I was excited to visit Taiwan because it is one of the most unique countries in Asia and one of the best kept secrets. Taiwan's identity is ambiguous. They were invaded by the Dutch, Japanese, and of course China. Beijing still claims Taiwan as a part of China, although Taiwan has fought to remain autonomous. The country has just recently overcome gangster rulers and many assassination atempts on various democratic leaders.
Sandra wanted to go to Taiwan initially to visit her friend Vivian. After I researched the country, I couldn't wait to see it either. Vivian and her father picked us up at the airport and drove us to their home in Taipei. They had recently moved to a more suburban area of the city and Vivian showed us a park to look at some famous plants that only grew in this particular part of Taipei. For something so rare, there wasn't anyone around and we had the whole park to ourselves.
It just so happened that we were in Taiwan during Chinese New years. Her cousins and Grandparents arrived for dinner. It was great to be able to spend the New Year with her family and enjoy such a unique experience. Her dad and I shared a appreciation for wine and after a few glasses, a full belly, and a little jet lag I could barely keep my open.
We woke up from our nap around ten o'clock pm to the sound of firecrackers. Her family brought us to a bathouse fed by real springs of brown water. Brown is apparently the best quality because it is high in iron and other minerals. I have been to plently of bathouses in Korea, but I had never felt so refreshed after only one hour. My skin had never been so smooth and clean.
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