First Day in Taiwan!

       June 12, 2024

                     

Hi! Chloe and Hudson will be writing the blog today and Chloe will start yet again because she fell asleep for most of the latter half. (Noted by Zhong Laoshi: Was it because you ran with Conner in the hot and humid morning, leaving you so tired afterward?)

For the first part of the day,  I agreed to run to the Xiang Shan visitor center, our first stop of the day, with Connor. We are both cross country runners and, honestly, we’ve been taking a bit too much time off from our summer practice. However, it was somewhat a bad idea. It was hot, humid, we were sweating probably more than we’ve ever sweated before, but it was still pretty fun despite getting lost for a few minutes. We made it to the visitor center way before the rest of the group did, even though they were biking. Once the rest of the group arrived, we had a ton of sweet snacks (a great way to reward our run) from a cafe that specializes in matcha foods and drinks. The visitor center overlooked Sun Moon Lake, its structure framing the view with arches and infrastructure that made the view look like a framed photograph. We had such a fun time eating and chatting before we made our way over to a dock.

      

 Crossing the lake on a boat was incredibly fun as we were allowed to sit in the front of the boat where we could feel the breeze which, thankfully, contrasted the thick, humid air. Overall the first half of the day was more fun than the second half of the day for me. It was a little too sunny, but I think I had the most fun conversing with everyone and deepening my understanding of each person.

          

After crossing the lake to the temple, we took in the amazing scenery and began the climb up the many stairs. This particular temple sold traditional tea eggs, a common Taiwanese delicacy. At the top of the arduous steps, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the lake and surrounding valley. Also at the main temple, we took many pictures and explored. After departing the temple via boat, we arrived at the local Thao Tribe wharf. Greeted by the many stalls and small shops that made up the market, we split off into two rambunctious groups to look around. My group decided to first get something to eat, finally picking a small noodle shop where we ordered beef noodle soups and dumplings. Leaving the shop, we ventured into a nearby Family Mart to pick up some snacks. As we exited the Family Mart, it began to rain suddenly, disrupting the previously beautiful day. We then found shelter in a souvenir shop. Later, when the sun returned, we practiced our prepared English songs for tomorrow’s visit to Fa Zhi elementary school.

Sitting on the floor and learning along with my travel mates was both silly and entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed being unapologetically myself with my group and enjoying the day. Overall the second half of the day was more fun in my opinion because we got to hangout and roam freely, being ourselves and just having fun.

谢谢您，

柯博文跟柯柔伊 (Hudson and Chloe)