Week 1:
Friday/Saturday: So my long awaited countdown finally came to an end and my mom and brother finally landed on Taiwanese soil! When they first got here I was over the moon and they were both pretty tired, but we managed to have a little visit before they went to bed. The next morning we headed out site seeing and visited the Taipei 101, walked around and had lunch. That night, we introduced Dustin to some KTV (karaoke) and had quite the night!
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| Dustin, mom and I and the 101 |
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| On our apartment rooftop |
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| First Taiwanese dinner |
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| On the subway MRT |
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| Singing beautifully |
Sunday: Sunday we took the MRT to a hot springs town called Beitou. We walked around here and enjoyed the outdoors as the weather was absolutely fabulous. We then headed to Danshui, another area where the river meets the Ocean. We walked, played some games, and took a boat ride.
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| Danshui |
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| Beitou hot springs |
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| Shootin some hoops |
Tuesday/Wednesday: We got on the train and headed to our first destination, Hualien, about two hours away. Once we got there, we rented scooters and scooted around a bit that afternoon. Mom was pretty nervous and not very keen to be on one, but she did it! I wasn't overly satisfied with the room Mark and I had so I asked to be switched into one that was like my mom and Dustin's. They were full, so they decided they would put us in the VIP suite, no big deal. It was nothing crazy, but a lot nicer than the other room. It served as our card playing area and hangout at night. On Wednesday, we got on our scooters and set out for Taroko Gorge. Taroko Gorge is a famous national park area in Taiwan where you drive through mountain passes and and enjoy the extraordinary scenery. Dustin may have had claw marks in his back from mom, but when it was over I think she was happy she went because it was so beautiful! The boys were obsessed with scooting so they dropped us girls off at the hotel and continued on for a few hours down the coast highway and took some nice pictures.
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| VIP Room |
Friday/Saturday/Sunday/Monday: On Friday we headed down south to Kenting. Kenting is a beach resort area and tourist destination to many. It was absolutely gorgeous weather when we were there, and Dustin managed to sustain quite the sunburn. He molted for about a week afterwards. The boys rented scooters here as well, and scooted all around. We enjoyed some beach time, reading and relaxing during our stay here. The boys tried some surfing, but the waves weren't very good. We ate a ton, drank a ton and played a lot of cards. It was a really great time! I really want to back!
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| Dustin aquiring the burn |
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| Mama on the beach |
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| View from our hotel |
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| Scootin up Kenting National Park (where I attempted to scooter but it was heavy so I semi fell and now have a nasty burn on my leg. My Taiwanese tattoo I guess. |
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| Bustling night mark in Kenting | | | |
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Monday night, we got home and were pretty tired, so we had a spaghetti and wine night. Mark, the gourmet chef that he is whipped us up some delicious veggie/shrimp spaghetti. Oh and mom and Dustin came to my school to meet some of the kids I teach.
Not sure if it was Monday or Tuesday night, Mark, Dustin and I went off on a walk when mom went to bed. We randomly walked through a chicken butchering area at 130am and got the oddest of stares. I'm sure these people weren't used to seeing foreigners walk through this area... Ever. We then found a bowling alley and played a few games. Loved all the random nights with my brother! He loved Taiwan and is now itching to see more of the world! Wooooop!
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Oh did I mention I went out in sweatpants as I thought we were just going for a walk? Oops.
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End of the trip: We did some more shopping and a bit more site seeing on their last days here.
When Thursday night came, mom and I got quite emotional knowing they were leaving the next morning. On Friday morning we said our goodbyes. I cried on and off most of the morning, feeling pretty empty and lonely. I felt this way for most of the weekend. I am doing fine now, but am a bit more homesick now. I am eager to come home in a few months. Having a taste of home sure makes you realize how much you miss it. I will be home in just over 100 days. I know it will fly by. I will try to make the most of my time here this summer. I just want to thank my mom and Dustin for coming all the way to this side of the world, I know the journey was not pleasant!! I hope you guys had a great time and we loved having you here. I will never forget those two weeks EVER! Family, brace yourselves, as Dustin might be the next one heading abroad..................
