I've reached my limit - and have to admit it publically

Hello all.
I've figured it my limit. I'm now going to McDonalds for breakfast every morning. I started a few days ago because I just couldn't eat rice soup one more day for breakfast! I love Taiwan and the people are fantastic - but they DON'T know what's good for breakfast. I need a cup of HOT coffee, with an egg and a piece of bacon or ham or something like it. I don't want noodles, or rice, or any other "non-breakfast" stuff. Ice Tea just isn't a breakfast drink. . . I can deal with lunch and dinner at local restaurants and vendors (which I LOVE - since I'm so cheap, I can eat for 80 cents!!!) - but breakfast is "special".
I went to the Meokong Gondala today (sorry about the spelling). It's a part of the Taipei mass transit system that is a gondala going up a mountain. The ride was fun and the scenery was very nice. However, Meokong isn't that great. It's tea country and I'm sure if you love tea it's the perfect place to go. I've never been a huge tea drinker and the trails were pitiful - so I just rode the MRT and had a good time.
Yesterday, I found a huge store that sold lots of Taiwanese crafts in Taipei. I hadn't bought much of anything around the island since I didn't want to carry it. So, I was freaking out about how to buy gifts. Well, that was taken care of today. I spent a fortune! But, that's ok since I've been eating for 80 cents! Plus, I spent plenty of nights at hostels (for $10 USD) and "budget" hotels (for about $15 USD). With everything, this has been a very inexpensive trip.
So, I'm off tomorrow morning (to the airport by the 4:30 bus) and can't wait. I'll be ready to see the family and be back to work.

OH - one more thing. Talk about vanity! I passed a bookstore here that sold lots of computer books. I was just FORCED to look for the SSL book - and they had TWO copies! I was very excited. I've looked before at "Books a Million" in Alabama and they don't carry anything like this. This bookstore was really big and devoted to computer stuff - so there was a better chance. Anyway, it was pretty neat.

I decided not to go to the top of Taipei 101 (the world's tallest building?). It was really cloudy today and I just couldn't get excited about it. And, since it costs $20 USD - I would have needed something to push me into it. I did walk through the mall at the bottom, but it's just like any other really expensive mall - so it was uninteresting.

One thing I wanted to remember was to tell you about how the people here queue in line. They really know how to line up! And, if you're not touching the person in front of you, they will just step in front of you. It's kind of wierd the first few times it happens - but I know they don't mean anything by it. It's just not what I'm used to.

Ok - that's it. Thanks for reading.

I can't believe you people continue to read this ???

Hello all.
I'm back in Taipei and pretty happy about it. I'm exhausted. Yesterday was great hiking in Toroko - which is incredibly beautiful. It's a shame you can't get permits - which I intend to complain about (which will do no good at all of course) on the forums. However, Taipei is a lot of fun and I'm having a good time buying stuff for the kids. I saw a few sights today, but I'm going to concentrate on getting through the books I bought yesterday. It's tough to find books in English - so you have to take what you can get.
I've read a lot of the book I bought at the Buddist place. Actually, I was expecting some really meaningful and profound stuff - since the nun is a "dharma master". To be perfectly honest, it appears to be more like a cult of personality. . . Her photo is on nearly every page and everything I read talks about how wonderful and meaningful and helpful this person is. Actually, it kind of makes you gag when you read it. Then, I read the book she wrote - and maybe it is the way it translates to English, but it ain't much of anything. She's the queen of non-sequitors - talking about her heart condition and then saying that's why it's important to be kind to people. It don't follow lady! And, in the preface she says she welcomes comments from "senior Buddists" - meaning if you "don't get it" then you aren't "qualified". That's hogwash. I'm going to throw the book away.
The Republican convention is on at a really inconvient time for me ! I had to sit in my hotel room until about 11 a.m. until it was essentially over. I loved listening to "Loserman" give his speech. At least he didn't challenge anyone to a duel - YET.
I just killed a fly - so I'm no Buddist. The guy sitting next to me doesn't care - so he's not a Buddist either. Have a GREAT day.

I saw a freaking Monkey!

Hello all.
Today I'm in Toroko Gorge, staying again at a Youth Hostel. This one is beaitiful - nestled in the mountains. Absolutely incredible views and great hikes. I walked a lot today. I'm a little bummed because all the "good" hikes require a permit (with a 7 day lead time - which you have to apply for in person). So, unless you are a local or have local connections - you can forget going on extensive hikes. Because of that, I'm leaving tomorrow after another day of hiking (assuming I can find someplace to put my backpack for the day). The logistics of travel seems to me to be the most difficult and frustrating.
The coolest thing today is that I saw actual monkeys! I guess I knew they had monkeys and bears in Taiwan, but I never expected to see one. In fact, I saw five. I was on a trail and heard a rustling in the woods. I sat down and waited for about 20 minutes without moving. Then they came near. They knew I was there. We sat and watched each other for about 30 minutes. Then, a Taiwanese family came down the trail. I motioned for them to be quiet and watch with me. Later, I ate dinner with the same family - so we had lots to talk about.
The Taiwanese people are extraordinarily nice. That's definitely the thing I like best about the country. There are far to many people - for this island. And, there are other "not-so-great" things - like the permit system for access to the hikes, no swimming (almost :) because of the dangerous currents, crazy (really crazy) drivers. But, by and large, the niceness of the people make up for everything else.
I've only seen a little of Mexico - namely a few trips to Mexico City and the surrounding areas. However, I think Taiwan is very much like the valley of Mexico - without the crime. I feel very safe here at all times - there is definitely no problem with crime like in Mexico. However, there is corruption. The ex-President is now being investigated along with his family for pocketing a bunch of campaign contributions. That's the big news.
Ok - that's all for now. I'll write again when I get to Taipei tomorrow. I hope that the Hurricane doesn't do much damage. Everyone is very aware of the storm here - people mention it a lot.
Later.

I'm such a huge DA - Again !!

Hello all.
As many of you know, I have the pleasure often to kid Bill Rieger about various things - often well deserved I might add. I can also laugh at myself -
Today in Hualien, I rented a mountain bike and am zooming around the city to see the sites. This morning, I went to the Tzu Chi Campus, home of the Tsu Chi Foundation the world's largest charitable Buddhist organization. I toured the Still Thoughts Hall and was fortunate to have two English guides - one was the head of their organization in India and the other was a plastic surgeon at their adjoining hospital. It's a Sunday and it appears that everyone at this organization is a volunteer - so these "big whigs" were doing tours ! So, I'm walking around with these people - trying my best to sound smart. I've been watching CNN International a lot (since that's the ONLY thing on TV that I understand), so I've got a good grasp of all the bad things going on in the world right now. I thought I was doing a pretty good job showing how aware I was of the world situation - as it relates to disaster, etc. I probably spent two hours with these people - walking around and talking about their organization. I had a coffee and bought a book on the way out. So, there I am leaving the campus - congratulating myself on being a good representative of the USA. Then I notice that my fly is wide OPEN!!! It could not have been more obvious - so I'm sure they must have used all their mental stillness techniques to avoid laughing out loud.
Tomorrow I leave for Toroko Gorge and hiking. I'll remember to close the barn door when I enter the visitor's center. Later!

Taiwan fashion and me

Hello all.
Everyone knows I'm no fasionista, but I'm going to comment on the trends here. On the positive side, the women wear very short shorts and skirts, which of course I think is excellent. Many young women (15-25) wear something I've never seen before - puffy shorts. They are normal shorts I guess, but puff out around the leg. They look VERY MUCH like diapers and are incredibly ridiculous.
I'm one to talk! With the heat and humidity here, I'm always bathed in sweat outside. Throughout the day, you move from outside to air-conditioned inside . . . so, I've gotten used to a perpetual dirty feeling. At least I didn't come with cotton clothing - that would have been a disaster.

Hualien - my expectations

Hello all.
This morning, I took the train to Hualien. I was prepared to love Hualien just because of its geography. It's like how you expect Redding, Ca to be beautiful simply because of where it's located. Of course, Redding may be beautiful - I don't know since I've never been there. However, now I've been to Hualien - and I can say for sure that this is not a beautiful city simply because it is surrounded by beautiful mountains and the Pacific Ocean. At least, that's what I think when I compare it to Taitung which was REALLY nice, and Tainan which was close to nice. It had its problems, as any city does - but the use of greenspace was outstanding and made a fairly large city seem small and quaint. Hualien, in contrast, is like Cleveland nestled between the Smokey Mountains (about the same size) and the Pacific Ocean. I think the city is famous with tourists becuase it has some really good transportation options - buses and trains - to get the heck out of here. I just got here - so this may be an unfair take on the city, but I'm already bummed I got a hotel for two nights. I should have gone for only one and hit Toroko Gorge for an extra day. I'm going to make the most of it however. I've got a place to rent me a bike tomorrow (it's going to be a POS) and I'll head out to explore. I've already done some walking around today and it's like trying to see the sights of Detroit on foot - not the best idea. Plus, since I can't read the bus schedule or communicate well - I'm at a disadvantage.
Ok - more tomorrow. I've got to read the news about McBush's GREAT pick for VP. What a great way to emphasize Obama's lack of experience than to pick the only person with less experience and try to convince everyone that it's not a double standard! I love McCain.

Just breathing the air . . .

Hello all.
Today was fun! I took off this morning (missing unfortunately, the final day of the DNC) on a mountain bike. I went North from Taitung up the coast. I passed a bunch of little fishing villages on the way, stopped for a few naps (I'm getting really good at those), had an excellent lunch of something that included an almost-black hardboiled egg), and went for a long swim. The mountains around here are incredible - probably a lot like Northern California, but I've never been there so I can't say. The difference is that the coast is nearly deserted for long stretches. I stopped at a huge abandoned hotel which looked like it was a fancy resort before a typhoon destroyed it. It lay in ruins (although it still looked like a good shell of a hotel), but I was able to benefit from its beach. The water was great and the surf was fun. I was the only person in the water as far as I could see. Many of the people who live on the Eastern edge of Taiwan are aboriginals - descending from ancient peoples who lived in Taiwan, mixed with Han Chinese who came here after the Dutch were booted out by Koxinga (1600s). Taitung is a very multi-cultural city, at least as multi-cultural as it gets here I guess. The people are SUPER nice - willing to help in any way. Most want to speak their few words of English, so I get huge smiles from people when I say "Hello" instead of "Ne-How". Lots of parents will push their kids toward me to get them to talk to me. It's really funny.
So after all that excercise today, I'm sitting in a smoke filled Internet cafe - trading in all those health credits I earned this morning. I can get high just breathing the air.
Since it's Friday, tonight I'm going to force myself to stay out late and go to the night market. I'm really bad at staying awake after being busy all day, but I'm going to do my best tonight. Last night, I broke down and bought a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. I've not been missing western food all that much, but it seemed like the thing to do. I also downed a few Kirins while I was at it and watched Rambo III. That's the one where he's in Afghanistan. It's still an awful movie - even after few beers.
Tomorrow I head out for Huilin and Toroko Gorge. I may finally get into the woods, but I'll see. I understand there's another typhoon coming. It would be just my friggin luck to come half-way around the world to hike and not get out of the city. I would have been better off just taking a three hour trip to the Smokey Mountains! I'll be in Huilin for four days before going to Taipei and preparing to come home.
Later.

I'm Lucky!

(I wrote this yesterday too - I'm a day behind).
It's official - I'm lucky, so says Wen Hong, the protection god at the Donglong Temple. Jack, my teacher friend, took me to the Taoist temple and walked me through the ritual. I spoke to the Budda (which confused me when Jack called him this) to provide my information (name, address, etc). Then I dropped the moon blocks after asking the god a question. This is a good reference - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoist_Temple. The blocks have to land a certain way three times in a row to get an answer. It took me forever! I had even forgotten the question by the time I finally got them to go the correct way. In any case finally I got a good throw an dmy fortune was interpreted. As it turns out, my luck this year is excellent.

I'm still alive

Hello all (I wrote this yesterday).
I've a few things to relate today. I had a lot of fun on my trip from kaohsiung to Taitung.
I met a guy waiting for the ferry this morning, named "Jack". He is an English teacher in Dongang and Liouciou. Jack, of course, is an adopted western name - which it seems nearly everyone has.
He offered me a ride to the train station - which I had no idea how to find myself - so I was very thankful. I have a 70L backpack with 30+lbs of crap to carry - so it's not an easy task to lug it around town inthe blazing sun trying to find something. In any case, we go to his "transportation" which of course is a scooter! I had already committed so I was stuck. He drove me on the back with my pack on my back swinging from side to side, nearly sending me flying off at every turn. Luckily after about 10 white-knuckled minutes, we switched to his car. After a short tour of Dongang (which is where Toro comes from - the tuna that is made into the best shishimi - and very expensive), he took me to a friend of his who was teaching six kids at the time. I read them a few stories and made some small talk - it was great fun.
One thing important about Taiwan is that ALL kids learn English. They start at 5 years old and continue through high school. Native English teachers are very highly prized. The nice thing for travelers is that almost all kids under 20 can understand you.
I met a family from Taipei on a hike the other day. The teenage daughter acted as our interpreter for about 45 minutes while we talked about Taiwan. It was obvious the father was very proud that his kid could do that. And, almost all kids rich and poor learn English in public schools. Plus, they have national health insurance.

Beautiful Island and Garbage Trucks

Hello all.
Now that I bought a notebook, I can do a better job at recording my thoughts during the trip. It's difficutl to remember stuff at my advanced age when I can find an Internet cafe. Tiawan, according to the literature I've read, so one of the most "connected" countries in the world. However, the vast majority are home connections - Internet cafes are rare compared to some other countries.
So for the past two days, I've been on Little Liuchiu - a small coral island in the Taiwan Straight which separates Taiwan and China. It was heavily bombed by allied forces during WWII (since it was in Japanese hands). Today, I visited a Japanese anti-aircraft dugout and caves where the villagers lived during the air raids.
The island is beautiful, but the people are very poor. Everything is run-down - looking like it was built in teh 70s and not kept up. It is very hot (Alabama hot) but is also extremely humid (Charleston humid) - 80-90%. Today I spent much of the time looking for the perfect place to take a nap - and I tried a LOT of spots near the shore and under trees - getting a breeze off the water. Very nice.
I rented a scooter and was dashing here and there. I admit I started a bit slow, until a 12 year old girl whizzed by me4 like I wasn't moving. In order to display my manhood, I was forced to step on the gas.
So, what's with the garbage truck. In the US, kids come runnign when the hear the ice cream truck. In Taiwan, the garbage truck plays a very catchy tune when it moves through the street. When people here the song, they come running with their trash. The trouble is, I can't get the darn song out of my head. I wish I could record it. Maybe I'll try to find it on the Internet so you can be pestered by it to.
More later. I'm now in Taitung (on the East coast).

Island

Hello all.
I'm off this morning to Liuchiu Island (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/taiwan). It's a beautiful place from what I hear. It is 13k around the island and I plan on running it a few times. I need to get in shape badly! I'm going to be killed in the marathon in October.
Anping was fine, but VERY hot. The vendors were spraying water on the pavement in front of their "stores" to cool things down. When they did, it was just a huge cloud of steam that erupted. The food has been great (except for the stinky tofu).
Communication isn't a problem for the most part. Everyone is so damn nice it's hard to believe. Everywhere there is English. I'm reminded of that question the old woman asked to McCain - "Why as an Am'rican do I have to press 1 for English". Well, the Taiwanese have to push a button to use Chinese! Most things are in Taiwanese, Mandarian and Chinglish. They do their best to accomodate - because they are hoping to be a member of the world community and attract tourists and business. Why can't Am'rica do that too?
Later!

My problem with these computers

Hello all.
If you ran into things you couldn't read before - please check now. I retyped the things I think were wrong. The computer I was using (#5 of the More Cafe) was really crappy. I'm now on #9 and it's working great. That one had a problem with the Shift+I combination which turned on some Chinese thing. I hope I got all the posts fixed - including the comments.
Thanks for reading !

Anping

Hello all.
Today, I'm headed to Anping where Koxinga defeated the Dutch and kicked them out of Taiwan. Like many of their important historical figures, they have since begun to worship him and have turned him into a god. I we did that in the west, we'd soon have temples devoted to George Bush! I hear that Barack has selected Biden (which I think is a GREAT choice). I wish I could watch the convention.
So yesterday, I walked around Tainan all day. It's a great city and I really love it here. However, there is so many scooters (which we used to call Mopeds :) it's just amazing. It's like everyone has a scooter - and they carry the most amazing loads on them. I saw one guy with his whole family, wife in back, one kid on his lap, one other kid hanging on to the back. And they wiz all over the place and nearly kill you. They ride on the sidewalks, through restaurants, etc.
I went multicultural for supper last night - eating at an Indian restaurant and had chicken currey spegetti (sp). It was ok, but nothing special.
Tomorrow, I'm going to take the train to Koeshing then a ferry to a little coral island where I'll stay for two nights. I don't think there's much there to see - but it will be a nice rest from all this leasure.
FYI - Anne now has seven days left in order to select the perfect password.

Stinky Tofu

Hello all.
Yesterday, I walked around Tainan and found out why this is a country of temples. There's one everywhere you look. But, they are beautiful and I love the way they practice the religion. For lunch, I had stinky tofu - which is very common here. It is truly stinky and you can smell the vendors from a long way off. I had a guy stop his scooter next to me (I was eating outside next to the street) an he told me that most tourists won't eat that.Ｉshould have known better right then!! I made it through but I won't be doing that again any time soon. Today I'm headed out for more siteseeing. Sorry about the type - it has something to do with the way the keyboard interprets my Shift+I. I asked for a "western" breakfast this morning It is included in the cost of the hotel - and it is served at a "coffee shop", where of course you can't get COFFEE! In any case, my breakfast included egg-drop soup with corn, a half of a hard boiled egg, a hotdog, a piece of cheese bread, and iced tea. Can't beat that!Later.

I'm such a DA!!!

Hello all.
Well - funny story. I was at the youth hostel in Taipei trying my best to act like a seasoned traveler around a bunch of really really seasoned travelers. Last night, I shared a room with five other guys including three young punks (just kidding) and two "older" guys. The older guys were a 70 year old retired East German Lutheran Minister (who knew there were retired ministers in East Germany - which is supposed to be an "atheistic" country) and a 48 year old Taiwanese guy who worked for the Executive Yuan (like our executive branch of government) in the agriculture department. The german spoke Russian, English, French, etc. The Taiwanese guy spoke only a few words of English, but we had a good time sitting around and making hand gestures to each other. Well, the German guy was a singer and sang about 10 Russian songs (very beautiful) while we listened attentively and applauded at the right times. So, here's the funny part. We all went to bed. Then at FIVE oclock in the morning - my alarm clock blares!!! Of course, I couldn't find the damn alarm clock. It was in the bottom of my pack. So for about five minutes, it was me running around trying to locate and silence the freaking thing. I was the LEAST popuar resident of the hostel that night. Needless to say, Ｉmade a hasty retreat and took the FIRST train the hell out of there.So, now I'm in Tainan and staying in a "budget" hotel =- with my own room so I won't bother anyone. I just went and bought some shoes with a credit card. On my credit card, Ｉhave "see license" on the back because I want people to check the license for the signaiture. Well, when I was checking out - they INSISTED that I write "See License" on the credit card slip. No amount of convincing would disuade them of it. In any case, I got the darn shoes.I plan to stay in Tainan for three days before going South. I may go to Pengu Island for an evening before that. One thing that DRIVES ME CRAZY here is air conditioning. Everyplace has air obviously since this is a tropical island, but what bothers me is that a place will have the air on full blast - with the door wide open! Not just a little. You'll walk by a store and the huge door will be open and you'll get a blast of cold air on the sidewalk. It is such a huge waste! But, they recycle everything. How ironic. Is it ironic or just funny?Ok that's enough for now. I paid for an entire hour at this cafe, so I'm going to use it :)Later.

Palace Museum

Hello all.
I spent the day in heaven - the National Palace Museum. It's one of the four best museums in the world (so the literature goes) - and I believe it. The collection of Chinese artifacts is just awesome. It was taken here after WWII by Chang Kai-Shek and the KMT. It was previously the national collection of China, so you can imagine how that made Communists feel :)
In any case, I'm going to give up on youth hostels. It was going fine, until a couple of French A-holes showed up. So - one more night and I'll stick to single rooms at budget motels.
I had a real breakfast this morning, and it made me think of Diane Taylor's "endless cup of coffee." They definitely don't do that here - you get one and that's it. Plus, it's tough to find a place that serves beer at dinner. Can you imagine?
I was really put of by Taipei initially, but I'm more into it now. Once you get outside and into the "better" areas - the city is really nice. I guess its the same as NYC or any big city - you can't judge it by the central area.
Lots of people waiting on the free computer. They are giving me the evil eye - so I'll sign off.
Later!

Back in Taipei

Good news today. I took the train back to Taipei because I didn't want to get stuck in Chaiyi. I'm at the youth hostel (got that Bill - YOUTH). I can use the computer for free - but that's the only real benefit. I didn't turn on the AC last night and nearly died. Luckily, the other guy in the room finally got back at 2 and turned it on. I was about to die. Duh.
Yesterday I nearly walked my feet off. I've got to get new shoes today. But this is a strange place for that. You can either get shoes for 1 dollar, or 150 dollars. Nothing in between. I can't walk around in boots however. My running shoes are really not good for walking.
I did the Chang Kai-Shek museum/love-fest and the Taipei museum yesterday. Both were interesting. Then I walked around, took a nap in a park, etc.
The air here is bad. People wear masks a lot. It makes my throat hurt. I thought it would bother my alergies, but that's not the problem. It's more of a head/throat issue.
Ok = enough crap from me today.
Anne has only 9 days left to find the perfect guest wireless password. I hope she's working on it.

Bummer!

I'm totally bummed today. I was supposed to be climbing the STUPID mountain this morning. Instead, a typhoon is coming and is scheduled to hit (they say!) on Friday. It will probably go wide of Taiwan, but they aren't taking chances. They cancelled my permit, so I can't climb even if I wanted to.
So . . . I took the train back to Teipei, since I didn't want to be stuck in a hotel in bad weather in Chaiyi. That town is not a good place to be trapped.
I'm now in a youth hostel in Teipei and headed out to see the sights. In two days, I'm taking the high speed rail to Tainan. Then around the island as planned.
Later !

Made it !

Hello all.
I made it to Taipei. I'm in a hotel in downtown. Tomorrow I'm planning to buy a train ticket to allow me to travel around the island. I've got only four minutes before the guy at the front desk kicks me off the computer !
I've been trying in vain to contact the A-hole that is supposed to have my climbing permit. We won the lottery to get the permit about a month ago. He's been emailing me but hasn't told me where to meet him. It's only two days away and I'm starting to freak out. If it doesn't work out, I'll be very disappointed, but it's not the end of the world. There are a lot of non-permit mountains to climb - I'll just have to seek them out.
That's it for now. He's coming to get me !!!
Later.
Kevin

Getting close to departure

Today I managed to stuff my sleeping bag and tent into the proper compartment on my pack - so I'm ready to go. The guy who got me the permit for Yushan Mountain must be traveling, so I still don't know where to meet him. I'm starting to worry, so I'll just go get a drink and relax. Everything's going to be fine. I just have to keep telling myself that.
I leave Sunday morning. I don't have a long layover in Atlanta, so if my plane is late from Huntsville it won't be a good start. I've got a 3.5 hour layover in LA, so that gives me a little extra time if I'm lucky.
Luck is a big deal in Taiwan. I've been reading a lot about things there, and I'm going to try to remember how NOT to offend people. For example, you aren't supposed to point at a cemetery, or whistle past a cemetery. You aren't supposed to give a clock or shoes to an old person. You aren't suppose to stick your chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice. I probably won't be tempted to do any of these things, but it is nice to know anyway.
Thanks to everyone who has offered encouragement for the trip. I'm excited and ready.

My Draft Itinerary

Hello all. I've completed a DRAFT itinerary. I'll probably not be even close - but these are the major sites I want to see. My Taiwan friends (Ming Li and Ted Lo) are helping me contact some people in Taiwan. I guess they think I need some help buying Stinky Tofu!!! Thanks all.

Taiwan Trip Itinerary

Aug 18 @ 8:10 p.m. - arrive in Taipei
Stay near airport / train station
Aug 19 - Travel to Chaiyi in AM
Stay in or near Chaiyi
Visit Guanzihling Hot Springs, monasteries, Water Fire Cave
Aug 20 @ 6 p.m. - meet Richard at HSR and travel to Hostel
Aug 21 - Climb and stay at Baiyun lodge
Aug 22 - summit and descend
Stay near Alishan
Aug 23 - hiking / camp
Aug 24 - travel to Tainan
Stay at Youth Hostel
Visit Fort Zeelandia, Anping, temples, night market, etc.
Aug 25 - Tainan
Aug 26 - travel South Cross Island Highway to Taitung (hitchhike)
Stay at Aboriginal Culture Hotel
Temples, hiking
Aug 27 - Taitung / Yanping
Aug 28 - Taitung
Aug 29 - travel to Hualien (hitchhike)
Basiandong, Look for festivals!
Aug 30 - Hualien
Aug 31 - travel to Taroko / camp
Sep 1 - Taroko / camp
Sep 2 - Taroko / camp
Sep 3 - travel to Taipei via HSR
Sep 4 - Taipei
National Palace Museum, night markets, etc.
Sep 5 - Taipei
Sep 6 - Taipei / Stay near airport
Sep 6 @ 9 a.m. - depart from TPE Airport

My Blob

Hello world!
I'm going to join the 21st century and start blogging for the masses.
On my upcoming trip to Taiwan, I'll keep this page updated as much as possible. Please check back for updates or subscribe to the RSS feed.