4EY&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=1066&bih=509" target="_blank">Snuggles</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#3 - Eat real Mexican food.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While there are several attempts at Mexican food here in Taipei, nothing -- and I mean NOTHING -- on this island will satisfy the craving that has been building for the last 13 months. When I return to the States, I will probably give birth to a Mexican child from all the tamales, tacos, and horchata I will ingest. Meet me at <a href="http://elreyfoods.com/aboutus.html" target="_blank">El Rey</a>, anyone??</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#4 - Get really angry because things aren’t perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You know the feeling: there’s a mile-long line at the grocery store. <i>Better ask to see the manager to file a complaint. I shouldn’t have to wait. My time is very valuable.</i> The service at the restaurant is lacking. <i>Better ask to see the manager to file a complaint. I’m paying for this meal - it should be better. Where’s my refill? I asked for no onions!!</i> Someone cuts you off on the freeway. <i>Better speed up and flip that guy off. He can’t drive like that! I was in this lane first! Me first! Me first!</i> I’m not saying that people in Taiwan don’t get angry. But seriously, the comparison is laughable. If you’d ever like a lesson in patience and acceptance that other people.... exist.... you should go shopping at Costco in Taipei on a Sunday afternoon. Approximately 8,000 people with huge shopping carts, politely navigating the aisles in a strangely orderly fashion. And no one seems miffed when they get up to the registers and realize they will be waiting at least 10 minutes to check out. Amazing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#5 - Go on a date.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I don’t want to talk about it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#6 - Watch a football game.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you know me at all, you’re probably thinking, “But Samantha, you don’t like football. You didn’t even know what a first down was until AFTER spending your college years cheering on the<a href="http://www.uwbadgers.com/" target="_blank"> Badgers</a> at weekly games. You still have no idea what a ‘safety’ is.” And you’d be correct. I don’t care about football, or really understand the rules, but I will admit, there’s something about hanging out with your friends and family on a Sunday afternoon, eating chips and salsa, drinking a beer, and watching those player dudes run around on the field. Go team.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#7 - Tip.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That’s right - no tipping in Taiwan. Not waiters, not cab drivers, not delivery men. Sometimes restaurants charge a service fee, but even then it’s only 10%. And 10% of cheap is still cheap. So when I get back home, I think a nice tradition to start would be that whoever I’m with takes care of my portion of the tip. You know, to remind me of the good times I had in Taiwan.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#8 - Buy clothes that fit.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not since before I lost 100lbs have I felt so fat. But the women here are small, much smaller than me. The first month I was here, I actually lost weight, so I went to the store to buy a new pair of pants. The sales girl measured my hips and waist, and then she said the three most horrifying words I’ve ever heard: “You need 3x.” <i>WHAT?!? Like hell, I do!</i> But I reminded myself that this is Taiwan, and I’m being held to a much thinner, shorter standard. So I chose a size 3x pair of pants, took them to the dressing room and tried them on. They didn’t fit. On the sunny side, I’ve saved a lot of money NOT shopping this year!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">#9 - Eavesdrop. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not being able to understand the language makes it quite difficult to listen in on other people’s conversations. I find it strangely comforting not being able to understand much of what is going on around me. It makes for a quiet world because everything becomes white noise. I’m not going to understand what’s being said, even if I try, so I can just tune most things out. This goes for signs and writing, too. I can’t read more than maybe 20 characters, so I can tune out most of the written world as well. It’s weird not being constantly flooded with visual and auditory information. Of course, this inability to understand also has a downside. Just read any of my other posts for some laughable moments when knowing the native language would have come in handy.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Yes, I am having an exciting and rich experience here in Taiwan. But there are some things I miss about home. So if you’ve done any of these things over the past year -- you win!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-63776179009306970732012-08-03T21:38:00.001+08:002012-08-03T21:38:03.769+08:00Deep, Dark Asia<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.tw/2012/07/lauren-in-formosa.html" target="_blank">Lauren’s visit to Taiwan</a> put too much awesome on one small island and caused a <a href="http://english.cntv.cn/program/asiatoday/20120620/112001.shtml" target="_blank">typhoon</a>, we had to rearrange our travel plans. While we had a great time and unexpected adventures of our own, I had my heart set on seeing sunny beaches and ocean views.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lucky for me, I had another week off work coming, and more friends willing to travel! So I packed my bag and whisked away to Kenting with Megan. After a 2-hour bus ride from Kaohsiung to Hengchun, we arrived at our hostel, the <a href="http://www.taiwansurfshack.com/ssv2/" target="_blank">Surf Shack Bar and Grill</a> (and hostel). The owner, Ee, was great -- she had tons of tips for us, and she makes a mean veggie burrito.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our first stop was <a href="http://www.guide.taiwan-adventures.com/2011/baisha-beach/" target="_blank">Baisha Wan</a>. There were approximately 7,000 people at this “secluded” beach, but it was still beautiful. The water was clean and a perfect temperature for taking a refreshing dip. The sun was even shining. Well, for a couple hours. As a dark cloud started to roll in, I started to have PTSD flashbacks of my previous attempt to relax on the beach in Kenting (remember the typhoon??). But, once again, I flipped out for no reason. The rain did fall, but only for a few minutes. I think the gods were just reminding me who was in charge and that I’d better appreciate every ray of sunshine for the next week.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baisha Bay Beach<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue skies, blue water, so many people</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rATj-7oBEUefC-HkKzh6aguEGxemdJfthdr0lOFF-EiBmcuvs38CnK0IFpE_f569LxthezHS-x4WlxIhyPl6S3NLO2hDhZS8Q2ejT3mCyeThNswh0cMBlMSX5hiAyGNbHamjt3jVp0u5/s1600/P7070211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9rATj-7oBEUefC-HkKzh6aguEGxemdJfthdr0lOFF-EiBmcuvs38CnK0IFpE_f569LxthezHS-x4WlxIhyPl6S3NLO2hDhZS8Q2ejT3mCyeThNswh0cMBlMSX5hiAyGNbHamjt3jVp0u5/s320/P7070211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm cloud rollin in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqoB6B6MObR1bI2XDAaBLIfz38vuakWrwI31AbVAQ6Xg1LF6l8x6zbEPzBBNN6xL40Zg60qSVrZ3a8IUVYNzTzmT3DTO1DcKb6aAJ0pJSscBWTnzOU9m8t5_UrhwA60zD3IXPQHPebgqJ/s1600/P7070215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqoB6B6MObR1bI2XDAaBLIfz38vuakWrwI31AbVAQ6Xg1LF6l8x6zbEPzBBNN6xL40Zg60qSVrZ3a8IUVYNzTzmT3DTO1DcKb6aAJ0pJSscBWTnzOU9m8t5_UrhwA60zD3IXPQHPebgqJ/s320/P7070215.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking cover from the rain at the snack stand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next day, we braved the scorching temperatures and quickly ran for cover under a beach umbrella at Xiao Wan. The water was SO BLUE. And, since it was too hot to move, we posted ourselves up in the shade with SPF500, beer from 7-11, a few books, and some <a href="http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/" target="_blank">Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me</a> podcasts, and felt no guilt in laying like sloths for an entire day.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cDpzmr8VH5vNY_c0ruzDe05HxbLRwaUvBZcBgJ-tVp2Cd4CjZEJDPn1LwN9SNXUkh0BazU7yRi9ckZuRVOOCNif7zJ_BnoZ_SOUo2UHTAojh2wI8-Wqrmhz6oNHjyoelQd-zZ019BKhG/s1600/P7080219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cDpzmr8VH5vNY_c0ruzDe05HxbLRwaUvBZcBgJ-tVp2Cd4CjZEJDPn1LwN9SNXUkh0BazU7yRi9ckZuRVOOCNif7zJ_BnoZ_SOUo2UHTAojh2wI8-Wqrmhz6oNHjyoelQd-zZ019BKhG/s320/P7080219.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kenting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdfYpAbdgwMCcSEG4cLeiAciAZuMhDtyvAMsxUWUFMDpVMrD5MbUaqEj9lq0dr56aCHssFyU0Gan5Uwo3KpuzavE8Aa41AXiy0Q_ISTH0QlYa8Vqk39yVok0DdPDao5lGAuI2ridRJrOY/s1600/P7080221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdfYpAbdgwMCcSEG4cLeiAciAZuMhDtyvAMsxUWUFMDpVMrD5MbUaqEj9lq0dr56aCHssFyU0Gan5Uwo3KpuzavE8Aa41AXiy0Q_ISTH0QlYa8Vqk39yVok0DdPDao5lGAuI2ridRJrOY/s320/P7080221.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiao Wan -- Little Bay Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygHiEadaM3Bsu6TM_Lo2J2ITWVMBZhyhKpmZ92ZViDCvXXq1SizzoC5Dixl2AKGV9vpMMPslqIN1TXGzEWLostrSG1aaOotJg6Z4vU-1S9qE1hPfZCLMEkJC3FagPEI-zvWWAySc5LdEA/s1600/P7080223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygHiEadaM3Bsu6TM_Lo2J2ITWVMBZhyhKpmZ92ZViDCvXXq1SizzoC5Dixl2AKGV9vpMMPslqIN1TXGzEWLostrSG1aaOotJg6Z4vU-1S9qE1hPfZCLMEkJC3FagPEI-zvWWAySc5LdEA/s320/P7080223.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No reason to move</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaA2rX8dOpjS3h7JrhLgCOLYgAstVjiChgdn34lBLMNQ_bnQWAvwlhrAvXe3alb_c-ALO6myr5YmxW4GCVQ1ERkqiSPwPcQtIovjjI2xuFt5CmG0aIR-KmCaIC7z5SLgoi4npyw9WW3lV/s1600/P7080225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBaA2rX8dOpjS3h7JrhLgCOLYgAstVjiChgdn34lBLMNQ_bnQWAvwlhrAvXe3alb_c-ALO6myr5YmxW4GCVQ1ERkqiSPwPcQtIovjjI2xuFt5CmG0aIR-KmCaIC7z5SLgoi4npyw9WW3lV/s320/P7080225.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xiao Wan</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When it was time to head north out of Kenting on Monday, the hostel owner Ee arranged a taxi for us, for the same price as the stinky bus! Had I known that these were some of the last precious moments I would enjoy with Megan before she ran off to New York City, I wouldn’t have spent them sleeping. Sorry, Megan. :( Sad face.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While Megan journeyed north to Taipei to go back to work, I headed east to Taitung to meet up with Ellen for more adventures.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to preface the next part of this blog with the strong statement that I had a WONDERFUL time on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Island,_Taiwan" target="_blank">Green Island</a>, and I would recommend any and all people to explore the island. It’s a beautiful place full of history and delicious seafood. However, there is one fly in the ointment, and that is the owner/operator of <a href="http://www.greenislandadventures.com/packages.htm" target="_blank">Green Island Adventures</a>. He’s a South African expat. His name is Eddie, and I feel that it is my professional duty as a blogger to inform the masses that you SHOULD NOT use his services. First of all, you don’t need them. You can see Green Island without his tour package. Second, you can get a better deal (just ask a Chinese-speaker to help you look online). Third, he is more than a little rude. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had arranged with Eddie to be picked up at the Taitung train station at 10pm. Ellen was arriving from Taipei at 9:50, and I arrived at 8:30 or so. At 8:45, my phone rang. It was Eddie:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“What time are you getting to Taitung?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I just arrived. My friend will be here at 9:50.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Because I was looking online at the train schedule, and there are no trains arriving at 10pm. You told me you would be at the station at 10pm.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Oh, well, my friend’s train comes at 9:50, so I told you we’d be here at 10.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Well, Samanthaaaaa, I can’t change the time now. I told my driver 10pm, so you’ll just have to wait.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Uh, ok. It’s just 10 minutes later, so it will be fine....”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Well maybe you don’t understand this, but my driver has a family to get home to, so it would have been nice if you had told me the correct time of arrival.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Uhhhhh. Ok. Sorry?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Hhhhhhhhhhh, goodbye.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m sorry. What? Really? Ten minutes. Ten minutes! Why would you call me and ream me out over that? Whatever.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anyways, the driver arrived at 9:55, and (surprise!) we waited about three more minutes for Ellen to collect her bags, get off the train, and make her way from the platform. Pretty dang close to 10pm.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The cab driver was delightful and told Ellen that she’d be back to the hostel at 7am to take us to the ferry to ride out to Green Island. Eddie had told me the cab would come at 9am, so I called him to verify. He was the owner, after all.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“What? Who is this?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Hi, Eddie. It’s Samantha. I’m in the cab on the way to the hostel, and the driver says she will come pick us up at 7am tomorrow. You told me 9am in your email, so I wanted to check with you.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Look, Samantha, I don’t think you’re understanding the Chinese language. The cab will come at 9am. Why would you believe the cab driver? I’ve been running this tour business for NINE YEARS, and we’ve been taking people to Green Island all that time. If I said 9am, it’s 9am.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Well, actually, Eddie, my friend is Taiwanese and is talking to the cab driver, so the language barrier isn’t an issue. I know you’re the owner. That’s why I called to check with you. Would you like to talk to the cab driver to clear this up?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“No. Maybe it won’t even be the same driver who picks you up. This is MY business, so maybe I’ll send another driver. Or maybe I will come pick you up. Be ready at 9am.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Ok, so -----”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He hung up.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not kidding. Like a pissed off middle school girl fighting with her BFF. Maybe you’re thinking: <i>Samantha, calm down. You must be exaggerating this story.</i> If only. But wait; it gets better.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not even 30 seconds later, my phone rings. It’s Eddie:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“THE CAB WILL PICK YOU UP AT 7AM. BE READY AT 7AM.” No apology, just more yelling.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“So, the driver was correct?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Listen, Samanthaaaaaaaaaaa. I’m on pain killers. I was stung ALL OVER MY BODY by jellyfish. So, I’m in a lot of pain here. The cab will come at 7am to pick you up, and--”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“You know, Eddie, I’m a paying customer, and there really is no reason for you to be talking to me this way. All I wanted to do was make sure we knew what time the cab was coming so we don’t miss the ONLY ferry to Green Island tomorrow.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Yeah, you’re right. There is no reason for YOU to be talking to ME this way --”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“No, that’s not what I said.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“--I’m an expat; I’m not Taiwanese. So be ready for the cab at 7am. And put your money for the hostel in the jar on top of the refrigerator.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Just put it in the --”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hung up again.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jesus. I only wish I could type in “angry/unbalanced South African accent” font so that you could enjoy the full glory of Eddie.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The hostel was a crap hole. We had to change the sheets on the beds because no one had been there to take care of the hostel since the last 6 guests had stayed. The toilet ran constantly and had to be jerry-rigged in order to flush. Let’s not even talk about the cockroaches.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was still upset about him hanging up on me. I mean, I’m paying for his services. It was after 11pm, so I didn’t want to call him back, but I just had to say something. So I texted:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I don’t appreciate being hung up on. That’s not ok. I hope you feel better tomorrow and we can avoid any further confusion. We’ll be on the 7:30 ferry.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">His response:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Thanks for waking me up again....”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ah, well.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anyways, we got some sleep, took a video of ourselves “putting the money in the jar on top of the refrigerator” (I was worried he’d say we didn’t pay), swallowed some seasickness pills, and headed off to the ferry.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRysrHsWlccRl5wun-G64eLfL7EENajun0ObO49bqku-O4dWEjsGU7JPGeTnfnf4NgdELGBU-8wF4MQvHN0WWcZKbxIX_ryKoh7HyoI7arPZ4T1wz8kQ7i6nsgmePU90Zb1EvAudPLM32/s1600/P7100271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRysrHsWlccRl5wun-G64eLfL7EENajun0ObO49bqku-O4dWEjsGU7JPGeTnfnf4NgdELGBU-8wF4MQvHN0WWcZKbxIX_ryKoh7HyoI7arPZ4T1wz8kQ7i6nsgmePU90Zb1EvAudPLM32/s320/P7100271.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ellen and I are on a boat!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">People were puking their guts out in the seats around me. Pretty gross, but I managed to hold down my breakfast. And I saw a dolphin!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We finally arrived on Green Island, and we were greeted by a man holding a sign with my name. He led us over to a pick-up truck and told us to “get in.” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Uh... get in the back?” I asked.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Yeah, it’s Green Island style.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I looked around. Many other people were boarding hotel vans. Vans with seats. And doors.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Really? Just hop right in?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Yes. Get in.” He tossed our bags into the truck. “Don’t worry. Those boxes I put down are new. It’s clean.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now, I’ve ridden in my fair share of pick-up trucks. But I was surprised to be picked up by an organized tour and told to climb into the bed of a truck and sit on cardboard boxes. Especially when all the other Green Island guests were NOT riding in the back like the family dog. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Needless to say, we got to feel the ocean breeze and be one with nature while we rode to the hotel. Also we got a lesson in how to hang on for dear life as we flew around twists and turns on the narrow, edge-of-the-cliff mountain roads. But the view was beautiful!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkyatQ9xZA4lJ-z1RcJLZx44fKjpGOT2dPNaL1IpYgpobuGhOPDlB0luL8yKVGTXxv8wOd1rP-MrYqtW02PJUrWCDcsnM12ni48lD3SuOFhAg08pPvCBk4ilV1Dz_9QxeMutxN54B_O3T/s1600/P7100273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCkyatQ9xZA4lJ-z1RcJLZx44fKjpGOT2dPNaL1IpYgpobuGhOPDlB0luL8yKVGTXxv8wOd1rP-MrYqtW02PJUrWCDcsnM12ni48lD3SuOFhAg08pPvCBk4ilV1Dz_9QxeMutxN54B_O3T/s320/P7100273.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Azd3CMQHWQmgPXXbUvZDvZFNn3Bu-6-e_grvcwasMwZwElmcrAvUAv_SbkXRx_PexC_YGb_IIHX7IhUPjsHJd1wn2Tcwq5CJGZJQU4Dl44QMfJqck3Qn9H-URT7X1tj0EyMqUZSC9vY/s1600/P7100278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9Azd3CMQHWQmgPXXbUvZDvZFNn3Bu-6-e_grvcwasMwZwElmcrAvUAv_SbkXRx_PexC_YGb_IIHX7IhUPjsHJd1wn2Tcwq5CJGZJQU4Dl44QMfJqck3Qn9H-URT7X1tj0EyMqUZSC9vY/s320/P7100278.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing solid sun safety</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Soon we were at the hotel, and the driver gave the keys for our rental scooter to Ellen. I reminded her to check the gas tank. Of course, there was no gas in it. The driver made us pay for him to fill it up. Really? We already paid for the scooter. Why would we rent a scooter with no gas? There’s ONE (ok, maybe two) gas station on the island. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We watched in shock as he went into his little shed, came back with a gallon jug full of gas, and proceeded to poor the gas into the tank. And all down the side of the scooter. When we pointed out the possible safety hazard there, he grabbed a rag and wiped at the spill.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“There. Ready.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Green Island style, I guess.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next fiasco followed close behind. I asked the driver when we could go on our snorkeling excursion.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Oh, you don’t get to go snorkeling. Eddie said you didn’t pay for that.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Eddie’s wrong. It’s part of the package.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I’ll call him.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dear god. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I could hear the driver telling Eddie the situation and asking what to do. He handed me the phone, and I said:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Hello.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Long silence. “Hellooooo? This is Eddie. Who is this?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Uh, you idiot. Who do you think it is?</i> “This is Samantha.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“What do you want?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Uh, you idiot. I just heard the driver tell you what I want.</i> “Oh, there seems to be some confusion. The driver says we don’t get to go snorkeling.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“You don’t. You didn’t paaaaaaay for snorkeling. Your package doesn’t incluuuuuuuude snorkeling.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Like hell, it doesn’t.</i> “Oh, I’m pretty sure it does. That’s one of the main attractions at Green Island.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“What? What are you saying? I can’t hear you. I’m in the basement of the hospital. I’M IN HOSPITAL! I have jellyfish stings. I’m in pain. I can barely hear you. I don’t have time for this. I’M IN HOSPITAL.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Wow</i>. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m sure we can go snorkeling.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“You DON’T get to go. You didn’t paaay for that. But you know what? You know what, Samanthaaaaaa? I’m a really nice guy and I love for people to go to the sea, so how about I just pay for you to go? Out of my OWN pocket? How would you like that?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Such a martyr.</i> “Oh, wow. Thanks so much, Eddie. I’ll let you tell the driver. Ok bye.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My patience and fake calm paid off.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the ride to the beach (again in the back of the pick-up truck), we met five British girls on vacation from college. They also booked with Green Island Adventures. But they got to MEET Eddie. He picked them up from the train station. I don’t want to report too much second-hand information, but let me just give you the highlights of their interaction with Eddie.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He started by threatening to leave them at the only ATM in town if they couldn’t withdraw enough money to pay for the tour. He called them “stupid little girls” and screamed that they “have to be prepaaaaaaared” when they travel. Then he attempted to put the fear of god in them by telling them that people don’t speak English on Green Island, and that they had no idea what they’d gotten themselves into, traveling in “deep, dark Asia.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Uhhhhh, this is Taiwan, man. Get it together. Pretty much the safest place on earth. Also, you can’t call grown women “stupid little girls.” Bad form.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The snorkeling was nice, but there were a lot of people and everyone was just walking all over the coral. Not what I expected. However, the driver gave us bread to feed to the fish, which made tons of fish swim up to us. The colors were vibrant and water was cool and refreshing!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we got back to the dive center, the driver handed me a folded up piece of printer paper. It was a fax from Eddie.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to repeat that: It was a FAX from Eddie. A fax. On an island. From a man who was “too busy” and “in pain” in the basement of a hospital. But he had the time and resources to send me a fax. Ahhhh, comedy gold.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The fax was two pages. The first was a print out from his website with a passage circled and a note that said, “See??? No snorkeling!” The second was a personal message for me:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Samantha -- 'integrity' is an important word where I come from. --Eddie”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have the strong suspicion that he went on to his website, changed the package details, and then printed that page out. I truly doubt I would have overlooked the snorkeling when I booked. But even if I did, and it was my mistake, there is no reason for him to react that way. Remember when he told me the wrong time for the taxi to the ferry? He didn’t even apologize for that. I really wasn’t trying to scam him for free snorkeling. No need to question my integrity. Geez.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ellen and I carried on about our day, exploring the island and soaking in the sun. We scooted the entire perimeter of the island in the course of the day. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyZQGhDZUoo0d6Toruov6rD1a3Qv-cQTpWfE9LXkYswd8ONQapOFxtUyITvJdFaqKmNnjukCOLR4Xc0pA3acOMAZIlY-Ub_p2vdx4RLqequrrpgdlEDCYZjhRPqkm11E0K4-7qFOfyFN8/s1600/P7110401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyZQGhDZUoo0d6Toruov6rD1a3Qv-cQTpWfE9LXkYswd8ONQapOFxtUyITvJdFaqKmNnjukCOLR4Xc0pA3acOMAZIlY-Ub_p2vdx4RLqequrrpgdlEDCYZjhRPqkm11E0K4-7qFOfyFN8/s320/P7110401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dabaisha Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fJ_x39SdB96uHztBaymjql-TRJkH9Fx6vsjAY50uQ4nNCO-7O_qSRdFrRUkTBhU8KonYq9bOeHtNQWWxcm1FZk3gvJivUDPe6pGysxselNWOr0eFyt5xu2bsDnb1_9Zg0ga6o3KIUWNB/s1600/P7110404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fJ_x39SdB96uHztBaymjql-TRJkH9Fx6vsjAY50uQ4nNCO-7O_qSRdFrRUkTBhU8KonYq9bOeHtNQWWxcm1FZk3gvJivUDPe6pGysxselNWOr0eFyt5xu2bsDnb1_9Zg0ga6o3KIUWNB/s320/P7110404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">People walking on water</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzoXv-ryXx0HkuAJltuyhRt15GfjX_KQRCVXwvUQtKaOCuqkqS-QoPCkokWencNAx8xmloLcd5EJcE3InP_w70qYPcsi5wHhcvKMxax1QLEbttyGs9d9aGsdZqQuAyGuOU6O7z2B98br4/s1600/P7100306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzoXv-ryXx0HkuAJltuyhRt15GfjX_KQRCVXwvUQtKaOCuqkqS-QoPCkokWencNAx8xmloLcd5EJcE3InP_w70qYPcsi5wHhcvKMxax1QLEbttyGs9d9aGsdZqQuAyGuOU6O7z2B98br4/s320/P7100306.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crab Crossing</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Green Island is known for seaweed and sea mushrooms, and Ellen and I made sure to eat some of each at every opportunity.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRZvpALIB71ZWnGJRKTdLnjYzkDEnA95VZYHHhNgz0ua_sMdOtgk3SeFO0o9-2QP7Ep0b41G8ynpfVDD9T_26sj2bTsiOyJcCRmaZTFxOycIbV0OQHNkIgkmuH4c95Hz6m0Rtwx73JEaK/s1600/P7100286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRZvpALIB71ZWnGJRKTdLnjYzkDEnA95VZYHHhNgz0ua_sMdOtgk3SeFO0o9-2QP7Ep0b41G8ynpfVDD9T_26sj2bTsiOyJcCRmaZTFxOycIbV0OQHNkIgkmuH4c95Hz6m0Rtwx73JEaK/s320/P7100286.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea mushrooms (left) and deer with vegetables</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We visited the <a href="http://www.guide.taiwan-adventures.com/2011/prison/" target="_blank">old prison</a> on the island. The prison once held dissidents of the KMT’s reign during the White Terror era in Taiwan. The prison is now a museum of sorts, and we walked around, even entering the cells.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyVT2u6ZsCbkPWHD1U-2ZTwpqaEpXswP4z9Mxp8weB5C1uPEBEAhr1viTcx0LcYRQrQn0Y36C7qY5Qwil5IOxl2Ol1m-JwxnyVMQ25hKtNqSwO-wRtwYC9cor0rSLaSfc0qj59B1SjG6S/s1600/P7100312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyVT2u6ZsCbkPWHD1U-2ZTwpqaEpXswP4z9Mxp8weB5C1uPEBEAhr1viTcx0LcYRQrQn0Y36C7qY5Qwil5IOxl2Ol1m-JwxnyVMQ25hKtNqSwO-wRtwYC9cor0rSLaSfc0qj59B1SjG6S/s320/P7100312.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ludao Prison</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC55Ei9G9XymFE64O9D6MkZzR-1_DnwFOILF6kLSEZ7DvAPw72h7E7oMxQTIpBIa1qFdjVZzqEBAOEYr4VouarPWnTl2cCzg5r1mOvyo_sBlyLOvSXitVwvEjC8L9l7E9EY_xMF0VcCMpo/s1600/P7100321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC55Ei9G9XymFE64O9D6MkZzR-1_DnwFOILF6kLSEZ7DvAPw72h7E7oMxQTIpBIa1qFdjVZzqEBAOEYr4VouarPWnTl2cCzg5r1mOvyo_sBlyLOvSXitVwvEjC8L9l7E9EY_xMF0VcCMpo/s320/P7100321.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worst part about prison? Sleeping next to the squatter toilet. Ew.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And since no one was watching, I climbed up in the guard tower to have a little look-see.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqxcSIhZPHl9KrxETTUXSBteO5EEWuSene3u4pXLDzbz37C3cIbiQ5C73XXRmfspyvUnjx1jM15eSu3ekelnTDJIS1n75HSSzZUE9SnxupUbascoIr5QiiBqRNwKfjrhskT7qR4IOrknv/s1600/P7100330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqxcSIhZPHl9KrxETTUXSBteO5EEWuSene3u4pXLDzbz37C3cIbiQ5C73XXRmfspyvUnjx1jM15eSu3ekelnTDJIS1n75HSSzZUE9SnxupUbascoIr5QiiBqRNwKfjrhskT7qR4IOrknv/s320/P7100330.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guard tower</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v4h7WuvkfThQlfqUirbw5AaYkCw-ejO7rdXVqVGSy9cT-1BpwhjBFN03lcI0SsUrGXb753eiMKZkkw6jVZ0rHLMx1pSdjYx8QS2Jzm8xwxEcW2LB2mpyD-Gj-lF2kPYNR7GfrleeQTEE/s1600/P7100331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8v4h7WuvkfThQlfqUirbw5AaYkCw-ejO7rdXVqVGSy9cT-1BpwhjBFN03lcI0SsUrGXb753eiMKZkkw6jVZ0rHLMx1pSdjYx8QS2Jzm8xwxEcW2LB2mpyD-Gj-lF2kPYNR7GfrleeQTEE/s320/P7100331.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Later we made our way to the Little Great Wall. I have big plans to go see the real <a href="http://www.greatwall-of-china.com/" target="_blank">Great Wall</a>, so I guess this was a good warm-up. It’s actually the ridge of the volcanic crater that formed Taiwan, but they’ve made it resemble the Great Wall pretty well. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizHvfPfHhIgv2Nbf8lCbc6twQ2D7H8LAsINhxdJI6rWEFMz6RH2QLYvcsbYPUefyNYKHVwaRdsu1Jf_wazMrMGPy-l5yE6ujv74exaJ74_dSOx4oYZ1Ixa6-hLyxqpC2u77oEMVP0J3Yu/s1600/P7100352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizHvfPfHhIgv2Nbf8lCbc6twQ2D7H8LAsINhxdJI6rWEFMz6RH2QLYvcsbYPUefyNYKHVwaRdsu1Jf_wazMrMGPy-l5yE6ujv74exaJ74_dSOx4oYZ1Ixa6-hLyxqpC2u77oEMVP0J3Yu/s320/P7100352.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Great Wall</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">From there, we could see a couple of the rock formations famous on the island. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">One is called Pekingese Dog, which I can almost make out. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">The other is Sleeping Beauty Rock, which is more obvious.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWsC1mvmUxSYts0OdF8XpO6OVyIIiYSpMQ8YsyziVAF2c5kNqbqpTeRc_0J8pw52DypMEo0-Nsm_G8XKEf17BHuQ-atH_JZv5_GhUX4LpJMn1yO2PIIqd9vU9n27lNJnCkfvUrNK5S_xe/s1600/P7100359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWsC1mvmUxSYts0OdF8XpO6OVyIIiYSpMQ8YsyziVAF2c5kNqbqpTeRc_0J8pw52DypMEo0-Nsm_G8XKEf17BHuQ-atH_JZv5_GhUX4LpJMn1yO2PIIqd9vU9n27lNJnCkfvUrNK5S_xe/s320/P7100359.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pekingese Dog. Not sure which end is the head.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMOkUaB2Xl6CGyl-9WmHSnVOlz-wmt95N_Dymyznx4p6mMRPLNrLZBFpisnKPubpspmZ1IOS6kLSG3vImMd-UIRUWQSjK5rXIkLKsnd7prjbxarExVSDlfXVOIQfKxQMg-YQD7QQ9M5vt/s1600/P7100358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMOkUaB2Xl6CGyl-9WmHSnVOlz-wmt95N_Dymyznx4p6mMRPLNrLZBFpisnKPubpspmZ1IOS6kLSG3vImMd-UIRUWQSjK5rXIkLKsnd7prjbxarExVSDlfXVOIQfKxQMg-YQD7QQ9M5vt/s320/P7100358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping Beauty Rock</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That evening, after a dinner of goat stew, we went on a nighttime excursion to look for deer. Yeah. Deer. Apparently, the island is home to a growing population of endangered Sika deer. Deer are no big thing to me. Being from Wisconsin, I see tons of deer every year. Like, at least ten. Most of them dead on the side of the road.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But Ellen was super stoked to see the deer. Every time the guide pulled over near a field or clearing, Ellen jumped off the scooter, grabbed my hand, and elbowed people out of the way so we could be first to spot the animals. After four or five such occurrences, I had to ask:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Why are you so excited to see the deer? I mean... they’re just deer.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“There are not many of these deer. They're endangered in Taiwan, and Green Island protects them, so there are more here.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Ah, I see.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Also, I’ve never seen a deer before.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Even in the zoo?!?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“No.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Man, I need to start appreciating life more! It was really sweet that she wanted to share her first deer sighting with me. It’s funny how such a common animal to me is an exciting rarity to her. I guess seeing a deer is to Ellen what seeing a panda might be to me. Except pandas are cooler.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning, we woke before sunrise and made our way to the <a href="http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002123&id=5856" target="_blank">Zhaori hot springs</a>. It’s one of only three salt water hot springs on earth! When we arrived, it was still dark out, and we found a hot pool to soak in and watch the sun rise. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVT-VHCridlZyMgh0PygALw3BkdmJ725b4VZmkLucGwmJC9TJi5d-Gp-d3UIHCdwZG1ve6OAY4tcp5U6DobD2lw7W26bmwONEdWPPeP-b2MPsH2Q-nAImQM6ZRU79JMcXE8Yk9GVcve6w/s1600/P7110384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVT-VHCridlZyMgh0PygALw3BkdmJ725b4VZmkLucGwmJC9TJi5d-Gp-d3UIHCdwZG1ve6OAY4tcp5U6DobD2lw7W26bmwONEdWPPeP-b2MPsH2Q-nAImQM6ZRU79JMcXE8Yk9GVcve6w/s320/P7110384.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before sunrise</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQCXB8K-UaoreFY1g2XLCrLO1MVsH8O6YXIhnMWfjvgKbkIkquWLrlq5q5jjT0cW84oQrZQA94FWgMulrhgmb6_laWj-_ee4sdQODLoV1TUCOTWSSWjv0p4qF266bQQnSJjHE0WPlKdv3/s1600/P7110387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQCXB8K-UaoreFY1g2XLCrLO1MVsH8O6YXIhnMWfjvgKbkIkquWLrlq5q5jjT0cW84oQrZQA94FWgMulrhgmb6_laWj-_ee4sdQODLoV1TUCOTWSSWjv0p4qF266bQQnSJjHE0WPlKdv3/s320/P7110387.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise saltwater soak</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Bt9DZ7BySjI9hyphenhyphend3p2L8xWsSokaF9JQEOi7jei7N1xFkvrQTXuauP_U-Jhm2ZIHgtRhj9GlU0ZqcGOFCihnW-93vo6IemsBV4CipAZny4tQRsVu8Cr0SZasY_QPKrLIw48fUf80WQYe1/s1600/P7110388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Bt9DZ7BySjI9hyphenhyphend3p2L8xWsSokaF9JQEOi7jei7N1xFkvrQTXuauP_U-Jhm2ZIHgtRhj9GlU0ZqcGOFCihnW-93vo6IemsBV4CipAZny4tQRsVu8Cr0SZasY_QPKrLIw48fUf80WQYe1/s320/P7110388.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zhaori Hot Springs</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was so relaxing that I was literally falling asleep in the water. Not the safest idea, but I couldn’t help it. It was so early, and the siren-song combination of the hot salt water and the jet streams massaging my back were just too powerful. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After a couple hours more sleep back at the hotel, we showered and scooted into town for some shopping and lunch. Here’s what I ordered:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMwUNR8O-EXlthZL8xsM78NiHKFcR8jWWSdmEyKWA39x7JvU6DnYBSguXtqTUlGqff09L5C7JzlcKw6DORvO0mzyB9Y9-eLMds4Gdoo2kBLeOpblcGV5ZABp9YGxOoNFWkOgBmCGzL2WJ/s1600/P7110399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMwUNR8O-EXlthZL8xsM78NiHKFcR8jWWSdmEyKWA39x7JvU6DnYBSguXtqTUlGqff09L5C7JzlcKw6DORvO0mzyB9Y9-eLMds4Gdoo2kBLeOpblcGV5ZABp9YGxOoNFWkOgBmCGzL2WJ/s320/P7110399.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shaved ice with mango, banana, pineapple, and dragon fruit. Fairly certain it's the best food ever.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We got a ride back to the ferry from our trusty driver (in a van with no license plate -- is this a legitimate business?!?) and said goodbye to Green Island.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv9BvG-AJJOUQEERPic1_SNbUZih7YHvugiPhWf7-NWWaFyKs427ZY95WPeWoiSgv7FsF5e5vraTEz-Xeyn6nA6rg2xt4D_E6ZhgzIgJKzyJ7-E7Wish2Y-oGoAHQfccatQqoJpvNIObX/s1600/P7100297.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv9BvG-AJJOUQEERPic1_SNbUZih7YHvugiPhWf7-NWWaFyKs427ZY95WPeWoiSgv7FsF5e5vraTEz-Xeyn6nA6rg2xt4D_E6ZhgzIgJKzyJ7-E7Wish2Y-oGoAHQfccatQqoJpvNIObX/s320/P7100297.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect weather</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq99HQgqpynyYuwvb3N3UgkwhOjiCFYMezs7CvJqn9oYNberHX_DA14gre93YZ4PFtxlTI-ssiCBJdsVA6_whor7sOingSz9ilKFM0z5hgftqYopdvUk2wuJaXLjB2C4bSyMDlADzHogjS/s1600/P7100292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq99HQgqpynyYuwvb3N3UgkwhOjiCFYMezs7CvJqn9oYNberHX_DA14gre93YZ4PFtxlTI-ssiCBJdsVA6_whor7sOingSz9ilKFM0z5hgftqYopdvUk2wuJaXLjB2C4bSyMDlADzHogjS/s320/P7100292.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island girls</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hopefully my next trip will be just as amazing. Preferably requiring a little less <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fscuv4PIjws" target="_blank">goosfraba</a>.</span></div>
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-27714722445616658502012-07-24T11:05:00.001+08:002012-07-24T11:05:22.254+08:00Lauren in Formosa<br />
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<b>I am so lucky to have had friends and family come alllll the way to Taiwan to see me! My best friend Lauren came to visit back in June, and she graciously agreed to write a guest blog about her time here. Enjoy!</b></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ah, reunited at last! It’s hard to describe the joy I felt when, not only did I see Samantha waiting for me outside my gate at the airport, but also an entire welcoming committee! Samantha’s roommates and friends loaded up in the car to pick me up in her boss’ car, and waited so patiently while I dealt with a small man in charge of the lost baggage office. I had landed safely and on time, but my bag had never left O’Hare. Much to my dismay, he told me they would get my bag back to me as soon as possible, but I was stuck for a few days without my stuff. I told that small baggage claim man that it was a good thing I had packed my toothbrush in my carry on, to which he replied with a shy giggle and covering his mouth. It’s a good thing I didn’t mention anything about clean underwear!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc97fTbjmH9QEumLXFLImVvBOy3KaDSLuR6z2TMitnpJDbLYw1oBPQPEBPVms17iOxviMcEEUL-BR59LShvpk6PiN3guMVW136UCPr6YNCyY8jptw6c4MS9yQfX155x90BFDzOMUIQm0Q/s1600/561157_10101485676574117_1591499298_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc97fTbjmH9QEumLXFLImVvBOy3KaDSLuR6z2TMitnpJDbLYw1oBPQPEBPVms17iOxviMcEEUL-BR59LShvpk6PiN3guMVW136UCPr6YNCyY8jptw6c4MS9yQfX155x90BFDzOMUIQm0Q/s320/561157_10101485676574117_1591499298_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Together again!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Eating, as in the United States, was one of my favorite things to do while in Taiwan. Both Samantha and my brother Chris made lists of foods I had to try, and I proceeded to eat my way through the country. The best places to eat were the night markets, where you could wander from food cart to food cart and try a wide array of seafoods on a stick, stinky tofu, tropical fruits, and noodle concoctions. Towns would come alive at night when markets would open, bringing masses of shoppers and eaters. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXARO-3FKT5xGb8dtEzH45aX_z6p2m_pnyPl3yS6sTx85re_eWQ7Pn3v6KB0mcpgTkNyfYKYBVZQX-W08Ay6tizblQfCknaeBrDJCG5rAoawL_stZibq2Wsjn9R0iuUP6Atx_3xCHqT-Fc/s1600/318806_10101485677956347_561641542_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXARO-3FKT5xGb8dtEzH45aX_z6p2m_pnyPl3yS6sTx85re_eWQ7Pn3v6KB0mcpgTkNyfYKYBVZQX-W08Ay6tizblQfCknaeBrDJCG5rAoawL_stZibq2Wsjn9R0iuUP6Atx_3xCHqT-Fc/s320/318806_10101485677956347_561641542_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice cream crepe in Shida</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RifoRUDDPzO5cvlFuVqUqtPcJT8yN0V0jyDxHKpIKQSaA8S2MzB44BghsKBbPHEI3ggbM2E2RUbh7Jcaln9FuTxnui5wE-YP-fQLtMkvWQajlBUqnQxFJ0HScWoTvsqmrmcSJZoMYQeP/s1600/P6220132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5RifoRUDDPzO5cvlFuVqUqtPcJT8yN0V0jyDxHKpIKQSaA8S2MzB44BghsKBbPHEI3ggbM2E2RUbh7Jcaln9FuTxnui5wE-YP-fQLtMkvWQajlBUqnQxFJ0HScWoTvsqmrmcSJZoMYQeP/s320/P6220132.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Squid-on-a-stick in Danshui</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">TYPHOON. Unfortunately we were rained out from Kenting and our Green Island adventure. One bit of good fortune was our hostel in Kaoshiung called <a href="http://www.cozy-planet.com/" target="_blank">Cozy Planet</a>, owned by a sweet Taiwanese man named Sam and his beautiful, pregnant wife. Cozy Planet was our refuge from the torrential downpours that plagued the island for 3 days of our week together; while the typhoon required us to formulate plan B and plan C for our week, we still had a great time seeing the sights of Kaoshiung and Tainan. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5flohysNkvIQoaMTgjW4yOdT2tLOjUTBKoKrOVgwMXm0o1ODo91m7v-0z0kzGiO4-JbIRs488EGIzPxNvtIPeLtkaZU1he1itTTNHM5ITXRqnC_z-kryN-dw39Z-cRLWsI2ImInzY1_P/s1600/P6190018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA5flohysNkvIQoaMTgjW4yOdT2tLOjUTBKoKrOVgwMXm0o1ODo91m7v-0z0kzGiO4-JbIRs488EGIzPxNvtIPeLtkaZU1he1itTTNHM5ITXRqnC_z-kryN-dw39Z-cRLWsI2ImInzY1_P/s320/P6190018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typhoon fashion</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Tainan ended up being an epic adventure of a walking tour throughout the city- 13 temples in one day, whew! Good thing we re-fueled with some mango ice, a delicious treat of shaved ice, fresh mango, and sweetened condensed milk poured over the top. Heavenly.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW_T_7Gk3xAn7Co6IUnPH3vM5bKbcXZzEANISbvlLmkDQBI8Y1rMANXPkRar_OnWiBsX7mj_kTak0OfPQAUzvaOgIimeoXrDgDnmAe9Tqe9RHLf6cdcWyjjpTcqLnw8RsNvDFUovm30IJ/s1600/P6210126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeW_T_7Gk3xAn7Co6IUnPH3vM5bKbcXZzEANISbvlLmkDQBI8Y1rMANXPkRar_OnWiBsX7mj_kTak0OfPQAUzvaOgIimeoXrDgDnmAe9Tqe9RHLf6cdcWyjjpTcqLnw8RsNvDFUovm30IJ/s320/P6210126.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many temples</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlENq4R5IY6GrkKDwXdi4G7kgeZzvdCWtTldH3a9rvmL6tLPP9NKrEQ5psU5fjwLlxVFAyWXV1zcIfLQPRQcKs4Svo3_F6ebr9dks0Fi00KVIN6FJC1TykiUPtGWGAVfOpdqdJRZAScu7/s1600/314777_10101485681998247_938463644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlENq4R5IY6GrkKDwXdi4G7kgeZzvdCWtTldH3a9rvmL6tLPP9NKrEQ5psU5fjwLlxVFAyWXV1zcIfLQPRQcKs4Svo3_F6ebr9dks0Fi00KVIN6FJC1TykiUPtGWGAVfOpdqdJRZAScu7/s320/314777_10101485681998247_938463644_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heaven in a bowl</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My brother Chris, who is currently teaching in Hsinchu, came and spent the weekend with us in Taipei. We braved the heat at the annual <a href="http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=22675963&ctNode=8557&mp=100002" target="_blank">International Dragon Boat Festival</a>, and enjoyed a delicious dinner at the establishment of Samantha’s famous “Noodle Lady” in Wugu. She created a special menu in English just for Sam! *Note- the noodle lady does not have a liquor license, so you have to BYOB from Seven-Eleven.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbQkCGlKrbf7833TiUjeJW003scU24PelVZn8d_xVlM4ZLKlzWqFHNH-ZcOFbHrGQ3ywI4hyFTK5m0C7LBb8BJYitzKrlLxlyM5ID5F88Ly90Elai47qN3ipwnN611fZZAHMq0U-mbeFF/s1600/179978_10101485685401427_558859419_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghbQkCGlKrbf7833TiUjeJW003scU24PelVZn8d_xVlM4ZLKlzWqFHNH-ZcOFbHrGQ3ywI4hyFTK5m0C7LBb8BJYitzKrlLxlyM5ID5F88Ly90Elai47qN3ipwnN611fZZAHMq0U-mbeFF/s320/179978_10101485685401427_558859419_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best noodles ever</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I would like to tell you that Taiwan is not a beautiful island, so as only to keep it an undiscovered treasure from masses of Western travelers. I was blown away by the kindness of strangers, the ease and cleanliness of transportation systems, the beautiful sights, and the amazing food on this island. I’m so glad to have visited Chris and Samantha, to get a glimpse of their lives in Asia. I’ve already begun planning my next trip to Asia, wherever they are teaching in the Summer 2013! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lauren Boyd</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-53820241245719236872012-07-21T11:45:00.000+08:002012-07-21T12:03:41.163+08:00祝你生日快乐,美国! Happy birthday, America!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Over beers back in June, I told my friends Ellen and David that America’s birthday was fast approaching. They asked how Americans celebrate the holiday. I decided to tell the sweet, Pollyanna version, and described many a summer day filled with burgers on the grill; watermelon-seed spitting contests; red, white, and blue tablecloths; and fireworks lighting up the night sky. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Apparently, this Norman Rockwell fairytale sounded appealing, and they offered to host a 4th of July party in my, I mean America’s, honor.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">David booked us an <a href="http://www.roku.url.tw/" target="_blank">all-you-can eat BBQ dinner</a> (in true American/excessive fashion), and Ellen sent out the invitations.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s strange, but for some reason, the rest of Taiwan didn’t observe this major religious holiday, so many of my friends had to work late and couldn’t make it to dinner. But we hard-core patriots were present, along with our honorary Taiwanese-Americans.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPF2S9EESTegSryJ5jRvgFfaPzBfFRQ2HGS2Zi87Te1Ys-sQaYC4-GHws6yDueB0bsgcuuw9tF2Hp8piyCceB5hPRHec68nh371fQaQ5Oa8DZIGigWp4ekr4ApyYpqA3s8uqu36KYt2YJ/s1600/266104_397351993655026_302396138_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJPF2S9EESTegSryJ5jRvgFfaPzBfFRQ2HGS2Zi87Te1Ys-sQaYC4-GHws6yDueB0bsgcuuw9tF2Hp8piyCceB5hPRHec68nh371fQaQ5Oa8DZIGigWp4ekr4ApyYpqA3s8uqu36KYt2YJ/s320/266104_397351993655026_302396138_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Fish of July. Dang, I'm clever.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcqMsEtPe74PQ54_h8ydtVyP369-5OwVDCkktcn3TMm8NMywLme_Vx7Zqe_cOOp-86C8wWNJPQvZJNb06aH_pElW3qvmZR0iXLRABwwK1AiOnLhY92edn0reUqXbUmAPqmiiW4Tkoesc8/s1600/580828_397350240321868_1130728618_n-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcqMsEtPe74PQ54_h8ydtVyP369-5OwVDCkktcn3TMm8NMywLme_Vx7Zqe_cOOp-86C8wWNJPQvZJNb06aH_pElW3qvmZR0iXLRABwwK1AiOnLhY92edn0reUqXbUmAPqmiiW4Tkoesc8/s320/580828_397350240321868_1130728618_n-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My memo about wearing red, white, and blue made a big impression.<br />
(From left to right: Ellen, Megan, Me, Funny)</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There were no fireworks, but the clams on the grill kept spitting hot clam juice into the air. So, that’s kinda the same. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyOKlOypjfN1GHFBD_mLn9HDmjOoQVVouaMNAPkrerBIrWp_h21A2nK9OWDP9ANHT-yWHYdFsFk9KnuOLzW2eZQfNLS710aWmzMWvy0qjYI53FlDJiomdMY5UNEpe7bzlYQ1MmyMbzW5L/s1600/552733_397355133654712_1375128488_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyOKlOypjfN1GHFBD_mLn9HDmjOoQVVouaMNAPkrerBIrWp_h21A2nK9OWDP9ANHT-yWHYdFsFk9KnuOLzW2eZQfNLS710aWmzMWvy0qjYI53FlDJiomdMY5UNEpe7bzlYQ1MmyMbzW5L/s320/552733_397355133654712_1375128488_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grillin'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxttdPqwnwwe5jaDa15ivGV3ksfo87NB96mf1YJ_9rDg-RdPhprc-l4FxqtfxQvNd9ngchJr2lj4xzR8dpsllwupH1lpT2brznhcUAiHKbn51xGPQFBzP_80SzsB8k_sx67y5z0tbSbqG/s1600/P7040199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxttdPqwnwwe5jaDa15ivGV3ksfo87NB96mf1YJ_9rDg-RdPhprc-l4FxqtfxQvNd9ngchJr2lj4xzR8dpsllwupH1lpT2brznhcUAiHKbn51xGPQFBzP_80SzsB8k_sx67y5z0tbSbqG/s320/P7040199.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hosts with the mosts, David and Ellen</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Did I mention the BBQ joint was also all-you-can DRINK?!? Well, it was. And I did. And then I noticed David’s shirt. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJsB5FXPx0BEe2QVXjc9K5URjokWvCgsKIcJBZrqpU_OfdGCUCZMzMtJN56zT8SW63MsgMsJkseDamrCQ86DunfH18scgfKBSwCubklH8p-0XGaYwDu6jQU-d37LzD9dEBhC_BGG0wDQo/s1600/P7040201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJsB5FXPx0BEe2QVXjc9K5URjokWvCgsKIcJBZrqpU_OfdGCUCZMzMtJN56zT8SW63MsgMsJkseDamrCQ86DunfH18scgfKBSwCubklH8p-0XGaYwDu6jQU-d37LzD9dEBhC_BGG0wDQo/s320/P7040201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uhmericahhhhh</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And then we ate 6 cups of ice cream. USA! USA! USA!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-24168850757905289992012-06-13T22:18:00.001+08:002012-06-13T22:18:11.965+08:00Snow Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">When I was a child growing up in Texas, snow days were few and far between. In fact, I can only remember two, and one was due to ice, not snow. Once we moved to Wisconsin, however, snow days became a real possibility and my number one prayer to god all winter long.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As a teacher, snow days are no less exciting. In fact, don’t tell the students, but I’m fairly positive that teachers enjoy the day off way more than the kids. We even have a buddy-system-slash-phone-chain to spread the Christmas cheer at 5:30am when the news channels announce school closings. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In Taiwan, snow days are not even on the radar (haha, get it.... radar.... like doppler radar.... ). But guess was IS possible??? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon" target="_blank">Typhoons</a>! Now, extreme weather is nothing to laugh about. <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2018410054_apastaiwanflooding.html" target="_blank">People can get hurt</a>. But if you’re just a simple <i>buxiban</i> teacher living in Wugu, like me, the promise of a day relaxing with 8 additional hours to waste on Facebook far outweighs the dangers of drowning in a highway underpass.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfIXv9h7azqBJCvTRgyhbZ6g4NoH_tVXPhHTMAjv4a2rDLj11AR5jKMCK4UBni9AwENO3XjWowPRGnzyBsgoY-lEkDTL5RvhKDVFTF7fGPp5nC5JMzujjXswR0B2CZPrxaZXUAoJ-NAsj/s1600/543481_255893011183069_302238250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfIXv9h7azqBJCvTRgyhbZ6g4NoH_tVXPhHTMAjv4a2rDLj11AR5jKMCK4UBni9AwENO3XjWowPRGnzyBsgoY-lEkDTL5RvhKDVFTF7fGPp5nC5JMzujjXswR0B2CZPrxaZXUAoJ-NAsj/s320/543481_255893011183069_302238250_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lab.disaster" target="_blank">Rain, rain, go away</a></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, Tuesday was officially a “Typhoon Day.” It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as nicely as “Snow Day,” but it gets the job done. And technically, there wasn’t a typhoon -- just a LOT of rain. But let’s not split hairs, here.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What do you do on a Typhoon Day? Thankfully, not shovel snow. I started my typhoon day in the usual manor, putzing on iTunes and facebook-stalking people from college. Then I got my act together and invited my friends to visit me in Wugu. Nothing says “day of fun” like the buzzing metropolis of Wugu.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0FP5RqBiHqzksEWfMnvFDpfrLCo6lvL1E225YtjEecz83nHxMausCttSfjYOsLFl4RW8Pk8fnzg4ky0m6_2OBuFbmpoKoE-h0gAtQaTDAGRa7hz7VoOnI0KIpHcDNiN7Rb6dqnN1sW9J/s1600/600424_461624263847796_568273625_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0FP5RqBiHqzksEWfMnvFDpfrLCo6lvL1E225YtjEecz83nHxMausCttSfjYOsLFl4RW8Pk8fnzg4ky0m6_2OBuFbmpoKoE-h0gAtQaTDAGRa7hz7VoOnI0KIpHcDNiN7Rb6dqnN1sW9J/s320/600424_461624263847796_568273625_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/parano8" target="_blank">Beats shoveling snow!</a></td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lucky for me, my friends are sympathetic, and they agreed to make the hour-plus journey from Taipei out to the boonies. I lured them with promises of 7-11 coffee and cable television (not a joke).</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI4aSNRcTr3tWALSL6fVBqPCNpYYYll3IadKrI5jXBd_rtNpeo6AV1zENuYBWOK6nWd_0djzUcgNXRyGzP5lu6nnjbrTz1-senB-cUp_kEhTiJnbEr85_HQdvRjr73f3zECp-zGDUbWrm/s1600/283791_422181237822013_191686317_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLI4aSNRcTr3tWALSL6fVBqPCNpYYYll3IadKrI5jXBd_rtNpeo6AV1zENuYBWOK6nWd_0djzUcgNXRyGzP5lu6nnjbrTz1-senB-cUp_kEhTiJnbEr85_HQdvRjr73f3zECp-zGDUbWrm/s320/283791_422181237822013_191686317_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooding in Wugu! (The picture is from Facebook)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc9gkawrn9VSIiwlLspLCCKhXHKl6Ib5Oc1hUirY9Uf2oMPvZBIb0U6sslH_DyKqmXTaJu-UgF27hYqIyq9UkunNIR8bzwdkX9yli1wqO4BxtXVSx4LMPn-RMJBJ5fGqiASl0wawr00fH/s1600/PB130020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFc9gkawrn9VSIiwlLspLCCKhXHKl6Ib5Oc1hUirY9Uf2oMPvZBIb0U6sslH_DyKqmXTaJu-UgF27hYqIyq9UkunNIR8bzwdkX9yli1wqO4BxtXVSx4LMPn-RMJBJ5fGqiASl0wawr00fH/s320/PB130020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river behind my apartment on a normal day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnynxwR-rnuv7eGmmzKtJd3CLx8ObukqTr0cXpSy29blvQZyrvCUGzpr8vuBqIKRrTSR4l78msEVUAWePNP50aHDRlVWnJbaltluYwUF7us4zv_o2VSnkYC-doKlC8FIh3e3zQPWcwER2/s1600/P6120549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnynxwR-rnuv7eGmmzKtJd3CLx8ObukqTr0cXpSy29blvQZyrvCUGzpr8vuBqIKRrTSR4l78msEVUAWePNP50aHDRlVWnJbaltluYwUF7us4zv_o2VSnkYC-doKlC8FIh3e3zQPWcwER2/s320/P6120549.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river on "Typhoon Day"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After delighting in said 7-11 coffee, we headed down the street, past the stray dogs, to my noodle lady. If you didn’t know already, I have the best noodle lady in all of New Taipei City. She makes delicious noodles, gives me free Chinese lessons, is very concerned about my (lack of a) love life, and best of all -- she translated her menu into English just for ME! So of course I wanted to show her off to my big city friends.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next, we headed back to my apartment to bask in the luxury accommodations. My roommates had a couple friends over for dinner as well, so we all hung out together, drinking expired Taiwan beer. (Why is this my life?)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Around 8pm, we were feeling spontaneous, and maybe a little loopy from the well-aged <i>pijiu</i>. We called one of the local salons and made an immediate appointment for NINE girls. We didn’t mention that four were non-Chinese speakers. Eh, oh well.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ux9PQFZh9e4LPtV8uyLbrwreLVVxvRI9Eyz8SvC3q62HAzEB_OPamYL_-jccvCgDth_2r3xrT0Is4xb1TupFs7ZBLF8Lf3o9bPuynCfTHgvbVJOtb5g-ehrR764hnceLNQXLQUI-nRtk/s1600/P6120550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ux9PQFZh9e4LPtV8uyLbrwreLVVxvRI9Eyz8SvC3q62HAzEB_OPamYL_-jccvCgDth_2r3xrT0Is4xb1TupFs7ZBLF8Lf3o9bPuynCfTHgvbVJOtb5g-ehrR764hnceLNQXLQUI-nRtk/s320/P6120550.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty school dropouts</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A couple hours later, we were all looking (more) beautiful and hoping for a repeat typhoon day for tomorrow.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWZGFpyodQKI1Tw3tLl5CMuCPgaHOUB29ywQHW2c4I6XUAB9YeT0VLt6elJ0ncc6TulVxvUDvvQW2u6PWGr3L9DprJQYXrgoSTkyZ8A_2Twr93b1SO858FawdiJLXRn7vlDostGM8l94f/s1600/P6120557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpWZGFpyodQKI1Tw3tLl5CMuCPgaHOUB29ywQHW2c4I6XUAB9YeT0VLt6elJ0ncc6TulVxvUDvvQW2u6PWGr3L9DprJQYXrgoSTkyZ8A_2Twr93b1SO858FawdiJLXRn7vlDostGM8l94f/s320/P6120557.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glamour shots</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-22937514184804845962012-05-26T13:50:00.001+08:002012-05-26T13:50:51.401+08:00Taroko Revisited<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve been to Taroko Gorge before. <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2011/10/taroko-gorge-trip-that-almost-was.html" target="_blank">Well, kinda</a>. But when my dad came to visit Taiwan, I figured this was my chance to do it again, and do it right.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A friend put me in contact with a man named Luice, who runs a <a href="http://tarokobike.blogspot.com/2011/09/taroko-bike-shop.html" target="_blank">bicycle touring business in Hualien</a>. After a couple quick emails and few phone calls, my dad and I were set up to ride bikes through the <a href="http://www.taroko.gov.tw/English/" target="_blank">Taroko National Park</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Luice picked us up from our hostel, drove us an hour into the middle of the Park, and set us up with bikes, helmets, and lights for our trek. He dropped us off in Tienhsiang, which is about half-way up Highway 8, the main/only road going through the Park. From here, we were basically able to coast the 18km back to the base of the Park. I like downhill.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next six hours were some of the most memorable of my time in Taiwan. Taroko Gorge is BEAUTIFUL and I spent many speechless moments staring in awe at what nature can produce! I’ll share pictures, of course, but to truly appreciate the Gorge, you must go there yourself. Even as Dad and I were taking pictures, we knew none could do justice to what we were seeing with our own eyes.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuFMh9Rs40QV6Hm8fWnjOGCl1vX7qsPLJXLbpJ-TaSYMRnuUDVaH7pG8X1IggaySJyGieG45QKUdn6iBFmMhrs_Gihfd3ZTKKP7preVlCnhF_z2SLXyb8fb2v6zqLPIGTKNgeYimRXnjX/s1600/P5010204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuFMh9Rs40QV6Hm8fWnjOGCl1vX7qsPLJXLbpJ-TaSYMRnuUDVaH7pG8X1IggaySJyGieG45QKUdn6iBFmMhrs_Gihfd3ZTKKP7preVlCnhF_z2SLXyb8fb2v6zqLPIGTKNgeYimRXnjX/s320/P5010204.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to ride!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We only rode a couple hundred yards before stopping for our first photo op. Across a bridge and up a million steps, we found the Heaven Summit Pagoda. Breath-taking views of Tienhsiang. Along the way, I stumbled across the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantabhadra" target="_blank">Samantabhadra</a>, which I assumed was the god I was named for, since obviously I’m so godlike. Research tells me the Samantabhadra is associated with wisdom. Well, of course.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9HRmq-mdUv69JawBGorPRFuAabxs_V7zlJsxYi0vhI0cGDsMTkXy5AQUMO-rJE5CrFqbTeOZ7Oad8q6DwGuF2Ql9J3hngJQot2dse8BnqBSSgdysZO3FLpkWNt1AH4HqkrnvizIEIet9/s1600/P5010206.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9HRmq-mdUv69JawBGorPRFuAabxs_V7zlJsxYi0vhI0cGDsMTkXy5AQUMO-rJE5CrFqbTeOZ7Oad8q6DwGuF2Ql9J3hngJQot2dse8BnqBSSgdysZO3FLpkWNt1AH4HqkrnvizIEIet9/s320/P5010206.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge in Tienhsiang</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswo_S02jRIXukK3PTtRT5tA0oDCqw3BpiQW7hUXyCsPQwYjeFViuMO63JjPf4CZC1O7jxcQ0B8kRSw3J7eZtHsIV_pbb3zUCAymAFgeyGqkWNuRT3IhHz6CPgKZLHTOGQHTGukv10pwmZ/s1600/P5010228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswo_S02jRIXukK3PTtRT5tA0oDCqw3BpiQW7hUXyCsPQwYjeFViuMO63JjPf4CZC1O7jxcQ0B8kRSw3J7eZtHsIV_pbb3zUCAymAFgeyGqkWNuRT3IhHz6CPgKZLHTOGQHTGukv10pwmZ/s320/P5010228.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samantabhadra, the original Wise Samantha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aVaVJTQGNwHmRAkg741qAFB571E4FeHeAxc5WmBdLWYoiqxM8stJ-nYIgsWgUi4-eKNHdyswPK261E5SkH552hFG2Bs_1G3UMUT_ekt9xglPu1W-S-Z42HsUnWqnWKFuLOIQxDWM-Bxa/s1600/P5010236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_aVaVJTQGNwHmRAkg741qAFB571E4FeHeAxc5WmBdLWYoiqxM8stJ-nYIgsWgUi4-eKNHdyswPK261E5SkH552hFG2Bs_1G3UMUT_ekt9xglPu1W-S-Z42HsUnWqnWKFuLOIQxDWM-Bxa/s320/P5010236.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grounds of the Main Shrine in Tienhsiang</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our adventurous spirit was in full effect at our next stop. We spotted a suspension bridge from the road, and decided today was the day to look death in the eye. As I walked out on the shaky bridge, past the signs warning me not to fall, all I could think of was the scene in Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom. <a href="http://video.uk.msn.com/watch/video/indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-doom-rope-bridge-clip/2t94af8p" target="_blank">You know the one</a>. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlLu36HkwNw-WJQY1uMQkCP09RFaVqgC0riKnjfZvDK8pU9AW2EaKjlGbvtc-UxpcF6KtggCF49qHZXRNXtfr68IV7w_Z0Hb4vtpq9VNCKKGEEwcRKVnxVRDVStlOY_rhYVVpUlj86nDe/s1600/IMG_3920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHlLu36HkwNw-WJQY1uMQkCP09RFaVqgC0riKnjfZvDK8pU9AW2EaKjlGbvtc-UxpcF6KtggCF49qHZXRNXtfr68IV7w_Z0Hb4vtpq9VNCKKGEEwcRKVnxVRDVStlOY_rhYVVpUlj86nDe/s320/IMG_3920.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So brave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHlsp5mc8jRCLUmffPE6hYDfV9BH0-xKc6pHwJO4voZRDgItVL-NFHwapHO5fGhYVK3b8dR966VY01bHXNAJ99wE_jIbTufvzZBw_5AqafhKWFz6qpfDhhj3ypQ9oTlZf5otCq4sBpEVq/s1600/P5010250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHlsp5mc8jRCLUmffPE6hYDfV9BH0-xKc6pHwJO4voZRDgItVL-NFHwapHO5fGhYVK3b8dR966VY01bHXNAJ99wE_jIbTufvzZBw_5AqafhKWFz6qpfDhhj3ypQ9oTlZf5otCq4sBpEVq/s320/P5010250.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good advice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_4VxhAG-ODHe8M_o8SVoM0XcQ6WC0_ABuco48_ltNseVnn_GVkZuI2rea6eX3tzzWxjtxO4AFopCwIXx9BhcnufWKCDpLUSVpKwlLT0UhWi7i-P_u2VbhhiXKmavqYqUvZLL2SUI_iD0/s1600/P5010257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_4VxhAG-ODHe8M_o8SVoM0XcQ6WC0_ABuco48_ltNseVnn_GVkZuI2rea6eX3tzzWxjtxO4AFopCwIXx9BhcnufWKCDpLUSVpKwlLT0UhWi7i-P_u2VbhhiXKmavqYqUvZLL2SUI_iD0/s320/P5010257.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look, Ma! No hands!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOK7WyYFdLtZbAztXwQAou8kqnCzoaL5-h2GD2Arrln8P9jdt2sNx1es8uX3afzUWhh6X88kCZE_2j8rGbvvnAPbNL9-FmekTvkOj4J36uNe-_iAqPQDrAls0bd7IZKuFJdVAAp-CAMjpH/s1600/P5010264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOK7WyYFdLtZbAztXwQAou8kqnCzoaL5-h2GD2Arrln8P9jdt2sNx1es8uX3afzUWhh6X88kCZE_2j8rGbvvnAPbNL9-FmekTvkOj4J36uNe-_iAqPQDrAls0bd7IZKuFJdVAAp-CAMjpH/s320/P5010264.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ohhh, ok.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As we made our way down through the gorge, we went through many tunnels, which were slightly scary on the bikes. Some of the passes were quite narrow, and speeding tour buses seem to triple in size when a rented bike helmet is all that’s between you and a rocky end of existence. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SOSnaKMcB8p-Hrhy7nI0t2gcJjuAYT6_3I0e-8DXQQgExcbI3V8UqFcIT3Nb89ZIfmpRl-wilJrhorwatqVApNwt0vWGVxX27kDFTKM7cg01wuZyf8Gbs9peymCxVhljarVYUE600H80/s1600/P5010301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_SOSnaKMcB8p-Hrhy7nI0t2gcJjuAYT6_3I0e-8DXQQgExcbI3V8UqFcIT3Nb89ZIfmpRl-wilJrhorwatqVApNwt0vWGVxX27kDFTKM7cg01wuZyf8Gbs9peymCxVhljarVYUE600H80/s320/P5010301.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering a tunnel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvHSnHKkPKoTruKJQcXtQA9kr3D4hjdvniqPeqbC7QTkhI7rwMD2jNBOfABcmI2XqSCf-wBFbCxRagnWO-4OSJ3NpKkvmnmgLkYC15vc-2d_ykC4AUIph-jKnVG_xlLTlqi2nvGQdJ9d7/s1600/P5010298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyvHSnHKkPKoTruKJQcXtQA9kr3D4hjdvniqPeqbC7QTkhI7rwMD2jNBOfABcmI2XqSCf-wBFbCxRagnWO-4OSJ3NpKkvmnmgLkYC15vc-2d_ykC4AUIph-jKnVG_xlLTlqi2nvGQdJ9d7/s320/P5010298.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a tunnel</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Tunnel of Nine Turns is one of the major tourist trails in the Park. It’s an old section of the original highway that now has traffic diverted so that it’s open for walkers. Except, the trail hasn’t been open for a while. Parts are collapsing from rockfalls....</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg2QcT-6AOPQnd-6je_fS14MVO3EP4WJPraOtL9enATRlCz_62J38tcJiwNH_o8EUScr_IGo-BCSHTBzf51TCiUS3io-BM7IEOhfCP42mwozGwsqu8Ek5PbwXCgMP2RxiFgGPTE4j9932/s1600/P5010293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQg2QcT-6AOPQnd-6je_fS14MVO3EP4WJPraOtL9enATRlCz_62J38tcJiwNH_o8EUScr_IGo-BCSHTBzf51TCiUS3io-BM7IEOhfCP42mwozGwsqu8Ek5PbwXCgMP2RxiFgGPTE4j9932/s320/P5010293.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tunnel of Nine Turns</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAykIHqAl4Ke_dvoMoaucfnh4sRozKnFzWqP8EV6PC6Wwoa0Q2wjRBcoBod-0enkyhvBU0EHOFNMTYJ0TcnLRGd2BZrhVcM1PHf9wK0WuxF2QrZgGl2IjUWUBWr8MWeieZ1YF4Zb8sFNGp/s1600/P5010299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAykIHqAl4Ke_dvoMoaucfnh4sRozKnFzWqP8EV6PC6Wwoa0Q2wjRBcoBod-0enkyhvBU0EHOFNMTYJ0TcnLRGd2BZrhVcM1PHf9wK0WuxF2QrZgGl2IjUWUBWr8MWeieZ1YF4Zb8sFNGp/s320/P5010299.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pieces of the rock walls. Yep, looks like closing the trail <br />was the right decision.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And now, a pictorial break:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h8ZlirB7Jd2QzjinEnGjJLgDwgAIhEe2581P9YljJe6DeS-0u85W7llNvjfSWoS2t2AeKQxyojXd8SOt9pSTzs5Fug9-LqEhOMKkGU0BKE3icGMWGk-VR8xtqDhMiyLs2lq6tsFw5-Bw/s1600/P5010270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8h8ZlirB7Jd2QzjinEnGjJLgDwgAIhEe2581P9YljJe6DeS-0u85W7llNvjfSWoS2t2AeKQxyojXd8SOt9pSTzs5Fug9-LqEhOMKkGU0BKE3icGMWGk-VR8xtqDhMiyLs2lq6tsFw5-Bw/s320/P5010270.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaCxVRZD_3H5McGBuQek_0Y5Hnc_OiD-0te7XMZjd9yhW5klzQbwfe6f1M7r4_l12Io1g7iaHlLxPc6EiKZYl7wvitqeZ8yTEWkkdpwIF8Fun1g3NLeETnPWq2DpizygmS2k00zBJNNo_/s1600/P5010279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaCxVRZD_3H5McGBuQek_0Y5Hnc_OiD-0te7XMZjd9yhW5klzQbwfe6f1M7r4_l12Io1g7iaHlLxPc6EiKZYl7wvitqeZ8yTEWkkdpwIF8Fun1g3NLeETnPWq2DpizygmS2k00zBJNNo_/s320/P5010279.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caution</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puXiXNLKo3nU0KC_4GqYGuieh-lbPMWO_c40Jzj6duysJ1Ok_2gTclz2b_ol5C3ihU1EHiJjVewwubyqWlMPiW_7CMY1EMe5vruqOMJtlMgWhNCBG3zjZ5Km5GtgDCYBdfivM47Rr-2B/s1600/P5010306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0puXiXNLKo3nU0KC_4GqYGuieh-lbPMWO_c40Jzj6duysJ1Ok_2gTclz2b_ol5C3ihU1EHiJjVewwubyqWlMPiW_7CMY1EMe5vruqOMJtlMgWhNCBG3zjZ5Km5GtgDCYBdfivM47Rr-2B/s320/P5010306.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liwu River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rnQna6GkAFE5Buh5HU3j72RNip7zs-STrbxY6gLaZOnIe5ZzRDFKP3tSD8guvo7pqPfi3q8ZRFKIHyP35tduP1-QFqryDFS-C4GUoLC-uKZKgLaV2m1X7nScoliUrs_vPwJHvlWQslbw/s1600/P5010323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1rnQna6GkAFE5Buh5HU3j72RNip7zs-STrbxY6gLaZOnIe5ZzRDFKP3tSD8guvo7pqPfi3q8ZRFKIHyP35tduP1-QFqryDFS-C4GUoLC-uKZKgLaV2m1X7nScoliUrs_vPwJHvlWQslbw/s320/P5010323.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taroko Gorge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzXCXNrMm-w2qWXQyg4y03Mh5BYG6g5Lz2oTstrPMXkBH05dhqH3qsm0o40zd1-0VnqcOytnNbWMhylKqSLMPy0Bg17a_t4RZNQx6YtitstYCJ2PrtNeQ-fyyOwRM8waPP2dAaoprydfh/s1600/P5010317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzXCXNrMm-w2qWXQyg4y03Mh5BYG6g5Lz2oTstrPMXkBH05dhqH3qsm0o40zd1-0VnqcOytnNbWMhylKqSLMPy0Bg17a_t4RZNQx6YtitstYCJ2PrtNeQ-fyyOwRM8waPP2dAaoprydfh/s320/P5010317.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahhhhh, natural beauty!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next up was Swallow Grotto, a picturesque slice of the Gorge. The marble walls here have beautiful patterns and are covered in “pot holes.” The swallows flock here to fly and play in the wind currents sweeping up through the Gorge from the Pacific. Here we also passed Jhuilu Cliff, the highest shear rock cliff in the Park at 1100m. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13CBLYuwZ3ODqtcko_CqbBe-phxelv0je96Qtr01dTJNG-Jh47JAWmEiHSE-YefbNDCJcFVTPS-F-JVgxPArpRhaI1Z6Hi09mMLdiFJHcvNLkJZW3p2ppMGc9d524X13Rs9a2QHV3jq2S/s1600/P5010333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13CBLYuwZ3ODqtcko_CqbBe-phxelv0je96Qtr01dTJNG-Jh47JAWmEiHSE-YefbNDCJcFVTPS-F-JVgxPArpRhaI1Z6Hi09mMLdiFJHcvNLkJZW3p2ppMGc9d524X13Rs9a2QHV3jq2S/s320/P5010333.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swallow Grotto Trailhead</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26o53rn4DgaEGbBSKg05soiEcCoQlxpc85Pr8cLPo8u681kuHfofLOrZxGlapyIfwgrAA23CGQtCuOJM0uB0zRIvMRZK705uLj1RvAdtswKaNzCgpuv03BognQGlmdeB6s_IInknfn-eH/s1600/P5010344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26o53rn4DgaEGbBSKg05soiEcCoQlxpc85Pr8cLPo8u681kuHfofLOrZxGlapyIfwgrAA23CGQtCuOJM0uB0zRIvMRZK705uLj1RvAdtswKaNzCgpuv03BognQGlmdeB6s_IInknfn-eH/s320/P5010344.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the "pot holes"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDpaHdTLH03AdG8IoTHQ2_bMjbvn9OtJkWrmrwzqSemIp40mLPW3vXmTDHBkIzd8-Nz2z4Z3SltQAkCaFEFB80aenkMpEeutiBfN7crP57HvBd-qayskbPVbxzPOd8dJ8ZPa6UJkpyrlF/s1600/P5010345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDpaHdTLH03AdG8IoTHQ2_bMjbvn9OtJkWrmrwzqSemIp40mLPW3vXmTDHBkIzd8-Nz2z4Z3SltQAkCaFEFB80aenkMpEeutiBfN7crP57HvBd-qayskbPVbxzPOd8dJ8ZPa6UJkpyrlF/s320/P5010345.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slice of sunlight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdcQKIu26C8RQwFU_i5JFIIRbi_2aaWd9ImXOuGKPsyXNeA37hgokQnV6__KXvINkcW_TUMRQRQli8dCYdPrd1CeNXnpdWlCrn9UEjmLCVy-fdcsszCby6gdjmiT_w62I7NRa_6XzQy4E/s1600/P5010348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdcQKIu26C8RQwFU_i5JFIIRbi_2aaWd9ImXOuGKPsyXNeA37hgokQnV6__KXvINkcW_TUMRQRQli8dCYdPrd1CeNXnpdWlCrn9UEjmLCVy-fdcsszCby6gdjmiT_w62I7NRa_6XzQy4E/s320/P5010348.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue lagoon?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o6dHzOh3SNI5D6ls3TyF1i619ma1JAnH3NSmBSFyogSIsW26N8ac8790-GY2cveORTx9UAAIji9dRok2IXOdExTYsolVpFitq-mRg1DzY9-Je-L3J9GTw5vvExEgW-CtyRXscNeHzmlv/s1600/P5010354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9o6dHzOh3SNI5D6ls3TyF1i619ma1JAnH3NSmBSFyogSIsW26N8ac8790-GY2cveORTx9UAAIji9dRok2IXOdExTYsolVpFitq-mRg1DzY9-Je-L3J9GTw5vvExEgW-CtyRXscNeHzmlv/s320/P5010354.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the patterns in the marble! How?!?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdrjH8eUeFfrW6HXDAS0qoAtBm456RPt2-sMAB3SrD0ZKxSBYRh91LbSPBbKKvfekemFfNoK8mKLH3J2ASVD1A3ckcRJg4dHO-mPJnQ2uatkbVuLEOLarG_yIhIEhIBn-yRIDFv1QhZB-/s1600/P5010357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdrjH8eUeFfrW6HXDAS0qoAtBm456RPt2-sMAB3SrD0ZKxSBYRh91LbSPBbKKvfekemFfNoK8mKLH3J2ASVD1A3ckcRJg4dHO-mPJnQ2uatkbVuLEOLarG_yIhIEhIBn-yRIDFv1QhZB-/s320/P5010357.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jhuilu Cliff. Had to crane my neck for this one, <br />and it doesn't even compare to the real thing!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At this point, we were famished from all our coasting and picture-taking, so we decided to try our luck at finding food and drinks in the village of Bulowan. My Lonely Planet Guide claimed we could take in the views from a restaurant serving aboriginal dishes. Perfect. Little did we know that our journey to the village would be up a nearly-vertical mountain road of hairpin turns. The 2km from the highway to the village were the most exhausting I’ve ever experienced on a bike, but I made it! Didn’t even have to get off and push!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sadly, the rest stop we came to in the village wasn’t truly the summit. We had to hike up a series of what felt like 4,000 stairs to reach the restaurant. And wouldn’t you know it, we arrived 20 minutes AFTER they stopped serving lunch. Dear god, why must you smite us??</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfexMKG9AhBga6Stab0PD0BMibPGwwrISvooFNG8wSpAW-jLYWHhCytumTvqJisoFsFzMmp0fewqGyP2bbC4LqDLxtlpM9t4He8ny6IzJgReY2uwSSmuOWil8KX0CrHB0FGdecpZilJLY/s1600/P5010365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfexMKG9AhBga6Stab0PD0BMibPGwwrISvooFNG8wSpAW-jLYWHhCytumTvqJisoFsFzMmp0fewqGyP2bbC4LqDLxtlpM9t4He8ny6IzJgReY2uwSSmuOWil8KX0CrHB0FGdecpZilJLY/s320/P5010365.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I MAY be wrong, but I think the rock says <br />"Congratulations, your heart didn't explode on the ride up here!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPvfl3jyB41T6BktGBwUXRAQqp-0ZIq0lL1iiJinqaRVOor5xuxa8rhpjb_EKohnEgISMwekpetxfVWmwhElpk-fcQ-6_JyIr5-Vz0bEdpIfAuFbEyYo309j9FjIDEm6NrfyLPhbjED4-/s1600/P5010368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixPvfl3jyB41T6BktGBwUXRAQqp-0ZIq0lL1iiJinqaRVOor5xuxa8rhpjb_EKohnEgISMwekpetxfVWmwhElpk-fcQ-6_JyIr5-Vz0bEdpIfAuFbEyYo309j9FjIDEm6NrfyLPhbjED4-/s320/P5010368.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aboriginal weaver</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf31fwavL8niXNyKh_P8nGj4Hp8ntEasHE8M5cuA0UFgxVggsr49_Us8Rlw8SD1ZKMjVYM6bLb9-EQvF2b-ngZGRyVkIwbEkOlL4VzCjJYtHacrp_aKaO9qmzxxfrGpCYXb9CklSjkZJky/s1600/P5010371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf31fwavL8niXNyKh_P8nGj4Hp8ntEasHE8M5cuA0UFgxVggsr49_Us8Rlw8SD1ZKMjVYM6bLb9-EQvF2b-ngZGRyVkIwbEkOlL4VzCjJYtHacrp_aKaO9qmzxxfrGpCYXb9CklSjkZJky/s320/P5010371.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's the escalator? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Fdduch6ycr40Y7v5w1NHI4UGATovAvLqtrspsOAyT21UQ-WOEvMs6Mtzl3cDTU7KLiL8MbHANzUrZ_WRkJXJvmqckRouW5eA1YTrUZ0m_BJQsc7eDrOumGkpvr7k75wcVUZWN7anAHbM/s1600/P5010372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Fdduch6ycr40Y7v5w1NHI4UGATovAvLqtrspsOAyT21UQ-WOEvMs6Mtzl3cDTU7KLiL8MbHANzUrZ_WRkJXJvmqckRouW5eA1YTrUZ0m_BJQsc7eDrOumGkpvr7k75wcVUZWN7anAHbM/s320/P5010372.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alright, alright, the ride was worth the views</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCquZEFUhCVN9pC6ZGcsryJD75DSwnd6FzPdjF41MiB2pl2iRhev4nabwcT4adeJZWanUAm87NGceytrPqlBBbvN3tfrfJAuN6JVZ9sl5B1W99zfZTrs_iyYMCxHeTmjAEAJJt6DL1yvf3/s1600/P5010378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCquZEFUhCVN9pC6ZGcsryJD75DSwnd6FzPdjF41MiB2pl2iRhev4nabwcT4adeJZWanUAm87NGceytrPqlBBbvN3tfrfJAuN6JVZ9sl5B1W99zfZTrs_iyYMCxHeTmjAEAJJt6DL1yvf3/s320/P5010378.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trail from the rest stop to the restaurant. <br />See, I wasn't exaggerating when I said "nearly vertical"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2YLpc9a2QbbKEnbKYcL7Ln5483pOTGV1wnsJcju3R3fcZ4eNcCU__fv8MVbaVyikicoMPlUohgz7LD2KbuFHK1-BjJeUPM1EGC3dnXBQZhqqkAuPT4FlasHlf1lVqxfG_eMH1SkCGGGR/s1600/P5010380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH2YLpc9a2QbbKEnbKYcL7Ln5483pOTGV1wnsJcju3R3fcZ4eNcCU__fv8MVbaVyikicoMPlUohgz7LD2KbuFHK1-BjJeUPM1EGC3dnXBQZhqqkAuPT4FlasHlf1lVqxfG_eMH1SkCGGGR/s320/P5010380.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch of champions</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back on the highway, we took in more sights. OoooOoooOooo, look that this:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXweMkDAEu9WH-LsVlv3mVBqI8R62aup3sx4KsK6Z2u7Lp3Qo2Ac39r-lKk9rChM8fQhliFd-XEK3oPbQI7L0LmoUkKFAWYfk3dfotKgnyNVaf2DluH-GIx3d_wnrd9ow5Dgxy-j1XUgU/s1600/P5010385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXweMkDAEu9WH-LsVlv3mVBqI8R62aup3sx4KsK6Z2u7Lp3Qo2Ac39r-lKk9rChM8fQhliFd-XEK3oPbQI7L0LmoUkKFAWYfk3dfotKgnyNVaf2DluH-GIx3d_wnrd9ow5Dgxy-j1XUgU/s320/P5010385.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hidden Temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dTDgJYa1I3IS591BnlIYBxiPGYETfvQwoSUGktsFHnqGYmvY5mgG_OXZT8Jqsbq56XhaNl2XxpuqnRr7ZIyn4C-wbCeJortqgc5jOA6-GEIxZjRLIGs0lDqimUYWInavx3uMgIVoMN9X/s1600/P5010392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dTDgJYa1I3IS591BnlIYBxiPGYETfvQwoSUGktsFHnqGYmvY5mgG_OXZT8Jqsbq56XhaNl2XxpuqnRr7ZIyn4C-wbCeJortqgc5jOA6-GEIxZjRLIGs0lDqimUYWInavx3uMgIVoMN9X/s320/P5010392.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liwu River</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Lvan8rjJTWwerxQPjg9W22ekvX2_mIbcGCMPey-nR0nowzHUkL5qcI0g8VM9Na2GGdeLIT_3Pr5qqo6rHSuiySJHv58zrVl3wtJZbsGkN3faRjDdSw5cZRVgQN5HAeKuBOCV9aWG2gzv/s1600/P5010398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Lvan8rjJTWwerxQPjg9W22ekvX2_mIbcGCMPey-nR0nowzHUkL5qcI0g8VM9Na2GGdeLIT_3Pr5qqo6rHSuiySJHv58zrVl3wtJZbsGkN3faRjDdSw5cZRVgQN5HAeKuBOCV9aWG2gzv/s320/P5010398.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for the elusive Taroko Trolls</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our last stop was at the Eternal Spring Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to the 450 workers who died building the highway. The spring never dries (hence “Eternal”) and pours out into the Liwu River. Both Dad and I were nearly dead, so taking a drink from the Eternal Spring was just what we needed to revive ourselves.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3lWY-0mMeGzmIEBKZRgC2v0Y4keIJ4ivvfXpw3TWnWnF9rrwtf5EG9novSQOOrVsJflqoJf3p-PntzQR3WJM_GpugrXtnGwqlnmVzZsxd6Fr7Z3UjgGSONnMmwnmZErrckqSNAY3VpN4/s1600/P5010390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3lWY-0mMeGzmIEBKZRgC2v0Y4keIJ4ivvfXpw3TWnWnF9rrwtf5EG9novSQOOrVsJflqoJf3p-PntzQR3WJM_GpugrXtnGwqlnmVzZsxd6Fr7Z3UjgGSONnMmwnmZErrckqSNAY3VpN4/s320/P5010390.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eternal Spring Shrine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUUHCUm0EZIM32TdthQ1iCvNEayABGB_UDW9Q35B1cz38yBQZIxaH0IW1FM9ZJeh2_h8e4Xjo2b1D3bUfL5UTsAKqoV4Mr23AMIfWnjPkV6WPBtLDuOLsRW_59f49ivxl9KvPTvls_Prr/s1600/P5010393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUUHCUm0EZIM32TdthQ1iCvNEayABGB_UDW9Q35B1cz38yBQZIxaH0IW1FM9ZJeh2_h8e4Xjo2b1D3bUfL5UTsAKqoV4Mr23AMIfWnjPkV6WPBtLDuOLsRW_59f49ivxl9KvPTvls_Prr/s320/P5010393.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eternal Spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xDqlv3hNObIukrzqwd68Ot71oBdePuCpKUoscLqnY_CxzhWH7Rf2Yg_KkECIWGGDRoyLjd1OnLPjHu4Bnv7K8LNUOcNnRvGZwpje3ITR5sH7GXnjXJx7uMgn2_jnJ19wMBvdD1PIpG9s/s1600/P5010395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4xDqlv3hNObIukrzqwd68Ot71oBdePuCpKUoscLqnY_CxzhWH7Rf2Yg_KkECIWGGDRoyLjd1OnLPjHu4Bnv7K8LNUOcNnRvGZwpje3ITR5sH7GXnjXJx7uMgn2_jnJ19wMBvdD1PIpG9s/s320/P5010395.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fountain of Youth?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1oivFonRzQ_iz6pBK7YSUwIq2Kw7WODe2w9X5JnamCjHWAjKn-u4FaX1qnmNaVSRDUzhafFjm7mfrJBCzQkYnCPI7RMt4PJ9nAxMVjWB5CV6QIpsd2DsNiZQxUF7OKBtXYY7G_PgZaa6/s1600/IMG_4010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1oivFonRzQ_iz6pBK7YSUwIq2Kw7WODe2w9X5JnamCjHWAjKn-u4FaX1qnmNaVSRDUzhafFjm7mfrJBCzQkYnCPI7RMt4PJ9nAxMVjWB5CV6QIpsd2DsNiZQxUF7OKBtXYY7G_PgZaa6/s320/IMG_4010.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this mean I'll live FOREVER?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdMXQ2iM1bJ-sRDwK8Am87WkoyoUBBgSOUI6IAVXcYu2_5d3ChnwAPNHqdGHRL-3XritSzhXT70FMbM74Xuivqx4Zi_8fKw89_0BuU0YKN3DL4L1-iEpTKbJoNtQFvkxIWRcV8Mllqiq8/s1600/IMG_4014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdMXQ2iM1bJ-sRDwK8Am87WkoyoUBBgSOUI6IAVXcYu2_5d3ChnwAPNHqdGHRL-3XritSzhXT70FMbM74Xuivqx4Zi_8fKw89_0BuU0YKN3DL4L1-iEpTKbJoNtQFvkxIWRcV8Mllqiq8/s320/IMG_4014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Father/Daughter bonding</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Luice was waiting for us back at base camp. On the ride back to Hualien, he was amazed to find out we rode up the Bulowan. Apparently most (smart) people don’t make that trip. Somehow the conversation turned to beer (surprise, surprise), and he suggested we stop at the <a href="http://en.ttl.com.tw/Hualien/menu.asp?MenuID=21" target="_blank">Hualien Distillery</a> for a drink. Of course, we couldn’t say no to that....</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ypqlLQikBhaZeFO-f59Yt2oplAa_X9ct6_o5fpzr48hwQSilPbA0j8v-Jhy7fUNzjbFzOmJWtsiPBCeS1SbIu9Q56TxlBCRHbuhcBVK3KAHE0TphwkUqgbhJfo7z8r6zVsNfaHzO1Lrc/s1600/P5010399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ypqlLQikBhaZeFO-f59Yt2oplAa_X9ct6_o5fpzr48hwQSilPbA0j8v-Jhy7fUNzjbFzOmJWtsiPBCeS1SbIu9Q56TxlBCRHbuhcBVK3KAHE0TphwkUqgbhJfo7z8r6zVsNfaHzO1Lrc/s320/P5010399.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possibly more refreshing than the water from the Eternal Spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIHkxiEhoUex9c94wENjI7Edjl5OPZOtBGnLkZ5xKPTn1Ve1c1k-dNIHRotnfpgfJlhnJa4qZNGfEkZTh_0om5Gx-Ucb_N34pcspx4LpJl6InFDBufgQMObeLrdlDATN5T3c2BhQhR9oO/s1600/P5010401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIHkxiEhoUex9c94wENjI7Edjl5OPZOtBGnLkZ5xKPTn1Ve1c1k-dNIHRotnfpgfJlhnJa4qZNGfEkZTh_0om5Gx-Ucb_N34pcspx4LpJl6InFDBufgQMObeLrdlDATN5T3c2BhQhR9oO/s320/P5010401.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hualien Distillery</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next time you’re wondering how to kill a few days in Taiwan, you MUST go to Taroko Gorge! I’m so glad I went back -- it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been! In fact, it’s totes gorge. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-87467640282068467102012-05-17T08:10:00.000+08:002012-05-17T08:10:02.877+08:00Texas Takes Taiwan<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If you know me at all, you know how awesome I think my dad is. Sorry, but he’s just cooler than your dad.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So, when my dad booked his flight to come visit me in Taiwan, I was beyond excited. Waiting the two months before his scheduled arrival date was somehow easier than the extra 10 hours due to a flight delay. But he finally landed, and the next two weeks were filled with sightseeing, talking, laughing, traveling, and for me, re-discovering Taiwan through the eyes of Papa Baker.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We wasted no time while Dad was here, and we saw a LOT. Some things have already been covered in my dad’s <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/05/reflections-of-taiwan.html" target="_blank">guest blog</a>, so I’ll just focus on my favorite moments.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">One of our first stops was the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. I’ve been there many times, but this time we got to see the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek_Memorial_Hall" target="_blank">Changing of the Guard</a>. I took a video, but upon further inspection, I found that my camera is of very low quality and takes poor video. So, consider yourself 5 minutes richer. Anyways, going to the CKS Hall reminded me that my dad knows way more than I do. I should study more history. But I’m always too busy facebooking.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdoi44VV-2GfnXFIKiG7xMicCNdtPPIHSbKrtQ_V2PFKGC2yVZlAA_hG9GulG5VBYaBADt-_gsg_3ouPX338iRnvuws2evcn-JrDv-WsqGG2lj6GRtJfgA_rzsNxBW3N4U0y1MkM8Hhn0/s1600/P4220783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdoi44VV-2GfnXFIKiG7xMicCNdtPPIHSbKrtQ_V2PFKGC2yVZlAA_hG9GulG5VBYaBADt-_gsg_3ouPX338iRnvuws2evcn-JrDv-WsqGG2lj6GRtJfgA_rzsNxBW3N4U0y1MkM8Hhn0/s320/P4220783.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My camera envy began here.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next day, we headed over to Taipei 101. I pointed out the major sights from way up top: Yangmingshan, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall, the direction towards Wugu, the shopping mall. My dad’s main revelation? “Oh look, Taipei 101’s shadow! If we went down to the street, we could measure it and triangulate how tall Taipei 101 is!” Yes. Yes, we could.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaEYojAhBlZBuhKGR1lkPGwTqAnDs8MbxJgL-6nsM9dy-TSP4cWejN-lSlbZhPlBPFmtymD2I-Z9X2jQxVVavLlRpyq-WNmNlY07P0sPDKGn_-K71QKvXtCr_IXg8dLDztg9NKt3W3OtX/s1600/P4230015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaEYojAhBlZBuhKGR1lkPGwTqAnDs8MbxJgL-6nsM9dy-TSP4cWejN-lSlbZhPlBPFmtymD2I-Z9X2jQxVVavLlRpyq-WNmNlY07P0sPDKGn_-K71QKvXtCr_IXg8dLDztg9NKt3W3OtX/s320/P4230015.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taipei / shadow</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I could tell my dad hadn’t eaten enough weird street food yet, so I took him up to Danshui. We had the standard squid-on-a-stick and pineapple cakes, but he politely declined the black century eggs. Claimed he wasn’t “a fan” of hard-boiled eggs. Instead, we sat down to a delicious lunch of <i>a gei</i>, cellophane noodles inside fried tofu, swimming in a spicy sauce. Apparently, it’s famous in Danshui, and it was just strange enough to meet our requirement for the day. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJSv5PSAJFhrhhE8rxsCQmf98OoiFeJIV1bfHlfaSoFVaI0YPuF1_MZIUdvsJj-w1gf7FPzaTmEI9wzLJvvWPOel386zijGvQmTwpqdo8QWTtIm-LQupdVR8Rgimromuoh9ijcCEnTkF2/s1600/P4280033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJSv5PSAJFhrhhE8rxsCQmf98OoiFeJIV1bfHlfaSoFVaI0YPuF1_MZIUdvsJj-w1gf7FPzaTmEI9wzLJvvWPOel386zijGvQmTwpqdo8QWTtIm-LQupdVR8Rgimromuoh9ijcCEnTkF2/s320/P4280033.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eatin some <i>a gei</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danshui, with Guanyinshan across the river</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We wanted to go to a <a href="http://www.cpbl.com.tw/english/History.asp" target="_blank">baseball game</a>, but after a run-in with some local Mormon missionaries, we discovered the game was cancelled due to rain. What? This is Taipei! It rains EVERYDAY! Good thing I know so much about Taipei; I quickly came up with a back-up plan -- <a href="http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/home.htm" target="_blank">The National Palace Museum</a>. It was free because it was Saturday night! Not having to pay makes a history museum in a foreign country almost fun for me. But I think Papa Baker enjoyed it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the National Palace Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Sunday was more my pace -- Maokong shan! One of my favorite places in Taipei! The day was beautiful and the tea was growing all around. Every time I go to Maokong, I see something different.... even though I always go to the same tea house. This time, we narrowly missed being out on a hillside during a torrential downpour. They closed down the gondola and we had to wait about an hour before they decided the rain, lightning, and high winds were no longer a threat to our safety. However, by that time, we were last in a long line to re-board the gondola. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Using my limited Chinese and the ticket seller’s limited English, I found out that we were best off walking down the mountain to a service road to wait for a bus. Uhhhh, ok. Umbrellas and make-shift maps in hand, we set out to find that random mountain bus stop. About 1,000 stairs, one wrong turn, one nasty slip-and-fall, and many “oh well”s later, we arrived at the bus stop! That stuffy, standing-room only bus, flying around curves on winding mountain roads, was just the ride we needed to punctuate our time on Maokong.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35LEaUtpHC-GMoVQJox-y53kZPOCZokkvz9NidvoKzV7ZItYqhZ96XDOv46kyyFji19sbqkFtqq_mMl8sEHh2xEJ4M75D2buz0iX2mRgCwsx5jF3RUitTeAhUYyL3xwBokkgX27hAneDN/s1600/P4290073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35LEaUtpHC-GMoVQJox-y53kZPOCZokkvz9NidvoKzV7ZItYqhZ96XDOv46kyyFji19sbqkFtqq_mMl8sEHh2xEJ4M75D2buz0iX2mRgCwsx5jF3RUitTeAhUYyL3xwBokkgX27hAneDN/s320/P4290073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fields of tea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More temples!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL8u83FLSk4VsKNMoYYH0ZmGfCyvhTcgeryhFMAYBOKLSswYETtnDKPGRiep6WTNsBB7vXvpcRxbRXRXIOIBP9qqMQR3603vcrHl-Yp1i7qyxxEfe8yskunWbGY_pot1Y1fObL6SDt3Z8/s1600/P4290140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL8u83FLSk4VsKNMoYYH0ZmGfCyvhTcgeryhFMAYBOKLSswYETtnDKPGRiep6WTNsBB7vXvpcRxbRXRXIOIBP9qqMQR3603vcrHl-Yp1i7qyxxEfe8yskunWbGY_pot1Y1fObL6SDt3Z8/s320/P4290140.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the treacherous path to the bus stop</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lucky for us, we had a car waiting for us at the station. My boss, Fuho, and her husband, Victor, came to pick us up and take us to dinner. Along with two of their children, we went to a barbecue restaurant. Ooooo, barbecue?!? Yes, but there were no brats or chicken quarters. This restaurant brings you plates of thinly sliced meats (and vegetables, if you’re so inclined) and you grill them right at your table. The grill is on your table! Fun and delicious. My dad was so impressed with Fuho and her family. He commented to me later that, as beautiful as Taiwan is, he thought the best part of his visit was meeting the people -- and knowing that I’m surrounded by wonderful people who take care of me!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vGGu4pmwaERCsjxruT7Fnl4hpwGp0ePFQbqVKSgOx-KBswPg7vrhhp_hxz8QVSzQTZJWmbH84__ocnjtZ1IpRU4LgfDpLGirpwZcdswsE0trwqgSVkkMNouBzHhyphenhyphenNewcNJBLAwIlIsG9/s1600/IMG_3735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vGGu4pmwaERCsjxruT7Fnl4hpwGp0ePFQbqVKSgOx-KBswPg7vrhhp_hxz8QVSzQTZJWmbH84__ocnjtZ1IpRU4LgfDpLGirpwZcdswsE0trwqgSVkkMNouBzHhyphenhyphenNewcNJBLAwIlIsG9/s320/IMG_3735.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuho and her son at the barbecue. Check out the grills!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpNEDADY1AXg7rVCQW_wu5HLN1RZoVUQNk_S8hDvQPzHH_QWO6hRbnsX3svSuof7gjQkREDb9XLuoMfxK8tnwJEbW25oNVBcauzNEkepRjWRkrzu89N6v0Pf9A5vi2sURJgu635udmncM/s1600/P5020404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpNEDADY1AXg7rVCQW_wu5HLN1RZoVUQNk_S8hDvQPzHH_QWO6hRbnsX3svSuof7gjQkREDb9XLuoMfxK8tnwJEbW25oNVBcauzNEkepRjWRkrzu89N6v0Pf9A5vi2sURJgu635udmncM/s320/P5020404.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More caring people! My roommates Muni and Abigail</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Searching for more adventure, we went for a few days to the east coast. We went to Hualien for a day before going to Taroko Gorge. I will dedicate an entire blog entry to our Taroko experience, but I will preface that will a little of this:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe5wPSNhdmNd0H4dVK7UADBOKz_hiA-a3l5oEd-Quf4WpmRQ-vY3uoB4RGhVubbg4opDNgJcqRK2ucEU1wa2O_MbQme_QVgP0m17BYbOIOsLHW7oufVKxVfAGw84OHKEuvTJ3YENkirxg/s1600/P4300175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMe5wPSNhdmNd0H4dVK7UADBOKz_hiA-a3l5oEd-Quf4WpmRQ-vY3uoB4RGhVubbg4opDNgJcqRK2ucEU1wa2O_MbQme_QVgP0m17BYbOIOsLHW7oufVKxVfAGw84OHKEuvTJ3YENkirxg/s320/P4300175.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy crap, Batman. Hualien is beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lrDzySmJBzKtr7gU7SF5xW4fWnU8vj8P5GMOgZ0CQPqKlFQwsTEuU_9dRqSUSekQs1lr-8yZviYqxMGrlAKUu4Lr0kDyPdXwdDs2SD6iEEV0XBRvvjS84dlSXOBKAkBMQTTY4H9VPKtv/s1600/P5010286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lrDzySmJBzKtr7gU7SF5xW4fWnU8vj8P5GMOgZ0CQPqKlFQwsTEuU_9dRqSUSekQs1lr-8yZviYqxMGrlAKUu4Lr0kDyPdXwdDs2SD6iEEV0XBRvvjS84dlSXOBKAkBMQTTY4H9VPKtv/s320/P5010286.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking through the Gorge</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Safely back in New Taipei City, I took my dad on the best <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2011/12/12-days-of-wugu.html" target="_blank">Wugu</a> tour ever. We saw the rooftop of my apartment, the riverwalk, the market, some random dilapidated temple, and my school. Bringing my dad to my school brought back memories of when I first arrived at Shane English School. With my dad and I standing in the lobby, the students came down the stairs to take a look, but they wouldn’t come off the landing and actually be in the same room with the stranger. Some brave kids said “hello” but most of them just stared. Ha! I would say my dad must have totally freaked them out, but they did the same thing when they met me. After a while (and some bribery), the students loosened up and started talking to my dad. Mostly, they asked him questions straight out of the textbooks. Some of my favorites: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“What’s your name?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“What are you wearing?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“What do you like?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“What’s your telephone number?”</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq68zwFd95tF_hDItnFtYZQOAPWLaLOC8H-dGTrMFPQguuJH14e9HtAwIMQUH-m1v2MkUDQhilayOftRvGpGSRjZNo6acTDZL2X-48kFLPPDwcBL2fRmWphFWcpKxpdlikj9yWpstB4YC4/s1600/IMG_0045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq68zwFd95tF_hDItnFtYZQOAPWLaLOC8H-dGTrMFPQguuJH14e9HtAwIMQUH-m1v2MkUDQhilayOftRvGpGSRjZNo6acTDZL2X-48kFLPPDwcBL2fRmWphFWcpKxpdlikj9yWpstB4YC4/s320/IMG_0045.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with some of my students (and Dora!). Look at Ann, refusing to participate :)</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Later that night, my dad and I were whisked away to a home-cooked meal. We were treated to traditional Taiwanese food and wonderful and welcoming conversation. The family is so amazing! Jerry and Grace kept my father highly entertained, and he could not say enough nice things about them the next day. Their three daughters are very special to me, as well. Selenia is one of my students, and Alice and Sabrina both TA for me at school. (You may also remember Alice and Sabrina from our recent <a href="http://samanthainformosa.blogspot.com/2012/04/jiufen.html" target="_blank">adventures in Jiufen</a>!) </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our gracious hosts, Grace and Jerry</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For as long as I waited for my dad to arrive in Taiwan, I couldn’t believe that our two weeks was almost up! On our last day together, we hiked up Elephant Mountain. We only had to dodge one rain storm, so we were in good spirits. A few photo-ops later, our time had slipped away. I am so lucky to have had Papa Baker come visit me all the way on the other side of the world! But the luckiest part is that he’s my dad. Awwwwwwwwwwww. (Remember THAT at Christmastime, Dad!)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad, just sitting around on Elephant Mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final adventure.... for now!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-44605992344778229002012-05-12T15:31:00.000+08:002012-05-12T15:31:32.254+08:00Reflections of Taiwan<br />
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My dad came to visit me in Taiwan! He was here for about two weeks, and we had a fantastic time. I asked him if he would write a "guest blog" so everyone could hear some adventures in Taiwan from his point of view. So, this is my father's debut blog. Enjoy!</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Find It, the customs dog of Taipei, seemed very interested in the chocolate chips cookies in my backpack. The human agents were less impressed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sam and company were waiting, even tough I was 10 ½ hours late. The terminal floor in Hong Kong was fairly comfortable. Sam and I still recognized each other, so signs announcing that they were looking for me were not needed. Off to Sam’s apartment, and the adventure begins.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wugu Apartment</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wugu from the rooftop</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The first place Sam took me, a small gay guy tried to pick me up. I told him I was flattered, but uninterested. The memorial at 228 Peace Park is really beautiful, pictures of protesters engraved in glass.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick up hot spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2-28 Memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Engraved glass</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">At the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial, it was Falun Gong, marching band, breakstep dancers and the changing of the Honor Guard. The soldiers stand motionless for an hour at a time. Tassels on their rifles reveal any movement.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Falun Gong in front of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Break dancers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guard at CKS Memorial</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing in front of CKS Memorial</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Several days and much fun later Sam and I are off to Hualien to bicycle Taroko Gorge. I discovered that the Papa Baker buys rule is international. We met a young man at the hostel while drinking beer. When we went to dinner, he came along, he was a very nice guy who has been on the road for 8 months. We ate, laughed, talked and when the bill came, it only seemed logical that I pick it up. Just like El Rey, far east division.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oyster omelette in Hualien night market</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Luice, the bike rental guy took us half way up Taroko. We had 6 hours to coast 18 kilometers and descend 1100 meters. The road, the central cross island highway, was inhabited by cars, trucks, buses, scooters, tunnels and one-way areas of construction. We fearlessly strapped on our rented helmets and joined the traffic. The Gorge is gorgeous, and the ride was invigorating. Until we decided that it would be a good idea to ride 2k up to an aboriginal village for lunch. ‘Up’ is the operative word here. It seemed vertical. The restaurant had stopped serving as we walked in. Maybe they smelled us coming. Three bottles of water and an ice cream bar assuaged the need for calories. Getting back to the highway was all downhill, as was the rest of the Gorge. We stopped for a drink at the Eternal spring memorial to the workers killed building the highway.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfjQk6IFW4-145YtuvPb88SCBuCHT9hGn3cm5YBLuTfBGLqO9L-seyxXxEcjDo7I0KKP9TnhdR-okCKpscPkEOuqjVA6gRnpTdy2uqqwUFvNbWNLxCsXW5T2Apif6PqJ-0wVrNDDTON42/s1600/IMG_3909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfjQk6IFW4-145YtuvPb88SCBuCHT9hGn3cm5YBLuTfBGLqO9L-seyxXxEcjDo7I0KKP9TnhdR-okCKpscPkEOuqjVA6gRnpTdy2uqqwUFvNbWNLxCsXW5T2Apif6PqJ-0wVrNDDTON42/s320/IMG_3909.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding into a tunnel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4VatWyDxQh_6gJz4y5MXiccofxiHpx_NIF0Kkl9GLfHzXb0HNK3snZtHE7to5Y05b9X-44298eWPTYUE0pZTskti6WEsQdbsth5Bn_2U9Yyvs30ggHwmBPKDYIC6QMDSmKGrwWs9E1hw/s1600/IMG_3925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4VatWyDxQh_6gJz4y5MXiccofxiHpx_NIF0Kkl9GLfHzXb0HNK3snZtHE7to5Y05b9X-44298eWPTYUE0pZTskti6WEsQdbsth5Bn_2U9Yyvs30ggHwmBPKDYIC6QMDSmKGrwWs9E1hw/s320/IMG_3925.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taroko Gorge</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvXsM5S1o1cyqsne3ZgchvjWnaZbKqDvCaeOMN_nd7KenzkWeKzG_Bi9mb5EM_RrdJLkK9eZABBxZSDIbHU0AwJVHLVCmFHqJwSjGtFaL1v5Y1mBVAmu5-dcRNv2xSckXSDmAQ2T7PFEY/s1600/IMG_3958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkvXsM5S1o1cyqsne3ZgchvjWnaZbKqDvCaeOMN_nd7KenzkWeKzG_Bi9mb5EM_RrdJLkK9eZABBxZSDIbHU0AwJVHLVCmFHqJwSjGtFaL1v5Y1mBVAmu5-dcRNv2xSckXSDmAQ2T7PFEY/s320/IMG_3958.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a break... and on a fence</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWd-eh7v4-GdnWqj6SvR9kO5CjA1mp20q7vezxFpQ5wL-OklLq32scon-Ktc8fDIbTRyczLjv52PrzyyZa4TXPcfQjLma-CAVRfGQzgeMFXB9-EPUGC3prtX-VBzRtQF77urWvcOKax0x/s1600/IMG_4002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWd-eh7v4-GdnWqj6SvR9kO5CjA1mp20q7vezxFpQ5wL-OklLq32scon-Ktc8fDIbTRyczLjv52PrzyyZa4TXPcfQjLma-CAVRfGQzgeMFXB9-EPUGC3prtX-VBzRtQF77urWvcOKax0x/s320/IMG_4002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eternal Springs Shrine</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQ8uctJRjW5LftQW2wKsIS6uuW6r-H8EmrgwJqRRnTx8ZeyZR4805P-sZxlsjOFZCtm4aU3QFiHS03UCCsBHeHFmaq0K1AaHwav7AwUGFZkiQsFH1Y6GQwzNoiuUGnpkiSleiGHMjM3MT/s1600/IMG_4014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQ8uctJRjW5LftQW2wKsIS6uuW6r-H8EmrgwJqRRnTx8ZeyZR4805P-sZxlsjOFZCtm4aU3QFiHS03UCCsBHeHFmaq0K1AaHwav7AwUGFZkiQsFH1Y6GQwzNoiuUGnpkiSleiGHMjM3MT/s320/IMG_4014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweaty, but happy!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Luice took us to the Taiwan Brewery visitor and practice center for refreshment. The forbidding of climbing into the koi ponds is very strict, I think.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxe4gpWhRX1G1580fpNk8ayT2GYKjN-ygPDqlbhO6D7hek5aGhN6GEuVIBrNJbYLXUbLa3TpdCjuTlQAdtWUXSKlGcMBE_4axj4_8t0MYSkVImx4mlq4FKEkuxn8ViYu-KSd_gFKEce5A/s1600/IMG_4017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxe4gpWhRX1G1580fpNk8ayT2GYKjN-ygPDqlbhO6D7hek5aGhN6GEuVIBrNJbYLXUbLa3TpdCjuTlQAdtWUXSKlGcMBE_4axj4_8t0MYSkVImx4mlq4FKEkuxn8ViYu-KSd_gFKEce5A/s320/IMG_4017.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much-deserved brew</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiS8y8O392Mgia0ZajzccbFL2jCdfxElTr6S8RMafja0OQgumQC2Kgzd8lWl-B5YZvUPdWkP4YeWlkO-sUIVAHmGU9v1OPTUijo0jzdP5aY8Y59RhR8vGbHxgfZ2j9vdC7q5xzVG8oGPD/s1600/IMG_4021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiS8y8O392Mgia0ZajzccbFL2jCdfxElTr6S8RMafja0OQgumQC2Kgzd8lWl-B5YZvUPdWkP4YeWlkO-sUIVAHmGU9v1OPTUijo0jzdP5aY8Y59RhR8vGbHxgfZ2j9vdC7q5xzVG8oGPD/s320/IMG_4021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinglish at its finest</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Closing for now, let me encourage you to go to Taiwan. Be the tallest person around. Watch the kids try to stare at you furtively. Eat whatever lands on the table in front of you. Use the sticks to eat. Forks are hard to find, and the pointing and laughing make it hard to chew.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Np-2FkzUK9q_7lZuBmPzqDUrq4syeO_bINkbp14kbS9G6blqOe7aQIgZYUR2fIhuBqN2nB31aRByjlRakm1P9qs8KeWao3E5XBuIGdbftMz5kacxJGWxV-nPkafylNXXbv4XynupTlgH/s1600/P5030444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Np-2FkzUK9q_7lZuBmPzqDUrq4syeO_bINkbp14kbS9G6blqOe7aQIgZYUR2fIhuBqN2nB31aRByjlRakm1P9qs8KeWao3E5XBuIGdbftMz5kacxJGWxV-nPkafylNXXbv4XynupTlgH/s320/P5030444.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Elephant Mountain with Taipei 101 in the background</td></tr>
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<br /><br />
Paul Baker<br /><br />
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-17686087892370293302012-04-21T21:56:00.002+08:002012-04-21T21:56:51.574+08:00Jackpot!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I won the Taiwanese lottery!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It’s true, I only won NT$200 (less than $7 US), but still -- I won.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So check this out: Here in Taiwan, you are automatically entered into the national lottery every time you make a qualifying purchase and collect your receipt. Each receipt has numeric code at the top, and that’s your lucky number.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOQhXyA915s03RN3oa6HI8t1mKVV2v563DycYaiDbCzX5hJMV5fy9YBmMYGB5YZwWU94u4P9iEbi6OHT9PusoowR7G0CNm5RcXUgN_L24eeNg8vWSvRr__SZzPqm9GjA8_6cRgakybG70/s1600/P4170751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOQhXyA915s03RN3oa6HI8t1mKVV2v563DycYaiDbCzX5hJMV5fy9YBmMYGB5YZwWU94u4P9iEbi6OHT9PusoowR7G0CNm5RcXUgN_L24eeNg8vWSvRr__SZzPqm9GjA8_6cRgakybG70/s320/P4170751.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winner, winner, chicken dinner</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The idea here is to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Invoice_lottery" target="_blank">generate more tax revenue</a> for the government by encouraging businesses to conduct more “on the books” transactions. The business that printed the winning receipt also gets a kickback on the money.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I've had to force myself to remember to take my receipts, since I was so used to refusing them from the cashiers back home. Then there was the process of saving them in an orderly fashion, instead of having them clutter the surfaces of my apartment or collect in dust-bunny piles in corners.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6hkKFO_JSb2qn7OwOUrr43PzeCVtZnxB_2b1OJ84B1GWuDcTzkVPaE3bk9Wiu1nTlIFMQd2QI5Fw71gt0Ga7RxgrN9R74EtA_l5jWUtKvUUjj3YlGr9QjHsYmdWVvsXYri4QphT1dFec/s1600/P4170747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ6hkKFO_JSb2qn7OwOUrr43PzeCVtZnxB_2b1OJ84B1GWuDcTzkVPaE3bk9Wiu1nTlIFMQd2QI5Fw71gt0Ga7RxgrN9R74EtA_l5jWUtKvUUjj3YlGr9QjHsYmdWVvsXYri4QphT1dFec/s320/P4170747.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A place for everything, and everything in its place</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On the 25th of every odd month, the winning numbers from the previous two months are announced. You have to check each receipt individually, which is quite tedious. There MUST be a more efficient method, but I haven’t found it. Anyways, I always check <a href="http://www.tealit.com/article_categories.php?section=living&article=lottery" target="_blank">this site</a> for the numbers and pray to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTP2RUD_cL0" target="_blank">Money-for-Nothing God</a> for a winner. It’s disheartening to spend half an hour straining your eyes on all those little numbers just to find out you’re a big loser.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But I'm no loser. After I found my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29_uSlEEPSk" target="_blank">golden ticket</a>, (and yes, that's a link to the timeless classic <i>Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory</i>) I filled out the form on the back of the receipt, walked myself down to the bank, and cashed in my prize. The guy behind the bank window didn’t question or even check my winning numbers. He just looked at the receipt, saw that I claimed to have won $200, and passed the cash over. I guess I have an honest face.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just like my momma always told me, I’m a winner! And I KNOW that next month, I’ll win the $10million NT. I can just feel it.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6DwIQSq-dxKlVCHIIBxbVP3GkVlk09NqFa5A80AzuadXPeDfV2_1RsIk-tFOL4Ws0BI3HsK1lT4hOBvqWzxe0JtSl7KSmdFWyoePn-Rcoz9pBvsx6kS-3VK-XRV8-QA_KSS__p2yjttV/s1600/P4210763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6DwIQSq-dxKlVCHIIBxbVP3GkVlk09NqFa5A80AzuadXPeDfV2_1RsIk-tFOL4Ws0BI3HsK1lT4hOBvqWzxe0JtSl7KSmdFWyoePn-Rcoz9pBvsx6kS-3VK-XRV8-QA_KSS__p2yjttV/s320/P4210763.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makin' it raaaaaaaaaaaain</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Megabuck’s got nothin on me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-77329414867148763442012-04-07T18:12:00.000+08:002012-04-07T18:12:20.062+08:00Jiufen<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Armed with my camera, slathered in sunscreen, and accompanied by my two friends (and personal tour guides!) Alice and Sabrina, I made the journey to <a href="http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/pda/m1.aspx?sNo=0002091&id=290" target="_blank">Jiufen</a>. Jiufen is an old mountain mining town with an interesting history. Once a hot-spot for gold mining in Taiwan, Jiufen is now mostly a tourist attraction, boasting a couple museums, old streets, and beautiful views of the northern shore of Taiwan.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We started our adventure at the Gold Ecological Park. We wanted to get some knowledge in our brains, so we stopped in at the Gold Building, which is a museum dedicated to the history of metal mining in Taiwan. Highlight: on the second floor, you can see (and touch!) the world’s largest gold bar! Yes, that’s right -- who knew?!?</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-vd51IaSj9kBamr3gBJQckuoqEKacXshd52d5ihf6bdnHV_3Z7fiBIgJm1yzouhmboTwtqZjtazl2DWC3iVABV6ZAYA8vLCo1v3Q_2isqc38YqvTvcb1SMz8g-LzeRv1XDEI5ToS4sW0/s1600/P3170592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-vd51IaSj9kBamr3gBJQckuoqEKacXshd52d5ihf6bdnHV_3Z7fiBIgJm1yzouhmboTwtqZjtazl2DWC3iVABV6ZAYA8vLCo1v3Q_2isqc38YqvTvcb1SMz8g-LzeRv1XDEI5ToS4sW0/s320/P3170592.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold Ecological Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBItGV6tUxs3SVyjf53KzHQeU_-LOF5yPl1Z2re3fs860poGJ_G-nSzAV58B4LnJM3HjWn7rMVCSMM5CPq408H8DgfggJBR8NqPCki3KAkr8HHUdoQ3a4B4FpiJrDTGM5aUd24-2oyCS8k/s1600/P3170599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBItGV6tUxs3SVyjf53KzHQeU_-LOF5yPl1Z2re3fs860poGJ_G-nSzAV58B4LnJM3HjWn7rMVCSMM5CPq408H8DgfggJBR8NqPCki3KAkr8HHUdoQ3a4B4FpiJrDTGM5aUd24-2oyCS8k/s320/P3170599.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alice and Sabrina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiANFkxrqn7SL8Gerrfzpngs69bDhwcxKtZ3h5_X-q6Wasr_NzOKJEKX-xc1sl_s9wBruA0AfBReJb3Tw2oZAoSK28rdEGzutLGlyBDUP0Fm0cZqTLQigZg3refenSnp-Nla6RcOD-4xq/s1600/P3170602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiANFkxrqn7SL8Gerrfzpngs69bDhwcxKtZ3h5_X-q6Wasr_NzOKJEKX-xc1sl_s9wBruA0AfBReJb3Tw2oZAoSK28rdEGzutLGlyBDUP0Fm0cZqTLQigZg3refenSnp-Nla6RcOD-4xq/s320/P3170602.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OoooooOoooo.... gold.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The gold bar weighs in at 220kg, which means 485lbs to me. The day we were there, the value of that hunk of metal was $360,288,534NT. That’s a whopping $12.2 million USD. Most money I’ve ever had in/on the palm of my hand....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not wanting to let all that wealth go to our heads, we donned hard hats and trekked into the mines to remind ourselves of all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into yanking that gold from the earth. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JEf25s_yYoROYF82Av14I-gXo27pJ6-56ciOt5ElESUiqIi24zuN2IWgNdqZGHbxQgh9SccTCJNMZiyTTOt6jCm_8y6mdnKtXsuFvWEMfajraHuwILqpSZbPMJ1gR6R_FncPxqfIgVkt/s1600/P3170607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JEf25s_yYoROYF82Av14I-gXo27pJ6-56ciOt5ElESUiqIi24zuN2IWgNdqZGHbxQgh9SccTCJNMZiyTTOt6jCm_8y6mdnKtXsuFvWEMfajraHuwILqpSZbPMJ1gR6R_FncPxqfIgVkt/s320/P3170607.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutest miners ever? I think so.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Benshan Fifth Tunnel is renovated and “safe” for visitors, although I had to sign a loss-of-life waiver before entering. Still, it was worth the $50NT fee. The mine shaft was damp and cold, and it was a bit eerie to remember that we were walking under a mountain. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfVxOjMp_mkxa7g74ntJDoWKrwLkH1GXsopb66lWko5ZCPCdCYxgErzQdvb7kzaLGx7NPa851VPANsCpKti0_0gWsULhvr6dT2AcbMSqwhtx_cRbmYqvkUWc3H_Q53kHd39cTcSlQCXPm/s1600/P3170610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfVxOjMp_mkxa7g74ntJDoWKrwLkH1GXsopb66lWko5ZCPCdCYxgErzQdvb7kzaLGx7NPa851VPANsCpKti0_0gWsULhvr6dT2AcbMSqwhtx_cRbmYqvkUWc3H_Q53kHd39cTcSlQCXPm/s320/P3170610.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benshan Fifth Tunnel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV4Bhwy4n7rUYH4zkKB9jU9RnOqXnWEr61gKIca1xCo35OmCTFGVO19gyocDNOfaX37vdq5nUFg_Hvq-MEM3SFOIlsRimfy7qd1tBZWX9tfzU8rMQdogXhH9NH_kRGvx-_dKBrXgtIeWE/s1600/P3170614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV4Bhwy4n7rUYH4zkKB9jU9RnOqXnWEr61gKIca1xCo35OmCTFGVO19gyocDNOfaX37vdq5nUFg_Hvq-MEM3SFOIlsRimfy7qd1tBZWX9tfzU8rMQdogXhH9NH_kRGvx-_dKBrXgtIeWE/s320/P3170614.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thread of gold running through the rock</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After all that faux-mining, it was time for a refreshing snack. We stopped in at our first of many eateries for the day and sampled the local <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douhua" target="_blank">douhua</a></i>. This tasty treat is soft tofu served cold in a syrup of brown sugar and ginger. <i>Hao chi</i>. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNEdzxp0mV0-9n4c78y9eqjXBe87gH5QWBHr9YZzjWonDVKxAnm1Veyl94wFCmKBdNwXxrslXiWiyPyREIBT_AqHBpJcGEw1MLhCHO1ccjqkI-WmtnGEWu3xoIdDmmppNRg6ghLqCzfCY/s1600/P3170617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNEdzxp0mV0-9n4c78y9eqjXBe87gH5QWBHr9YZzjWonDVKxAnm1Veyl94wFCmKBdNwXxrslXiWiyPyREIBT_AqHBpJcGEw1MLhCHO1ccjqkI-WmtnGEWu3xoIdDmmppNRg6ghLqCzfCY/s320/P3170617.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kind of like pudding in syrup</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We strolled back towards Jiufen, taking in some magnificent sights along the way. Then we weaved our way through the old covered streets of Jiufen. It was easy to imagine what the town might have been like all those years ago, before the tourists and museums, when the miners came here to shop and trade. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8S_dYWF-OLB80hSEJQH9JWSZqUo2pJ4EfpbHPf2JGxKSofX-VSDHRTnEI5y4PIx7iRGzswNpoinuJNOm-xjopA-Y-Fbe7cF3jmfKXDVVxSGS5wpnuUQha5k50hz2oy7HMZI321tVRHpH/s1600/P3170618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8S_dYWF-OLB80hSEJQH9JWSZqUo2pJ4EfpbHPf2JGxKSofX-VSDHRTnEI5y4PIx7iRGzswNpoinuJNOm-xjopA-Y-Fbe7cF3jmfKXDVVxSGS5wpnuUQha5k50hz2oy7HMZI321tVRHpH/s320/P3170618.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHoF6iJYCGATkS5h5SzxB-IP_ruPSAgjMysspHEEZGuWCldLbk6DdQ6dGqNOggOJOsnx6Z608mzOR9XvjYVKRYQZHR19qDfEEtNkfFlttBxW1oP7aNHHcGxrnLhMZ3Cpa_qiBF7VKqqPY/s1600/P3170622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRHoF6iJYCGATkS5h5SzxB-IP_ruPSAgjMysspHEEZGuWCldLbk6DdQ6dGqNOggOJOsnx6Z608mzOR9XvjYVKRYQZHR19qDfEEtNkfFlttBxW1oP7aNHHcGxrnLhMZ3Cpa_qiBF7VKqqPY/s320/P3170622.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I8Gw9-u2SxpVH-6bEwXGo_-XX8PX64_A4gmdIdSkNZ2wHkrM-fZQZ9dPYVJrZ2yhuPpp6QO2yoYDhjSW34Y9mWu-FeHVYO9f9HpEubSxO9jWxW0cDfpvh745g59IUWL7x_ompAmZyo5K/s1600/P3170624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8I8Gw9-u2SxpVH-6bEwXGo_-XX8PX64_A4gmdIdSkNZ2wHkrM-fZQZ9dPYVJrZ2yhuPpp6QO2yoYDhjSW34Y9mWu-FeHVYO9f9HpEubSxO9jWxW0cDfpvh745g59IUWL7x_ompAmZyo5K/s320/P3170624.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Covered streets</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vibtzj88LsqtBupYGz-HEaTCbMf4pcQQlxm3WJhhPKpceYkWdMTI8GVTcvOYbXWzUQFkN0NOvWfXk8RfSUYjq2EmmYEFwKBa7TaJvSGFz-xZNMlVKPtWDOgcIfwkETWk2gpNhAzsdSkq/s1600/P3170625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Vibtzj88LsqtBupYGz-HEaTCbMf4pcQQlxm3WJhhPKpceYkWdMTI8GVTcvOYbXWzUQFkN0NOvWfXk8RfSUYjq2EmmYEFwKBa7TaJvSGFz-xZNMlVKPtWDOgcIfwkETWk2gpNhAzsdSkq/s320/P3170625.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old streets</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the main attractions in Jiufen is the street food. The most well-known eats are the <i><a href="http://www.yufeihsu.com/blog/2009/09/taro-balls-and-sweet-potato-balls/" target="_blank">yuyuan</a></i>, which are taro balls. We ordered ours with sweet potatoes, peas, and red beans, over ice. I’m not a fan of red beans in my desserts, but I was able to eat around them for the most part and enjoy the taro! </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR270EVLWp57LxXevMVBZ785QMSLIPdbtQ9DHzdzjRLqAX3foIyjBPYjcxJtSDXnezywuHlAPSsk19zW5WxoYK7DQJiy4jbWUS9ftmYjpQZOHDtvmDnMWMQUK4XMyCvS66YxxiiVtKnPVn/s1600/P3170634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR270EVLWp57LxXevMVBZ785QMSLIPdbtQ9DHzdzjRLqAX3foIyjBPYjcxJtSDXnezywuHlAPSsk19zW5WxoYK7DQJiy4jbWUS9ftmYjpQZOHDtvmDnMWMQUK4XMyCvS66YxxiiVtKnPVn/s320/P3170634.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yuyuan</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Of course, you can’t go through the whole day just eating desserts (although I have tried many times), so we also dined on <i>yuwan</i> -- fish balls -- and <i>buwan</i>, Taiwanese meat balls with bamboo in a chewy dough. That probably sounds gross, and they don't look that appetizing either, but it was actually quite delicious. And watching them make the balls was fascinating. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxyRpxApmbC1fG0TQZ6GAolUDz0ROR6POGTwD1qlM6y3IyKdJsbCVaSmTCTHsczzkY9QbBYtX3H1iXYRNQTeLyACyDFIZRexPFplsaPxqWc1veQT1Y6r7AmuoRNBCoWD2MBpUKdMb2yuk/s1600/P3170626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcxyRpxApmbC1fG0TQZ6GAolUDz0ROR6POGTwD1qlM6y3IyKdJsbCVaSmTCTHsczzkY9QbBYtX3H1iXYRNQTeLyACyDFIZRexPFplsaPxqWc1veQT1Y6r7AmuoRNBCoWD2MBpUKdMb2yuk/s320/P3170626.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to make the <i>buwan</i>!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOxSGp_bge7D6Mh1ljFbPOfunAfdv8KUuRTtBCegwOBwCVPLxCv5_hiAiyiWqa1TrI9Bz06HXS2NZnoGH6fHgLqB0ijwut2F08fvgIsZCHuXyp2zO-uFgk_braWVUJS48sjAfqkMtPlZv/s1600/P3170627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOxSGp_bge7D6Mh1ljFbPOfunAfdv8KUuRTtBCegwOBwCVPLxCv5_hiAiyiWqa1TrI9Bz06HXS2NZnoGH6fHgLqB0ijwut2F08fvgIsZCHuXyp2zO-uFgk_braWVUJS48sjAfqkMtPlZv/s320/P3170627.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just don't look at it while you eat it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtshl9xfNd7Jpx8_4QKMfpmk0hWvesrrid5O5EB0-xTXu0_3S4N87Bfi0mgBnycXUPzKd2Qw9LFsWy6hAfZR_3EvHBBnespsbkQE-5ehy4ME0RUlBambSbx1HTdWOBn07b19FdNA2SIjb/s1600/P3170629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtshl9xfNd7Jpx8_4QKMfpmk0hWvesrrid5O5EB0-xTXu0_3S4N87Bfi0mgBnycXUPzKd2Qw9LFsWy6hAfZR_3EvHBBnespsbkQE-5ehy4ME0RUlBambSbx1HTdWOBn07b19FdNA2SIjb/s320/P3170629.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmm, fish ball soup.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All that eating was exhausting, so we decided to revive ourselves with an ice cream. I’d seen people walking around Jiufen with what looked like an ice cream burrito, and since that combines two of my absolute favorite things, I had to have it. The woman started with a thin pancake, sprinkled on some shaved peanut brittle, scooped on the ice cream, and topped it all with cilantro. WHAT?!? Cilantro. Who the F knew that cilantro and ice cream would be such delicious partners? New favorite food. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKR-9pAe8U9qHd3E3t9L-A2XmEM4cP_HkNLPOuG3Kgm_dtuHds0GnY_HD-EBs62bdfAO5HIuwnz-mpxPZ2rK5B-vpXSfyg_DYP4tgwyVdSX_zm9E-scxHJS0vNQy-QM2SSJm6XtzMcKoL/s1600/P3170648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKR-9pAe8U9qHd3E3t9L-A2XmEM4cP_HkNLPOuG3Kgm_dtuHds0GnY_HD-EBs62bdfAO5HIuwnz-mpxPZ2rK5B-vpXSfyg_DYP4tgwyVdSX_zm9E-scxHJS0vNQy-QM2SSJm6XtzMcKoL/s320/P3170648.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made with one scoop each of pineapple, taro, and vanilla</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyrVjEzGb4JQL3KVfsI0nIcd6_dcLaPTpDMHOOWg2Edt27r3nvtr1Yy4cDI-fKBT4hySGNP9gzHPrJv0khozpFf2PshI4szRAqx7e7aER37OXsF3kf6C9Y8YddVHZkRHpQeMpofNKQLFl/s1600/P3170649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyrVjEzGb4JQL3KVfsI0nIcd6_dcLaPTpDMHOOWg2Edt27r3nvtr1Yy4cDI-fKBT4hySGNP9gzHPrJv0khozpFf2PshI4szRAqx7e7aER37OXsF3kf6C9Y8YddVHZkRHpQeMpofNKQLFl/s320/P3170649.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heaven.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Jiufen? More like SoFun. Hahahahahaha. Hey, look at this!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCi9bwMZ-Yx7gpzbrT6Y1Z8kP9APMXuDaQEcrI9pZfKuion513A4rcDhqQQ314ehWdvKMI1-6lwnSVn2LeoLoJcWp0XA6jvozw_8t5IuUMip3W83nZ8Unq2ASFtqDSVdLp6tc7-boedsi/s1600/P3170632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCi9bwMZ-Yx7gpzbrT6Y1Z8kP9APMXuDaQEcrI9pZfKuion513A4rcDhqQQ314ehWdvKMI1-6lwnSVn2LeoLoJcWp0XA6jvozw_8t5IuUMip3W83nZ8Unq2ASFtqDSVdLp6tc7-boedsi/s320/P3170632.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old streets of Juifen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aGlX_5SlfrZ6bfM5VACGyR7pr6-cImQpZe9NCcAEG0y-eXYxPyeknGOU4K8egksuueVsAe7wJ_YgsZnRgZf9ixRZE4f3UkDeVLY91l5sjl3drbN3EWrX6v10HiLRd7CYCRomg4_XbXTR/s1600/P3170635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aGlX_5SlfrZ6bfM5VACGyR7pr6-cImQpZe9NCcAEG0y-eXYxPyeknGOU4K8egksuueVsAe7wJ_YgsZnRgZf9ixRZE4f3UkDeVLY91l5sjl3drbN3EWrX6v10HiLRd7CYCRomg4_XbXTR/s320/P3170635.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PXaLkBMqYVcx4MFqUrevxesNhxfIKqkbI1FD8RbLJjtwu89p9Wa5wkqLscgxKh3B9hmtbFWVwCMX8LhNNxEgI3l96DOVq9MdYHB36TLE7LlVsapTBaNAfhVXMNT-vYsQp2SF0et7sN7e/s1600/P3170640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3PXaLkBMqYVcx4MFqUrevxesNhxfIKqkbI1FD8RbLJjtwu89p9Wa5wkqLscgxKh3B9hmtbFWVwCMX8LhNNxEgI3l96DOVq9MdYHB36TLE7LlVsapTBaNAfhVXMNT-vYsQp2SF0et7sN7e/s320/P3170640.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jiufen</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-7006062065890658782012-03-23T12:02:00.001+08:002012-03-23T12:02:48.421+08:00Like Pulling Teeth<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last week I went to the dentist. I like going to the dentist. I like that squeaky-clean feeling after my teeth get a good power-washing. I don’t get freaked out by the shiny pointy devices they use to poke and scrape around in my mouth. I just like knowing my teeth are in good working order.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, after six months living in Taiwan, I decided it was time for that semi-annual check up. Thanks to my roommates calling the clinic for me, I got an appointment set up for the NEXT DAY! None of this, “let’s book your visit for 5 months from now” crap Dental Associates puts me through back in Milwaukee. Also, since I work until 9pm all week, my appointment was at 9:20pm! Can you imagine? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next day after work, I walked down the street to the dentist with my roommate Muni. She helped me fill out the paperwork (and of course, by “helped” I mean “she did it for me because I can barely speak, let alone read or write, Chinese”). I flashed my <a href="http://www.nhi.gov.tw/English/webdata/webdata.aspx?menu=11&menu_id=594&webdata_id=3194&WD_ID=594" target="_blank">National Health Insurance</a> card, paid $100NT (less than $4US), and sat down to wait for my name to be called. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When my turn came, I was ushered off to the X-ray area. That’s right, X-rays are included, no additional fee. Your typical hilarity ensued as the very kind hygienist attempted to position me and the machine and that little x-ray film thing in my mouth while speaking little-to-no English. And we all know how much Chinese I know. We worked it out, and only as the machine was rotating around my head, emitting death rays towards me, did I realize that I had failed to put on the lead vest to protect my vital organs from the lethal beams. Oops.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Next up was the examination chair. Mostly, it was your garden-variety dental cubical, except they had a personal TV for me to watch during the wait. I spent the next 3 minutes glued to an episode of Chinese-dubbed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtJUH8ngUGA" target="_blank">Spongebob Squarepants</a>. Very relaxing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The dentist came over and was obviously nervous having me in his care. He spoke more English than he gave himself credit for, and he made every effort to make sure I understood what was going on. I assured him I was not a nervous patient. He did the normal poking and prodding, analyzed the x-rays, and told me I had a small cavity way in the back. Then he grabbed one of the electric silver tools and started in towards my mouth.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Whoa, whoa, whoa, there mister!” I was freaking out! <i>Was he about to drill that cavity out??!! Right now?! No Novocain?! What’s going on??!!</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A lot of miming, pointing, sound effects, weird facial expressions, and a little help from a nearby hygienist later, and I realized the tool he was holding was only a water pik. He was just starting the cleaning. So much for not being a nervous patient.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The cleaning was quick (and painless), but it was not the same as at home. Basically he just scraped around with that pointy thing and then used the water pik in all the crevices. No high-fluoride, squeaky cleaning with that little nobby tool. (Wow, I know nothing about dental equipment). Either way, I was cleaned up and sent on my way back to reception to make an appointment for that little cavity.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I scheduled my filling for the next Monday. I’ve only had one other cavity in my adult teeth, so I was a bit more nervous about this trip to the dentist. My main concern was that he used the white filling material, not that tacky silver crap. I don’t want anyone to KNOW I had cavity when I unhinge my jaw in one of my huge laughing fits. Vanity first, people.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I shelled out another $100NT, and sat down in the chair. The same dentist (poor guy) attended to my filling. I think he had been practicing the English dialogue because he used terms like “pulp” and “dentin.” After a little more poking and scraping, he told me it was time to start.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Ummmmmm, where’s the Novocaine???” <i>Again, I am not a cavity expert, but isn’t the drilling into my head part going to hurt? Isn’t this the part in horror movies when they cut away because everyone will throw up from the pain of seeing someone undergoing dental work without meds?</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Little did I know, small cavities don’t require numbness. He just went in there with that little drill, buzzed out the decay, and apparently stayed a safe distance away from my nerve endings.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once again, the Taiwanese have impressed me. Timely appointments, friendly staff, reasonable prices, expert work, and no screaming pain. Oh, and beautiful, tooth-coloring fillings.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Xie xie</i>, Dentist Man.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-7740434455552182512012-03-08T09:06:00.000+08:002012-03-08T09:06:31.021+08:00Kaohsiung Getaway<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Over the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Incident" target="_blank">228 holiday weekend</a>, I traveled with a group of friends to <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Kaohsiung" target="_blank">Kaohsiung</a>. “Another vacation?!?” you say? “Is that all you do? Just travel around having fun and seeing the world?”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We took the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan_High_Speed_Rail" target="_blank">High Speed Rail</a> from Taipei to Kaohsiung, at opposite ends of the island. The HSR is an amazing modern marvel! A distance of about 185 miles was covered in only 2 hours! And that was on the “slow” HSR train. On the way back home, the “fast” train shot us home in an hour and a half! Bullet trains are the way to travel.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When we arrived at the MRT (subway) station near our hostel, we were welcomed to Kaohsiung by the Dome of Light. Amazing what you can find underground sometimes.... </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdunNw3h_Cq7-2FrjvqO6sY1GFVlBjekG1Weoddawy6pKVbS3s5Z8hclYBqrd0Tef7MWjUuMT-dc5DGs3PF-aL-f1frd8O0abzhSSs-dQCgznsOvFL6fdIHb19OgeFChLf2pLR_lFuUmq/s1600/P2250357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdunNw3h_Cq7-2FrjvqO6sY1GFVlBjekG1Weoddawy6pKVbS3s5Z8hclYBqrd0Tef7MWjUuMT-dc5DGs3PF-aL-f1frd8O0abzhSSs-dQCgznsOvFL6fdIHb19OgeFChLf2pLR_lFuUmq/s320/P2250357.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dome of Light</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpEWO2lKqzaqmtS9wPuUnT5jmFqNr85Ld3dNMeoW79x2MCVlzoETPQjHK9qU6bG0Ot0GznC1fo7xy3r3f93DeDvx80-LZssBhYpRMxnXtoakImsNyfVL6dJBru7c9M6mOUpUR4AxmyIuN/s1600/P2280570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpEWO2lKqzaqmtS9wPuUnT5jmFqNr85Ld3dNMeoW79x2MCVlzoETPQjHK9qU6bG0Ot0GznC1fo7xy3r3f93DeDvx80-LZssBhYpRMxnXtoakImsNyfVL6dJBru7c9M6mOUpUR4AxmyIuN/s320/P2280570.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Formosa Boulevard MRT Station in Kaohsiung</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After a dinner of street food from the Liuhe Night Market, we headed over to Fisherman’s Wharf for some fresh air and a couple Taiwan <i>Pijius</i>. That means ‘beers’. :)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMqgvOGYrPng-_AH5dV6Qnb6M93HsFdIuz7JRUzyuv6ZTbx1SE9uV7t4OnSdIEZz9VEmrVJDU-RiXgBBu9ToAgLFWvZtQhEkKxbgBgrOH5nqe4kXIMVe13DY7L5Lfaevq3qvbvHF5eWEx/s1600/P2250363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxMqgvOGYrPng-_AH5dV6Qnb6M93HsFdIuz7JRUzyuv6ZTbx1SE9uV7t4OnSdIEZz9VEmrVJDU-RiXgBBu9ToAgLFWvZtQhEkKxbgBgrOH5nqe4kXIMVe13DY7L5Lfaevq3qvbvHF5eWEx/s320/P2250363.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xie xie</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next morning, we went off in search of breakfast. Somewhere between the coffee and the noodles, we found ourselves in the middle of an earthquake! Now, I’ve felt a few tremors living here in Taiwan, but this was crazy! People, tables, and chairs were rumbling around, and you could <i>hear</i> the <a href="http://earthsky.org/earth/5-9-magnitude-earthquake-rattles-southern-taiwan" target="_blank">earthquake</a>. I started to feel seasick. We found out later that it registered around 5.9 on the ol’ Richter Scale. Best part? The lady working at the restaurant went right on making tea during the whole thing.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Now certified earthquake survivors, we remembered that life is short and we’d better make the most of it. We packed a lot of living into the rest of the day!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our first stop was <a href="http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002121&id=R157" target="_blank">Lotus Pond</a>. We could have easily spent the entire day here, walking around the pond and many temples and pagodas. At the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, the custom is to “enter the dragon and exit the tiger” for good luck. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyGrGgGSMBW8vumu6ORD3iTagKEpNO1bTAieAYFbai6ekNgMqBV6FoidbNuNXGqMkfgPvJWRCrmKHAmBrSRHUT9AZbKokNRulv5JlBfDhwFvAIRaD-cyswwwvmObB8SuDtTgvkk2Eko8U/s1600/P2260371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyGrGgGSMBW8vumu6ORD3iTagKEpNO1bTAieAYFbai6ekNgMqBV6FoidbNuNXGqMkfgPvJWRCrmKHAmBrSRHUT9AZbKokNRulv5JlBfDhwFvAIRaD-cyswwwvmObB8SuDtTgvkk2Eko8U/s320/P2260371.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon and Tiger Pagodas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBz4775aWcq6jKEo2gz2TQORS71Kk0-a7Zsgv346gzS88rN1RFD406dVPqcLpZtSlvgq1En3KXom1dgqgbYmsL6MZovgysTnyH5Kt0Ai6pJSox7GKOeVdlWLr-S0vkapf_XCLknzXJXzE/s1600/P2260378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBz4775aWcq6jKEo2gz2TQORS71Kk0-a7Zsgv346gzS88rN1RFD406dVPqcLpZtSlvgq1En3KXom1dgqgbYmsL6MZovgysTnyH5Kt0Ai6pJSox7GKOeVdlWLr-S0vkapf_XCLknzXJXzE/s320/P2260378.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enter the Dragon</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVB9H_SwcP1PPpsC2j_WGdA4rDrBzuYsHBkmqxeAapDCq4XsjDh1sX5k8wtlXovkBVD_Wdkd4ljR_pgZLHNtW-PAYQ3sQoBJjrySzKjsIOXz_TgAvM1B24ajybabJ3LzuV0KOudpWbIN7/s1600/P2260379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKVB9H_SwcP1PPpsC2j_WGdA4rDrBzuYsHBkmqxeAapDCq4XsjDh1sX5k8wtlXovkBVD_Wdkd4ljR_pgZLHNtW-PAYQ3sQoBJjrySzKjsIOXz_TgAvM1B24ajybabJ3LzuV0KOudpWbIN7/s320/P2260379.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit the Tiger</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHGk49lGxy-I08DwSFeNGj7AXdgpw7K9ZtyO2xrkNf1vPzrcE74CIp3jw7braHUN_A7eSd-z1dOO65AKRmN7uTQtikLKlwu2szFSHhn_eoSJCCDAHxCRDgk1zioiRKIGAYrTtgUq128OI/s1600/P2260382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHGk49lGxy-I08DwSFeNGj7AXdgpw7K9ZtyO2xrkNf1vPzrcE74CIp3jw7braHUN_A7eSd-z1dOO65AKRmN7uTQtikLKlwu2szFSHhn_eoSJCCDAHxCRDgk1zioiRKIGAYrTtgUq128OI/s320/P2260382.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, hello.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Next up were the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, which are dedicated to Kuan Kung, the God of War. The lanterns were beautiful, and very un-war-like. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlhlqES8n2LspbCPLm7XkGoDs1tpl-tZJMlXoL7Zb7-8eq5UabcbkmBV1mK3UNqRwBcuD6cFmyhTv0JY-l6KtrMhSD2oEORP6vXW-FZeGmfA9mVZFFfvQuXjdNDeoAZ9GOtHKOQZCwwkI/s1600/P2260420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdlhlqES8n2LspbCPLm7XkGoDs1tpl-tZJMlXoL7Zb7-8eq5UabcbkmBV1mK3UNqRwBcuD6cFmyhTv0JY-l6KtrMhSD2oEORP6vXW-FZeGmfA9mVZFFfvQuXjdNDeoAZ9GOtHKOQZCwwkI/s320/P2260420.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring and Autumn Pavilions </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSX1z0bPDgSPj4gETN-295QYUFSGOTf5CAJo04-4-0XafensszYWMFVV8h7RC8Do2lt0imucQfr_DJIwdAkUQz32lcASnU3rSG72aKY7IbDmcrUJpzqRzpScjAGFh7ZlVasq5JYPIGfaL/s1600/P2260421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSX1z0bPDgSPj4gETN-295QYUFSGOTf5CAJo04-4-0XafensszYWMFVV8h7RC8Do2lt0imucQfr_DJIwdAkUQz32lcASnU3rSG72aKY7IbDmcrUJpzqRzpScjAGFh7ZlVasq5JYPIGfaL/s320/P2260421.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love lanterns!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We also visited the statue of Xuantian Shang-di, the Supreme Emperor of the Dark Heaven, and guardian of the north. Long name, big feet. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu0ekToyY31i0-S5vO_2E6CG2XEzgpIRyB2qVP1dyT_sCIlmKqde9TUtOhyphenhyphenBE9tuV7ISAwhOXtSSY2X7v_6xMTKDKOM1VVLVk9yj3M6KB-yNmLMWvwANd0ur6brPQS5KEIXr-zeJqapwv/s1600/P2260437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu0ekToyY31i0-S5vO_2E6CG2XEzgpIRyB2qVP1dyT_sCIlmKqde9TUtOhyphenhyphenBE9tuV7ISAwhOXtSSY2X7v_6xMTKDKOM1VVLVk9yj3M6KB-yNmLMWvwANd0ur6brPQS5KEIXr-zeJqapwv/s320/P2260437.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xuantian Shang-di</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu08zfZk5wegkWW8T5F12RnLcmdoFQmncggetcbUpqwR90Etq8Ro4TPUOa8izIvQsmR_P0_PEuyRC20p6aci6r-pi7sxNapvLzhPQVXiONzskANdjRYgVYf5Lo8itUUegCzWSitG8wEuBL/s1600/P2260441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu08zfZk5wegkWW8T5F12RnLcmdoFQmncggetcbUpqwR90Etq8Ro4TPUOa8izIvQsmR_P0_PEuyRC20p6aci6r-pi7sxNapvLzhPQVXiONzskANdjRYgVYf5Lo8itUUegCzWSitG8wEuBL/s320/P2260441.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Dark Heaven-ly</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Lastly, we stepped into the Temple of Enlightenment, which is the biggest temple by far. Sometimes I feel like, after a while, all the temples start to look the same, but this one had some pretty awesome ceiling art. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGpi0D-lEpGAghTMD3J-hy4PkSaeTZDOLeHdlooF1RCocPN3dHyUjpWIkCnbMNHGmJKEbVD_Q_NAArZBmixIC9VGY92oZm4cyKuV5M1LCoF5uketFb-U86pTZy2LDZ2R42lop1q6TFcNY/s1600/P2260454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGpi0D-lEpGAghTMD3J-hy4PkSaeTZDOLeHdlooF1RCocPN3dHyUjpWIkCnbMNHGmJKEbVD_Q_NAArZBmixIC9VGY92oZm4cyKuV5M1LCoF5uketFb-U86pTZy2LDZ2R42lop1q6TFcNY/s320/P2260454.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The phoenix and dragon theme was heavily represented at Lotus Pond</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZHgTOi-TtokRuLolKqklLH8GFQvL-kSZZUkgjOfsTJsU2L9NQ7Y077hC-T7liCgpx75nWOfyq0AkzPrqb_c_5FeEX82WW2xCqw1ka1W50phC4xcv_Rm1lzYk00Dqo5rrsPRfy_2OC3M/s1600/P2260455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAIZHgTOi-TtokRuLolKqklLH8GFQvL-kSZZUkgjOfsTJsU2L9NQ7Y077hC-T7liCgpx75nWOfyq0AkzPrqb_c_5FeEX82WW2xCqw1ka1W50phC4xcv_Rm1lzYk00Dqo5rrsPRfy_2OC3M/s320/P2260455.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling painting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP5dqZbcf8ph6X1zjQeQbuI6_JeC3fPeIZM6UFqh-gG27Z1d-ehuZPeuM8YZbF-iIuhLcrFN_DwfulONaeQw4ka9eOQwHqOoSqHZmIEA8NHZ2_trdq_mUzGOkEK_PYIYEh6nyUmvWAQu_/s1600/P2260464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP5dqZbcf8ph6X1zjQeQbuI6_JeC3fPeIZM6UFqh-gG27Z1d-ehuZPeuM8YZbF-iIuhLcrFN_DwfulONaeQw4ka9eOQwHqOoSqHZmIEA8NHZ2_trdq_mUzGOkEK_PYIYEh6nyUmvWAQu_/s320/P2260464.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooo lala, fancy gold ceilings </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After realizing that we were too tired to walk to our next sight-seeing stop, we hopped in a couple cabs and rode in style over to Longcyuan Temple. Now, I know I just said that all the temples are the same and I’m totally bored with them, but <i>this</i> temple really had an effect on me! I think it was the flags and Buddhist chanting, but maybe it was the elevation.....</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ5fAHwxY51k5fuxoJ46qaADIBBqJ_3vCcYO1clBZ9Kpux4srts9BVhOnVpGGlBw_SMHglDoSgC8BEk9mB8rL6e4H8NLojHP0FG0-BvevBDn0DSzupbsFfYGRpFYMIogvjO3egiLUCBw9/s1600/P2260480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQ5fAHwxY51k5fuxoJ46qaADIBBqJ_3vCcYO1clBZ9Kpux4srts9BVhOnVpGGlBw_SMHglDoSgC8BEk9mB8rL6e4H8NLojHP0FG0-BvevBDn0DSzupbsFfYGRpFYMIogvjO3egiLUCBw9/s320/P2260480.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean.... just look at this!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtN0XfRLTJBDeet2xh8pMA9fhOxLf1MwpTyDq9ntzvUGMoIXimyNlXwQsbLqnvFgWq7nDrriFICNFjqZozM5-GlbsmiXEyaXGeOhTkw5QQ9nmQSW1w8J-3Wh_9YStK2VI2FtkN2gg4u8Wk/s1600/P2260484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtN0XfRLTJBDeet2xh8pMA9fhOxLf1MwpTyDq9ntzvUGMoIXimyNlXwQsbLqnvFgWq7nDrriFICNFjqZozM5-GlbsmiXEyaXGeOhTkw5QQ9nmQSW1w8J-3Wh_9YStK2VI2FtkN2gg4u8Wk/s320/P2260484.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sound of the flags flapping in the wind was so peaceful!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The plan was to pick up a trail here at the Temple and walk around the Chaishan Nature Reserve to look for macaque monkeys. But we were tired. And we saw a couple monkeys on top of the bathroom. So.... that counts. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r9ZP0qG0vOj82txYKcIdUQSQ6oJ7B9vgZBe06o_Ms6q1Oxp-0fUC9BcdIqNsG3AvODDHYx35PUxr-s5-q65P4yXzdABqj7MT0N1kHJhrNniSnArqkEFZYt6FxMGaH8VZz_tWtczD4DeX/s1600/P2260482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r9ZP0qG0vOj82txYKcIdUQSQ6oJ7B9vgZBe06o_Ms6q1Oxp-0fUC9BcdIqNsG3AvODDHYx35PUxr-s5-q65P4yXzdABqj7MT0N1kHJhrNniSnArqkEFZYt6FxMGaH8VZz_tWtczD4DeX/s320/P2260482.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just chillin</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Back at the hostel, some decided to take a nap, but I was still on a “live life to the fullest / sleep when you’re dead” high from surviving that earthquake. So, the rest of us journeyed back down to the harbor to take the ferry out to Cijin Island. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtA4-zwxcbXCcSyD9buiG7HXzagB4imLeUnseKXVjUiT6tadQDLwxZGXPa8g349hxxxP-jiGd8b1yanyZPwhQtxpbpIMUaR6QYQ23SPJsn-OA7nZleH10kpdQAus9vAtBFPdzIs4DDUdy/s1600/P2260485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtA4-zwxcbXCcSyD9buiG7HXzagB4imLeUnseKXVjUiT6tadQDLwxZGXPa8g349hxxxP-jiGd8b1yanyZPwhQtxpbpIMUaR6QYQ23SPJsn-OA7nZleH10kpdQAus9vAtBFPdzIs4DDUdy/s320/P2260485.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aboard the ferry to Cijin Island<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJdZZ3FRDntnWKA8GSoe34aFzELEKq-vqA2wxwRSjODRIK_-IAAI-Gf0iRCtXaoK8wovLXbRF9ZcBLN-bvOGa_RHMQt0ubAndv6Yc_HCEQ0iKOIZo8GuFYtvPpNxSLYKevJdk411I4Jiz/s1600/P2260488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJdZZ3FRDntnWKA8GSoe34aFzELEKq-vqA2wxwRSjODRIK_-IAAI-Gf0iRCtXaoK8wovLXbRF9ZcBLN-bvOGa_RHMQt0ubAndv6Yc_HCEQ0iKOIZo8GuFYtvPpNxSLYKevJdk411I4Jiz/s320/P2260488.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaohsiung at night from Cijin Island in the harbor</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Back on the main island, we met up with the rest of the group to check out Love River. So romantic! Not really, but it was a cool river walk. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvqQ_gKPZ4fD_8T4XssUgK2rj620mt9W_ajCfaFRMJ9VUXepfNtha7yVBXQ_aZpdIOotuzOEpKuPHuVyayz7rL5DdasxiO4K8tvvYjwLecTxr3hTWy_0S_eGcytgRXFwM7o4k04ZKVQbo/s1600/P2260499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvqQ_gKPZ4fD_8T4XssUgK2rj620mt9W_ajCfaFRMJ9VUXepfNtha7yVBXQ_aZpdIOotuzOEpKuPHuVyayz7rL5DdasxiO4K8tvvYjwLecTxr3hTWy_0S_eGcytgRXFwM7o4k04ZKVQbo/s320/P2260499.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love River</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Side note: At dinner, the restaurant boasted many Western-style dishes. We ordered the nachos for the table because, well, why wouldn’t you? I am starting to believe more and more each day that my true reason for coming to Taiwan is to somehow spread the joy of Mexican food to this part of the world. These “nachos” would not even be allowed to be labeled as such in the States. Bowl of tortilla chips. Cup of salsa. Cup of ranch. Cup of honey mustard. Tasty. Not nachos. End of rant.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next morning, our group scattered to different parts of the island. Some went to Kenting, which will certainly be the topic of a future blog here on SamanthaInFormosa, but not today. I stayed with the rest in Kaohsiung to see what else the city had to offer. We started at the Pier 2 Art District. As we walked from the MRT station to the pier, we all commented on the traffic and its superiority over the sometimes-scary situation in Taipei. The sun was shining, the air was less polluted, and the scooters weren’t constantly threatening to run me down. I was really enjoying Kaohsiung!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">And then we got to the Art District -- I was in love! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBgnXm-LyhEejQTcK3mky-6_CqhCKHivBtgDrxIZ2kPVZd1fY5KoP_oEpgfpLWnfApNPzNwE2aPU0HSSub0KLaQo_sJcgH3pJ_MOViJBRPV8xcfg52bWZNW728e3YHxUloxcMCneJh-sS/s1600/P2270507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBgnXm-LyhEejQTcK3mky-6_CqhCKHivBtgDrxIZ2kPVZd1fY5KoP_oEpgfpLWnfApNPzNwE2aPU0HSSub0KLaQo_sJcgH3pJ_MOViJBRPV8xcfg52bWZNW728e3YHxUloxcMCneJh-sS/s320/P2270507.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From destruction comes beauty?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mHqq_OHYXjpns9RtsAWnIC4vxOmRPeKWRCUVim5yTAmepe-lZuQL790KKExQAJ6KsvwwYWsq37lJfyZe_8X0sryh2Ewi3c8M7EtMAs9kGsp4Uiora3mSuKsfukyyThj8WOMJCKC-ZTaX/s1600/P2270508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mHqq_OHYXjpns9RtsAWnIC4vxOmRPeKWRCUVim5yTAmepe-lZuQL790KKExQAJ6KsvwwYWsq37lJfyZe_8X0sryh2Ewi3c8M7EtMAs9kGsp4Uiora3mSuKsfukyyThj8WOMJCKC-ZTaX/s320/P2270508.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The expo was stocked full with these man/woman themed statue things</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrGPP68NAiYPcegNDevUt2auo4jXnQpjotAYslrd_owDCpc1rnUrahOa7j7_nyxaNK4JemV5o2Ryw43WZ7Kzwa29zIWp6iL789Fwl0YjJFEWjv-owAKwvz6IgbGGsT6NFL164RT9UP8c7/s1600/P2270510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSrGPP68NAiYPcegNDevUt2auo4jXnQpjotAYslrd_owDCpc1rnUrahOa7j7_nyxaNK4JemV5o2Ryw43WZ7Kzwa29zIWp6iL789Fwl0YjJFEWjv-owAKwvz6IgbGGsT6NFL164RT9UP8c7/s320/P2270510.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graffiti art!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINPUhbxAPSbTX2oGqmdoLqbJJ0qf6DexDkbl_LYn9vRBK0RnDHZvq56q44GY8jU9B9_7_qxd9PitsJro2SEk501YDT5Gx_xDzi_xhjH3TGM__qkvm7vneEpL5kVxYZIds6lYnmOLm84ic/s1600/P2270511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINPUhbxAPSbTX2oGqmdoLqbJJ0qf6DexDkbl_LYn9vRBK0RnDHZvq56q44GY8jU9B9_7_qxd9PitsJro2SEk501YDT5Gx_xDzi_xhjH3TGM__qkvm7vneEpL5kVxYZIds6lYnmOLm84ic/s320/P2270511.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wishing tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuMHxHj7ULfv89d3DPP2KZBl4HiOBz_RrmT3NOztmK8POVHfQMti_aaPQ1XfRD060rJVFjA8ptiziP9WUEQGA2axO2Et-Io-oqj2REjDDIZVBjkqWG0My9n79hYLD_vg2THAdsQatqqXh/s1600/P2270512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPuMHxHj7ULfv89d3DPP2KZBl4HiOBz_RrmT3NOztmK8POVHfQMti_aaPQ1XfRD060rJVFjA8ptiziP9WUEQGA2axO2Et-Io-oqj2REjDDIZVBjkqWG0My9n79hYLD_vg2THAdsQatqqXh/s320/P2270512.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More graffiti art</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">My coworker Anna had told me about the huge bowls of <a href="http://peegaw.tumblr.com/post/13538107893/making-mango-shaved-ice" target="_blank">mango shaved ice</a> you can buy in Kaohsiung, so of course that was on my to-do list for the city. I’ve had many instances where my complete lack of Chinese language skills has affected my ability to get what I want or need, but it had been a while since it was this extreme. I was just about ready to give up..... but I really wanted that mango ice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: (standing around staring at the menu, entirely in Chinese) <i>Ni hao. Wo yao nage.</i> “Hello, I want that.” (I pointed to a picture of a mondo bowl of mango shaved ice.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Restaurant Lady</b>: (She obviously knew about as much English as I know Chinese, but for the sake of the story, and because this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, I’ll translate her Chinese and gestures into English) Hello, please fill out this order form.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Oh, it’s all in Chinese. I can barely speak Chinese and certainly can’t read it. I want that bowl in the picture.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Lady</b>: Ok, just fill in the order form.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Hmmmm, still can’t read it. Can I just point to what I want? That usually works for me....</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Lady</b>: You want that? Are you sure? It’s big. Do you want the big one or the small one? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Yes, I want that. I have 3 friends to share it with.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Lady</b>: Ok, cool. Just fill in this order form.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me:</b> (Deep breath) I’ll be right back.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At this point, I was ready to give up. Pointing always works! Luckily, the Restaurant Lady recruited another patron who spoke more English to help me. Ah, Taiwan, always so helpful!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: I want that big bowl of shaved ice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Helpful Girl</b>: You want that?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: What do you want?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Umm, I want that big bowl of shaved ice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: It has fruit on it.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: I know. I want that one. In the picture.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: Do you want the big one or the small one?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: The big one. I want the big one in the picture.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: Do you want ice?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Yes, I want mango shaved ice.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: Do you want white ice or regular ice?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: Wow, how can there possibly be this many questions about a bowl of mango shaved ice? I want whatever is in that picture. Or in that bowl right there on that table that the other people are eating. I want to eat that.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Girl</b>: Oh, you want the same thing as this picture right here?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Me</b>: (Sigh) Yes, that is what I want.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was AAAAALLLLLLLLLLL worth it! Check out this little bowl of heaven!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgFfc2-lK2Nzi9KAexp6exFJ2lm5nbjVcI7mih7Mg-XHdy3wIj9gp_oB7zGD-ZQFpoNm3Bz3W3YAveLgowcbpH-0c-zI9klB-Dbfq0N8vJP0QKbVTNci0VXsL4Mwg3KFdsGDuarbDSeti/s1600/P2270531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgFfc2-lK2Nzi9KAexp6exFJ2lm5nbjVcI7mih7Mg-XHdy3wIj9gp_oB7zGD-ZQFpoNm3Bz3W3YAveLgowcbpH-0c-zI9klB-Dbfq0N8vJP0QKbVTNci0VXsL4Mwg3KFdsGDuarbDSeti/s320/P2270531.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worth the effort</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Rejuvenated by our delicious bowl of shaved ice, we hiked up to the British Consulate at Takou. The cherry blossom trees were in bloom, and there were great views of the harbor. I kinda want to live there. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvDlRm5xT2ER-IlTbdPlwb1tQd89EjqUojfABqt3VpkbwlX3Ppn6EhKp7a1AeykfX8Daa6ASmxB3RFq2TXS1uXUx-3e7OaGdMYjm5nqE8TTybsmDLe8laqZYTJHrSiMOiNsYaX8X7_IKA/s1600/P2270548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvDlRm5xT2ER-IlTbdPlwb1tQd89EjqUojfABqt3VpkbwlX3Ppn6EhKp7a1AeykfX8Daa6ASmxB3RFq2TXS1uXUx-3e7OaGdMYjm5nqE8TTybsmDLe8laqZYTJHrSiMOiNsYaX8X7_IKA/s320/P2270548.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British Consulate at Takou</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwaXYIp9v6zpnv7__W_cV8tMfIs7upiepZ6e3lL_uv43o4-pn0WZexS0mNJcvNgYlLZpCSp3Q00sdLWnOxY4s2elH7gHsPC-ytQwjfm4TdheFtVklQiRU0ZQ1vVY58DYNvv9jjfLTODmJ/s1600/P2270549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwaXYIp9v6zpnv7__W_cV8tMfIs7upiepZ6e3lL_uv43o4-pn0WZexS0mNJcvNgYlLZpCSp3Q00sdLWnOxY4s2elH7gHsPC-ytQwjfm4TdheFtVklQiRU0ZQ1vVY58DYNvv9jjfLTODmJ/s320/P2270549.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Kaohsiung harbor</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_Ts2sIzQ_ap16vlRHI0HStH8nmCIEbJ9TgeOL4msb2tcIYnktIgIAOEA_gLD-pZ7wDuoS33LZNlltVGenNNMX-jDRhSmTzsHmkejkd3DKSV4uMCfEfelmgJ2dFJbIrU79k9fWPvyZc6T/s1600/P2270550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_Ts2sIzQ_ap16vlRHI0HStH8nmCIEbJ9TgeOL4msb2tcIYnktIgIAOEA_gLD-pZ7wDuoS33LZNlltVGenNNMX-jDRhSmTzsHmkejkd3DKSV4uMCfEfelmgJ2dFJbIrU79k9fWPvyZc6T/s320/P2270550.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could live here. Easy.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thanks to my <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/searchResult?q=taiwan" target="_blank">Lonely Planet Guide</a>, I knew where to go for a relaxing and delightful dinner. We took a cab up and down some winding roads over to a small fishing village right on the shore. The cabbie dropped us off partway down and pointed us in the general direction of the restaurant. Apparently the remainder of the roads were too steep, winding, and narrow. It made for a beautiful and quaint walk, though. We arrived at<a href="http://www.haskellco.org/escape41.htm" target="_blank"> Escape 41</a> and chose a seat out on the patio (in February!!) to watch the sunset. We ordered beers and appetizers and took in the view. At some point, the sun slipped behind a cloud or perhaps a layer of that Taiwan haze that seems to be ever-present, and the sunset abruptly disappeared before completion. But we were not irked -- we had the best pizza in all of Taiwan to console us! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qkjb_0hDVkH4FgOUp6cO5n5PcatfPKPo72MVwpjENY1So9-RMdNBAPpVBCfrow1xY0oyVbiZaMp0Yre8saLky64DQvZADWGH-hEd7_4JBgEplmM3KOONz6geExkV-ty-ab8BuI5EmiYY/s1600/P2270557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qkjb_0hDVkH4FgOUp6cO5n5PcatfPKPo72MVwpjENY1So9-RMdNBAPpVBCfrow1xY0oyVbiZaMp0Yre8saLky64DQvZADWGH-hEd7_4JBgEplmM3KOONz6geExkV-ty-ab8BuI5EmiYY/s320/P2270557.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our table</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1q-0Yfq_UN7dFISwfJXzTOV26d4EVC0gVYtJopEmPgf_QbM5OUB65RiDfvfxfthQgRbZgITCAwLRLC-rAhDUcHBxNGlw0J2qvU6AD2D5CpTL7LSJNjPXTihFJ62Xqm1khuRLgr678wYt/s1600/P2270561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1q-0Yfq_UN7dFISwfJXzTOV26d4EVC0gVYtJopEmPgf_QbM5OUB65RiDfvfxfthQgRbZgITCAwLRLC-rAhDUcHBxNGlw0J2qvU6AD2D5CpTL7LSJNjPXTihFJ62Xqm1khuRLgr678wYt/s320/P2270561.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last bit of sunset</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRhLCvWbdHaP8PruCMcNqhiMYNhnRTArImqs3QT-ucATSZsTfZzFVsOr0xEqcv9HCopoTMvoOAynC1weQGnznh9OTIdvLjFDIVSuboEiAxCxOGS-TMjjTMTA5mWsxSIcbWdcO6Od-QwF9/s1600/P2270566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicRhLCvWbdHaP8PruCMcNqhiMYNhnRTArImqs3QT-ucATSZsTfZzFVsOr0xEqcv9HCopoTMvoOAynC1weQGnznh9OTIdvLjFDIVSuboEiAxCxOGS-TMjjTMTA5mWsxSIcbWdcO6Od-QwF9/s320/P2270566.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Escape 41</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Exhausted and buzzing with the thrill of living life to the fullest in Kaohsiung, most of us turned in early and slept like rocks. Our weekend in the south of Taiwan was sensational, and it made me wonder: is there a career that involves ALWAYS being on vacation? Because I think I’d be pretty good at it.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0No. 85-123, Wǔfú Rd, Wugu District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 24825.090340624491542 121.4322495460510325.075961624491541 121.41250854605103 25.104719624491544 121.45199054605102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-46342093175479114742012-02-16T22:51:00.000+08:002012-02-16T22:51:12.514+08:00Taiwan Lantern Festival<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The <a href="http://www.taiwan.net.tw/2012TaiwanLantern/2/index.aspx" target="_blank">Chinese Lantern Festival</a> is held on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year. This year, it fell on February 6th. Chinese New Year was officially January 23rd (remember.... I went to the Philippines???), and 15 days later is February 6th. That’s your math lesson for today.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Here in Taiwan, the national festival is celebrated for two weeks in a different city each year. This year, it was in <a href="http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Taiwan/Taiwan_Sheng/Lu_kang-1077493/TravelGuide-Lu_kang.html" target="_blank">Lugang</a>, a city in <a href="http://tourism.chcg.gov.tw/english/" target="_blank">Changhua County</a>. Lucky for me, I have a couple friends living in Changhua!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After a short bus ride from Changhua to Lugang, my friends and I walked around the (very) crowded streets of Lugang, decorated with lanterns like nobody’s business. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6n5pqDG9qaooetpJkWk5vnFyR1eZkoEDYWf7bo_RhMhXabUdnuuwTqigj68qKWRsN-DPttNUuFOLXk6RLXdWrbYqGE74jFUAew8Rab3D3cuq9xRYWw1kCJAssnLtoTwYCMXbKySTiRgx/s1600/P2110215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA6n5pqDG9qaooetpJkWk5vnFyR1eZkoEDYWf7bo_RhMhXabUdnuuwTqigj68qKWRsN-DPttNUuFOLXk6RLXdWrbYqGE74jFUAew8Rab3D3cuq9xRYWw1kCJAssnLtoTwYCMXbKySTiRgx/s320/P2110215.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lugang</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkx-7U-4SJMLxttU5oZ-Saw0QKwV8MeMOp2TzULyICNmkzNq1tMczjlwdn5XbKexN4Dvg9mDiX5xkdzQAecVlrmtwKHNzd5NTtFFdoVMrCbD4lKsEAHrwBGiyQLhVFU90909IC68CKDcE/s1600/P2110220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkx-7U-4SJMLxttU5oZ-Saw0QKwV8MeMOp2TzULyICNmkzNq1tMczjlwdn5XbKexN4Dvg9mDiX5xkdzQAecVlrmtwKHNzd5NTtFFdoVMrCbD4lKsEAHrwBGiyQLhVFU90909IC68CKDcE/s320/P2110220.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanterns, lanterns, everywhere!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8xYLL4Ki2B4jiAob5wknrRMzIcNHyYtOgvQWcupR39eAr_fTAxNZPD9bAGLy9zXJxN7rD0-1Boaxczh4is_sxtreMXsCCq1Gb3o64beb_7mBEAlQnWRBPq1BAcBBSOSKWKer4IPYXz5d/s1600/P2110227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX8xYLL4Ki2B4jiAob5wknrRMzIcNHyYtOgvQWcupR39eAr_fTAxNZPD9bAGLy9zXJxN7rD0-1Boaxczh4is_sxtreMXsCCq1Gb3o64beb_7mBEAlQnWRBPq1BAcBBSOSKWKer4IPYXz5d/s320/P2110227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonder what the city paid for electricity during the festival...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pgijx3WoaYSnY9bkjPhVFtRWTJiJqx7mMegky2LtuCLeoP01mECRIXrJKoI8PIK7uxiD16MuqlJGwBXHyFrbVyVysZkQUegIvNzf5ygG11YfFXIAn3um__Jz6ToBHJLojvWnJgf9A2AG/s1600/P2110253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pgijx3WoaYSnY9bkjPhVFtRWTJiJqx7mMegky2LtuCLeoP01mECRIXrJKoI8PIK7uxiD16MuqlJGwBXHyFrbVyVysZkQUegIvNzf5ygG11YfFXIAn3um__Jz6ToBHJLojvWnJgf9A2AG/s320/P2110253.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanterns!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2012 is the <a href="http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2012ChineseHoroscope.htm" target="_blank">Year of the Dragon</a>, so most of the lanterns had a dragon theme. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPIgOE9aWeH9J-4uz4h3y2faeWz3YDsX_O7gCifBhGEguiwLVg1-6Ys93T1OcBYux_lvx7KdmtEhMEZMbq1hSj7oxuYTX06sIcAnIuLorem1jpcgqEE_r6MsLCoR5SEDbvqsr4vXEmiOC/s1600/P2110232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPIgOE9aWeH9J-4uz4h3y2faeWz3YDsX_O7gCifBhGEguiwLVg1-6Ys93T1OcBYux_lvx7KdmtEhMEZMbq1hSj7oxuYTX06sIcAnIuLorem1jpcgqEE_r6MsLCoR5SEDbvqsr4vXEmiOC/s320/P2110232.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon lantern<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXjJDjeujUuskj4UPN_b1vubPbfN262eriI8pnIJLIFx5E4JRF2KqUUpCkbBHMmRl1W_PDXsiVq6h811ahxlHgjWCMNA3ISPrNQK87nnsQa__pnRp4pzsZu__UX5NeUSil4JL__bOiMpQ/s1600/P2110233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXjJDjeujUuskj4UPN_b1vubPbfN262eriI8pnIJLIFx5E4JRF2KqUUpCkbBHMmRl1W_PDXsiVq6h811ahxlHgjWCMNA3ISPrNQK87nnsQa__pnRp4pzsZu__UX5NeUSil4JL__bOiMpQ/s320/P2110233.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mario coin dragon??</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPsRf9Ljzz_qeJjECa229uG7iC1OJKHUMv_8f9E5QOekD7odzx_FVIvoW6OeUpzUP4_Axka58FaUAV3xL5wokHEOqG6UYPe9IA7DSzztUFwrDkPk7i_TwN8gXUbakFy3tjoPNWkB4275F/s1600/P2110262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrPsRf9Ljzz_qeJjECa229uG7iC1OJKHUMv_8f9E5QOekD7odzx_FVIvoW6OeUpzUP4_Axka58FaUAV3xL5wokHEOqG6UYPe9IA7DSzztUFwrDkPk7i_TwN8gXUbakFy3tjoPNWkB4275F/s320/P2110262.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scarier than King Kong</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztEfloPge219ixA2inFZaHuhDcuqkIbQfrXz2RlAeomPNj3HLqO6rocaiEdQjmrLH_LaLzl4CYWIERhqRGLtJn0Re7UBdX_i41jErdoci5ULIjprl9t78wkCYv1rdVP12scl0M0Tufhh0/s1600/P2110269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztEfloPge219ixA2inFZaHuhDcuqkIbQfrXz2RlAeomPNj3HLqO6rocaiEdQjmrLH_LaLzl4CYWIERhqRGLtJn0Re7UBdX_i41jErdoci5ULIjprl9t78wkCYv1rdVP12scl0M0Tufhh0/s320/P2110269.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rarrr</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We wandered around town, snaking our way from lantern display to lantern display. We decided to take a break in a courtyard near the city stadium, so we sat down on some benches. At just that moment, a fireworks show began -- all around us! We were right in the middle of the show, with fireworks shooting off from the tops of four building in front of us and to our left and right. I didn’t know which way to look! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1wMjXKfDx5WgjqqjPr-4qPdAuOmb3o46XQ-mqlhG5xbOWywm7Jf_G5GlYP2FdVM6ugqhaRgNv0H_ibybLzAgO-Di5EvEZirZ0qRlOmusXIh0gjwbg35iWxnkJ43hp-SaUhHveZt2dspr/s1600/P2110274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd1wMjXKfDx5WgjqqjPr-4qPdAuOmb3o46XQ-mqlhG5xbOWywm7Jf_G5GlYP2FdVM6ugqhaRgNv0H_ibybLzAgO-Di5EvEZirZ0qRlOmusXIh0gjwbg35iWxnkJ43hp-SaUhHveZt2dspr/s320/P2110274.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kind of blurry, but you get the idea</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Next, we headed into the stadium to see the HUGE dragon lantern, the main attraction of the festival. Thousands of people were packed into the arena to see the dragon light show. </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxFFRfHrXMtDPlQ8FeFswo_fRpC0NT12HXjPw0laliL0oq6ipcpR5QIbmO55-2G2sDwiXs4c_8C1ZekTuy8HQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our legs and eyes were exhausted from all the walking and millions of lights. But our journey was not over! We found our way to the line for the bus back to Changhua..... where we stood for the next two hours! At least we had a nice view of the deer lantern, in honor of the city of Lugang, which translates to “deer harbor.” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIffHMc9mQ-BJElyUhtaYBbRq7lN3YvkX2eZnnV400PrdfW0CrdYfLyyc6nvWMMR9UnMNiU9TaziH9KvghFidp5LzpCyJ8aHRFjslptzKVQ67J2njyrlclSMv9K99Kic6Y9gMUzrG7KJlf/s1600/P2110299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIffHMc9mQ-BJElyUhtaYBbRq7lN3YvkX2eZnnV400PrdfW0CrdYfLyyc6nvWMMR9UnMNiU9TaziH9KvghFidp5LzpCyJ8aHRFjslptzKVQ67J2njyrlclSMv9K99Kic6Y9gMUzrG7KJlf/s320/P2110299.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, deer!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">There must have been a million people waiting for the buses to various destinations away from Lugang. But the lines were quite orderly, and in true Taiwanese laid-back form, no one was angry or outraged at the extended waiting time. Check out this little clip of the lines moving towards the buses. Oh, by the way, we had already waited about an hour and a half before we got to this point..... </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Another wonderful adventure in beautiful Taiwan! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlf7wqgUh2WxI0rpucIXSGKy3DLHYr88qE0Uoq-AVTO3ltkb0q6EA3VKZhLeRuA6fPSc0ZbNuapHdiYyjQLY69GIjMQHha8d_nCwzQDhZfWRIpxic7A-IHq2Hxrq5sE2c5_0Nxl3k_35o2/s1600/P2110257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlf7wqgUh2WxI0rpucIXSGKy3DLHYr88qE0Uoq-AVTO3ltkb0q6EA3VKZhLeRuA6fPSc0ZbNuapHdiYyjQLY69GIjMQHha8d_nCwzQDhZfWRIpxic7A-IHq2Hxrq5sE2c5_0Nxl3k_35o2/s320/P2110257.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I heart Taiwan!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Bph2L-3dmC_b-Bjh68ZH9wI0tuIdIs9aSL9sVrRZLmlGSpz8NxN-C7h6UCk0kisVAFrF-_RrTy6j0EKWBRDC1oCm-fzS3yop0A1rnYfZumaQijqTeN0oEfN29-3iWDrH5F0a6k0BpiO/s1600/P2110278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Bph2L-3dmC_b-Bjh68ZH9wI0tuIdIs9aSL9sVrRZLmlGSpz8NxN-C7h6UCk0kisVAFrF-_RrTy6j0EKWBRDC1oCm-fzS3yop0A1rnYfZumaQijqTeN0oEfN29-3iWDrH5F0a6k0BpiO/s320/P2110278.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the dinosaurs agree</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6phXtVmMgGzcHioFCmzTsk5zScv7R9PNIPb9B1sQ5kdktlhijtTBHDRXExoi7pxN-yGWPHNX3mTkwGHgJFILaQb4NpTD1JUA9aFGivvQ_1Ma7FYP7eEJ9elfwckm0Em7ZFYs5-moQnTsW/s1600/P2110296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6phXtVmMgGzcHioFCmzTsk5zScv7R9PNIPb9B1sQ5kdktlhijtTBHDRXExoi7pxN-yGWPHNX3mTkwGHgJFILaQb4NpTD1JUA9aFGivvQ_1Ma7FYP7eEJ9elfwckm0Em7ZFYs5-moQnTsW/s320/P2110296.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-39704169433631984992012-02-08T09:36:00.000+08:002012-02-08T09:36:27.758+08:00Samantha in the Philippines<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Here in Taiwan, there is no time off from work for Christmas or New Year’s. So, we Westerners were all excited to have a week off to observe <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year" target="_blank">Chinese New Year</a>. I packed my (huge) bag and left on a jet plane to the <a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines" target="_blank">Philippines</a> with five friends. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY14PMZpis0jw3Kv8d_r49SdS7MS-ByLo4wsAO-85MvOa-27dmO3KQ_FxaQrQs8q4p6vOl_hPai22nSszDMhNJCBKwwK2dAm80NB_ItVDKsViR1KrOk0tu1Gjc5klOZs8YuKOCbhO-Faz/s1600/P1210001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeY14PMZpis0jw3Kv8d_r49SdS7MS-ByLo4wsAO-85MvOa-27dmO3KQ_FxaQrQs8q4p6vOl_hPai22nSszDMhNJCBKwwK2dAm80NB_ItVDKsViR1KrOk0tu1Gjc5klOZs8YuKOCbhO-Faz/s320/P1210001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liza, Me, Vanessa, Megan, Conor, Janet</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Thanks to Janet and her welcoming family, this trip was one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. Janet’s family picked us up from the airport, treated us to several meals, let us stay in their Manila and Anvaya Cove condos, drove us around the Philippines, and acted as our private guides to many parts of the Philippines! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We woke up the first morning and headed off to Tagaytay to see Lake Taal and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taal_Volcano" target="_blank">Taal Volcano</a>. Taal Volcano erupted most recently in 1911 and has been active since. There are 47 craters and 35 volcanic cones. Apparently, it’s one of the world’s deadliest volcanoes. Cool. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2MtF8_N4aFkgwqjU35xcmGBwX_Z2eAicdp08JJR87aS4v0Mb8mNdYF7xu5wS2d0BA6Xn9SBbCJKxk6rAIXZk_BsEmGQ9T3iHpYXnFZNWMCYEousaRAR81y1HAvQ1rkEyj9bzo_9VNuBv/s1600/P1220016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2MtF8_N4aFkgwqjU35xcmGBwX_Z2eAicdp08JJR87aS4v0Mb8mNdYF7xu5wS2d0BA6Xn9SBbCJKxk6rAIXZk_BsEmGQ9T3iHpYXnFZNWMCYEousaRAR81y1HAvQ1rkEyj9bzo_9VNuBv/s320/P1220016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Taal with Taal Volcano in the background</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After a bangka boat ride across Lake Taal, we saddled up on donkeys to trek up the island to the top of the volcano. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx_XEIgO5TzcQjLWLJdW2M9mLRDBQQ6ikZvt0PlVkDEkoP8prgha4UOBtoGTmSlBfGYTeh16dAHyFMqtMarUHks3PbpBIM69lGYfxDQBUluPpGEBO1ob2s1y2NQSOFM9076rrtQGRsBa0/s1600/P1220024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx_XEIgO5TzcQjLWLJdW2M9mLRDBQQ6ikZvt0PlVkDEkoP8prgha4UOBtoGTmSlBfGYTeh16dAHyFMqtMarUHks3PbpBIM69lGYfxDQBUluPpGEBO1ob2s1y2NQSOFM9076rrtQGRsBa0/s320/P1220024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bangka boat ride on Lake Taal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PaD6R77UwxQXns-19UF3czLR-B97HfPzhG8uwHUXhg-uiwgbBB3tCbN-3rCJfChDlyDeJV3QVgUOnS6EMZaylwWSoptWz7OA_BN8FChDwexgM1qt4b0_VwgO3MGY4X65ezfnqUoJ8S4W/s1600/P1220041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PaD6R77UwxQXns-19UF3czLR-B97HfPzhG8uwHUXhg-uiwgbBB3tCbN-3rCJfChDlyDeJV3QVgUOnS6EMZaylwWSoptWz7OA_BN8FChDwexgM1qt4b0_VwgO3MGY4X65ezfnqUoJ8S4W/s320/P1220041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donkey ride up to Taal Volcano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFgZQbhyaXjM_Qenn1-oeOa_zQaJUpWN9eEExTn79cj_ewNNs_i0Hw-RS6e7H-05DG8zXVf0HtfW9gYYd1KVvONKZPD-o_1obDtE9Fw-nMnK_mPleONrh1kYIHgEmBu9uEksHzVwEejok/s1600/P1220033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFgZQbhyaXjM_Qenn1-oeOa_zQaJUpWN9eEExTn79cj_ewNNs_i0Hw-RS6e7H-05DG8zXVf0HtfW9gYYd1KVvONKZPD-o_1obDtE9Fw-nMnK_mPleONrh1kYIHgEmBu9uEksHzVwEejok/s320/P1220033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi-yo, Silver! Away!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At the top of the ridge, we looked out over the yellow sulfurous lake that lies inside the volcanic crater. In the crater lake is another island. Crazy! We were on an island in the Philippines (which is surrounded by the South China Sea), standing on a volcanic island in a lake, looking out over an island in the crater lake of the volcano. Did you get all that? There’s an island in a lake, in a crater of a volcano, in a lake, on an island, in the sea. Whoa. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island in crater lake of Taal Volcano<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWIzds4uRKllZD_qppGczjOs-qIgBIzEiowzItyzqN1pdRDNMldUZ6lxXoj2LUDqAMA9HjByr3eQPmr64SK0LpJClRcrF2095Zr9EWeltJ7kfavSUa2T_i7UOujxat9Ulhlan6EaOFXZw/s1600/P1220061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfWIzds4uRKllZD_qppGczjOs-qIgBIzEiowzItyzqN1pdRDNMldUZ6lxXoj2LUDqAMA9HjByr3eQPmr64SK0LpJClRcrF2095Zr9EWeltJ7kfavSUa2T_i7UOujxat9Ulhlan6EaOFXZw/s320/P1220061.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sulfurous crater lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuIjGHil7GZgRr_Z7J8r2r0mFz_WkhUni4qh7I3O0nUpvj01MpKwM6RJ6OOmCBXOX1Rt74fH7bUaQXK8trAByGPI2c7YKurxx-Mp8-QdYmVqQwb-XYGcAA8rKB_wOG0KTq69K8xRU050G/s1600/P1220065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuIjGHil7GZgRr_Z7J8r2r0mFz_WkhUni4qh7I3O0nUpvj01MpKwM6RJ6OOmCBXOX1Rt74fH7bUaQXK8trAByGPI2c7YKurxx-Mp8-QdYmVqQwb-XYGcAA8rKB_wOG0KTq69K8xRU050G/s320/P1220065.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Taal Volcano</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ6Ljr0JLVR_KWZ9-QlF8Wycom5ZM7rYMbsPetnJRsBFiECY7rkN74zmxunmG5jkLrxb60NLDOuqzwYjG_lH1cPmWI081rmcdHGjK2I0nP-g6EoEbvSV1z6DdNiDSrta8b2V8EvCym2WC/s1600/P1220068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ6Ljr0JLVR_KWZ9-QlF8Wycom5ZM7rYMbsPetnJRsBFiECY7rkN74zmxunmG5jkLrxb60NLDOuqzwYjG_lH1cPmWI081rmcdHGjK2I0nP-g6EoEbvSV1z6DdNiDSrta8b2V8EvCym2WC/s320/P1220068.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Lake Taal from Taal Volcano</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next day, we drove up to Subic Bay to stay at <a href="http://www.anvayacove.com/" target="_blank">Anvaya Cove</a> resort for a few days. I think we were all in shock at how beautiful the resort was. There were very few other guests while we were there, so it was almost like a private resort. Just look at these pictures!! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQbnLbgS3giw1w-kHELN6SKpTN7Ml0x8syl1n_dVxRLm_JOLrCI92pgKEjBMqIFaGiwdS2Zkn8cOVmv6BQfA4xNpU-B_zTyWwuciuChjyIiid22lM1zNjn3FIIuZ9j2gvWw_0uVLxbEsn/s1600/P1230100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQbnLbgS3giw1w-kHELN6SKpTN7Ml0x8syl1n_dVxRLm_JOLrCI92pgKEjBMqIFaGiwdS2Zkn8cOVmv6BQfA4xNpU-B_zTyWwuciuChjyIiid22lM1zNjn3FIIuZ9j2gvWw_0uVLxbEsn/s320/P1230100.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lounging on the beach<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx2jJYfN5KtR1zGfgLPM9YoygNfoZtGqQkvkoh_Godiz5s3JU2Z_GpEYUD0n_0yayLuKzEsTHr5PqloE758fFjkDbiIstZNprd8tQdb_5TBsEP2ZdenZUvO44HQegeOXCE3_PdxsS-Yjo/s1600/P1240107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx2jJYfN5KtR1zGfgLPM9YoygNfoZtGqQkvkoh_Godiz5s3JU2Z_GpEYUD0n_0yayLuKzEsTHr5PqloE758fFjkDbiIstZNprd8tQdb_5TBsEP2ZdenZUvO44HQegeOXCE3_PdxsS-Yjo/s320/P1240107.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anvaya Cove</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBEiBgfGRs6xKi40S1uuy4RTE3sR2X3pCSrjLt4xApAOZxX2V9Iu_ZEX9D7pBMgPC5wiVag2g0hBItnlbwjWldbAVGeDZXK8QUiznsGjgPbuzdX8ScaLiSD9yDu5mF7hrKyEDFGzLBvzj/s1600/P1240110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBEiBgfGRs6xKi40S1uuy4RTE3sR2X3pCSrjLt4xApAOZxX2V9Iu_ZEX9D7pBMgPC5wiVag2g0hBItnlbwjWldbAVGeDZXK8QUiznsGjgPbuzdX8ScaLiSD9yDu5mF7hrKyEDFGzLBvzj/s320/P1240110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPRbGz5UT5mfjBMa0Vj2cyXF4zpadFxh5Rqqmau_0xyTllguRUt4-JIAcAjjToJQU36qk1gpKvSC34mlwbw3yZlyAsYzn4j6715ZVP_OqkiZGQznV2b1hpxEC1XjVfxOkkx8NCWq3V_Pn/s1600/P1250115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPRbGz5UT5mfjBMa0Vj2cyXF4zpadFxh5Rqqmau_0xyTllguRUt4-JIAcAjjToJQU36qk1gpKvSC34mlwbw3yZlyAsYzn4j6715ZVP_OqkiZGQznV2b1hpxEC1XjVfxOkkx8NCWq3V_Pn/s320/P1250115.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anvaya Cove resort</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvsLB8yV36_EIqCNDdRxz5dne3GU0hb9j59ltwjGlCZtwkGxLq6mmhqNfDEuWWDwEldnYz4uVOT6frwXxdFAA3ZrcmoH6n360h-Sai-Fcza_0chQUR2oPz7OkeShFHLPHvJrjsii9srSJ/s1600/P1250117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqvsLB8yV36_EIqCNDdRxz5dne3GU0hb9j59ltwjGlCZtwkGxLq6mmhqNfDEuWWDwEldnYz4uVOT6frwXxdFAA3ZrcmoH6n360h-Sai-Fcza_0chQUR2oPz7OkeShFHLPHvJrjsii9srSJ/s320/P1250117.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, that's real.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV7OFOWk5vFdSu71ko2pKTbOPKQO-mOWaN7t8u39JRPEouBwTgUHtMvc2kuIF4bSCEybN65LChSFhv-7Mtf_fLtb-6uEPPsNKkotL18T2f4mPRcq4-x6CkAz4dP57bZkPyA_BXjSaw-nX/s1600/P1250122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihV7OFOWk5vFdSu71ko2pKTbOPKQO-mOWaN7t8u39JRPEouBwTgUHtMvc2kuIF4bSCEybN65LChSFhv-7Mtf_fLtb-6uEPPsNKkotL18T2f4mPRcq4-x6CkAz4dP57bZkPyA_BXjSaw-nX/s320/P1250122.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pools at Anvaya</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">To reward ourselves for all our hard traveling, we booked massages at the spa. Best. Hour. Of. My. Life. That lady knew what she was doing (although I was more than slightly surprised at just how <i>thorough</i> the massage was....).</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On our last morning at Anvaya, we kayaked out into the bay before saying goodbye with a ride on the zip line. We ate one more delicious and unnecessarily large meal, then checked out and loaded into the car for a 5-hour drive north to <a href="http://www.alaminoscity.gov.ph/" target="_blank">Alaminos</a>.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgUP4SfYarZcSHq5oPFXRVKH3oN9lUCQm_58PD4KpuAtV0RrQVWds5rWrS8N0sKuaJqcRGc1p32pGUEzkwbmM_jMoJZulsZzDnYg-kxH1pQJi9U43XZkK198R2r1zF6gGVIpIx8Yb3Zt6/s1600/Kayak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgUP4SfYarZcSHq5oPFXRVKH3oN9lUCQm_58PD4KpuAtV0RrQVWds5rWrS8N0sKuaJqcRGc1p32pGUEzkwbmM_jMoJZulsZzDnYg-kxH1pQJi9U43XZkK198R2r1zF6gGVIpIx8Yb3Zt6/s320/Kayak.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking with Janet. (thanks for the picture, Vanessa!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A trip with this group of friends isn’t truly complete without a ridiculous karaoke session, so it was off to late-night Videoke. We were excited to have a larger variety of English-language songs to choose from than KTV in Taiwan typically offers. Frank Sinatra and the Backstreet Boys can get a little old.....</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyILzjho3DQ3qUrxdOKdqHdzAtEaz8oHOwdYt-OtcuVdXmskVBZ9yOIwFNLMxw4LFrJhg6cbL2LB183n_Fi9nXDicrCbDJygBcZWLnxPtRtfYKXnCt1GgvmMaat6nle4fddgpA95zW31p7/s1600/Videoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyILzjho3DQ3qUrxdOKdqHdzAtEaz8oHOwdYt-OtcuVdXmskVBZ9yOIwFNLMxw4LFrJhg6cbL2LB183n_Fi9nXDicrCbDJygBcZWLnxPtRtfYKXnCt1GgvmMaat6nle4fddgpA95zW31p7/s320/Videoke.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philippines debut! (photo credit goes to Janet!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next morning, we all made a pact not to shower and loaded ourselves back into the car to go shopping for island provisions. Supplied with a couple gallons of water and 17 pounds of fruit, we hired a boat to take us out to <a href="http://hundredislands.ph/" target="_blank">Hundred Islands National Park</a>. Lucky for us, Janet had ANOTHER family member willing and able to show us the ropes. Cousin Howie and his “assistants” took care of us for the next two days.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Aboard the outrigger, boating away from the shore, we got our first glimpse of Hundred Islands. In fact, there are 123 islands (124 at low tide!) in the park. Of course we didn’t go to all the islands, but take a look at the islands we did see! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGY2dt7NEwhqOuQwmsVCTWlWLBCI79ocpcKE7oEsfZ6CoMH-yX98AAOHa1RvWPeHKQZ9CegVVyYrPRQQSoWb0leMXT6GelMwXwH4KGu0N09Xf637G9DQN4cSZPnYLU9XilDEykIF_16YL/s1600/P1260167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGY2dt7NEwhqOuQwmsVCTWlWLBCI79ocpcKE7oEsfZ6CoMH-yX98AAOHa1RvWPeHKQZ9CegVVyYrPRQQSoWb0leMXT6GelMwXwH4KGu0N09Xf637G9DQN4cSZPnYLU9XilDEykIF_16YL/s320/P1260167.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hundred Islands National Park<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG76zwILG2_OP4rWf50yCfLBxVTViK2z04MEnIivxMqBZ6Y5ng3OeFRIy3TKkXwWmuHfqhAihPAHr3p1kzUr9BID-BW4XUTZpZQL6E4xu0Y1OxJz-Ug_Q2fgRjOVS9AIdHBqKQvjpBs2S/s1600/P1260168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG76zwILG2_OP4rWf50yCfLBxVTViK2z04MEnIivxMqBZ6Y5ng3OeFRIy3TKkXwWmuHfqhAihPAHr3p1kzUr9BID-BW4XUTZpZQL6E4xu0Y1OxJz-Ug_Q2fgRjOVS9AIdHBqKQvjpBs2S/s320/P1260168.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HINP</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmssfDSATZ_jxqy3WILwhQmokdUw3tKwtsVG1b6Y2JYoCd_Yg0X4RiQQ8E9snJedwmw1srEmYIhHqBYuKK64vYc4tE-HEr-QRz3ZNEJgFjQqMAt9rmIvXrSPDUmCBTATdiWhwGJWqTAAK/s1600/P1260169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmssfDSATZ_jxqy3WILwhQmokdUw3tKwtsVG1b6Y2JYoCd_Yg0X4RiQQ8E9snJedwmw1srEmYIhHqBYuKK64vYc4tE-HEr-QRz3ZNEJgFjQqMAt9rmIvXrSPDUmCBTATdiWhwGJWqTAAK/s320/P1260169.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the mushroom effect!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyz1x74L0_uU3739n5zyrvF04Z_vc2gCRe7hRFZ8vOu1o3Sq84b-JPBJORC4bahAADWtaL3QqJk7OfzuzyRuI44nfEcdBtsBE7HiTnSVA-S2xi9uMrg8gUWowSKZ1-MdLYiIRnad423WH/s1600/P1260172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyz1x74L0_uU3739n5zyrvF04Z_vc2gCRe7hRFZ8vOu1o3Sq84b-JPBJORC4bahAADWtaL3QqJk7OfzuzyRuI44nfEcdBtsBE7HiTnSVA-S2xi9uMrg8gUWowSKZ1-MdLYiIRnad423WH/s320/P1260172.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HINP</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our first adventure was on Marcos Island, where we went cave diving! Well, we didn’t really dive, but we certainly jumped! After a short hike up the island, we came into a dark cave with bats flying all around. With no fear, Conor jumped off the ledge and into the water below. I was up next, but I was slightly less uninhibited. Surprise, surprise. It took me a couple moments of self-talk and a few hesitations before I finally took the leap. The three seconds between my feet leaving the ledge and my head popping back up from under the water were some of the most terrifying and simultaneously exhilarating of my life. I immediately wanted to do it again! The rest of the gang jumped as well, and we all decided to go back to the boat, grab our snorkels, and jump again. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdQJAGC7wRGhyYLAP7BIcIc4dU0S3yTgkuujawU83nrIUOHzSzl5jQNk3pX6fuBmvi7lPWM3LRm4jTTIfIrtFOQp_Ly3dZEJC63ANnpFfuh_G7c0mVtgJC6aAsokgI9hdca5RYPSXX0mH/s1600/Cave+Jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdQJAGC7wRGhyYLAP7BIcIc4dU0S3yTgkuujawU83nrIUOHzSzl5jQNk3pX6fuBmvi7lPWM3LRm4jTTIfIrtFOQp_Ly3dZEJC63ANnpFfuh_G7c0mVtgJC6aAsokgI9hdca5RYPSXX0mH/s320/Cave+Jump.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liza captured the moment before I jumped!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Next up was more snorkeling, this time in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_clam" target="_blank">giant clam</a> bed. I’ve been snorkeling before, but I’ve never seen such beautiful coral and colorful fish! Oh yeah, and those giant clams. Let me tell you, they were big. The jellyfish were also plentiful, and that put an end to my snorkeling session.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Back on the boat, we headed over to Quezon Island, our home for the evening. It was like living with the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054357/" target="_blank">Swiss Family Robinson</a>. The island has a public picnic area and a little shop where you can buy snacks and drinks. But we hard-core island hoppers decided to rent out one of the bamboo huts to sleep for the night. After climbing up a set of carved-rock steps, we came to our private paradise. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgth80wjXhNB2ehn_qAJYEYtr6-XGw35f8M1z0VT9xEL01vIvSriN4BZ-s62HaVvC-iiG3rLktDRhUC3z_5zrRPQBytTiXNpDwn3oOSydA3KaU_ZFrmC9ikXgI8mgUvCJl0dMyT5vfLUq/s1600/P1260179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUgth80wjXhNB2ehn_qAJYEYtr6-XGw35f8M1z0VT9xEL01vIvSriN4BZ-s62HaVvC-iiG3rLktDRhUC3z_5zrRPQBytTiXNpDwn3oOSydA3KaU_ZFrmC9ikXgI8mgUvCJl0dMyT5vfLUq/s320/P1260179.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the hut<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlIyQcGIKr59opJUETwyHGQ4tiYE0Kl0uFYYtBG8ctTV3WqsBiZRqjqdrVc0-s4iQo0Y2PWPJX4QJXB74TH1EyrxNtMkav9hW8PSvVWB77OH1r53BxgV2abSrkQ5oUFUG5uSuKkPIILB6/s1600/P1260180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlIyQcGIKr59opJUETwyHGQ4tiYE0Kl0uFYYtBG8ctTV3WqsBiZRqjqdrVc0-s4iQo0Y2PWPJX4QJXB74TH1EyrxNtMkav9hW8PSvVWB77OH1r53BxgV2abSrkQ5oUFUG5uSuKkPIILB6/s320/P1260180.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our formal dining room</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8h20AmEVsT5novsGVHuzvj1VMzc4pSlVGiuTaNFMGN2AhAvI5Dq2i4NeEIrZDleRGjwDtZ7fOAq2q8zSa1Hof17KC5RatW7lgO26snux5ijWHtVYQTYugrEa59SKTY3dra5n3jgGGo6q/s1600/P1260181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8h20AmEVsT5novsGVHuzvj1VMzc4pSlVGiuTaNFMGN2AhAvI5Dq2i4NeEIrZDleRGjwDtZ7fOAq2q8zSa1Hof17KC5RatW7lgO26snux5ijWHtVYQTYugrEa59SKTY3dra5n3jgGGo6q/s320/P1260181.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home, sweet bamboo hut!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mtYM-G0VghJ3tthOCXMbZMGkBvGJh1hoolu6y4NHHHrPdZ-x4gv7xLyvW2b_00KlmAHe0NDG7XeusgTWFlRGzj7o6KcCWL-m7EdWtRDMQIV9FLGvhRWb3E8kQT84KdxZENF9AGeNcLmi/s1600/P1260183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mtYM-G0VghJ3tthOCXMbZMGkBvGJh1hoolu6y4NHHHrPdZ-x4gv7xLyvW2b_00KlmAHe0NDG7XeusgTWFlRGzj7o6KcCWL-m7EdWtRDMQIV9FLGvhRWb3E8kQT84KdxZENF9AGeNcLmi/s320/P1260183.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the "backyard"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8dya9Ho5Z_arrbRLLpMJM_SciSiKXFu3oKa5Vm1gfDND0KjdBXVAao2mZ50mJvj2je5VEqTYwHl3a2MybmwKMviw4HLn3oApdf_ZcxZZ5VHvX-mA_C_BEKf9iUm7SFePKNrdL_usXTQO/s1600/P1260186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8dya9Ho5Z_arrbRLLpMJM_SciSiKXFu3oKa5Vm1gfDND0KjdBXVAao2mZ50mJvj2je5VEqTYwHl3a2MybmwKMviw4HLn3oApdf_ZcxZZ5VHvX-mA_C_BEKf9iUm7SFePKNrdL_usXTQO/s320/P1260186.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quezon Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZcOt-QLj7SKVPZfUQNSzHf2ngid5LtxCxlIPBD_lPIg3qxt7klxsTQ2tR20FKpXHq83-X2dL0JuwQmKIxETZxaM3BtvoghaDw7D_P3hGlyI61Slh21f-lgmliVtYd02WuPVoAbwMsKtP/s1600/P1260189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZcOt-QLj7SKVPZfUQNSzHf2ngid5LtxCxlIPBD_lPIg3qxt7klxsTQ2tR20FKpXHq83-X2dL0JuwQmKIxETZxaM3BtvoghaDw7D_P3hGlyI61Slh21f-lgmliVtYd02WuPVoAbwMsKtP/s320/P1260189.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public picnic area</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHjE3GWuglCCS5vcw98H6DG6xDrnQJFGBWI4Fa2TyADEM_RptzRyi0tcDvEyZSj1DT1zfBjKcOcqBw_SO7lWqSw1bfZ7TXHSZfpjo1-LFX2dWgOBQNkONKNvHAWegkuOVOdMOISlnmHar/s1600/P1260190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHjE3GWuglCCS5vcw98H6DG6xDrnQJFGBWI4Fa2TyADEM_RptzRyi0tcDvEyZSj1DT1zfBjKcOcqBw_SO7lWqSw1bfZ7TXHSZfpjo1-LFX2dWgOBQNkONKNvHAWegkuOVOdMOISlnmHar/s320/P1260190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the hut</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1USe2U93KAVrfUMTW0PZ7wKnPlWjBR1_RgPqji_EnEMOacBxu0ehf35DC8Xd62siN1AKlRLxWfNdHzcFGoROb3x30-tsCEIzRwDZoMwYrb6hdcbITMQzEeX3zdlrdoJvm1vcMsUPZmTbG/s1600/P1270191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1USe2U93KAVrfUMTW0PZ7wKnPlWjBR1_RgPqji_EnEMOacBxu0ehf35DC8Xd62siN1AKlRLxWfNdHzcFGoROb3x30-tsCEIzRwDZoMwYrb6hdcbITMQzEeX3zdlrdoJvm1vcMsUPZmTbG/s320/P1270191.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This way to the store!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We relaxed the rest of the afternoon and drank maybe a few too many beers while watching the sunset. I decided to swim out from the shore while the sun was going down, and if you have never been IN the ocean as the sun is setting over the horizon, I would highly recommend it. Breathtaking. After the sun was down, the stars came out. At this point I think I had probably drank too many beers and too much tequila-coconut concoction, but I remember laying on the beach, looking up at the sky, and proclaiming, “There are stars BETWEEN the stars!” You just don’t realize how many stars there are when they are always drowned out by ground light in the city!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As if the twinkling stars above me weren’t enough, the tide rolling in on the beach was also glittering! Little blue specs of light washed up with every wave. According to my research, this is caused by either phosphorus or bioluminescence. I don’t have any pictures, but here’s a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN1Yxq8KMsw" target="_blank">video</a> of the phenomenon in Australia. But the experience we had was much more awesome -- the tide was sparkling! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next morning, we woke up with the ocean breeze and set about relaxing and eating illegal giant clam. Don’t ask where we got it. No one had a watch. Cellphones were all dead. We were on Island Time. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Some time in the afternoon, we packed our things and set sail for more Hundred Islands sightseeing. Our first stop was a snorkeling/spelunking adventure in a “secret” cave. We swam into a cave, fighting the current trying to smash us against the rocks and coral. Once inside the cave, we stood atop a large rock and watched as bats flew above our heads (and probably pooped on us). But this was not “secret” enough for our secret cave trip. We were guided through an even smaller and more dangerous cave passage to a small hole just large enough for a set of broad shoulders to pass through. Still fighting the current, I popped my head out of the hole and pushed myself out onto the other side of the island. We had swam UNDER the island! Crrrrrrrazy! Swimming around the island to get back to the boat, we did more snorkeling and got stung hundreds of times by tiny jellyfish!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Our final hop was to Governor’s Island. This island provided magnificent views of the national park. I was told you can see 70% of the Hundred Islands from the viewpoint. </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HzDMSbedNp5_gDwvMDVmKajVZYfRPW1Ps6-3PH6a3volboDUiy46CRXFAi2eGfBeVRrhIs_Bj7NfE5It1hoamSP0PqUU0e-E-ZudfyhimjyFekDdJ3JHcXo1lCHQCI3-MfN3UYMsVdO0/s1600/P1270192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HzDMSbedNp5_gDwvMDVmKajVZYfRPW1Ps6-3PH6a3volboDUiy46CRXFAi2eGfBeVRrhIs_Bj7NfE5It1hoamSP0PqUU0e-E-ZudfyhimjyFekDdJ3JHcXo1lCHQCI3-MfN3UYMsVdO0/s320/P1270192.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor's Island<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrmRywThPQqVUvVbo2GMPYbThWF9i-kRQ9g689ejqcbklf39mVTnuWt5JF6-AgrcSU5cmhzpL5-kK4ZruqORrnMeQVwHY_wQgf-alVnibrJEAGAMycrrKDGazAxJCc7o0zURc_wVnOi6f/s1600/P1270193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrmRywThPQqVUvVbo2GMPYbThWF9i-kRQ9g689ejqcbklf39mVTnuWt5JF6-AgrcSU5cmhzpL5-kK4ZruqORrnMeQVwHY_wQgf-alVnibrJEAGAMycrrKDGazAxJCc7o0zURc_wVnOi6f/s320/P1270193.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hundred Islands National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-5wvNW2PYEDmCaCwwtNcyI8zIgSuEghIh-06Nqqma-v2M5wJChLW-Sy5YfZ-qjQdiOtmWjCjlxEzn_uhhERYTt2qEy5Fwc92Cnprbb7TUoz0GuxbeuQGO22KJm32c_qx_1PCUI0bqBif/s1600/P1270195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-5wvNW2PYEDmCaCwwtNcyI8zIgSuEghIh-06Nqqma-v2M5wJChLW-Sy5YfZ-qjQdiOtmWjCjlxEzn_uhhERYTt2qEy5Fwc92Cnprbb7TUoz0GuxbeuQGO22KJm32c_qx_1PCUI0bqBif/s320/P1270195.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HINP</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaM0BTCWO7HxqD53ni9HRmQemPNwf4GbzDTiiV2iDoixyhWBguhEYI1WMo_dkzJkU0etC5KzhwrNpX6lUjnDWAUo6V4Bjf3BSRiMUP1QOtcApFZfPdlQoliYPsAPIJvU742EjnI6sX5N4/s1600/P1270196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaM0BTCWO7HxqD53ni9HRmQemPNwf4GbzDTiiV2iDoixyhWBguhEYI1WMo_dkzJkU0etC5KzhwrNpX6lUjnDWAUo6V4Bjf3BSRiMUP1QOtcApFZfPdlQoliYPsAPIJvU742EjnI6sX5N4/s320/P1270196.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HINP</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx3ftnEcbPunqBhdNnCYitflBcH0ZGJRTGIfJ6ZysO1sTVqFIXlBgBzrsBRo95CGAA_S3Wmz9YLJpA_YDMLsVfNMzY-gxMx0qu3K0QQzcWPXJ3C_XQeo8Kd1BdJXO45PTOPom-WcVUckM/s1600/P1270198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJx3ftnEcbPunqBhdNnCYitflBcH0ZGJRTGIfJ6ZysO1sTVqFIXlBgBzrsBRo95CGAA_S3Wmz9YLJpA_YDMLsVfNMzY-gxMx0qu3K0QQzcWPXJ3C_XQeo8Kd1BdJXO45PTOPom-WcVUckM/s320/P1270198.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Governor's Island in Hundred Islands National Park</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A quick shower, a little souvenir shopping, and a six-hour bus ride put us back in Manila for the weekend. Our last day in the Philippines was Janet’s birthday, which gave us a perfect excuse to celebrate the person who made this entire trip happen! Without Janet and her amazing family, there’s no way this journey would have been as exceptional was it turned out to be! Salamat! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuM7w28oGUqXB88NvjxJ5Bd4u6SFd0w8_pFqzIav-WCZiGsjtt0f5yaWhyY2gBP4D904LARRX5z7D0cSyEXznD2pCDMM3iUrxMhxJb9hkNc34_w7iTswP5zhfqXpaAQYdEvAVJnhbgFgA/s1600/Group+Jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuM7w28oGUqXB88NvjxJ5Bd4u6SFd0w8_pFqzIav-WCZiGsjtt0f5yaWhyY2gBP4D904LARRX5z7D0cSyEXznD2pCDMM3iUrxMhxJb9hkNc34_w7iTswP5zhfqXpaAQYdEvAVJnhbgFgA/s320/Group+Jump.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salamat, Janet!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-19373490620496982462012-01-10T22:31:00.000+08:002012-01-10T22:31:55.515+08:00Strangers in a Strange Land<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This Christmas, I got the best gift ever -- visitors from home! My friend and former coworker Carey and her boyfriend Jason couldn’t stand being away from me for so long. They gathered their documents, applied for passports, and flew across the world to say “Merry Christmas” in person! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It’s hard to believe, but I’ve been living in Taiwan for nearly five months now. It feels like home, and it was fun to show my friends around “my city”. I got to spend the week as the tour guide, instead of the tourist.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Waiting to meet up with the VanDenBondes that first morning in the Taipei Main Station MRT, the holiday excitement finally hit me. I didn’t really build up any Christmas anticipation in the previous weeks for many reasons. There’s no snow, very few Christmas decorations (in comparison to the US), no time off from work, and no Christmas movies on TV 24/7. So sad. But as I ran through the crowd of one million commuters to hug my friends, I definitely felt like a kid on Christmas morning. ....Even though it was only Christmas Eve.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We took the train up to <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Danshui#b">Danshui</a> for some sight seeing and street food eating. I quickly discovered that sampling the local street food would not be a preferred activity with my guests, but that did not deter me from getting my fill. My catchphrase for the week quickly became, "It's good! Just eat it!" We walked along the crowded boardwalk and down the busy Old Street. It was great to see Taiwan again through the fresh eyes of my friends. I’ve gotten used to many of the things that amazed or surprised them -- and they were the same things that surprised me just a few months ago.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYv5c48nTzSWOLKLF7dJ9_hk_smJMIBnyB5-DaMJFhA2bwqczbtSFoTcMBZH49yAcCmKcj-UP7thPQBiQRMnFy5ed790xrXajtmQ16KlKncxH4P0oO0-BR031WAvUf8Cl9QjRRgjT2nVp/s1600/PC240199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYv5c48nTzSWOLKLF7dJ9_hk_smJMIBnyB5-DaMJFhA2bwqczbtSFoTcMBZH49yAcCmKcj-UP7thPQBiQRMnFy5ed790xrXajtmQ16KlKncxH4P0oO0-BR031WAvUf8Cl9QjRRgjT2nVp/s320/PC240199.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Less than 24 hours in Taiwan, and already fighting! I've missed you!!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi_1o8C9al9oFE1yzKKY8dUvZSPEftbwpcduGNHh_lo294bRhp9tWK2LaredgwTMUdllZ6aQ-fOfsd0bRoRr1nW5BtkRlY_0rBIyhaDsMeI8VTCMZH24-u-AwhEmQi1U3wP0IkRyMK38L/s1600/PC240200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigi_1o8C9al9oFE1yzKKY8dUvZSPEftbwpcduGNHh_lo294bRhp9tWK2LaredgwTMUdllZ6aQ-fOfsd0bRoRr1nW5BtkRlY_0rBIyhaDsMeI8VTCMZH24-u-AwhEmQi1U3wP0IkRyMK38L/s320/PC240200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fisherman's Wharf in Danshui. I gave Carey and Jason some alone time over on Lover's Bridge :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Not wanting to give them a moment’s rest, I took the BondeBusches to the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shilin_Night_Market" target="_blank">Shilin Night Market</a>. Nothing like jumping in head first. Welcome to Taiwan -- and the intensely crowded and overwhelming night market experience.</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next day was Christmas, and it was the most bizarre Christmas of my life. After opening gifts from friends and family at home, we headed north to meet some of my “Taiwan friends” in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beitou" target="_blank">Beitou</a>. Most people I know spend Christmas Day around a Christmas tree, eating way too much ham and too many cookies, talking with or avoiding family members, and watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085334/" target="_blank">A Christmas Story</a>. But not us. We ate a vegetarian feast, walked up a mountain to a <a href="http://sinotour.com/tourguide/taipei/geothermal-valley.html" target="_blank">geothermal valley</a>, soaked in public outdoor hot springs, and ate ice cream from a squatter toilet. Ahhhh, Christmas in Taiwan! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCz4HKzG8VDIz2iMe6NgaC0Kp5cvWzToVOElMHYfs1zctoddVtZDIhmIlv8IrJIXEKSR2ss1A_9WLolAUO4ndYObM2ZSmaNqTUwj2dRx_2m69AzHp8Ucdgfcp7ySl4IQ2Onrp6WGdVeFC/s1600/PC250219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCz4HKzG8VDIz2iMe6NgaC0Kp5cvWzToVOElMHYfs1zctoddVtZDIhmIlv8IrJIXEKSR2ss1A_9WLolAUO4ndYObM2ZSmaNqTUwj2dRx_2m69AzHp8Ucdgfcp7ySl4IQ2Onrp6WGdVeFC/s320/PC250219.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas feast! Thanks, Papa Baker and Bonnie!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RPPo9rEGCqH4JLoUEgKFKLnzJ4m-5stDBHzxllAewqJvkUlegC3Bm-nQgrdSd1WhGCFxWUy_eAMflRzj3pshs6_90EThpql-OSK6wwXnEhIYwaggYrjlTnlV_-5NdfM3CSSGP0FD6cmt/s1600/PC250224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RPPo9rEGCqH4JLoUEgKFKLnzJ4m-5stDBHzxllAewqJvkUlegC3Bm-nQgrdSd1WhGCFxWUy_eAMflRzj3pshs6_90EThpql-OSK6wwXnEhIYwaggYrjlTnlV_-5NdfM3CSSGP0FD6cmt/s320/PC250224.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beitou Geothermal Valley</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo3-AZYMbBFHyUbM5Ci2dSQXIfff_0oNo8v0JNb2nH_gEtg2py8OoWTr4_hHL8FSrXG6EnLvQTFgs7GzJsZlpfZrchplAw04kA5vPEx96fdMEMSsXsSFms4O0XxH9FE3k65nrteh5RTfL/s1600/PC250226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo3-AZYMbBFHyUbM5Ci2dSQXIfff_0oNo8v0JNb2nH_gEtg2py8OoWTr4_hHL8FSrXG6EnLvQTFgs7GzJsZlpfZrchplAw04kA5vPEx96fdMEMSsXsSFms4O0XxH9FE3k65nrteh5RTfL/s320/PC250226.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and new friends! Jason, Carey, Megan, and Carys at the hot springs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2_x97PDvspKlKmYU6iQ266S4HhaSQMX0hc1WLh4_ZBis2USUKiW8oL6IizRjtcmvPlUWTR78suQ5x5guuHwbCxa5YDOkeWhQoGkesSO3wOIBp6vpFkxDkZIwH3XvGxibnLDOF-b_TqUK/s1600/PC250227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2_x97PDvspKlKmYU6iQ266S4HhaSQMX0hc1WLh4_ZBis2USUKiW8oL6IizRjtcmvPlUWTR78suQ5x5guuHwbCxa5YDOkeWhQoGkesSO3wOIBp6vpFkxDkZIwH3XvGxibnLDOF-b_TqUK/s320/PC250227.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reunited, and it feels so good</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The next couple days brought my return to several must-sees in Taipei -- Taipei 101 and Maokong Mountain. Both were fun to visit again, and a blast to introduce to my American amigos. Check out this video from the elevator to the top of 101. It’s the fastest elevator in the world! Ooo la la! </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwS8EFKgBtWMcUca0x6F7JscqchLwlY1E4H7gckdP4bmbKhGv6pCm8mczd__JIRoAyYeQ1koeZSWIXl03tsVQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">One of the most exciting events of the week was showing Carey and Jason around Wugu. They got to see my apartment and walk around the streets of my ‘hood. Hopefully the charm of the Wugs was as apparent to them as it is to me! After a delicious Taiwan steak lunch, I took them to my school. They were even brave enough to sit through one of my classes, which I’m sure was entertaining and informative. Now Carey knows what to expect when she moves to Taiwan to teach English next year!</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’m so grateful for Carey and Jason coming to visit me! We’ll always be able to look back and say, “Remember that one time in Taiwan.....” </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">So....when are YOU coming to visit??</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1324028621989131202.post-80081039379688056022011-12-23T12:50:00.000+08:002011-12-23T12:50:37.374+08:0012 Days of WuguWhether you call it Wugu District, New Taipei City, Wugs, The Wild Wild West, The 'Gu, or You-Live-Way-Out-There!?!, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&rls=en&q=wugu+district+new+taipei+city&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x3442a6063531b7cb:0x30a17332a86da6a0,Wugu+District,+New+Taipei+City,+Taiwan&ei=ZUXrTrLjI8nemAWumcmFCg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ8gEwAA">Wugu</a> is my Taiwanese home-away-from-home. It's has its pluses and minuses, but overall, I truly enjoy living in this town. In keeping with the holiday season, here is a list of some of the wonders of the Wugs!<br />
<br />
On the first day of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wugu_District">Wugu</a>, Taiwan gave to me.....<br />
<br />
An awesome fruit market.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2aZ-HDOglImdgU9S0crbRnxXDNgv51PAMgQJgZdtqZ_8x8qshvszebwmaqn0yKLKmLQxxRxm9w9NWDrt3xQDtK4j36yt82w5CbKZoVtWbRUutfEy0nnrkdPZNSTkD_JtAE4C3WPhtlpa/s1600/PC200184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2aZ-HDOglImdgU9S0crbRnxXDNgv51PAMgQJgZdtqZ_8x8qshvszebwmaqn0yKLKmLQxxRxm9w9NWDrt3xQDtK4j36yt82w5CbKZoVtWbRUutfEy0nnrkdPZNSTkD_JtAE4C3WPhtlpa/s320/PC200184.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious, cheap fruit! I didn't even know some of the fruits existed....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>On the second day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Countless betel nut stands. We may not employ the highest-quality <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betel_nut_beauty">Betel Nut Beauties</a>, but what we lack in looks, we make up for in numbers. Wugu must have at least 15 betel nut stands just in the half-mile radius I frequent. Go mouth cancer!<br />
<br />
On the third day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....<br />
<br />
Stray dogs galore. I won't even get into the piles of poop left behind by these mongrels. The stray dogs scared me at first: I thought they were going to attack me. But now, I hardly even notice them. I still notice their poop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBg1uHQ4BxXvIwNjfHnwX1DjLvz-2SWBRRb7DFuOhDdg4y3CHyurtXEjhYgqx7iJxsDKet6kEGJBB89-MFieYDXdKhgpO_f8VbzV6aKdN4p0tMrAg5_EHsOaAVYcFgHjV7-rA8ztF0HbS/s1600/PA170671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQBg1uHQ4BxXvIwNjfHnwX1DjLvz-2SWBRRb7DFuOhDdg4y3CHyurtXEjhYgqx7iJxsDKet6kEGJBB89-MFieYDXdKhgpO_f8VbzV6aKdN4p0tMrAg5_EHsOaAVYcFgHjV7-rA8ztF0HbS/s320/PA170671.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sure, why NOT sleep in the street?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHWnSsR-CRGIPvBUnaajDuQgJUBeUm5Xbyh1B8tZKUDgoXB75QknbnVOEERuF81JCgTAZFTMhNEi8teoxbrBuyqdIlYN6YF33vPzfLXYm6qLqRNNxGOdlm57sijWfm-bR-PktvvLlNaGc/s1600/PC170160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJHWnSsR-CRGIPvBUnaajDuQgJUBeUm5Xbyh1B8tZKUDgoXB75QknbnVOEERuF81JCgTAZFTMhNEi8teoxbrBuyqdIlYN6YF33vPzfLXYm6qLqRNNxGOdlm57sijWfm-bR-PktvvLlNaGc/s320/PC170160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching over their parking lot kingdom</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div>On the fourth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>One million scooters. Or, should I say, "motorcycles." Mopeds are called motorcycles here; I go along with it. While very frightening at first, riding on the back of a scooter is actually fun! Well, with the right driver.....</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVNaIPaCNfrHh4EfwV4QUQUeT25W6FGppRsT5k_JBoq33fI3xddaJzo_Ox8QAF8qSC18aUo9rucfGzqZdPElwui0Hszj-AVhWwMfccBTARanuKVK3W1zCdMJ3F6k3w7yd-I0le6M-2tPl/s1600/PC040077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVNaIPaCNfrHh4EfwV4QUQUeT25W6FGppRsT5k_JBoq33fI3xddaJzo_Ox8QAF8qSC18aUo9rucfGzqZdPElwui0Hszj-AVhWwMfccBTARanuKVK3W1zCdMJ3F6k3w7yd-I0le6M-2tPl/s320/PC040077.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding shotgun with Anna (who is a very responsible driver)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMvO0ptzxc9kz6VYo6TKkmWgbrYsGCzSpA8bWDKDz1vK8pmAevdK5Lf4bFvpIWzFEuoRcdK_GFBgRz3JKWmPuT_IajFa5QddyC0Xs3sXRodBLJMg3ICDW-__4r5mKEKvlx1M9kV3zF9kw/s1600/PC040078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMvO0ptzxc9kz6VYo6TKkmWgbrYsGCzSpA8bWDKDz1vK8pmAevdK5Lf4bFvpIWzFEuoRcdK_GFBgRz3JKWmPuT_IajFa5QddyC0Xs3sXRodBLJMg3ICDW-__4r5mKEKvlx1M9kV3zF9kw/s320/PC040078.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scooter lane to the freeway!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokepTNtV9ktSia-UQZaLXKxuO_b9sh6FcaA0jbXiQGw2ENhNzpnx_bPo7WJteFT94W2imKLgR6hR2HBQ7d5cor3oaexXmcbfwVC_Se2TTJpsyUAsQKKHOkKYS-HEmEc1V1NLCYBaUugc6/s1600/PC230194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokepTNtV9ktSia-UQZaLXKxuO_b9sh6FcaA0jbXiQGw2ENhNzpnx_bPo7WJteFT94W2imKLgR6hR2HBQ7d5cor3oaexXmcbfwVC_Se2TTJpsyUAsQKKHOkKYS-HEmEc1V1NLCYBaUugc6/s320/PC230194.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small fraction of the scooters parked outside my apartment building</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div>On the fifth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me.....</div><div><br />
</div><div>A wonderful school! I was extremely lucky to land at <a href="http://www.saxoncourt.net/en/sest.php">Shane</a> Wugu! The staff is amazing, the kids are great, and the school is brand new! It's a BIG change from teaching special education in Milwaukee Public Schools. I loved my job back at home, but this has been a nice change of pace. Several people have asked me if I ever go to work here in Taiwan. Apparently, I've given off the impression that all I do is have fun and play on Facebook. While I feel like I'm on permanent vacation here, I do actually work. Perhaps I'll take some pictures to prove it and dedicate an entire blog entry to dispelling this rumor......</div><div><br />
</div><div>On the sixth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me.....</div><div><br />
</div><div>An evening market. Not a night market, like most areas in Taiwan have. No, no, here in the Wugs, we go to bed early. We have an evening market, that as far as I can tell is open from about 3pm-7pm. This is smack-dab in the middle of my teaching hours. So, usually I miss out on the market fun, but when I get the chance, I head down the street to get my fill of fresh fruit, butchered animals, and cheap clothes!</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEctQV76X2Lk7fiuXmE1MLeMOEpd2KILLatyRkN9oQ7tt0OdRUiNnRc1qcAjy3CA4Cy6MTfSW5Bo0zmkGlt0D18wm7qGkGYvIZx2oJWPKbNoYGaymWWvn1elSqswkRV9xwhO0Ty1ZiOGb/s1600/PC200185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEctQV76X2Lk7fiuXmE1MLeMOEpd2KILLatyRkN9oQ7tt0OdRUiNnRc1qcAjy3CA4Cy6MTfSW5Bo0zmkGlt0D18wm7qGkGYvIZx2oJWPKbNoYGaymWWvn1elSqswkRV9xwhO0Ty1ZiOGb/s320/PC200185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wugu Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>On the seventh day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>One strange gym. The only gym in Wugu leaves much to be desired, but I have to take what I can get. I'm almost always the only person working out, which is pretty nice. Every once in a while, a little man will come in and walk slowly on the treadmill with his shirt off and his Crocs on. Hott. But the pool makes up for it! We have an Olympic-sized outdoor pool (which, by the way, I swam laps in during the month of November!), and two indoor pools, along with a kiddie pool with slides, and several hot tubs and saunas. Yeah, it's awesome.</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4ck9Ji6JdVnLSViCt6IcMes5oKbgZ6LWe75_5TtaMzS4P89_WSEyaXGMp2GR1XeH_GpukxaWs3qMJFN-0DElI2Mw7Dnn2bW3G8PLUW4NNEkksKLJpfYe1f8_lezYp_XxNPhlf6kYQQuS/s1600/PC170156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4ck9Ji6JdVnLSViCt6IcMes5oKbgZ6LWe75_5TtaMzS4P89_WSEyaXGMp2GR1XeH_GpukxaWs3qMJFN-0DElI2Mw7Dnn2bW3G8PLUW4NNEkksKLJpfYe1f8_lezYp_XxNPhlf6kYQQuS/s320/PC170156.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the equipment</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVzXLg8TjztPKgq1XBim19qK_nyyAZc_MLKLmGFlNC7UA8y40T9p1AUYhqD7mOTkqqDZUgOdkArLvRItDXBLs9nIGNU7hoHPaujW4kTSZJ_7-uveyc6xr8Qpxv5VgSIFzZn3ZgxP5an_l/s1600/PC170158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVzXLg8TjztPKgq1XBim19qK_nyyAZc_MLKLmGFlNC7UA8y40T9p1AUYhqD7mOTkqqDZUgOdkArLvRItDXBLs9nIGNU7hoHPaujW4kTSZJ_7-uveyc6xr8Qpxv5VgSIFzZn3ZgxP5an_l/s320/PC170158.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ooo lala</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWb5tkCqsO93Wv4ARMbqipjI5fWtYYZ4afx9n8y_v2DugB1XJDYNKYpc6o_PMlxgn9iVUARDEgLpW5Brj4BdkVuI3mJXIEZmhVeO1F4WO8raSIpFjkwiqiC_R-6BtLtwOAUCHPh9anPLs/s1600/PC170159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWb5tkCqsO93Wv4ARMbqipjI5fWtYYZ4afx9n8y_v2DugB1XJDYNKYpc6o_PMlxgn9iVUARDEgLpW5Brj4BdkVuI3mJXIEZmhVeO1F4WO8raSIpFjkwiqiC_R-6BtLtwOAUCHPh9anPLs/s320/PC170159.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way better than the pool at Bally's downtown Milwaukee....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>On the eighth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>A rockin' karaoke bar. There's not much (any) nightlife here in Wugu. EXCEPT for the karaoke bar on the corner. I went there with my friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we took over the place. This wasn't difficult, since there were only two other patrons. Oh, and I was told the next day that the karaoke bar is where prostitutes hang out. So.... now I know.</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpIxKLsV0ld0ncYuj8R3RZjdBZf2bLrRddvJBk1qu2idI5VFwVlWDL08JVI2NgmKGvF87DjAGBMg4wK0NE7nqw1Rvj2xWnWAkZyQp7_wRLYcupMOotpRGH_wSxaaOLF6eJSTt4vykctSC/s1600/PB260061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpIxKLsV0ld0ncYuj8R3RZjdBZf2bLrRddvJBk1qu2idI5VFwVlWDL08JVI2NgmKGvF87DjAGBMg4wK0NE7nqw1Rvj2xWnWAkZyQp7_wRLYcupMOotpRGH_wSxaaOLF6eJSTt4vykctSC/s320/PB260061.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet showing us all up</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzczw9sDEle3PO-KW1YOsZYjc_sRYaEVeNvUkLQyJCuYpOwn5jzzEY6NgTivHZ1obut-Wq9nnAEoQ5G0xbyMWrhRW6p2jPIA93Km5POJezW-v4UmyXTpCAas4I56tTpHosxE4a0IHr62X/s1600/PB260062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzczw9sDEle3PO-KW1YOsZYjc_sRYaEVeNvUkLQyJCuYpOwn5jzzEY6NgTivHZ1obut-Wq9nnAEoQ5G0xbyMWrhRW6p2jPIA93Km5POJezW-v4UmyXTpCAas4I56tTpHosxE4a0IHr62X/s320/PB260062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why is this fun?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>On the ninth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me.....</div><div><br />
</div><div>A lovely Riverwalk. Now, coming from Milwaukee, which has quite a nice riverwalk, Wugu had a lot to live up to. Wugu's river is small and rather stinky, but the path is nicely paved and well-lit. At night, the lights even change colors. OoooOOooooooo. I like to run along the path when I can't manage to walk all the way to the gym.</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq6sHdhCq2qGBjUSbp9R7Wb4hQlvHtJRCNOurM9ZT55OA-ETnoIaWVf8m97J6y9W-Oq2QaptA8z8zfxosX7z9U1fSynE-_1B1bq1T056CamKHOO92iQ7Zsfz4YTEpK2Z5h2CP95giwUqk/s1600/PB130018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWq6sHdhCq2qGBjUSbp9R7Wb4hQlvHtJRCNOurM9ZT55OA-ETnoIaWVf8m97J6y9W-Oq2QaptA8z8zfxosX7z9U1fSynE-_1B1bq1T056CamKHOO92iQ7Zsfz4YTEpK2Z5h2CP95giwUqk/s320/PB130018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the river path</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWrXRq7vppsl2d9VmRRSZxXGObDG068U19RJ26IpXV8wwBuIfKSSLU39Sz4fj4dGIzFTSYzLJt5kjOwqDGtYT11V5O7PUIfEaR1CBVE9brr49zf1JfAxjUT2gb-J0Ro3SP_3rfeUH83WT/s1600/PB130019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWrXRq7vppsl2d9VmRRSZxXGObDG068U19RJ26IpXV8wwBuIfKSSLU39Sz4fj4dGIzFTSYzLJt5kjOwqDGtYT11V5O7PUIfEaR1CBVE9brr49zf1JfAxjUT2gb-J0Ro3SP_3rfeUH83WT/s320/PB130019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the river</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tEGNZD8yrGC9TVwrPQfXKmLixNk38gSJe-9GLpnyaVc1bMpk4CCjBarwXucxF2f7HxwGBb-gAEDqmBs7UgpR0iXweTfp5PVEVa_HFiH9f-EMIx-4BtD4Rm8qyyAo_-4twYU6E0Bi0fLR/s1600/PB130020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tEGNZD8yrGC9TVwrPQfXKmLixNk38gSJe-9GLpnyaVc1bMpk4CCjBarwXucxF2f7HxwGBb-gAEDqmBs7UgpR0iXweTfp5PVEVa_HFiH9f-EMIx-4BtD4Rm8qyyAo_-4twYU6E0Bi0fLR/s320/PB130020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wugu!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div>On the tenth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>An envy-worthy apartment. Many of my friends have teeny tiny one-room apartments that make my freshman dorm room seem spacious. But not me. One perk of living out here in the boonies is that rent is cheap and space is available. My roommates and I have a large loft apartment with a full kitchen, laundry room, and one and a half bathrooms. And I pay a fraction of what those city-dwellers pay! Yeah, go ahead and be jealous.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWXCz9AMpyOHNwkHuOwr9vwOsYgiBwqKqc_Hu1-x0xC4ejCHPNqZwnmaFJhKLUFI-tf3XtZEmvmPx8ZSR2CssmydxbX7TWLtc012BsmkPUnPTOPvSXDlm5eHxO9BcUQksMWauh8V1QJhd/s1600/PC170163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWXCz9AMpyOHNwkHuOwr9vwOsYgiBwqKqc_Hu1-x0xC4ejCHPNqZwnmaFJhKLUFI-tf3XtZEmvmPx8ZSR2CssmydxbX7TWLtc012BsmkPUnPTOPvSXDlm5eHxO9BcUQksMWauh8V1QJhd/s320/PC170163.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My apartment building... I'm on the 4th floor</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdADEVv7Vwo6secGKHuQxR7eapknScVdvPziqU4Cq0B8lh-uVbcy4j8LUeyVTRHUrR7P2Uhu1KX0LHR94PinOcS-JK9-cF_ESGhNXbW1W_5uFi08MdpCsZQLlPaMSg5DaSO2PRc-wn4-z/s1600/PC170164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdADEVv7Vwo6secGKHuQxR7eapknScVdvPziqU4Cq0B8lh-uVbcy4j8LUeyVTRHUrR7P2Uhu1KX0LHR94PinOcS-JK9-cF_ESGhNXbW1W_5uFi08MdpCsZQLlPaMSg5DaSO2PRc-wn4-z/s320/PC170164.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still standing with Wisconsin :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChRl3QqizjRrGYImkM9Ba94eNYhjGoeu-GG6g4zL4yPax1Hat9pJ9Ex_3zc2WJFAepGjxS3d4ARwotgsWHaNh1mrodQfJwqvA4D5ikiLjf-6StHOJVezxP51ZUT9W_SWyG1_qnDtmIbx5/s1600/PC230190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChRl3QqizjRrGYImkM9Ba94eNYhjGoeu-GG6g4zL4yPax1Hat9pJ9Ex_3zc2WJFAepGjxS3d4ARwotgsWHaNh1mrodQfJwqvA4D5ikiLjf-6StHOJVezxP51ZUT9W_SWyG1_qnDtmIbx5/s320/PC230190.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luxury livin'</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHp6ky6l-X8FqcobUpdNJHg1GuQOd-FLjLhODLyyPYteszZ-wdik7ns3698WBRj15BM2cy8PzOjJMg_SldLRRQJIzvuTlynOoJ-t4D9fFoABp6-QJo_IFbp3cTFxFdJFXHljLexF79Pvg/s1600/PC230192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghHp6ky6l-X8FqcobUpdNJHg1GuQOd-FLjLhODLyyPYteszZ-wdik7ns3698WBRj15BM2cy8PzOjJMg_SldLRRQJIzvuTlynOoJ-t4D9fFoABp6-QJo_IFbp3cTFxFdJFXHljLexF79Pvg/s320/PC230192.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bedroom! And that's a balcony, not a shower.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix68rCpO92PtVO7Qw55OTGn-bBGU0go4h88nRmKgzIvZYD3rJN9mywHz6V8P3cIgdhqA0hrV_pKNa0Mb_ZjGRcDOiPkjVtFjt-25GHNJwUWTgEiZPqAbb9er5FIW5CqtBBdJATmZUwBJst/s1600/PC230193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix68rCpO92PtVO7Qw55OTGn-bBGU0go4h88nRmKgzIvZYD3rJN9mywHz6V8P3cIgdhqA0hrV_pKNa0Mb_ZjGRcDOiPkjVtFjt-25GHNJwUWTgEiZPqAbb9er5FIW5CqtBBdJATmZUwBJst/s320/PC230193.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Wufu Road</td></tr>
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</div><div>On the eleventh day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Two wonderful roommates! I could not have asked for better roommates than Abi and Muni! These two girls have taken very good care of me, and I am so lucky to have them as my friends.</div><div><br />
</div><div>On the twelfth day of Wugu, Taiwan gave to me....</div><div><br />
</div><div>Celebrity status! As the token foreigner in Wugu, I spent the first two months here getting stared and pointed at as I walked down the street every day. If you know me at all, you know I don't mind having all the attention on me, so this really didn't bother me. Now my novelty has worn off a bit, but small children still seem to be perplexed by my pale skin and extreme height. Luckily, the people here in Wugu are generally friendly and at least pretend to want to help me out with my very poor Chinese. It's fun living in this "small town" and getting to know the people up and down the street. I don't actually know anyone's name, but I look forward to saying <i>ni hao</i> to the noodle stand lady and the old couple who sit outside the 7-11 every day.<br />
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I'm a real Wuguian! Or is it Wugite?<br />
<div><div><div><div><div><br />
</div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024409516593190678noreply@blogger.com0