BEHOLD: and the saga continues...

Krista and I arrived in Taiwan after a full day of trains, planes, bus rides, and walking. We finally arrived at the apartment around 2 am exhausted, and were greeted by the infamous BauBau right away.

The next day Krista got to meet my current room mates (who for some reason were expecting me to bring back a Japanese person, so were quite surprised to find a blonde american girl in their living room) And had the beginnings of true cultural shock. Taiwan is a little rougher around the edges than Japan.

The weather could have been better, but then it usually has a tendency to change dramatically overnight, which it did a few times.

I took Krista to the Maokong Gondola ride up into the mountains which was nice. Stunning views of the mountains and the city below. We hiked around and had tea at a tea house on the cliff side. We also saw signs for some legendary 'pothole', so we spent the last of our energy hiking down a path in search of it. The result was that the path ended at a small creek, and the only things that even resembled a pothole were the small holes that the river had carved in the rocks. Still not sure about this alleged 'pothole', but it turned out to be a nice little hike off the beaten path through the mountain side.

Krista also got to come to two of my meetings which was very nice. We had some really good food and spent some time shopping around some of the districts in Taipei.

Then we took a trip to the coast to the town of Jiu Fen. This is a quaint town situated on the side of some small mountains that overlook a coastal harbor. The views were pretty awesome, and every turn on the ride up revealed more and more ornate temples and shrines peeking out of the misty mountain side. The town itself is a total tourist attraction. There is this crazy market that winds it's way along the cliff sides. It gives you the distinct feeling that you are in a very foreign place. The market is full of random little shops, and vendors selling a variety of unpleasant looking food. The road is packed with buses, scooters, and cars. However the road is steep, winding, and only about 10 feet wide so there are many times when you think... "that oncoming bus is either going to crash into us or it's going to take out all those pedestrians and buildings'"- but of course they never do. They just come within centimeters of it. We enjoyed some of the best tea I've had yet, and fresh squeezed apple juice.

Finally we got to karaoke! We went with Melissa and another Melissa to one of many KTV's, which includes a buffet and private karaoke rooms. These places are deluxe! The selection of English songs is limited, but we found some gems none the less. I blew my voice out within about 5 min., but made the most of it by singing the male vocals and Toni Braxton songs for the rest of the night.

Krista's visit to Taiwan was quick, but fun. Anything I'm forgetting? ... ah pictures!

(these aren't in the best order but I will attempt to dictate locations, etc above the photos)

Jiu Fen