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.