Our second day in Chaing Mai was fun! Myron wanted to go rock climbing, so he took a course and left for the day to go rock climbing. Here are some shots of him climbing:
I decided that I really wanted to get a hot stone massage and a pedicure- both of which were wonderful! We ended the day with some really good Mexican food and a couple of margaritas-
Our third day in Chaing Mai, which was our last full day, we fit two adventures into one day. First, we went to the Baanchang Elephant Park to spend the day with the elephants. The owner is trying to rescue elephants that have been mistreated and provide them with a better life. We got to feed the elephants first:
This is me feeding a baby elephant a banana. The park provides you with Mahout- like outfits so that you don't frighten the elephants- thus my awesome duds!
Then we got to ride the elephants. Elephants are truly majestic creatures- you really felt that sitting on top of one. Overall, though, the elephant ride seems to be one of those things that you look forward to a lot, that you find to be just okay while you are doing it, and that you remember quite a bit more fondly looking back on it.
When we were done with our day at the elephant park, we had only minutes back at our hotel before we got picked up for our last adventure- a Thai cooking class. One really wonderful thing about Chaing Mai, as you can probably see, is that little adventures are super easy to make happen. Chaing Mai is a very tourist friendly city, where it is incredibly easy to arrange half and full day tours, and the tour companies tend to be very accommodating for the tourist.
We made several different dishes- Here are a couple of shots from our cooking class:
We would highly recommend Chaing Mai! Happy Year of the Rabbit!
First of all, immediately upon our arrival into Thailand, I couldn't help but make the following observations:
In Taiwan, people are pretty homogenous- Myron and I really stand out there- we are often THE only foreigners visible at any given point in time. It felt so strange (and also so nice) to just be one of the many foreigners in Thailand.
It was also SUPER weird to suddenly both have people be able to understand what you are saying and for you to be able to understand what they are saying. While the language barrier in Taiwan can be frustrating at times, it is also incredibly liberating in a way: since you can’t understand most of the things being said around you, you can just exist in this bubble. Being in Thailand, this bubble burst and it took some adjustment to get used to - stimulation overload.
Our first full day here, we woke up and had breakfast on the river at our guesthouse. We are staying a bit outside of the city- I think it would have been nicer to stay in the city center- but it is easy enough to get around here.
After breakfast, we went on the Flight of the Gibbon tour, which is a zip-line tour. It was awesome! But definitely not for those afraid of heights. The tour began with a waterfall hike, which was very scenic- Chang Mai is a big city- but this was located outside of the city in Mae Kompong- the area was just beautiful. Here are pictures from our waterfall hike.
Then we got a half hour massage, which we weren’t even expecting, but certainly enjoyed. And then we went on the tour- which was very adrenaline-filled. I have been on a zipline before in Costa Rica but I don’t remember it as this frightening- perhaps it was because this time we had goofy guides who liked to swing the cables up and down as you went across- or perhaps it was the 40 foot drops that you had to rappel down- At any rate, it was both terrifying and some of the most fun I have had in a long time.
Above, is a very short clip that Myron took of me, going backwards on the zipline as they bounced the wire and sent me flying all over the place. Again, not for everyone, but if you like adventure and are not afraid of heights, and find yourself in this part of the world, I strongly recommend this tour!
No visit to Kaohsiung is complete without a trip to Monkey Mountain. The Monkey gods were with us and we saw monkeys after hiking for only a short while. My family captured some great pictures of monkeys. Here are two of my favorites:
It was a beautiful day- hard to believe that it was Christmas Day and we were all in t-shirts. Myron and I were delighted to be able to share monkey mountain with my family.
Aquarium in Kenting
After spending a few days in Kaohsiung, we headed down to Kenting. This time we went to the aquarium, which I thought was quite impressive. My favorite exhibits were the beluga whales, the penguins, and the very incredible whale shark. Picture credits here go to my mom and my sister.
Sansiantai or the Platform of the Three Immortals
After spending some time in Kenting on the beach and hiking, we started our drive up the East Coast. The East Coast of Taiwan is stunning and I would compare the scenery to driving up the California Coast on Highway One. We made a stop at Sansiantai, which is a series of arched bridges leading to a small island. I really enjoyed this stop as well as the pictures that help to capture the beauty of the coastline.
Here is one of my first pictures with my sister and my niece- I can't wait to meet my niece in June. Amy's baby bump is so cute.
Taroko Gorge
This was probably my favorite part of the island and certainly a place that I would like to go back to. Unfortunately, when we were there, many of the trails were closed. I guess this is common when traveling around Taiwan- frequent earthquakes and typhoons cause damage that obviously take awhile to repair- so you have to be patient and have a plan B. We were able to enjoy both of the trails that were open, as well as walk along the road that was painstakingly cut into the Gorge. The trails were certainly the highlight.
New Year's Eve in Taipei
Our trip came to a close as we completed the circle around the island by returning to Taipei. It was a great trip- we saw a lot of the island and were able to do a lot- these blogs only capture my top 10 highlights of the trip and a minimal amount of the pictures, but we were fortunate enough to do much more.
My last highlight would be the Taipei 101 on New Year's Eve. Mom and Dad sadly had to leave to go home before the New Year. So during the day of NYE, Amy, Kevin, Myron and I went up the building and in the picture above you can see the fireworks rigged outside the building, as well as the view from the top of the building. Yes, the Taiwanese take one of their most famous buildings and set hundreds of fireworks off of this building. The Taiwanese have a very different approach to fireworks than we do- they not only let people go up the building the day of the firework lighting ceremony, they also have people partying on the top floor of the building as the fireworks go off, with the biggest gathering of people celebrating located right below the building as the fireworks go off. We watched the fireworks from a distance- us and about 1000 or more of our closest friends. Since Taiwan was celebrating its 100th year of the ROC, it was a big firework show. I imagine the experience was similar to being in Time Square on New Year's Eve- you literally could not move- we were packed in like sardines. But it was the most amazing display of fireworks that I have ever seen. While I will never do it again, I am happy to say that I have done it once. Here is a video of the fireworks- you should really watch until about 5 min 30 seconds, as the really cool stuff doesn't happen until about a minute and 30 seconds into it- This isn't my video, but one I pulled off You Tube. Enjoy!
Last weekend was my birthday and Myron planned an overnight surprise-
We set off for the train station and I was convinced we were going on a train journey- but that was the first part of the surprise- we weren't traveling by train, but Myron had rented a car.
We headed off on our journey and our destination was Guanziling, which is famous for its mud hot springs, which are considered to be very therapeutic.
Before we headed to the hot springs, though, we went to Water and Fire Mix grotto.
Apparently, methane gas comes out of the earth in bubbles of water and ignites as it hits the air. As Lonely Planet describes it, "the result is a surreal dance of flames atop pure water". Another intriguing sight to see at the Water and Fire Mix grotto was the sausage tree- apparently they have sausage fruit here in Taiwan- the fruit itself is inedible but the seeds are apparently tasty. I thought the sausage fruit looked a bit like giant rats hanging by their tails from a tree. Next, we checked into our hotel and went out for dinner. Then after dinner, we went to the hot springs. They provided a bucket of mud for you to cover your body with, and then you could rinse the mud off in the hot springs. Apparently you are supposed to let the mud dry on you for full therapeutic effects, but we were cold, so we slathered on some mud and then got into the hot springs. It was very relaxing. Guanziling is very pretty- it is built on a hillside and looks like a traditional misty, jungle-filled Asian hillside.
The next day, we drove back to Kaohsiung and out to Chen Ching Lake- which is a place that we have wanted to go to- the lake was pretty awesome.
We have started a new exercise program, on top of the 10,000 steps 4 days a week, called from Couch to 5K in 9 weeks. This program is based upon interval training- where you combine walking with running. Another man developed podcasts to go with your workout- so Myron and I were both listening to our podcast and walking/ running around Chen Ching Lake. I can't believe that I am choosing to run- this 33 year old surprises even herself.
Anyway, it was a wonderful birthday weekend and I would like to send a big huge thank you to my husband for planning such a nice surprise- Thank you, my love!
I Thought it was Tangiers I Wanted by Langston Hughes
I know now
That Notre Dame is in Paris.
And the Seine is more to me now
Than a wriggling line on a map
Or a name in travel stories.
I know now
There is a Crystal Palace in Antwerp
Where a hundred women sell their naked bodies,
And the night-lovers of sailors
Wait for men on docks in Genoa.
I know now
That a great golden moon
Like a picture-book moon
Really rises behind palm groves
In Africa,
And tom-toms do beat
In village squares under the mango trees.
I know now
That Venice is a church dome
And a net-work of canals,
Tangiers a whiteness under sun.
I thought
It was Tangiers I wanted,
Or the gargoyles of Notre Dame,
Or the Crystal Palace in Antwerp,
Or the golden palm-grove moon in Africa,
Or a church dome and a net-work of canals.
Happiness lies nowhere,
Some old fool said,
If not within oneself.
It’s a sure thing
Notre Dame is in Paris,–
But I thought it was Tangiers I wanted.
A student just created a presentation on this poem in class and I felt a strong connection to this poem- particularly the lines, "Happiness lies nowhere...if not within oneself". I feel as if we often seek happiness outside of ourselves- we fill our life with "if only's"- if only I had a better job, I would be happy. If only I had lots of money, I would be happy. If only I had more friends, I would be happy. If only, if only, if only.
Based upon movies like "Eat, Pray, Love" or "Under the Tuscan Sun", I was certain that when we moved here, joy and happiness would fill all of our days as we traveled through Asia. The truth is that we still have to work and pay bills and go grocery shopping and deal with the day to day stresses of living. And this has helped to lead me to Hughes's same conclusion- the secret to life isn't about constantly changing your external environment in the hope that the grass truly will be greener on the other side, but instead on focusing on your internal environment- how can you change your attitude, so that you can approach each day with joy and happiness?
This isn't to say that you shouldn't move abroad or switch jobs or change up your external environment- and it also isn't to say that these things can't make you happier- They certainly can provide you with great new experiences and help you to develop as a person-
But it is mostly just a reminder to myself, that instead of "if onlying" away my time, the best place to seek true happiness is always within.
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