Yeliu Geopark

Yeliu is a 1.7-kilometer-long peninsula on the north coast of Taiwan, between Taipei and Keelung. It is famous for its uniquely shaped rocks and shoreline, which are created by a combination of sea erosion, weathering, and the action of the earth's crust. There are several famous rocks here, including the Queen's Head Rock and Tofu Rocks. The Queen's Head Rock is by far, the most striking to see in person, especially considering it's carved entirely by Mother Nature. There are also fossil remains of plants and shells.

Aside from looking at the beautiful, nature-made sculptures, you can also hike along a trail up to the top of the hill (mountain?). There is a gazebo at the highest peak where you can relax and and catch your breath. The view from there is spectacular; I highly recommend watching the sunset from there.

I thought it was really interesting that half of Yeliu's Geo Park resembled a desert (no plants) while the other half is full of trees and other vegetation. Yeliu isn't too far from Taipei so you can definitely make it a day trip, like we did. Drive along the coast instead of the highway because it's more scenic (even though it takes longer). I think there's a bus that goes to Yeliu from Taipei. Make sure you give yourself 2-3 hours to fully enjoy Yeliu Geopark.

The famous Queen's Head Rock

Fossil

Notice the difference between the two terrains

Beginning of the hiking trail

Tofu Rocks (I really think they resemble Stinky Tofu!)

View of sunset from the gazebo

Taroko Gorge National Park

Taroko Gorge National Park, located in Hualien County in Eastern Taiwan, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the country. It is a spectacular 12-mile-long ravine of sheer cliff faces, white-water rivers and stunning waterfalls. The gorge itself is a majestic canyon composed entirely of natural white marble and granite. Approximately 450 workers lost their lives working on the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway that parallels the gorge. Hualien is about a two hours train ride from Taipei; which makes it a perfect weekend excursion away from the city.

Main gate at Taroko Gorge

Eternal Spring Shrine (dedicated to the workers who died while constructing the Central Cross-Island Highway)

Statue of Bodhisattva Guan Yin

For more information about Taroko Gorge, visit their website:

http://www.taroko.gov.tw/tarokoportaleng/0_0_0/Default.aspx

"Get Smart"

Went to see the movie "Get Smart" yesterday. It was lighthearted and funny; I really enjoyed it. 

After the movie, walked around Taipei 101 area for a bit.  Taipei 101 area is especially alive on the weekends. Every time I go there, I'll either see bands performing, models doing photo shoots, or whatever.  Yesterday, I saw two guys doing really neat acrobatic moves and since I had my camera with me...

I thought they were pretty impressive. While I was there, I realized I actually haven't taken a good shot of Taipei 101...and so I did:

I had to tilt the camera in order to capture the entire building. Well, it is the tallest building in the world right now. 

Eateries in Taiwan: Saffron Fine Indian Cuisine

38-6, TianMu E Rd; (02) 2871-4842
Hours:11:30am-2 pm 5:30- 9:30

Thu & Fri 11:30 am-2 pm, 5:30-10 pm 
Fri & Sat11:30-2:00 5:30-10:00 
(closed on Mon lunch time)
Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge.

I've been craving Indian food for a while so last night, we finally had Indian for dinner. After reading several online reviews, we decided on Saffron Fine Indian Cuisine, which is actually owned by a native of India. 

To start out, we had vegetable samosa and lamb samosa; they were pretty good. 

Vegetable samosa

Lamb samosa

Following the appetizers, we had several dishes: 

Vegetable dish with potatoes and cauliflower

Lamb

Chicken tandoori

Of course, what would Indian food be without curry?

Lamb curry

Chicken curry

Shrimp curry

Naturally, we had a generous helping of naan to eat with the curry:

Concluding the dinner was a cup of Chai milk tea:

Overall, Saffron did not disappoint. I am not a big fan of lamb, so I am unable to offer my opinion on the lamb dishes. However, I thought the vegetable samosa was pretty good; essentially warm pastries filled with potatoes other spices. The chicken tandoori was well prepared: juicy and rich with flowers. Among the curry, I enjoyed shrimp curry the best. The chicken curry was a little too salty for me and lamb, well you already know. The naan was pretty good: soft and slightly sweet. I like the traditional naan better than the special homemade ones. Finally, the Chai milk tea is a must, definitely one of the best I've ever had. However, it took them a long time to make so perhaps you should order it in the beginning instead of at the end of the meal like we did. Make sure to inhale the rich smell of Chai before you taste it.

This restaurant is pretty expensive in Taiwan's standard, roughly $20-25 USD/person. While it did not disappoint, I still maintain that the best Indian food I had was in Tokyo (Shinjuku) at a small family restaurant. 

Grain-free diet

It's been two weeks since I tried going on a grain-free diet. That's right, the key word is tried. It's actually really difficult especially in Taiwan because you're constantly bombarded by delicious aromas of noodles, dumplings, bread, you name it. I realized several things:

a) I can totally live without rice. I don't crave it at all.

b) I crave noodles and dumplings sometimes since there are so many awesome noodle shops in Taipei. I've been limiting myself to eating mung bean vermicelli.

c) I love Asian bakeries. Every time I pass by one, I always inhale deeply; the smell of freshly baked pastries is intoxicating.  I crave bread practically every day. 

In any case, my grain-free diet has officially evolved to a low-grain diet. I avoid grain as much as possible but I do give in to my cravings at times. Trust me, it's really hard not to, especially when you're eating out...in Taiwan.

Yangmingsan National Park

I went to Yangmingsan National Park last month in time to catch the blooming of the calla lilies. There were literally fields of them! How beautiful.

Updates, finally

Wow. I haven't written an entry in 6 months. Perhaps the best way to get up to date is to recap what I've been up to since my last post back in....December. 

Let's see...

I spent a month and a half in Japan. Stayed mainly in Tokyo but also visited Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, as well as Hokkaido. 

Went back to t

he 

states for a month and a half. Then, sold everything and went to Vancouver, Canada, for about 2.5 weeks. Also visited Victoria, Tofino, and Whistler. 

Flew straight from Vancouver to Taipei, Taiwan, where I am currently residing. I'm planning to stay here for 1-2 years. Frankly, I think I need some international experience. If not now, then when? And so, Dennis and I h

ave been living here since mid-April. I'm currently taking Chinese at National Taiwan University (Tai Da). I'm still waiting for my ARC; I can't work until I get it. 

Okay, now that I'm up to date, I can start commenting on the various places that I've visited.  I figured since I'm living in Taiwan, I might as well start documenting my life here. 

The first weekend I arrived in Taiwan, we all drove down to Taichung to attend Andrea Bocelli's concert. The concert definitely exceeded my expectation. I was blown away by one of his guest singer, Heather Headley. As she was singing, my heart started to race; I could literally feel the music flowing through my

 body. It was unbelievable. 

After the concert, we went to a 

night market, Feng Jia, in Taichung. Feng Jia is suppose to be the largest night market in Taiwan. Needless to say, I had a lot of random Taiwanese snacks. Yummy!!! 

The next day, we visited the country side. It was really interesting to see small communities on top of the mountains. 

Haha, look at Dennis eating that Chinese sausage. But you know what? It's actually really delicious; definitely the best I've had in my life. It's nothing like the frozen sausage you buy in the states. Made fresh, it's super juicy and sweet when you bite into it. Double yum!