a misty mountain scooter adventure

let me tell you a story about the best dentist visit I ever had.

I really hate going to the dentist. or any kind of doctor, actually. even if there's nothing wrong with me I just get anxious about it. when we lived in Hsinchu, I managed to find a dentist who didn't completely terrify me. she was actually pretty great. so when we moved to Taipei, I decided I would go back down to keep seeing her, rather than go through the hassle [and torture] of trying to find someone new.

last fall, about the time I needed to make an appointment, I had a problem. I was indulging in my almost-nightly ritual snack of popcorn and wine when a kernel got stuck in my teeth. it hurt. really bad. I did my best to dig it out with floss and one of those tooth-picker things, but in the process I noticed a spot on my my molar that wasn't the right color. cue: cavity panic.

so I made an appointment and took the train down, fully expecting to be chastised then shot up with novocain and drilled. [we'll get to the mountains soon, I promise.] to try to combat what was sure to be an awful morning, I planned to meet up with a friend after my traumatizing experience. the last time I had a cavity filled they gave me gas to keep me calm [SO not exaggerating my anxiety about this, guys] so I wasn't sure what state I would be in. we didn't make any solid plans. at the least, I told her we could get coffee and she could laugh at me being all wacked out.

it turned out that my cavity wasn't a cavity. just an old filling that had started to darken. my dentist told me that if it really bothered me, she could drill it out and replace it. um, no thanks. so I left the dentist practically dancing with joy, and met my friend for a scoot. the weather was nice so we decided to celebrate my non-cavity by driving out to Wu Zhi Shan [Five Finger Mountain] about an hour outside of Hsinchu.

the further out of Hsinchu we went, the darker the sky became. we pulled over for emergency rain ponchos at 7-11 and not more than 10 minutes passed before we stopped again to put them on. everyone coming down the mountain towards us was drenched. my friend turned around.

"are you sure you want to keep going?"

the road was steep and her scooter doesn't have a very powerful motor. she warned me that I might have to get off and walk, that with the clouds so low we probably wouldn't have much of a view, but...

"we're already this far. I'm game if you are."

so we drove on. this is why we are friends.

when we reached the top we could see... pretty much zero view. but rain and views be damned, we were determined to have an adventure. besides, there were temples to explore. we found a stairway that led between buildings and up the mountain, to a temple that must have a stunning view on a clear day. it was part under construction, but the second level looked... well, maybe not open exactly, but not under construction.

"do you think we can climb up that stairway?"

"I don't see why not."

again, this is why we are friends.

clearly, someone else had been up there at one point for a smoke and a drink. and possibly to hang laundry to dry. we grabbed some quick shots and headed back. the rain really started coming down so we took shelter in a nearby pavilion. where I promptly stuck my face in a spiderweb while trying to take a photo. 

next we wandered along a muddy hiking trail, until we discovered some really large dragons hanging out under a rainbow. [I'm pretty sure that Taiwan is the only reason why anyone has ever uttered that sentence. or maybe drugs.]

just one of the many completely random and cheesy reasons to love Taiwan.

it was getting later in the afternoon, and we wanted to get back before dark. so we started walking back towards where the scooter was parked. but then we stopped and looked across the way...

"one more temple?"

duh. this is why we are friends.

even with our last detour, we still made it to her apartment before dark. my legs were soaked from the rain so I borrowed her hair dryer to use on my pants. we stopped for ramen and fried rice before she dropped me off at the train station. I left for Taipei with only one regret: that I didn't take a selfie of us in our crazy rain ponchos with the rainbow dragons.

so here's to friends who love to adventure, and to what will probably be: my best dentist visit ever.

Emei + Beipu // two temples and a cold spring

in the mountains outside of Hsinchu, there are dozens of tiny towns just waiting to be discovered. Emei and Beipu had been on my radar while we lived there - along with Neiwan, Lion's Head Mountain, and a dozen other things. but I never went. not once in my 3 years living nearby.

here's how I explain this phenomenon. you move somewhere new. you spend a little bit of time exploring, but most of your time adjusting. [and America to Taiwan was quite the adjustment.] you settle into a routine and then knowing that you plan to stay for a few years, you always think you'll have time to go "later." throw in an element of not feeling like it's the best idea to scoot out in the middle of nowhere alone on a random tuesday, and most of my Hsinchu adventures occurred pretty close to home. [or at least, to the main center of civilization.]

now that I'm belatedly aware of this, and that the move to Taipei didn't require so much of an adjustment, I've been making an effort to get out and explore. it also helps that the mountains are a lot more accessible in Taipei... but we were speaking of Hsinchu.

a few weeks ago Husband and I went down to visit some friends still teaching at the old school in Hsinchu. we gave up our scooter when we moved, but they fortunately have two. we decided to spend a day having what we like to call a "scoot adventure" and headed off into the mountains.

there were two stops on our itinerary: Emei and Beipu. our friends had driven out to both a few weeks prior, which meant we knew the way and wouldn't have to wander the countryside. [not that getting lost while scooting can't be enjoyable, but we had a time frame here.]

Emei wasn't much more than a few empty streets, but boasts a gorgeous temple and a lake. oh, and one really giant Buddha holding a globe outside a place called the Nature Loving Wonderland. we weren't really sure what this place was... temple or hotel, museum or monastery. so I did a little internet investigation and came across their english website:

"The Nature Loving Wonderland is a home for ALL. It is the garden of utmost bliss, a cultural center for spiritual enrichment, a common ground for social interaction and a venue for the exchange of Nature Loving culture in the pursuit of cosmic unification." we didn't realize that all were welcome to unify the cosmos, so we kept driving instead.

our next destination was Beipu. the town center was bustling with activity, streets closed off so pedestrians could wander through market stalls. I purchased myself a six dollar straw hat before we made our way to the main temple.

I always feel a bit strange taking photos in temples. but as I stepped through the door of this one, some guy was completing his prayers and then whipped out his phone for an instagram of the altar. so I snapped away... as respectfully as I could. I have no power to resist the opportunity to photograph thousands of tiny golden buddhas, intricate carvings in wood and stone, and of course dragons.

our final stop was a short scoot outside of town - the Beipu Cold Springs. by this point, the sun was beating down and we were ready for a dip. the water flowing down the river and over the wall was cold and refreshing... though you had to step on a lot of rocks to get in. 

we cooled off, had a snack, and lounged on the rocks for a while before scooting back into town. we ended our day with a shower followed by a visit to the ever-tasty Din Tai Fung.

it was one of those amazing expat days - where you stop and look around in awe that this is where you live. I'm glad that I've moved past the point of needing to adjust, but still haven't lost the wonder of exploring somewhere new. 

do you ever have days like this where you live? expat or not, I hope the answer is yes.

linking up for Travel Tuesday with Bonnie, Lauren and Courtney

a mountainous farewell

I have a thing for mountains. it started way before my thing for dragons, probably back when I visited Colorado for the first time. when we moved to Hsinchu 3 years ago it was the closest I had ever lived to mountains and I was thrilled! but due to the often cloudy and hazy climate of Taiwan [and the nearby buildings] the mountains are rarely visible from my neighborhood.

there is a hill that I scoot over on my way to/from downtown. as you crest the hill you can see towards the mountains. so I developed a [very scientific and professional] rating system for the visibility based on how many "layers" of mountains you can see. sometimes it's zero. usually one or one and a half. I've seen it go as high as four or five on an amazingly clear day, but only a handful of times.

today was one of those days. so even though it was hot as heck and the light was harsh, I turned my scooter for the mountains.

in three years, I have yet to find the perfect vantage point for shooting mountain photos. part of this I blame on the weather - how am I supposed to figure out a good place to photograph on a day I can't see anything? but the other issue is that I know the best places are out closer to the mountains, past where we has our scooter crash. and I have avoided that area for two and a half years, ever since the crash.

but today was the most clear weather I've ever seen. and we are moving in less than two weeks. if I didn't go out and try today, it would never happen.

suddenly, this scoot became something more. not just about getting a great shot of the mountains or going on a quest for adventure. it was about overcoming that last bit of fear, crushing that lingering panic that settles in when I think of the day we crashed. and also - saying goodbye to Hsinchu and closing this chapter of our lives.

I had to go do this.

I thought about stopping at the place we crashed... but that just seemed like asking for trouble. so I kept driving. out past anywhere I'd gone before.

from time to time [when I found a nice wide shoulder] I pulled over and whipped out my camera. the roads back that far aren't crowded. there's not much around but farmland and rolling hills. and a few buildings - either gone dilapidated or managing to do that Taiwan trick where it only looks like it's about to fall over [yet has probably survived more earthquakes and typhoons than anything on the island.]

at one point, a middle-aged couple pulled off on the side of the road near where I was standing. as they got out of the car I wasn't sure what to expect. would they yell at me in indistinguishable Mandarin for being on their property? did they think I was lost? was this whole wandering-the-countryside-alone thing about to turn into a horror story?

come on guys, this is Taiwan.

they walked over and asked what I was looking at, in perfect English. I gestured towards the mountains and they seemed surprised. they thought I was looking at the water - the reservoir a few kilometers back. I said I thought the mountains were beautiful. they were unimpressed. "oh. well, goodbye!" and they got in their car in search of something else.

it was a perfect "Taiwan moment" to conclude my perfect Taiwan moment.

I almost didn't want to share these photos, because no matter how I tried to edit them, they just don't do it justice. but I think that happens sometimes when you are wrapped up emotionally - it looks better than it is, or maybe just better than you're able to describe. but I remember what it looked like in person, and what it felt like to be there. and that's what counts.

though these next few weeks will be crazy, I'm looking forward to Taipei and what comes next. I'm excited for a fresh start. there are things and people here that I'll miss, but I'm ready to go. and I'm so glad that Hsinchu decided to give me a beautiful send off.