Sunday was Jeremy’s actual birthday and my mom’s friend Dr Joseph agreed to take us to WuLai. He’s been to something like 130 different countries…and claims that WuLai is the most beautiful place on earth. Even on a cold and rainy day, it was magically beautiful and peaceful. Before heading out we met up at Harmony Home for some free hugs from the kids. If you didn’t see my link on FB last week check out their website: http://www.harmonyhometaiwan.org/ Joseph has dedicated his life to helping kids all over the world and with the explosion of AIDS in Taiwan, these orphans are lucky to have him here fighting for their rights and spreading awareness. Jeremy and I have fallen in love with about half a dozen of them already. It was a great way to start the day.
From Harmony Home our small group took a van to drive up to WuLai. It’s an aboriginal town in the mountains south of Taipei. First we stopped at a “real local market” so we could pick up a donation from Beth’s mom. It was totally different from Shilin or any of the touristy spots we’ve been to around Tien Mu. Tons of cool clothes and yummy looking food…but I have no idea how to get back there. Gah!
Up at WuLai we walked through this little town, tucked between towering mountains, and the air had the most succulent smells of cooking food, sweet flowers and fresh rain. We had to get a bathing suit for Misa and then we took the walking bridge across the river. On the other side there is a place where you can climb up to take a small train to the waterfall there. It was totally like a scene out of Spirited Away. This tiny toy train winds through the jungle along these cliffs to a breathtaking 250ft waterfall. There we went to another aboriginal shop to meet Joseph’s ‘adopted aboriginal family’. They would LOVE for him to marry one of their seven daughters…but for some reason he hasn’t picked on yet. :)
WuLai is full of elegant hot springs bath houses…some we were told have pools where you put your feet in and the tiny fish in the pool eat the dead skin off your feet! But, we went to the local’s secret hot springs spot along the river. It was all open air, and the couple areas we finally found to change in were just little 3ft tall caverns under the stairs with a sheet draped in front. The water there was much hotter than in Beitou…so we only made it to the ‘medium hot’ bath before chickening out. After the baths we went back to the town for some dinner. Nearly everything they serve there is fresh, local food. Jeremy had some skewers of wild boar, and we feasted on sweet rice baked in bamboo shoots, cooked fern fronds, veggies, local shrimp and a bottle of aboriginal sweet rice wine. It was amazingly good.
Back in town we took the MRT back to SunYatSen to see the lantern festival. It was the last day of Chinese new year, and so even with the rain it was our last chance to get out there. We killed the time until dark with beer and pizza at the Pizza Hut. Yum! Then we did a super quick tour around the lantern festival in the rain. 2011 is the year of the Rabbit so most of the lanterns on display had to do with that theme. There was isle after isle of lantern displays made by local schools and businesses. And every hour there was a big water and light show where they lit up the giant Rabbit Lantern in the middle of the square. It was a pretty impressive sight especially with the Taipei 101 building light up a few blocks away. All in all it was a pretty action packed birthday day, despite the cold and rain.
This is my mom and I getting stocked up for birthday festivities on Friday night...at COSTCO! We had to take a taxi all the way there, and back. It's a two story Costco, where you take an escalator with your cart to the second floor. That's the food court on the left. Yes they still have hot dogs. And they do samples of whiskey in the food area. :)
Found Jeremy a huge bottle of Jack for his birthday. Thanks Costco!
Trying out Shrilankin cuisine on Saturday night.
This is at Harmony House. I taught this little guy how to use our camera and he took about 100 pics of all his friends for us. He only had to be shown once. He made sure to have the strap around his wrist...and was very careful with it. He even knew how to scroll back through the pics and show people the images he just took. So cute!
This is at Harmony House. I taught this little guy how to use our camera and he took about 100 pics of all his friends for us. He only had to be shown once. He made sure to have the strap around his wrist...and was very careful with it. He even knew how to scroll back through the pics and show people the images he just took. So cute!
My mom and Dr Joseph at HH.
Say CHEESE!
Upside down kiddos. :)
This is the local market we stopped at on the way to WuLai. Really cool spot. Wish we had more time to explore around here.
One lady was selling these sweet rice desserts wrapped in banana leaves. Totally like the stuff we had in Thailand before. Yum.
This is in WuLai. Have a whole roasted pig!
The shopping area in WuLai.
My mom and Misa crossing the bridge.
This is the little train that takes you up to the waterfall.
Prepare to be Spirited Away...
Joseph and Misa with one of Joseph's aboriginal 'sisters'.
Walking down to the hot springs spot along the river.
Some of the baths at the hot springs. It was a bit chilly out!
Prepare to be Spirited Away...
Coming up on the waterfall. These mountains were just eerily beautiful, draped in green jungle foliage and disappearing into the clouds and mist.
Here we are at the waterfall. I don't know if you can tell for scale from this pic or not, but there is a building here at the top. You can take a gondola ride up to the top and swim at the head of the waterfall here.
Joseph and Misa with one of Joseph's aboriginal 'sisters'.
Walking down to the hot springs spot along the river.
Some of the baths at the hot springs. It was a bit chilly out!
Aboriginals preparing skewers of roasted wild boar. Jeremy said this was one the the best things he has ever tried. Not gamy at all. Incredibly fresh and tasty.
From left to right, Misa, Joseph, Beccy, Jeremy, Megan, Marian (my mom), eating dinner WuLai.
Pizza Hut back in town. Beer and pizza just paled in comparison...
No that's not the moon...its an information center's marker balloon.
Happy birthday Jeremy....and Happy New Year!!!
Taipei Lantern Festival! We were lucky it was just barely sprinkling at this point...but it was pretty cold.
Its hard to tell here, but most of these lanterns are about 10-20ft tall...and there were hundreds of them. Very cool.
This is the giant bunny lantern in the middle of the square during one of the light shows.
Another cool rabbit lantern display.
No that's not the moon...its an information center's marker balloon.
Happy birthday Jeremy....and Happy New Year!!!
