week 87_Remember to Keep In Touch

During our visit home to the US ~ I somehow *accidentally* managed to leave my Blackberry in the good old US of A. It's true, it really was an accident... but in the end, let's just say I wasn't all that upset :)


Lucky me, by the time I returned to Taipei, I was eligible to upgrade to a new phone so I set myself up with an iPhone 4S. Hallelujah! Despite the slower pace of my blogging lately, believe it or not ~ I am actually more connected now than ever before!


Nowadays, it is not only easy to keep in touch across the distance. Some might say it is a little bit too easy... Instead of knowing which solution to choose, I'm constantly faced with new "great ways to keep in touch" with friends and family overseas. How to choose???!

[On a side note, one of the phone companies 

here uses a song in ALL of their commercials 

and advertising that goes like this...

"Don't forget to keep in touch,

Remember to keep in touch,

Keep in touch,

Oh, Keep in touch..."

Get the idea? Yeah... It's a bit much!]

My new iPhone is equipped with typical smart phone features of course (phone call ability, text messaging, and email synchronization, Facebook)... in addition to... iMessage, FaceTime, Skype, WhatsApp and as many game apps as I am willing to download! 


What does that all mean? 


iMessage: iMessage is a "text" message service for all iPhone using the newest operating system. It allows iPhones to message each other using the Internet instead of traditional SMS/text, therefore ::: free text messages to other people using a compatible iPhone. Like my sister!


FaceTime: FaceTime is a video chat program that is compatible with Apple products, again for me as an iPhone user, and a Mac owner. The program is free (or can be downloaded for less than $5 USD, no monthly fees) and works over the Internet. For those without unlimited Internet service on their phone, you can also use it over wifi. This comes in handy when talking to other Apple owners. Like my brother, sister-in-law, and adorable niece Zoe!


Skype: Skype is a video chat program for any computer user (not limited to Apple products) and can be downloaded for free. Skype users can make free voice and or video calls to each other over an Internet connection (when both users are logged into the program), or for a minimal fee, users can pay to call anyone not using Skype. For example ~ my husband and I pay $6 USD for unlimited calling to any US phone number. This means, when I am anywhere with my iPhone and Skype I can call anyone back in the States at my convenience... Like my Mom, Dad, and best girlfriends!


WhatsApp: The final communication program mentioned (that I actually have not yet downloaded) operates similar to the iMessage - it allows users to "text" message each other without being charged for the texts - even internationally. As someone who rarely needs to text, with the exception of messages to my husband and sister who both use iPhones, I have not downloaded the program, but I have heard of it many times. So for all of you passionate text-ers out there, if you can get your friends to use the same app, you can all chat for free as often as you'd like.


I like to think that I have always made the effort to keep in touch despite the distance (Who else do you know based in Taipei that talks to multiple people in the US every single day?!) I've always loved emailing, Facebook-ing, and keeping up with the people who are important to me in any way I can... but my iPhone certainly does make that even easier.


For those of you on the other side ~ I'd love to know how much it costs for you to buy an unlimited Skype package to call Taiwan??? After all, if my phone rings... there's a 90% chance it's my Husband <3. [PS... If that doesn't work for you, getting personal emails and Facebook messages still makes my day every time!] :)

weeks 84.85.86... Stateside Visit

From business trips (with visits on the side to OK/TX), personal leave time, and family visitors here in Taipei, I'd have to say I'm way ahead of the typical international family member when it comes to keeping in touch [not to mention Skype, emails, Facebook, and good old fashioned phone calls :) ]

This trip home ~ as anyone living abroad can probably relate to ~ was absolutely PACKED with friend and family time, leaving limited time to ourselves to take care of our own list of personal errands and agendas... Nevertheless, it was great to see everyone --- especially knowing that we will not be returning to visit again over the next 6 or so months. This trip also solidified (at least in my mind) that our next vacation needs to be a true vacation, on a beach somewhere, relaxing :) [Sorry family!] It will be awhile before that trip happens.

#1 purpose for the visit home? To see this fabulous young lady graduate from Oklahoma State!

Yay!

I waited to post to the blog, because I wanted to include some travel photos ~ however, on my trips to the US (when I turn my international cell phone off, and generally rely on family members to share their photos with me...) the pictures always seem to be lost in a dark hole somewhere... and it is hard for me to get ahold of them [ahem, family].

In addition to visiting friends and family, we were extremely excited to visit our favorite pooch! [Who wouldn't be?!] and so happy to see how settled he is in his new home. Don't be fooled by the ferocious growling - these two pooches are BFF now for sure. A few days playing with the dogs, and we have reinfested our wardrobes with black and white dog hair - I have the feeling we will be seeing that for awhile :)

Lastly, I'd be lying if I didn't confess that food is the 3rd most missed item on our list! We can't help but miss the terribly (bad for you) delicious foods from the States! So where does an Okie or Texas gal eat during the visit home...?

Panera Bread

Donut Shops (various... multiple!)

Jamba Juice

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Hibashi

Boston Market

Gloria's

Chelino's

Mattito's

Chic-Fil-A

Taco Bueno

Waffle House

McAllister's Deli

[The wish list was longer, but we ran out of time!]

Not to mention the home-cooked meals either! BBQ, potato salad, cole slaw, cobbler, chips and ranch dip (yum!), cookie cake, cake, and so much more!

Oh Mexican food, how I miss you!

Too bad I was not able to enjoy that delicious margarita during the visit [pic is of my hubby's drink], but even still I managed to put on 4 pounds during my 10 day visit! I've already shed it upon returning to Taiwan. I think I just need more queso in my life here...

week 83_the Life of Convenience

Living in Taipei is living in the land of convenience. Not only is there a convenience store on every street corner (thank you 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Hi Life, and OK Mart!) but there is also abundant street food, drinks, and even individuals peddling tissues and such at every turn.


Being pregnant, whereby my own inner Hobbit has revealed itself.... 

Baby: But what about breakfast?

Me: You've already had it.

Baby: We've had one, yes. But what about second breakfast? [..........]

Baby: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? You know about them, don't you?

So, it comes as great relief to me that our life in the city is so accommodating to my ever-changing (and fairly demanding) needs these days! 

We recently made a glorious investment and purchased an in home water dispenser! Although the Taipei government has officially declared Taipei's tap water "safe to drink" for years now - and I would really like to believe them - even the locals will not drink the tap water without boiling it. People inform us that it would make us sick, and a friend's vet advised them not to feed the tap water to their cats for fear of infection! So alas, for more than a year and a half now we have been purchasing bottles of water from the corner convenience stores and bringing them home on an almost daily basis. Even Brita filters or similar leave me hesitant to trust the tap... (Not so different from Dallas I guess!)

Water delivered to our door!

Thanks to a friend, we found a company in Taipei that vends water AND has English speaking customer service staff ~ hallelujah. You can check them out here: http://www.maxpure.com.tw/ It seems silly to know now how many plastic bottles we could have avoided recycling, and my sweet husband no longer has to fetch me water in the middle of the night when my preggo belly starts aching [I finish off those smaller bottles pretty quickly these days ;) ]!

Oh yes ~ COLD water please :)

We may have been the only new customer all year to request a dispenser with a COLD water option ~~~ One major cultural difference here is the tendency to drink room temperature (warm) or even scalding hot water... It's extremely common, and considered to be healthier for your body when the temperature of the water is the temperature inside you. Nevertheless we paid the few extra bucks (and slightly larger size) to make sure we will be able to enjoy a nice cool drink on the VERY hot summer days to come!

[I'm sure this is not as exciting to you dear readers, but it is a major upgrade in my daily routine]

Aside from that, I've just been especially grateful for the street food vendors lately. Trucks with fresh fruit, steaming sweet potatoes, and peanuts abound in every neighborhood and they give me great healthy options to snack on when my pregnancy (aka Hobbit) stomach starts growling.

fresh pineapple ~ whole or diced

Pineapple must be in season because I've been seeing them everywhere, and this truck parks on my street every evening. There's nothing quite like being able to swing by the truck a block from your house and pick up fresh ~tropically delicious~ pineapple (or watermelon, or whatever fancies me and is available that particular day)...

The many joys of pregnancy have not made my life any easier thus far, but I am especially pleased to live somewhere so terribly convenient. (And healthy!)

week 82 bunny cake & Easter eggs

Easter may have already come and gone, but not without a few American traditions on this side of the pond.

My Bunny Cake

My poor little improvised bunny cake (made in a small counter top toaster oven, using a half-sized rectangular pan...) burnt terribly on the bottom, and I ended up just cutting that part of the cake off and dousing the remainders in icing and coconut bunny fur!

My family's Bunny Cake

If you can't tell... this is what the bunny cake is supposed to look like! I think theirs turned out better than mine... :) {That's my sis and cousin picture with cake above} But at least we all seemed to have fun making our bunny cakes, as usual! I also died Easter eggs with an egg dye kit my mother-in-law recently brought to me from the US. At first I wasn't sure I needed the dye kit, but by the time Sunday came around I was in the holiday spirit, and so glad I had all the tools to make my own little kitchen festive. I'm not sure that an egg dying kit could be purchased anywhere in Taiwan... seems like it might be on the list of few things that are truly unavailable here. I've had fun toting my Easter eggs to work each morning for breakfast or snack - and I've gotten some fun questions. Do they taste different? Is it colored all the way through? Are they stuffed with something other than an egg? Is the dye safe to eat? To which I mostly replied no, no, no, and I hope so! 

Admittedly, there was no mention of this holiday in Taiwan, but I remembered, chatted with family, and made the Sunday festive in my own way ~ including brunch with a friend at the American Club.

week 81 ~Pregnant in Taiwan~

Well, yes!!!
Can you believe it. After 80 weeks of the Taiwanese adventure on my own (+ husband for much of that time too, of course) I am now on a whole new adventure with a little one!

The hubby and I will be having a baby ~ a little Taiwan-born, American-bred, baby coming this fall!

The newest addition to our world-traveling family :)

We can hardly believe it and are especially looking forward to starting our own little family. Even though I have just finished my first trimester, the education that I have already received about what it may be like to be pregnant/have a baby in a foreign country is overwhelming! And it will only continue. [If anyone has wondered why my blogging has decreased recently, be curious no more --- I have been sleeping, resting, and sleeping even more! Mystery solved.]

I find myself challenged with the task to weigh both the American and the foreign cultural standards to consider what is most right, and which factors should I be most concerned with? For example, in the US the doctors would tell me to avoid raw meats or sushi, raw fruits and veggies that have not been thoroughly washed - meanwhile, in Taiwan the doctors tell me to please avoid fried foods! Ha. Maybe they are both correct? [They do both agree on no smoking, drugs or alcohol, thank goodness!]

Truly though, that is one of the easy questions. It gets much more complicated, especially when you throw a slight language barrier into the mix... :)

I'm hoping to keep blogging about some of the fun things we find through our adventures in Taipei, but now that having a baby is part of the adventure... you are sure to hear a bit about that too!

week 76-80_Falling Off the Horse - Back in the Saddle

Well, weeks 76 - 80... you may have given up on my blog by now!
I've been around, but let's just say that I fell off the horse (quite literally fell on some stairs during week 76) and am finally getting back in the saddle again - with the blog - now that March is coming to a close!

I've been so swamped this past month. Busy with work, busy with my personal life, busy keeping up with other people's personal lives as well! I am hoping that it is finally settling back down to some sort of "normal" here in the next few weeks.

I've especially been noticing recently all of the things about Taiwan that I have yet to blog about after all this time. Shockingly enough, after a year and a half in Taipei, I am still observing the subtle cultural differences on a daily basis that make this city different than the previous one... and still realizing there is so much more I could be sharing! But I guess, suffice it to say - at least for the past month - I've mostly just been soaking it in. :)

Anyways, here's a taste of the city from the last few weeks... Just the little things that amuse me.

Statue near Dunhua South Road, just past Eslite Bookstore
"Mantis Captures the Toad" (as titled below)
... and what about the bird under his foot as well?

New "California" style cuisine near my hubby's office
BLACKSHEEP is just north of MRT Minquan W Road Station,
It's cute and... they have bread bowl soups!
(I sure do miss Panera...!)

The man himself, as cute as ever.  :)
Taking a break from work to have dinner with the wife!

Some art on the side of a city bus that caught me off guard. Just seemed strange on a Chinese bus!

Beautiful park near my office ~ spent a Sunday afternoon here recently,
snacking on a bowl of red bean dessert soup

Sculptures in the park - just behind Taiwan Adventist Hospital 

Signage at the local park near our apartment.
You may notice that the signage almost always includes English...
but sometimes the translation is just amusing ;)

weeks 74 & 75_Visitors from Australia

As alluded to in previous post ~ We enjoyed a nice visit with the Gerocks mid-February for their second visit to Taipei. Because they had made a previous visit to Taipei this past September, we had less sight-seeing and tourist-ing on our agenda and mostly spent our time enjoying each other's company.

Yay! They made it!
Arriving at Taoyuan Airport, greeted by Jason :)

Most of our time was spent chatting and catching up, as well as eating WAY TOO MUCH! Now that the in-laws have settled in a remote Australian town, they especially enjoy visiting "the big city" and the variety of amenities that we have here at our finger tips. From steak dinner at Ruth's Chris to delicious Taiwanese cuisine at Din Tai Fung, we left no delicious food uneaten! Ha. It is fun to compare our stories with one another over dinner ~ our tales about living in a foreign land with a foreign language, and their stories of living in a modern day boom town reminiscent of Deadwood!

I really hope that Jason & I get the chance to visit Australia at some point while his folks are still living there. It seems it would be a shame to miss out on that opportunity! I guess we'll see. Surprisingly enough, it takes almost the same amount of time to fly from Taipei to where his folks now live in eastern Australia as we spend flying from Taipei to Oklahoma City in the US. Who knew???

View from the Gerocks' apartment in Australia, overlooking the Pioneer River

It seems that the good pictures of the Taipei visit were on the Gerocks' camera - will have to see if I can snag some of those for a future post maybe... The time together flew by, of course, but we are looking forward to a brief visit with Jason's Mom later this week as she flies back through Taipei on her way home to Australia from another trip. 

week 73_Between Visitors

For the Chinese New Year, our landlady was very kind and gifted us a large basket of fruits, crackers, cookies and goodies. One of the items in the basket I had never tried before... a 'sugar apple'. I'm not sure where the name comes from; it tastes nothing like an apple. The exterior is a thick green peel, and the interior is filled with soft white flesh and large black seeds. Each pocket contains one seed (so there are a lot) and the fruit is so soft, some people even describe the texture as 'pudding-like'. I did enjoy the fruits, but there were very sweet (and the Taiwanese always try to tell Americans that our foods are too sweet...). I probably won't be buying these too often, but it was very interesting to try - and tasty.

"Sugar Apple" Fruit

After all of the time with my Mom, Sister, and Grandpa in January ~ I enjoyed a few days of solace  and catching up on chores in preparation for our next visitors ~ Jason's parents! 

It seems that after living in Taiwan for about a year and a half, people have finally found the time and money to visit all of a sudden! 2012 is the year for visitors...

Poster on the MRT. Everything is cute here - even the adds about not elbowing strangers in the face!

week 72_Stone House Restaurant and Jinshan

After returning from Olympia, I had just a few more days to visit with my grandpa before he returned back to the States. Spent some time visiting new places and dining in a few new restaurants --- time well spent in my opinion.

My husband and I especially enjoyed being introduced to a new restaurant on Yangmingshan (National Park area on the mountain to the North of Taipei city), called the Stone House. It was truly an old stone house serving traditional Chinese family style dishes and offering a bilingual menu. For once I took pictures of the building instead of the food! [Even though the food was great too] The rustic setting is quite unique, and the location in the mountains is a great change of scenery from the everyday hustle of the city. Very neat place to visit, though very remote (inside the National Park... up the mountain), so we picked up a business card and hope that we might be able to reach it again by taxi sometime. For those who own a car, there is limited parking out front.

quaint Stone House interior

Can you see the tiny stone window open to the rain outside? (at right)

After our lunch at the stone house, we continued on to the nearby town/district of Jinshan and ended up stopping to check out a local temple. Specifically, we were checking out the glasswork on the temple exterior. Somehow I had never paid close enough attention before (after all, the details are so ornate on these temples!) to realize that the bright colorful sculptures are made from hundreds/thousands of tiny pieces of colored glass. For example - in the photo below, the dragon scales (at right) and the rose petals (at center) are pieces of glass wedged into a cement or adhesive base to create the beautiful colored reliefs.

A temple in Jinshan

Once we left the temple, we stopped off at a small coffee shop overlooking the ocean. A welcome sight! The water is only about a 45 minute drive from our home, but without owning a car, it is not easily accessible just any day of the week.

Ocean front on a cool and cloudy day 

Fancy cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolates all around

Us enjoying our drinks ~ proof we were there!

All in all, cool and rainy or not, it was great to get out of the house for a bit and explore new ground. :)

week 71_Vacationing in Olympia

The Chinese New Year holiday is celebrated for an entire week here in Taiwan (5 days off work), and I am so impressed with every one's ability to set work aside and take the week off. Of course there are certain jobs that continue to operate through the holidays (sorry husband! ~ the newspaper still printed every day), but for the most part everything closes down and people understand that you will not be replying to those emails for at least a week. Because everything closes down, it also means that the city of Taipei becomes much quieter, and most people spend lots of time with family and friends at their homes. Your favorite restaurant may not be open, but Mom is sure to be fixing those Taiwanese holiday goodies.

Since I am not from here and have no family in the area, it is the perfect time for me to get away. So I did just that and spent a week of relaxation in Olympia, WA with my Brother, Sister-In-Law, adorable niece Zoe, and my Dad! My brother and sister-in-law may be wondering why (for the second year in a row) I chose Olympia WA as my Chinese New Year vacation destination, but for me it is the perfect quiet getaway - with good food, good company, a book to read, snow on the ground (the only snow I'll see all year!) and plenty of time with my favorite niece. :)

Snowy Olympia ~ even though it was 'on the way out' this is still a LOT of snow

Was waiting to post this until I got more photos from the trip (from other people), but time has flown, so you will have to enjoy the limited (and still very cute) pics of trip I ended up with!

My beautiful niece (#1 reason for the trip!)

and my furry companion Marcello (possibly #2 reason for the trip!)
Such a sweetie!

I had some great company while I was there! :D The week went exactly as expected - with lots of Zoe time, plus a little bit of catching up with my brother and sister-in-law, some quality time with my Dad, and lots of rest, relaxation and great food!

Giraffe musical rocker that J, Chrissie, & I sent Zoe for her first Christmas

Zoe and her Giraffe!

There were some fun times, and there were some fussy times, but I am so pleased to report that the Giraffe rocker is definitely a hit! It seems that even when other toys didn't work, rocking to the music would calm her down almost every time :D (hahaha)...and now I know all of the baby music songs by heart! Yep.

Tired baby

Think Zoe was tuckered out from all of the fun time with company?! Probably not... but she is very cute when she sleeps. :) Favorite Zoe moment of the trip - when she first wakes up from taking a nap lying next to you and she has a huge grin on her face, trying to wake you up, whispering "yeah" --- So cute!

week 70_Another Okie Visitor...

Just one week after my Mom & Sister's departure, my Grandpa (Mom's Dad) arrived in Taipei for his own 2 week Asian vacation! My Grandpa came to Taipei (in truth) not only to visit me, but also to spend some quality time with a friend he's known longer than my lifetime --- my boss! :)

Being quite the world traveler, this was not his first visit to Asia - not even close - but it was his first trip to Taipei, so we tried to show him some of the best food and sightseeing during his visit. My Grandpa's schedule actually included a few leisurely days in Taipei, before heading to Cambodia & Laos for an adventurous trip with his friend - my boss - followed by a few more days in Taipei at the tail end of the trip.

I was amused that despite having other visitor's so recently, he still seemed to experience a whole new list of sights & restaurants --- evidence of the abundance of things to see and do in Taipei! For starters, my Grandpa stayed at a boutique hotel near my office called Hotel Quote. I highly recommend it! It was my first time to see the interior, though I've often noticed their 1st floor lounge through the picture front windows as I walk along NanJing East Road. This cute and well-renovated hotel was luxurious and affordable, as well as conveniently located for his visit. One night we decided to have dinner in the lounge at the hotel. It wasn't very "adventurous" considering there were endless places we could be exploring, but it was the first time I can remember that I have spent pure adult time with my Grandpa one on one. It was refreshing and fascinating to me... :)

Didn't take many photos those first few days, but we did eat well!

Beijing Duck, being prepared table side
Duck is served hot and prepared in front of you to show freshness.
Eaten with onions and sweet sauce wrapped in a tortilla-like rice bread...
One of my favorite meals!

Sweet Potato Dessert, being prepared by the waitress bending over me to reach the table!
Hot sweet potatoes and a thick sugary syrup mixed with nuts/seeds are then dipped in a bowl of ice
to set the syrup into crunchy candy. The shell tasted like peanut brittle wrapped around a sweet potato...
Delicious!

As usual - in real life here and on my blog - food was the main attraction!

week 69_the Oklahomans in Taipei_DAYs 8,9,&10

After our road trip outside of the city, we all headed back to Taipei to spend the last few days of the ladies' vacation in Taiwan. By this point Mom & Chrissie had seen many of the highlights on our list... and I think they started to get more of a taste of what life in the city might be like! Surprisingly, over the last three days, they finally had some of the first-hand bizarre experiences that Jason and/or I encounter every day (like stumbling on a presidential parade, or getting having a stranger ask to take their photo with you)... We also spent some time loading up the girls' suitcases with plenty of goodies to take back home! :)

When we visited Dihua Street to stop by the Fabric Market,
we stumbled upon a street festival preparing for the upcoming Chinese New Year!

We also came across some immortals dancing (and selling tea). I am so glad that we ran into this while the Hyde girls were here so that they could see the real Taipei :) Chrissie also got lots of attention from the locals who wanted to take a photo with her and the immortals!

I introduced the Okies to some local desserts:
[ABOVE: Shaved ice drizzled in brown sugar syrup,
topped with red beans and yellow Jell-O,
BELOW: Chrissie enjoys a green tea frozen yogurt parfait,
including red beans] 

We showed the ladies our "Mexican" food restaurant - Macho Tacos...
It's not quite Tex-Mex, but still...Yum!

We toured another temple where people go to be healed, blessed, or pray for good health

We strolled through the historically famous Grand Hotel, sitting high on the hillside overlooking the city

AND - best yet - We accidentally walked into a presidential election parade, AND saw the president himself!
It was pretty amazing... not to mention, the locals were pretty amazed by us [and therefore showered us in political paraphernalia at every opportunity... notice the Taiwan headbands and flags] :)

Thumbs up to the white folk with the flags

I was of course sorry to see my Mom & Sister go, but I am so glad that we had such a great visit! :D And I feel like we had time to show them most of the things I had hoped they might experience on this first trip.

week 68_the Oklahomans in Taipei_DAYs 5,6,&7

Well, from the looks of it, you would think that I had abandoned the blog by now or just gone missing, but in fact I have simply been swamped with 'living it up in the big city'... well that and visits with family throughout the month of January!

Finally have some quiet time to myself this evening (and have forced myself to set down the page turner that I've been racing through all afternoon) to catch back up on the blog!

Reminiscing on my Mom & Sister's recent visit to Taipei, there is still more to share - so here goes!

For days 5, 6, and 7 of the girls' Taipei visit, we decided to get out of town and head to the country. Taiwan is such a beautiful island with countless national parks and scenic attractions. Although I had already been to Taroko Gorge, it seemed like the easiest side trip for the 3 of us - considering that I knew how to get there, knew that it was definitely worth our time, and knew that it would show them a great diversity to the busyness of Taipei.

We rented a car, and Mom, Sis, & I set out for the beautiful Taroko Gorge. We drove the shorter route which is only half scenic combined with some very long tunnels through the mountains... but even half scenic was plenty to fascinate my tourist companions :) This video was taken accidentally, but it gives you an idea of what our car looked like and the views we encountered, driving along the winding East coastal road.

Once we arrived at our hotel - Silks Place Taroko Gorge, it was posh and comfortable as expected. We had actually planned to stay only one night in the gorge but upon arrival, the  ladies realized that it might be worth an extra day of exploring!

Plenty of stairs - but the paths are so well maintained!

Lots of bridges too

It was raining or misting the whole time - but still beautiful even in the rain

Eternal Springs Shrine - at base of mountain

Changuang Temple (Zen monastery) halfway up mountain

View from the monastery to the Bell Tower atop the mountain

Mom & Me: At the top of the Bell Tower - Good hike, and Great views through the mist!

After hiking the 3 attractions there, from the Eternal Springs Shrine to the Bell Tower atop the mountain, we enjoyed some of the best views of the gorge! The trip was a great success and a great time for all 3 of us.

Chrissie & I enjoying the scenery on the drive back

Even though I am still anxious to visit some of the other national parks throughout Taiwan, this is still definitely the top attraction on the island for me so far! :) I know the girls were impressed too!