Yilan County Weekend Warriors

Yilan's weather gets a bad rap. Most times the sky is overcast grey and thus its perfect for a bike ride or hike. When its blazing sun of course cold springs or beach are the best choice. However, the weather is a bit of a gamble. Rule of thumb is, if its raining in the morning, it will clear in the afternoon and vice versa, but then we get these rains that can stay for a few days (or weeks) in which case check out my Rainy Day Suggestions.

Travel Suggestions

This is my list of spots near us, and we have been to most of them (some more than once). Still, there are a few I hope to cross off this summer.

Local Microbrewery in Yuanshan

Fulong

1.     Caoling Historic Trail 

2.    Long Men Bikeway

Yuemeikeng waterfall.

Wai'ao/Toucheng/Jiaoxi
Assuming you already checked out some of the hotsprings, Wufangchi Waterfalls and, Linmei Shihpan Trail, then check out:

3.    Niu Gang Leng Hiking Trail

4.    Xin Fong Waterfall

5.    Eagle Rock Tip

6.    Lanyang Museum
7. Yuemeikeng waterfall.

Yongzhen Beach Park 永鎮海濱公園.

Yuanshan

8.    Yilan Longtan Lake

9.    Wang Long Bi There are several trails to appreciate the lake from above, as well as walking through beetlenut hills. The lake itself has a few shops that sell snacks, a cafe and a pizza place. Local farmers sell their fruits from their orchards.

10.    Erhu Pineapple Museum

11.  Fushan Botanical Garden

12.  Artemis Garden

13.  Bee Museum, The Honey House right next to the Jim and Dad's brewery
14.Jim and Dad's Brewery

Plum Blossom Lake

Datong

15.  Taiya Lifestyle Museum

16.  Yilan Datong Yulan Tea Garden

17. Yulan Agricultural Leisure Area

18. Jiuzize Hot Spring
19. Jiouliao Waterfall- turn off right beside the gas station.  Trail takes about 40 minutes, to falls with a small rope bridge. There's some simple places to buy dumplings and drink homegrown oolong tea, right across from parking lot. Becoming more popular with tourists buses on their way to Taipingshan.
20. Syano Campgrounds- Opened June  2016 
21. River Creek Sihumut Campground 溪河木露營區- Opening now
22. Mu Ye Camping in Mingchi National Forest Rec Area
23. Taipingshan
24. Fanfan Hotsprings

Luodong

25. Yilan Luodong Forestry Culture Park

26. Miaojiesi

27. National Center for Traditional Arts

28. Lize Old Street

Dongshan

29. Ren Shan Botanical Garden

30.Meihua Lake

31. Wusin Stone Trail

32. Shyang Yeu organic Farm (picking tea leaves)+

33. Dongfong Farm (camping)

34.Happiness 20 Farm (not many animals, pizza DIY)

35. Dajin Organic Farm

Aohua, Nanao

FanFan

Nan'ao/ Su'ao/Nanfangao

    36. Aohua Waterfall

    37. Su'au Cold Springs
    38. Nanfang'ao Harbor
    39. Neipi Beach/Yilan Lover's Bay
    40.

    Zhuangwei (also spelled Jhuangwe, right east of Yilan City)

    41. Yongzhen Beach Park Coastal Bike Trail 

Taming the Dragon with Rainbows and Ripe Rice

Happy solstice and strawberry moon! Summer by western tradition is officially here, but in Taiwan the Yang element is celebrated with Dragon Boat Festival.

Binh and us at Balagov's

Our recent four day Dragon Boat Holiday was boring, prosaic and perfectly calming. Usually, in my restless, wander lust I would have planned a trip (abroad) months ago, having checked the holiday weekends in January. This time, I have been so content with Yilan and also so exhausted from the end of the semester madness, both Z and I were relieved to just kick up our heels here at home. In fact, old friends came to us for a visit. The weather was just ideal; radiant, sultry mornings cooling off with a brief drizzle or thunder shower. Ironically, the west coast was covered with rain.

We will be doing enough traveling this summer, so catching up on housework, kombucha brewing, and lots of yoga, seemed wildly decadent and grounding. After living enough years in Taiwan to see various dragon boat races, and last December participating in one (on an episode of Janet's), we both had zero desire to do anything remotely related to the actual holiday.

 Z's homeroom teacher did organize his class (which is the entire 4th grade) to make zongzi, the traditional food. Z was stoked, she loves to help in the kitchen. Stuffing banana leaves with sticky rice, peanuts, mushrooms and meat instead of math class is always more fun. Other than that we rested.

 

Driving anywhere in Yilan congested with holiday weekend warriors, is hardly my idea of R and R. What we did do was eat twice this same weekend at Balgov's. Its where I dine with friends who come into town and have never eaten here before. I met Binh my coworker from Tainan (and also from Denver) and another friend from my Tainan beach days, the Croatian charmer Goran with his girlfriend. More frequent than eating wholesome Ukranian food, I took Z and her friend from upstairs to the University track everyday to play.

Going back to work on Monday seemed a bit of a shock to the system. Dragon Boat being the Chinese start of summer, has already passed, so now the countdown to my summer holidays has begun in earnest.

Labor Day Weekend and School Dazed

We are the Champions.

Friday was May 1st, the international Labor Day (worker's of the world unite!). My Canadian boss in solidarity gave the kindergarten staff the day off (now do a fist pump.) I basically ran errands, so not quite the relaxing start of a weekend.

Saturday was my daughter's school, " Sports Day", an epic event in their school calender. Her class has been making posters and practicing dances for weeks. I had no idea it was going to be test of endurance for the parents. Our previous sports day experience in Tainan was just a harmless couple of hours on a Saturday, but this one was a full 5 hours. Traveling by train and buses through Burma, India and Sudan seemed less excruciating. If we are here next year I will sell T-shirts to the parents and teachers that say, "We Survived Another Sports Day."

My daughter told me she had to be there at 7:50, when really she had to be there at 8:50. I kept wondering when it would start. Then in the gymnasium it was speech after speech of local dignitaries, the mayor, principals, school superintendent, nearby school principals... The irony being no one was listening or even trying to pretend to be respectful listeners.  After almost 7 years living here, its one thing that still ruffles my feathers. When I first moved here, I thought it was just local culture. I wonder if I went home if it would be similar, a modern phenomena of rude listeners.

I find it strange that local culture loves having microphones (KTV in buses, homes, neighborhood get-togethers), but as soon as someone is speaking everyone just tunes out. Anyways, the mic was super LOUD, the audience was super LOUD and it was really hot, the first hot day of the year (it since has cooled) and it was just uncomfortable, over stimulating, jarring.  Someone would of made a small fortune selling iced teas.

She was pumped for her dance.

There was a lot of waiting and down time. Grades 1-6, each class had to rotate games and dances, one by one, and then we all went out to the blazing track for races. My daughter got first in the 100 m dash, which she was proud. Their class relay wasn't as successful, but it was all in good fun. I was pretty much wiped out after coming home. My kid enjoyed herself, so that's all that really mattered.

Wilting in the shade.

A Mellow Weekend in Tainan

I had a nice weekend. Sat morning met some old friends at the Mr Potato breakfast shop by my house and met a businessman about a potential investment (no decisions or money exchanged, will explain in another blog.) Morning market shopping w/ Z, my language exchange canceled, skyped home-- a typical Saturday. That evening an acquaintance, my friend's friend and also the parent of one of my former students was having the grand opening of her high end furniture store.  She and her husband are this designer duo and quite successful.

Elven, fairy-like dinnerware.

Saturday night was so cultured, everyone was so sophisticated, well dressed high earners. Grace introduced me to the two Italian gentlemen who were promoting their furniture, leather sofas, filled with down feathers, comfortable and classy.  They were of course impeccably dressed with well tailored suits, tall, very tall, my age, maybe a couple years older The taller and slighter older one was from Pisa, the other and closest to me was from Florence. We talked travel, Berlusconi,  global economics, Taiwan, the food in Korea (they just came from Seoul). I enjoyed their conversation, all that was missing was some Chianti and candle light.

The entertainment was also classy, artsy. Jennifer Johan Wang and her husband Li Zhengfan 李正帆  with their band Indylegonza. He is a very successful, popular sing writer and obviously very in love with his wife, as he played keyboards (among many other instruments some of which I have never seen before) he only had eyes for her. She mostly grow up in SanFran and was very friendly and down to earth, very beautiful face that no mohawk could hide with an exquisite voice. She kindly invited me to her mountain home in Taipei.

Sunday by contrast was lackadaisical. Church in the morning, lunch at a favorite place, a bodyrock workout (Bust it Out), a nap and then headed to the beach around 4. Arrived two minutes later. I brought marshmallows and some wine. The other expat dudes were there with their dogs. A fire was made for the kids to roast marshmallows and for a BBQ. Z was getting grouchy/testy around 7 or so and I had to diplomatically use my wiles to get her to come back home with me. It was mild, no wind, no cold, the fire was perfect. I was in leggings and a sweatshirt/vest, about as beachy unkempt as could be and the polar opposite of last night's high end bash. I appreciate both worlds, 'tho I could easily be a beach bum the rest of my days.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable, mellow weekend in Tainan.