I joined Claudia and the Huang family for the day. It was hot and humid as always which is a daily treat here in Taiwan. We hiked in the ManYueYuan National Forest and visited Virgin Waterfall, located in the Sanxia District of New Taipei City. It was beautiful and didn't even compare to the mini waterfalls I saw in Shenandoah Valley about a month ago. Apparently, the waterfall was even greater last month due to heavier rainfall. I couldn't help but take a million photographs.
On our way back from the waterfall, Mr. Huang frantically called us over to a hut with a seating area. Drenched in sweat, we approached the table and found the entire family ready to have a hot cup of tea. What in the world?!! They had the whole setup too: fancy teapot, salty crackers, wooden presentation mat, fresh oolon tea leaves, cookies, and probably more. This was really insane but as a good guest, I smiled, sat, and drank several tea cups full of hot tea.
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| Awesome spider! |
Later, we enjoyed lunch at an adorable cafe called Nature's Path. Saw some coy fish in their pond and randomly saw a frog on the bookshelf.
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| LOOK how HAPPY I am!! Love this picture. |
Our next stop was a dance performance. You really haven't lived until you've seen Chinese kids dancing hip hop while doing sign language to the lyrics of a song. Trista is the Huang's middle child and she participates in a group like this at her school. In fact, schools across New Taipei City have similar clubs and they're very popular. The show seemed really unique and I was excited to watch. I was even more excited when they started dancing to DMX's "Gonna Give it to Ya" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGx6K90TmCI). Still hunting for the videos I took.. You Tube of their performance to come.
What a wonderful hike! I would love to live closer to some waterfalls, that one looks beautiful! My goodness, your description of that performance is hilarious, Im cracking up just reading about it. That DMX song must be so old. Hehhehehe
ReplyDeleteThe trail signs include English. Do you notice any non-Chinese vistors (other than your group) during the jaunts? Do the bathroom doors include gender icons of any sort? Who are the people in the group picture with the Chinese notation at the bottom? Better to make note before you forget.
ReplyDeleteAre any of the spiders poisonous or prone to bother people at home in Taiwan? In some places, spiders or scorpions can appear on pillow cases and bite people. In the US, spiders are an occasional problem, but not so much as ticks, mosquitoes, ants, termites, or (Asian) stink bugs. This last pest came to the US a few years ago on pallets used to ship goods from Asia. Some have infested homes in the south, and they have appeared further north. How do they control them in Taiwan?
Sorry, I know nothing of DMX.