Ni Hao

So, wanna hear about my trip? 'A brief overview'. I arrived in Taipei on the 4th. My hostel their was dirty and the cigarette ash was bothersome. I got a thirty minute head, neck, shoulder, arm massage from a blind man and then went to bed. I woke up at night with a terrible headache, i think the root of the problem was listening to Sydney White too loudly on the airplane. I went to convinience stores to try to find medicine, but ended up settling for various kinds of candy. I did get back to sleep though!
The next day I went to a temple, walked around, ate lunch at a restaurant that happened to be playing 'What a Girl Wants', and then in an attempt to go back to Taipei main station I took a long bus ride to some city outside of Taipei, then another one back in, and finally hopped on the subway and got back to Taipei station. There, I tried to get the student rail pass, but I think that you can only get it at the airport, oh well. I bought my ticket for the next day, walked around the underground mall for a bit, walked around on the nearby streets eating local foods and also checking out their 'cold stone'. I then went to longshan temple/night market and walked around, and ate some more. Then back to the gross room for sleeping.
Early the next morning I left for Hualien. It was new year's eve, and when i got there the fireworks had already started, and i think that they are probably still going now, they never seemed to end. I guess, since everyone travels during the new year celebration time, there are no hotel rooms in most poplular spots, and even when their are available spots they are pretty expensive. That's what everyone tells me at least. So, the woman working at the information center invited me to stay at her house and I paid the same price as the night before, but for a clean room! I even used the shower!
The next day (the 7th), I took a bus trip from the hua lien station to the taroko gorge national park. It was pretty, the walls, or mountains?, were incredibly steep. On the way out to our first stop, we got into a bus accident! It was funny, in a way, but not too exciting. The tour was ok. On it, I met a group of Malaysians that are about my age. 2 spoke English well, and they were nice, I think I may actually see them again in Malaysia and or Enc. We ate at a sort of buffet do it yourself boil food then eat it place. Then I went back to the house I was staying out.
On the 8th I left hualien for taitung. When I got to taitung station I was supposed to take a bus to get to the actual city, but I just missed it. I was too stubborn to take a taxi (for some reason?) so I waited. But I didn't really know what I was doing. I've learned not to take advice from Taiwanese people that don't speak any English or Japanese. Sometimes it seems like we are on the same page.. but it is not the case. I eventually decided that I didn't really want to go to Taitung afterall and I went to the station and asked for a ticket to Tainan, the guy at the counter said Tainan? as if it was a bad choice or impossible, so i said, "Yuli?". This was the name of a town I had passed earlier that day. So I went there. Turned out to be a very small town. And while i was walking around it I was searched for a bathroom to use, a place to stay, and internet access. I found a Lan Cafe, but it was full. So, I kept walking. I saw these bridges that are famous enough to be on signs at the station, so i walked toward them. Then I akwardly walked toward some kinds playing with fireworks. Their dad called to me, 'hello' or whatver. He knew a little English from living in Austrailia, but he was fluent in Japanese from living and studying in Tokyo. So we talked, and he took me to look for a hotel. Everywhere was expensive or full, so we went back to his house for really good tea, corn grown on his land, and then a rice with various ingredients dinner. They eventually found a place for me to stay, but since the place didn't really have any rooms left, they set me up on a mat on the floor of the cafeteria. It was free, so it was great.
On the ninth, the man picked me up early, we drank so taiwanese coffee at his house, then went to get my ticket to Tainan. Since we had 40 minutes between buying the ticket and the departure, he quickly drove me to the nearby national park and we saw a small information center and then a waterfall, and then drove back to the station. So then I rode trains for 5 some odd hours, most of it without a seat :(, and arrived in Tainan around 3:15. There I called someone the wife knew from work, or something, and he came and picked me up.. on his scooter. It was great fun. We went to some festive street, and a old dutch fortress, then to eat. Unable to find a cheap hotel, I crashed here at this Internet Cafe for only about $8. I think I slept pretty decently. That is, I did get some sleep. So, I may do it again, we'll see.
Today is the 10th. I have to real plan. but that's no different than any other day.