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.
The next morning, I took Anna to Fish Sheep Fresh Beans Café to meet Jesse, who was a junior engineer at PAIA when I worked there two years ago.
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.
There was an issue with our accommodation schedule for the night. It was a bit rush to drive from Kaohsiung to Daren in Taitung in less than half a day, especially since there were so many spots to visit along the way. Expect visiting the new Kaohsiung Train Station, we also went to Donggang to enjoy sashimi and visited the Maritime Building Café at Dapeng Bay Bridge.
We took some photos in front of the Café, haha
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.
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.
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...)
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