Wulai

When the Portuguese first came to Taiwan, they called it Formosa, "beautiful island". Inside of the cities, it is anything but. They are dirty, smelly, and packed with people. When you can get out of the island however, you really can see this beautiful island. Me and my room mate have a secret stream that we go to sometimes. There is a dam that you can jump off of and a jungle valley surrounding you. These pictures are a few months old, but I think they deserve posting. You can see more pictures here.

Shilin Night Market

One of the most common things I do in Taipei is to go to various "night markets" Night markets in Taiwan are essential just areas of the city where vendors are allowed to congregate en masse and sell whatever it is they want to sell. Some night markets sell mostly food and form something of a large cafeteria where the whole neighborhood eats at night. Other night markets sell mostly clothes. These types of night markets are where middle class Taiwanese do most of their shopping. Malls in Asia tend to cater to wealthy customers, so much so at least two levels of every mall in Taipei sells $10,000 bags. Not two stores, two levels of the whole mall. The night market I go to most is Ning Xia night market. It's one of the best food night markets in the city and it's only a few blocks from my house so I eat there about four times a week.

Lastr night, however, I went to the most famous night market in Taiwan, ShilinNight Market. Shilin is just north of central Taipei and takes up a few city blocks. It's right next to an MRT station as well, which makes it much more convieient. Shilin combines the food and shopping components of Taiwanese night markets and adds an entertainment element. Carnival games, various arcades, a bowling alley, as well as internet cafes, make it a pretty fun night out. My only complaint is that it usually closes around midnightduring the week. Other than that, it's a blast.

I went with some Taiwanese friends last night. If you want to see some more pictures, just click here.

Fulong Beach

It was my friend Tyler's birthday this weekend, well actually Monday the 20th 8 ) , so we took a trip to Fulong Beach. I had a great time, and it was nice to get out of the city, but the weather was sub par, and I lost my backpack.

Me and Lucas got on the wrong train,which we didn't realize until we were at the next station. In our haste to get on to the correct train, I left my bag in the overhead. As of yet, The Taiwan Railways Administration has not found my bag...I'm not holding out much hope. Other than some clothes and toiletries, I lost my glasses and about $150. Not the best way to start the weekend, but I tried to make the most of it.

The weather on saturday afternoon was ok; cloudy but not rainy, and warm. By nightfall though, it started sporadically raining, which didn't ease up until Sunday morning. I had a great time though. I'm starting to hate ocean water less and less the more I immerse myself in it. This summer my goal is to learn to surf, so I'm trying to get used to the salt water. I just hate the taste and the way it burns your nostrils.

I attached a few pictures here, but if you want to see more, click here.