What is a monsoon?

So just a quick update.

It's been raining pretty much constantly here in Taiwan. We're in the middle of a pretty heavy monsoon, I guess.

We thought it was going to be terrible weather last Sunday so we canceled our second trip to Fulong for our diving session. Of course, then the weather turned out to be amazing. We didn't know until it was too late to head out there and be productive though.

Are you a good driver?

OK, I've been trying to get around to writing for a few days now, but I've just been so busy.

The extra work was enough to keep me going all day, but add in having a bunch of extra foreigners around and you can understand why I haven't been able to find much of a free moment.

I'll just give you the basic highlights of the past few days plus a lengthy description of Sunday.

Did that sign say Little People Country?

Today was an absolutely glorious day. We definitely made the best of our only day off.

I slept in but not too late. Then, after a quick trip to Carrefour and waiting to get everyone together, a huge group of us motor-packed to Xiao Wulai, which means "small beautiful place." There's a larger waterfall just called "Wulai".

It was such a beautiful drive. Hot though.

I had an exciting "Hey, I could read that," moment. As we were turning onto the road that goes up the mountain, I saw a sign in Chinese that said "Xiao Ren Guo," which means "Little People Country." I later found out there is a place up there that is basically a model diagram of Taoyuan, little people and all.


After getting there covered in sweat, we were met with this beautiful view.


We hiked down to the base of the waterfall and went swimming in the little water hole that's formed by all of the rocks.


It was a little cold at first but we adjusted very quickly. Next thing I knew, we had been in the water for almost an hour and a half.


We spent the next hour and a half just laying around on the rocks, listening to the water and chatting. It was so relaxing.

The only bad part about today was the fact that we were on scooters. A long drive on the back of a scooter (I was on Tess') is so exhausting. My legs hurt so much because I just kept clenching all the muscles in my abs and my legs.

Great two-hour workout though.


And especially with a view like this.

After we got back and all cleaned up, Megan, Tess and I went for a foot massage. They actually spend liek 10-15 minutes on your neck and shoulders and then the rest of the time on your feet and legs. It was a shiatsu massage.

It hurt.

The guy doing my massage found this really bad knot in my left shoulder and harped on that for a good five minutes. I don't really think it did much for it. Then while we was massaging my feet he would dig in now and then to see how it felt.

Apparently foreigners have a lower tolerance for pain. After that massage, I believe that's true because all the other people in the massage place weren't even flinching when they dug into their feet with their boney knuckles.

It was also really funny because at the end of the massage they put a towel over your leg, pull up your leg, put it in their lap and then beat on it like a drum. It sounds like this crazy music because they actually do it with a lot of rhythm.

It was a really "That's so Asia" experience, but I feel so much better now.