Hualien

The last part of the Chinese New Year vacation began with the celebration itself. This was a little anticlimactic as we had been built up for more. The big feast occurs on New Year's Eve and I was invited to the house of one of my teacher friends. I think she drew the short straw to entertain the foreignor by virtue of the fact that she was the only one around. The custom is to go to the "other side of the family" and that means leaving town.

Dinner was excellent with several traditional dishes. We did not make the 1000 dumplings that I recalled from earlier times because, I was told, they are a southern Chinese family and the custom is northern. It was all over pretty early but I was expecting a big fireworks display but there wasn't one. The fireworks have continued, though, all through the week.

I took the train to Hualien (6 1/2 hours standing on an overcrowded train) on the other side of the island and found out where everyone had gone. The place was mobbed making it almost impossible to find a hotel room. I ended up staying in a hostel and making the decision that I am getting too old for that route, no matter how nice it was.

There are several other teachers from the group over there and three of us, plus a wife and a daughter went to Taroko Gorge the following day. Considered the most scenic spot in Taiwan -- kind of like their Grand Canyon -- it was unfortunate that the weather was pretty nasty, cloudy, foggy and rainy. It was also jammed with people. I'm glad that I remember it from when it wasn't; it truly is a lovely spot.

The next day was Hualien day. It is an interesting mid-size city and very pretty there on the ocean with mountains all around. The major product is marble and the sidewalks are made of marble fragments set in concrete.

That night we went up to a town near Ilan and spent the night with the neat South African lady we had met on New Year's Eve in Taipei. She has been here for four years and has a lovely place.

To beat the crowds, I took the bus back which guarantees you a seat, I'd had about enough of standing on trains.