I never thought I would celebrate the 2025 New Year in Taiwan. The fireworks I saw at that moment, just past 12AM, were unforgettable.
At that time, we were not in Taipei, it was AI-generated, haha! 🙂
It is our real fireworks at the Villa.
On the morning of the last day of 2024, while on our way to Ruisui Township, Anna and I visited An Tong Wild Hot Spring, which is located on the side of Yuchang Highway.
Some pools are not very clean and can be quite hot, but the experience feels relaxing and natural.
Afterwards, we arrived in Yuli Township around noon. We ate Yuli noodles and stinky tofu. Both were tasty, and Anna liked them.
Before dusk, we arrived at W Starry Villa to wait for the New Year celebration.
W Starry Villa is very beautiful, both in its exterior and interior.
The private hot spring is perfect for relaxation.
It looks like we are in Japen, but not like the one I tried to create with GenAI, haha!
While settling down our baggage, we drove our car to look for dinner at a hotpot restaurant I remember from over 20 years ago, when I first came to Ruisui with friends. It was a amazing winter filled with warmth and laughter.
A small two-floor restaurant was filled with many customers on this special night. We had to wait 20 minutes for seats, so I took Anna for a walk around the main street of Ruisui Village and introduced some places I had visited during my journey walking around Taiwan.
The story you hear is just a story, but the unique experience at that moment hit in the storyteller’s mind forever.
The milk hotpot is a traditional dish at this restaurant, as it is located near the Ruisui Ranch.
After lunch, we returned to our villa and began celebrating the New Year.
Although it is a small firework, it lights up the dark night and shines on her, embellishing the surrounding houses and our memories.
After a wonderful night, we woke up and headed to the lobby for breakfast.
The breakfast was good, but it didn't feel as amazing as the amenities.
On the first day of the new year, our destination was Yilan City, which is a bit far away from Ruisui.
Even though we only had a little time to visit spots during the day trip, we still managed to visit many places, including Ruisui Ranch, Fenglin Township, Taiwan Cement Company DAKA Park in Sincheng Township, Chi-An Chinghisu Temple (慶修院), and Fenniaolin Fish Port (粉鳥林).
I only remember that there were a few tourists at Ruisui Ranch, and we had a cozy break there.
After staying there for a while, we headed to Fenglin Village for lunch at a restaurant called 茂記麵店.
The noodles are very spicy.
There is a snack store selling scones near the restaurant.
Since we didn’t have much time to reach Yilan, we didn’t stay in Hualien City but instead visited Chi-An Chinghisu Temple, a place Anna really loves, as it made her feel like she was traveling in Japan.
Then, we quickly headed to Sincheng Township to buy lemon juice and Taiwanese egg cakes, and afterwards, we visited the Starbucks at Taiwan Cement Company DAKA Park.
We only stayed there for a moment before continuing our trip to Yilan, because there is a very beautiful place called Fenniaolin Fish Port (粉鳥林) that we have never missed and must visit before dusk.
It is not a commercial fish port, so there are only a few tourists there. The coast is clean, and the sea is a vibrant blue.
Stacked stones on the seaside are called cairns.
I had visited Fenniaolin Fish Port twice before, during my walk and drive around Taiwan.
After the trip to Fenniaolin Fish Port, we headed to Su'ao and planned to eat at Lailai Steakhouse, a place I visited with my family many years ago. It was a great spot for dinner, conveniently located near the accommodation where we were staying tonight.
The last hotel we stayed at during this Taiwanese circle trip was Village B&B(一田一墅) in Wujie Township, Yilan City.
After checking into the hotel, we went to Lailai Steakhouse for dinner.
Thank to Anna for coming with me to visit many places I had been to many years ago, where keep stories for me. They were once my memories, but now they are our memories.
On the last day of our Taiwan round-island trip, Anna accompanied me to visit my godmother in Yilan, as she was gravely ill and in a terminal ward. Anna was willing to be there with me, and I am truly grateful.
Afterward, we visited several Jimmy artworks in the parks of Yilan City, enjoyed the hot springs, and bought many desserts and breads in Jiaoxi Township.
Anna really loves eating Sanshing scallions
We relaxed at the free Jiaoxi Hot Springs park.
Ultimately, we had an afternoon lunch with my sister and brother-in-law in Taipei. It was a happy ending to our nearly one-week round-island trip in Taiwan.
The last shot in Jinmian Mountain with Anna and Awooo
I never thought I'd be driving around Taiwan again, but Anna and I had planned it two months ago, right after she returned to Taiwan from her trip to Australia.
It was a memorable trip around Taiwan with Anna. She's always so helpful and loves exploring our country.
We traveled to many places I hadn’t visited in years. I made sure to take her to spots that are meaningful for me, as well as famous places she definitely needed to visit.
Before the first day of our travels, we visited Anna's country home to see her parents.It was a wonderful day, enjoying dinner and having a relaxed conversation with her parents.
After a short break in Taichung, the next morning we headed to Kaohsiung to participate in the Agile Tour South Taiwan event, where we attended several sessions. I also had the opportunity to present a brief lighting show to introduce VIA (Value in Action) to the audience.
Before the event began, we also visited Love Pier to see the big doll, Young-hee, from Squid Game 2.
After the Agile Tour South Taiwan event, we headed to Tainan, where we planned to stay at U.I.J Hotel & Hostel and visit Shennong Street.
When I tried on this wig, it reminded me of the time I had dreadlocks on an island in Central America. While there, we bought many souvenirs for my friends in Australia. It was a fantastic night even though we were already tired.
U.I.J Hostel is a great place, offering quality rooms, public facilities, good toiletries (Anna mentioned that the Aesop brand is well-known), and service. However, it has become too expensive for backpacker travelers since COVID.
Jesse is a good student, but a bit humble. I told her that she should try to see more of the world, as everyone’s life experience is unique and something to be proud of. I’m happy to hear that she traveled to the Republic of Lithuania during her summer vacation.
Jesse gave me a candy from the Republic of Lithuania, which reminded me of many years ago when I hosted three students from Couchsurfing for a whole week at my house.
After meeting with Jesse, we returned to Kaohsiung to enjoy lunch with my university classmate and his family. We know each other more than 20 years. Ray is a good guy and will always love his family and life. I wish him the best for ever.
After saying goodbye to Ray and his family, we spent some time at the new Kaohsiung Train Station. It’s beautifully designed and attracts many tourists to come.
Fortunately, we arrived at Dongfang Yun Homestay almost at 9:00PM.
I have been to Dongfang Yun more than 3 or 4 times. It is a relaxing and cozy place where travelers can feel calm and peaceful, surrounded by nature and a beautiful environment. The house owner told us about a secret beach, and I remember visiting it the first time I stayed at Dongfang Yun.
The breakfast is so yummy, and the weather is a bit windy but pleasant.
After having breakfast, we went to Chihshang Township in Taitung County and stayed at Buongiorno Chishang B&B. On the way, we stopped at Duoliang Station and Kanadun in the morning. At Duoliang Station, Anna tried the Maqaw Sausage and loved it. In Kanadun Village, we walked along the main street, looking for a free wild hot spring. However, the one we found was too far from the bridge and required crossing many large rocks, so we decided not to go there.
Duoliang Station is a very popular spot for visitors.
The convenience store in Kanadun looks very different and almost unreal.
There is a hot spring near the Kanadun bridge, but it looks dangerous to cross to get there.
Continuing on our way, we unexpectedly stopped by Chulu Ranch to see cows, horses, and goats and had lunch there. Chulu Ranch is a small tourist farm with nothing special.
We waited a long time for our lunch, and Anna's hand got hurt because the pot was too hot.
We arrived at Buongiorno Chishang B&B around 6pm since I had an online class to teach Java programming at 7pm, lol!
The homestay's exterior is stunning, and its interior is well-maintained with high-quality standards.
The breakfast is tasty, though the flavor is a bit mild.
After staying one night, we went to Brown Boulevard, the most popular spot, to go cycling.
Afterward, we went in the morning to Goodfrying ("好煎炸"), a famous restaurant in Chihshang that I visited twice while traveling around Taiwan by car and on foot.
Fried Tofu Skin is yummy
Plum Sparkling Drink
In Chihshang Township, we visited several unique bookstores and antiquarian shops. The town has a rich cultural atmosphere yet remains appealing to younger visitors.
After exploring Chihshang Township, we planned to celebrate the New Year in Ruisui Township, another rural area in Hualien County. (to be continued...)
