Taiwan

• Taiwan is leaf-shaped and is about 2/3rds mountains, most of which are in the interior or on the eastern side of the island. 

• The western side of the island is relatively flat and is where population is concentrated. 

• The country's latitude and diverse topography create a subtropical climate with rainfall varying greatly among regions. Summers in the plains are hot and humid and winters are mild. Taiwan gets almost 100 inches of rain each year, with most falling in the east. 

• Most Taiwanese speak Mandarin Chinese and about 28% speak some English.

• Expect variations in spelling as Chinese characters are anglicized to English. 

• The currency is the Taiwanese Dollar.

• Taiwan requires proof of onward travel to enter or apply for a visa. 

I spent the remainder of the morning wandering through residential neighborhoods, marveling at how livable the city appeared to be as I made my way toward my first "must see" tourist destination. 

This was probably the most beautiful temple I have ever seen in a city... and that's saying a lot! Watch this video to experience the magic minus the heady scent of flowers! 

You can walk through all the passageways in less than 5 minutes. Just be sure to watch where you're stepping so you don't slip. As with hiking in general, wear appropriate footwear! 

That said, unless you brought a rubber raincoat and boots, no amount of layering would have kept your feet dry for what came later that afternoon. 

By now, it was about 1 PM; I checked my phone for a weather update and was not encouraged by what I saw. There would be no breaks in the rain this afternoon. In fact, the storm appeared to be worsening. But having come this far, I continued on to Heping Island GeoPark rather than skipping it. 

This is how I got my first crash course in Taiwan weather patterns. November and December are supposedly the two driest months for Taiwan. 

Heping Island GeoPark sits at the mouth to Keelung Harbor, and since it's on the eastern side of the island where most of the Pacific storms make landfall, it bears the brunt of severe weather conditions. The regular onslaught of pounding surf, lashing rain, and howling winds is what shaped this point into the ruggedly beautiful site it is today. If I had visited on one of those rare, calm days I would have been treated to a magnificent view of the coastline. 

Instead, I had some curry and roti at the on-site restaurant and bonded with the woman running the place. By 3PM I'd had enough of wet feet. I cinched up the drawstring of my "weatherproof" jacket, and prepared myself for the two-hour journey back to Taipei. 

One experience for which visitors come to Jiufen is to have tea in a teahouse. This one charges $30 for two, which includes more tea than guests can consume in a sitting. Patrons get to take home unused tea leaves.  

Shortly after noon, I paid a nominal supplement to reboard the gondola and arrived at Maokong Station. 

The name "MaoKong" translates to "cat hole". Some say this is derived from the many potholes in the area, and some say it refers to the masked palm civets that are known to inhabit the area. Whatever the origin, you will see many references to cats.

Fortified from my lunch of fruit, nuts and soft serve ice cream, I set out for what I thought would be a moderate 3 hour hike to Yinhe Cave. 

Somehow I got off the trail and found myself on a series of stairs and stone paths that just kept going up and up and UP! It was lovely, but after about an hour of this, I rechecked my GPS and found I was way off course. 

I turned around and hiked back down, counting "798, 799, 800"-- before my curiosity got the best of me. I mean...all these stairs had to go somewhere, right? I turned around again and hiked to the summit.   

The trail wove through verdant hillsides, before reaching a road. I then followed the road until I came to a large building (temple or retreat?) and a statue of the Bodhisattva Guan Yin. 

To the right of this is a waterfall-fed stream and Yinhe Cave lies just behind the waterfall. 

The trail to the cave is to the right of the stream, and when you reach the top, you'll see a building. This is a temple dedicated to Lü Dongbin, the most revered of the Eight Immortals in Taoism. This master is alternately portrayed as a scholar and a poet, and a ladies man. This gives rise to the superstition that if an unmarried couple visits Zhinan Temple, they will soon part ways. 

I started at Confucius Temple-- the first institute of learning in Taiwan. It was built in 1665 by Knoxinga's son at the recom-mendation of advisors who believed the long term prosperity of the kingdom depended upon the service of wise officials. The school/temple complex is laid out in classic Minnan Style with the school on the left and temple on the right. 

The school is now a museum, displaying a vast assortment of ceremonial artifacts, stelae and even weapons. What you won't see are idols, gold and prayers items for sale, as Confucianism focuses on personal integrity, social harmony, and filial piety.  

My favorite exhibit was a case of traditional Chinese musical instruments. Each had a number assigned to it. On the opposite wall was a series of motion sensors next to numbers which corresponded to the instruments. When you waved your hand over a sensor, it played music from the corresponding instrument. 

Continuing on with my temple tour, I happened past the City God Temple when a priest was offering a prayer. It too was fascinating. 

And then as I was becoming blurry-eyed with all the ornate temples before me and they all began to blend into one, I heard this traditional Chinese music coming from a plaza a few blocks away. I went to check it out and was instantly revived. 

My last stop in Tainan was to visit Koxinga's Shrine. Born in Japan, the eldest son of a Chinese merchant and Japanese woman, Koxinga was reared in Japan until age 7, then moved to China, given a Chinese name and educated in Confucianism. He was fiercely loyal to the Ming Dynasty and forced the Dutch out of Taiwan in 1662. 

By the time I checked in to my new hostel in Kaohsiung, I was hungry and ready to explore the nearby Liouhe night market. 

All that walking gave me an appetite for Turkish kabobs and fruit. Content, I curled up in an armchair with a cup of tea and my journal and settled in to watch the city lights below.  

What started as a fairly easy stroll on a wood-planked path, quickly transitioned to uneven stone stairs, then no stairs, then no discernable trail.

I heard choruses of birdsong as I picked my way through root-strangled limestone boulders. But alas! After two hours of hiking with no sign of monkeys I got out my Lonely Planet guidebook and discovered that I was in the wrong Shoushan park!   

The Kaosiung City Temple of Confucius was first built in 1684 when Taiwan was ruled by the Qing Dynasty. It fell into disrepair during the Japanese occupation and was rebuilt in 1976. While it is the largest Confucius Temple in Taiwan, it lacks the interesting displays of that in Tainan. You can walk through the entire grounds in about 15 minutes.

As you walk south around the western rim of Lotus Pond, you pass the Spring and Autumn Pavilions before reaching the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. 

I decided to give the Love River Bike Path a miss, choosing instead to check out the city around Formosa Station. The latter is known for its Dome of Light glass art installation, which features light shows throughout the day and has been ranked as one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world. 

All that directionless walking worked up an appetite and in a city where good meals can be had for less than $10, I have made it my mission to sample the cuisine. 

One way Taiwan keeps restaurant costs is through the use of technology. I enjoyed several meals served from conveyor belts or by robot servers at local shopping malls.  

And no matter how bustling Kaohsiung might seem, there are constant reminders that you're never far from nature. 

I had the good fortune to meet a young dentist from The Netherlands. Since I'm a nurse practitioner, we had much in common and spent the three-hour hike swapping provider stories while enjoying monkeys, scenic views, barely tea, a rain-free day, and a well-maintained wooden plank trail. 

It was mid afternoon by the time we completed the circular route of the park. Since we were right near it, we went to Longshan Temple to have a look. After an exchange of words between an elder and a young lady, we were treated to a personalized tour by the latter in English. Our impromptu guide graciously answered my every question including, what are the sticks for, and what are those half-moon pieces of wood for? 

For dinner that evening, I went to the Riufang Night market near Kaohsiung Stadium. Riufang was larger, with a greater selection of vendors offering outdoor seating. Dinner that evening was another cheap and delicious, freshly cooked stir fry. Real food for under $5, and yes, I ate the whole thing! 

Pastries, ice cream, boba and gelato were everywhere and priced from 80 cents to $2. This market even had carnival games, which you could play for prizes. 

The museum traces the origins of buddhism from its birthplace in India, then explains how it has branched into different sects over time. It pays homage to Master Hsing Yun, explaining how his mother and maternal grand-mother shaped his early life.  The museum also uses technology in displays to convey esoteric concepts from the sutras. 

When you've finished with the museum, step out back to see the largest sitting buddha in the world. At 50m this bronze image if the visual centerpiece of the museum. 

While I liked everything about Fo Guang Shan, my favorite display was encountered on the long walk up the hill toward the main shrine. The Way to Buddhahood Path is dotted with a series of stone pillars etched with Buddhist principles. There are also signs printed in English for westerners. The main shrine is decorated with 14,800 statues of Shakayamuni Buddha-- the founder of Buddhism. 

As evening approached, we checked in on the weather. Although there wasn't a whole lot of rain, the wind was ferocious. Heavy, dual-paned glass doors on the windward side of the mall now remained open by the force of the wind. 

Like the cowards that we are, we quickly darted back into the safety of the mall and began scouting out dinner spots. We enjoyed a great teppanyaki meal while getting to know the young family sitting next to us.