Taiwan

Pardon the overdue post, but a couple weeks ago, I went to Taiwan. It was my second trip there, the first occurring back in late February, when I met up with a friend to celebrate our 29th birthdays (we share March 3rd as a day of uterine expulsion [classy, yeah?]). While that trip was only three days, this one - taking place during the Japanese holiday known as Golden Week - lasted a week. It was great!

By chance, a former JET, still friend, suggested I check out a home-stay called Small Swiss Home-stay on the west coast of Taiwan. He went there the year before and had a great experience. So I got in touch with the owner, a kind man named Charlies, and it turned out a fellow JET from Okinawa was planning on being there the same time I was. We worked it out and I ended up joining their 3 day/2 night tour.

Charlies started a home-stay on his family's property in the Ari-shan mountains of western Taiwan for people to experience the beauty of Taiwan. Like any country, while the cities might be the centers for commerce and progressive culture, the parts that lie away from the metropolises allow for some great experiences. It was here that Charlies shared with us his way of life, his passion for teaching people about the Chia-yi region of Taiwan, and his seemingly unending kindness. Whether it was the amazing food recommendations at local eateries, the delicious early morning breakfasts delivered to us, or relaxing while drinking fragrant tea on our last night there, Charlies was never without a smile and a lively attitude.

Workers at a tea farm in the Ari-shan Mountains

My ambitious 7-day trip had me leaving the west coast and getting to the other side of the island. Had I been a little more familiar with Taiwan before I went, I might have tried to catch a bus or a train across the island. Instead, I joined my group of new friends on a trip back to Taipei for a night. It was good to have some downtime on the trainride back and a night without worryin about getting anywhere.

The second part of my trip took me to a county called Hua-lien, on the east coast of Taiwan. By chance, I inquired about housing at a local hostel that some other Okinawa friends had stayed at just a night before, by coincidence. The owner, a 30-year old woman named Ya-chen, had started the hostel 5 years ago with some help from her family. She owns and operates the place by herself (I didn't see any staff, but it's likely they work during the day when most guests are out). One of the cool things about Ya-chen was how much she has learned from her guests. Not only English, but also surfing (Hua-lien is a surfers hangout, it seems). Her business got me thinking about how hostels - as far as I know - don't seem to be that big in the US. Perhaps there's a business opportunity there, as well as inter/intranational exchange.

Hua-lien is renowned for the Taroko Gorge, a natural wonder and national park area, especially considering the relatively small geographical size of Taiwan. The gorge has been carved slowly by a river, cutting through a predominantly limestone base. The composition of the rocks, and the erosion that takes place, turns the river water into a silvery-grey color. It was pretty amazing, especially coming from the turquoise seas of Okinawa. It was a great day trip, having rented a scooter and hiking through the various trails and caves scattered throughout the park.

One thing that's hard to express is the wonder of looking up a cliff face that reaches over 1200m. Even the pictures I took don't evoke the same feel of when I was standing there, the wind pushing through the gorge at high speeds, my head leaned back, taking it all in. I also can't tell you how much of a rush it was to have rocks falling from overhead (at the Tunnel of Nine Turns), landing only meters away. Even with the mandatory hardhats, the crack of a falling rock on paved road was enough to get my heart beating very quickly.

I spent my last two days in Taipei. I also made my first real step into the world of Couchsurfing, where people around the world host travelers and stay with hosts offering couches. It's a cool way to meet some interesting people (though you do get the occasional mooch/jackass). My first night's hosts were a very cool couple, the second night a college student who helped me with some Mandarin music selections. We even made it to the top of Taipei 101, the world's tallest building with the world's fastest elevator.

Taipei 101 from street level

I'm glad I went. Taiwan proved to me that it is a place worth checking out as the next place to live. Of course, studying Chinese would be a good idea. I've still got a year and a half left on my contract here (and the option to apply for another year in February), so I'm not going to decide on anything just yet. I'll see what happens.