Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

In his last post Hal promised I would write about lantern festival. So here goes:

The Lantern Festival is a holiday that falls on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese calendar year.  This year that day was last Sunday, Feb. 24th.  There are many celebrations all over Taiwan, including a huge fireworks display in the south and a large celebration in downtown Taipei, but none compare to the celebration in Pingxi so naturally that is where we wanted to go.

Pingxi is this small remote mountain town east of Taipei. We left our apartment at about 11 am, bussed in to Taipei, took a local train out to the east coast, boarded our train to Pingxi and waited, sitting on the train for 45 minutes.  I guess I should have felt lucky that we were able to sit.  So after a 4 hour journey we arrived in Pingxi to start a day of standing shoulder to shoulder with people and shuffling along rather than walking.

We spent a while eating street food, people watching, and souvenir shopping before we bought our own sky lantern to write on and release.  Before we went, we read that an orange lantern means wealth (we don't need that, and frankly it seems a little far fetched to wish for this year,) a white lantern signifies peace (white is too associated with death in this culture for us to give it much consideration) and pink means happiness (something we already have, but you can never have too much!) So we bought a pink one- though the lady selling it to us didn't have any clue about these meanings, so maybe that was all bullshit.

If you looked around at peoples lanterns they had so much written on some of them! We don't have that many wishes, and honestly, it felt a little petty to write very specific or trivial wishes down.  Don't worry, we found stuff to write, even a shout out to the Iversons' beloved Cougars :). See for yourself:


And then we sent our lantern with it's wishes into the ether, hopefully they come true!  Some people weren't so lucky. Hal tried to take a picture of every lantern that caught on fire and died a horrible death. I guess their wishes won't come true.  Every time a lantern was lit to be let go, everybody watching held their breath a little until it made it past the telephone lines and other obstacles.  Then came a collective sigh of relief or the groans and exclamations of "oh no! Those poor people."


Around 6 pm when the sun went down, the ceremony started.  There was a huge stage set up with a show to go along with the ceremonial, collective release of lanterns.  This happens every 20 minutes from 6 until midnight.  You have to reserve a spot and a time  in order to be part of this release, that is why we did ours earlier.  It was nice to just be able to watch though.

The first couple releases were of course nice, but we made the mistake of standing very close to the stage which meant there was no room the breath and the constant pressure and annoyance of the crowd around us.  It was one of those instances where you have to spend the majority of your effort and attention to keep your balance and hold your ground so you don't get totally trampled and/or swept away by the crowd.  When we moved further away we were finally able to relax and appreciate the beauty and majesty of those releases.  Imagine seeing hundreds of lanterns simultaneously rising, carrying away everybody's hopes and dreams.  It was really quite amazing.  I could not help feeling emotional.

Despite the crowds, and the ridiculous commute, I am so glad we went.  I was just as impressive as it sounds.  Really a wonder worth seeing!

The Year of the Snake

Siri and I wanted to post about our amazing Chinese New Year vacation.  Each day of our wonderful vacation could probably have its own post.  We have been poor bloggers on the second half of our "working holiday" so here is an attempt to sum up the whole week in one post.  I'll try not to rush it.

We got 9 days off for CNY and knowing that this may be our last chance to explore the far reaches of Taiwan, we epically planned to do a 9-day road trip seeing many of Taiwan's most popular attractions.  Our Taiwanese teacher and friend, Super Bobo and her family, let us borrow their car to cover a distance of about Seattle to San Francisco and back.  This is a prime example of amazing Taiwanese friendship and hospitality that we encountered many times on this trip, furthering our appreciation for this warm culture.  Side note:  I do not have a Taiwanese/International Drivers License therefore am driving illegally, Taiwanese drivers are horrible (I mean bad), if we got stopped by a police officer he could fine us and take the car away, and finally Bobo and her husband told us "if you get into a minor accident that isn't your fault- don't call the police!  Just say that it is okay and drive away.  Our insurance will cover our car."  With that being said our entire trip elapsed without a hitch....well perhaps only the most minor of hitches.....

The week before we charged our cameras, hoarded supplies from the grocery store and coscto (thinking that everything would be closed during the week- CNY is the most important holiday here), packed our bags, and planned our route.  We slept in on Saturday morning, took showers (knowing that we may not have one for a few days), and headed out- bright tailed and bushy eyed.  After going into the wrong toll booth lane(the microchip scanner lane, when we were supposed to pay by cash or ticket), and fearing that we would have to pay a fine as high as $100, we were on our way!!!  It turns out that the fine was really only a few dollars.  Whew.  We crossed the island in the north and arrived on the east coast by mid day and started heading south.

Our first stop was Taroko Gorge.  You could spend a week in this National Park and not see everything.  An enormous gorge formed by a combination of massive tectonic plate shifts and then later carved away by the mighty Liwu river, this gorge is named after the native people that inhabited the land.  The road going up into the mountains follows the river and often pops in and out of tunnels, overhanging rock, bridges, and sometimes down to one small lane on a steep cliff.  Amazing views can be seen anywhere of the mostly marble and limestone rock set against the, at times green or bright blue, river and the lush green jungle/forest above.

We beat the weekend crowd and found the main campground to set up our tent and sleeping bags.  Forget that $20 a person hostel in town, we prefer to sleep on a cliffside listening to the sounds of the flowing river as we fall asleep (also it was only $3 a night).  We went on a cliffside hike and returned to an evening of playing cards, drinking wine, and planning the next day's adventure.  We woke up and shared coffee with some new Taiwanese tent neighbors.  We spent the day hiking up, and up, and up to a lotus pond that offered great views of the canyon below and a nice hidden sunny retreat at the top for our picnic lunch.  As the tour buses were bringing people in by the dozens on the winding road below, we had the hike to ourselves.  We returned to the main road by early afternoon, after seeing our first (of many) troop of monkeys and decided we would check out the nearby waterfalls.  Tour buses abound, we went on the short but rewarding hike and eventually returned to the campground to meet with our tent neighbors for dinner.  They shared some unnamed soup with veggies in it with us and their prized stewed pig's feet with us.  It is a common dish during this time of the year- it is meant to bring good luck and fortune into your life....don't ask me why.  That night we all headed down to the nearby wild hot springs for a dip.  These hot springs change from year to year depending on recent earthquakes, but this year it was right next to the cool rushing river.  It provided many options, from bath water to melting your skin off.  Needless to say we slept well that night.  Our last day in Taroko we were quite ambitious in our plans and tried to tackle a big mountain that was near our campsite, but part of the way up (and a few monkey troops later) we realized that we didn't have time to reach our destination and that we were quite satisfied with the canopy views and challenge that the hike had provided thus far.  Off we went, down the gorge and out to the coast with a renewed appreciation of the power and awe of nature.

We met my wonderful co-teacher, Viola, in the city of Hualien.  Hualien is known for its jade, cuisine, relaxed and natural environs, and its surprisingly diverse population.  We met up for some famous dumplings and mochi (a kind of rice jelly that can be filled with many things and is then rolled in sesame or peanut powder).  She then invited us to her families Chinese New Year dinner.  We had planned to continue down the east coast that evening, but when a friend gives you an opportunity like that you just have to say yes, right?  Turns out her family was wonderful.  WE got to practice some chinese and ate until our bellies burst.  Here is a teaser of the food- Shark's fin soup (I know, I don't want to support it either but it was right in front of me okay!  It wasn't that tasty anyway), pigs feet, sashimi, seafood hot pot, lobster, delicious chicken soup, trout, and a few other seafood dishes that I can't quite explain.  It was delicious and relentless.  The real treat was to see some of the Taiwanese CNY customs that we have heard about but not really witnessed.  Thank you Viola, your family is wonderful!!

The next morning we got a very early start to explore the east coast scenic drive and make our way down toward Green Island.  We stopped at a few scenic vistas, a cave that has been turned into a Buddhist temple, and the tropic of cancer marker.  By mid day we had reached Taidong and got on the ferry to leave for Green Island.  A partly cloudy not particularly windy day turned into pukefest 2013 on this ferry boat.  We spent the trip outside on the deck while the boat was rocking and shaking from side to side you almost always had to have your hand on the rail.  Luckily us Nordic seafaring folk had no trouble with the motion (also we hadn't eaten very much), but the constant sound of "Rraaaaaallllphhhhh" and the views of the blender mixed, stomach acid lunches of our fellow passengers provided a significant challenge.  Imagine the colors.  50 minutes later we arrived at Green Island. 

We were greeted by a sweet, albeit toothless and booze smelling, woman who promptly rented us a scooter and we were on our way.  Unfortunately the campground was closed due to renovation (this is classic Taiwanese style- renovate/close a popular attraction during one of the busiest times of the year).  After a brief attempt at setting up our tent on the beach, then reconsidering due to the incoming tide, we went back into town and got a hotel room from our boozed up friend.  Our backs and smelly armpits thanked us.

Green Island is a small but tall island of the east coast of Taiwan.  It has a relaxed and secluded feel with many of the tourists visiting for the incredible diving and snorkeling that the shoreline offers.  You can scooter around the entire island in about 35 minutes.  We spent our second day there by waking up before 6 am to catch the sunrise from the salt-water fed hot springs near by (one of only 3 in the world).  The dark clouds and rain had another plan though, so we were content to feel the rain on our heads as the hot salty water warmed our bodies.  Who cares about sunrises anyway?

After breakfast in town we explored the volcanic mountains by scooter and foot in our 7/11 plastic ponchos.  Actually it was kind of fun hiking in the strong winds and rain.  It felt like we were on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific on some remote volcanic island in the thick of a monsoon-like storm.....oh wait, that's because we were.  What a life we lead.

We rounded out the day by seeing almost every attraction the little island has to offer and taking lots of pictures.  We skipped lunch (thankfully) and got back on the ferry for even stormier conditions.  Pukefest 2013 Part II- Revenge of the slop.

That evening we had a long drive to the southernmost tip of Taiwan, Kenting.  We have now been to the northernmost and southernmost tips!!!  Kenting has a reputation for being a sleepy little beach town, however it is one of Taiwan's most impressive National Parks.  The striking hills looming above town have an incredible amount of foliage and are formed mostly on coral.  That's right coral.  A dramatic shifting of tectonic plates caused the ocean floor to rise and bring the coral along with it, which has created some dramatic peaks and caves and crevasses.  We camped here a few nights finding entertainment at the night market stalls and again back at camp with our trusty wine and playing cards.  People tend to flood to the south during CNY because the weather is so dramatically different than in the north.  We both got sunburned on the beach and enjoyed a few local hikes.  It was quite sweet to swim in the Pacific in the middle of February :)

Our last leg of the trip was by far our longest in the car.  Essentially we went from the very far south all the way home to Taoyuan in the north.  We stopped at the picturesque Sun Moon Lake for lunch and souvenir shopping.  We considered camping one more night, but my back (sunburnt and sore) told me that our comfy bed at home might be a better option.  Sun Moon Lake is a pretty massive lake and we by no means had adequate time to explore everything.  We enjoyed a nice lunch of street vendor food and bought some local aboriginal wine, nougat, tea, and more.

So that's it.  We had a great trip.  Lots of camping, hiking, sightseeing, and sun.  Nothing went wrong, we gained a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture, we got to see the far reaches of this crazy and wonderful island, and we were blessed on more than a few occasions by incredible friends and their Taiwanese hospitality.

Make sure you check back for posts on: The lantern festival we went to last weekend, Hal's plans for the Spring, Siri's plans for the Spring, and perhaps an update on our Bucket list before we leave Taiwan.

Love to you all!

Dao and Out

Hello! This is Hal and Siri on a tandem post.  Lets get the apologies over with... Sorry we haven't posted in, well, a long time.  Thanks Mom for reminding us that not everybody has facebook!  Forgive us?  Whew, thank you.  Now that that's over with lets talk about this amazing weekend we had.

Our amazing Taiwanese friend, mother, and Chinese teacher Bobo invited us down to her hometown, Tainan, for the weekend.  Tainan is located in the south of Taiwan and was the first capital of Taiwan.  It is also where the Dutch occupation was established.  A lot of history for a beautiful southern city.

We left right after teaching on Saturday night.  We took the high speed rail and a trip that would normally take 4-5 hours by car...whooooooooosh....we arrived 1 hour and 20 minutes later.  You have got to get one of these things!

We hit the nightlife with our enthusiastic host and a handful of great foreign friends.  Stayed up too late for our ambitious sightseeing start time of 9AM.  It was a slow morning, but we started on time- bright eyed and.....er....bushy tailed.

There is so much to see in Tainan.  First stop: Confucius temple that used to be home to the first Confucius school.  A gorgeous and massive park surround the grounds and giant banyan trees surround the historic buildings.  The beautiful sun was quite welcome this late January day.  Grab a steamed bun filled with pork and veggies and get in the cab.  Next stop: Fort Proventia.

Fort Proventia was a Dutch fort built in 1653.  Surrounded by ponds with koi fish and statues, this tower is a really cool example of Asian architecture from the time and serves as a sort of museum now.  Grab a winter melon sweet tea and a bowl of local seafood noodle soup.  Hail another cab.  Next stop: Fort Zeelandia.

Fort Zeelandia is located next to the ocean and is now dominated by a tall, lighthouse-looking tower. We had some beautiful views of the city and afterwards explored the day market on "old street."  Most towns in Taiwan have an "Old street" and this is most often where you will find the day and night markets and undoubtedly an old beautiful temple.

Bobo was zealous to say the least and it was fun to have our guide/friend show us her hometown.  The main event and the main purpose of our visit was to see the "show" that evening.  This show was a Dao Temple celebration that happens once every 25 years.  If we had to sum it up in three words it would be- fireworks, betel nut, and incredible.  But the truth is there is no way we could sum it up so briefly.  It felt like we had stepped in to a history channel special.  We watched as countless groups of devotees paraded towards the temple to pay their respects.  This includes any combination of face paint, costumes, acrobats, instruments, larger than life "mascots" and representations of the many gods.  Did we mention fireworks?  Try to imagine thousands of fireworks filling the streets and dusk evening with sound smoke and color. For hours!  Most of it in effort to scare away the ghosts and/or impress the gods.  The streets were literally covered with a thick layer of firework debris and puddles of blood red betel nut spit.  Bobo's friend lives less than a block from this temple and was a host for the whole event.  That means we were invited, as the only foreigners there, to partake in the ten+ course banquet that was held as a street party. Don't worry, there were huge long tents to semi-protect us from the incredible amount of firework debris still raining down all around.  It was an amazing display of the seafood available in the south.

Before coming home on Monday we spent a wonderful, relaxing morning with Bobo and her mother and nephew.  We went for a hike in an arboretum and had tea with a few of her mother's friends.

To see a few highlights from the weekend, look at the picture page.  We wouldn't be surprised if looking back on our time in Taiwan, this is one of the major highlights.