I see skies of blue.....

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clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

Hualien, Taiwan is located on the East coast and if I knew, actually first hand, how beautiful, peaceful, fresh, that city is, I believe a second year might have been possible!!! For those who have lived in this city for the past year, I now understand why you don't need a t.v., you don't sit at the computer, and you certainly have a REASON to get up at the buttcrack of dawn to see an amazing sky!!!

I headed down to Hualien by plane, an easy 35 min flight, Friday afternoon and was graciously picked up by Suzanne, Doug's wife. (AND all i could think about as i stepped out of the airport was OH MY...I CAN BREATHE!!!! The air is so clean and crisp and fresh, the diiiiiiiiirty south just is disgustinly polluted!!!) She took me a for a little car ride around the city until it was time to meet Anna and her teacher friend from school Kai at the fountain. We then went to a little cafe that faced out to the sea for some drinks where Paul was waiting. WHAT A SIGHT!!!! Kai did a course on using makeup in one of her special ed classes so along with my beer and peanuts i got a free makeover haha. After our drinks we headed to a little resturant that again looked out at the water, here we had a fab feast, where i did try shrimp, sickkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, and had many good laughs with great people. After dinner we went down to the beach for a night beer and peaceful wave listening ha. it was great.

Saturday we headed out on our scooter adventure along Highway 11-it runs along the east coast-we drove for three hours, stopping long enough for lunch, a dip in the water, ice cream, and taking in a more than breathtaking sight!!! (oh yes i can not forget the fab photo shoot we took in a rediculously rich hotel on top of the mountains that over looked the water-we were def. dressed to IMPRESS hahaha)

Sunday we woke up fairly early and went to a beach that looked towards Taroko Gorge and right next to the military/flight line AND heard one of the most peaceful sounds as the rocks ran off of each other as the waves would crash back down. (ok so this is a little hard to explain but let me tell you..i took a record of it and i think it needs to go on one of those 'soothing sounds' cd's-its that GOOD)!!!!!!! We then went to a morning market WHERE and i did not know this was even possible, i saw THE largest dead fish i have ever seen....i laugh as i recall the story of this dead fish. it is extremly large with a giant fin on its top, but IF it gets turned over or upside down, it will drown and die...how do fish drown aren't they made for water?!? either way it is a dumb big fish who has shrines all over the city of Hualien--maybe it tastes real good (we learned it has no bones either), but i will NOT ever be trying it! Rach, Paul and I headed off for another scooter adventure to Taroko Gorge (It is composed of marble and granite and i learned that Taroko means 'magnificent and splendid' and that it WAS!) -one word-STUNNING-i believe my mouth was open the whole time in 'awe' as we scootered through huge mountains and and cliffs with rivers running through. We made a coffe/rock collecting/self portrait stop at the famous, Eternal Spring Shrine and then headed back to the city of Haulien, where that evening i had what felt like, the longest train rides of my life!!!!!


i have 17 days left in Taiwan - it's going to be hard to leave - it's going to be GREAT to go home - it's going to be EVEN better to start yet another adventure! BUT i still have one last trip with the possey to Green Island for Dragon Boat Festival....it WILL be a great wrap up to this adventure we have all experienced this past year!

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