Refuge

Down a long winding road. In the mountains. Into an unmarked entrance. Thru a squeaky gate. Along a dark slippery path. A river easing its way down the mountain on one side, an vacant unlit hotel on the other. Unknown shadows rising above us in all directions. Deep bass thumps echoing out of a run-down building. Where the heck am I?

On Friday I got my first big kid paycheck. If I were to make the same amount of money back in the states, I would be poor. But not here. Foreign teachers have salaries comparable to doctors and lawyers. I should be out in some fancy shopping mall, blowing my money on things I don’t need. So how did I end up in this place…I don’t really know.

Smoke in the air. Colorful wallpaper crumbling off of the wall. A makeshift bar, with drinks that I decided I should pass on. Everyone seemed like they knew each other. In this public place, everyone was close friends. I still have no clue where I am or what is going on.

A Taiwanese band. A girl doing a dance routine to a song from Chicago. Dj’s playing songs that have no beginning or end. Outside, an abandoned amusement park. What is going on? I truly have never been to or imagined a place like this exists. I couldn’t decide if I like this place or want to leave asap.

This place, they call “The Refuge”. It used to be an amusement park. Its abandoned now. They have events here called Lovestock (aka hippie fest) and is used as a bar on weekend nights. If you asked the Taiwanese government, Im sure they would say this place does not exists. After a late late night of dancing to some really bizarre music, I decided it’s places like these that make living in this country fun. Things that would be deemed a safety risk in America are the local hangout.

Okay so I lied about this weeks title being “the life of a celeb”. But I went somewhere very……unique, so I had to write about it. Maybe some other week.

Weird stuff I ate this week: Squid ink break, banana like fruit I found in the jungle, some crazy fruit that tasted like coconut and pine trees(idk the name), and fried quail eggs on a stick.

I do not have to work until 4 on Tuesdays, so we scooted to Dakeng scenic area and hiked up some foothills. Next weekend we are traveling to the other side of the island to whitewater raft.

Here are some random pictures from this last week.

View of Taichung from the hill/mountain

Amy, Sarah, and Chris

A mountain temple

Would not suggest eating this, very bitter.

The crew

Cool view of Taichung. The city goes on forever. I live on the very left of the picture.

I took a bunch of pictures of the steps to try and show how steep they are, didn't work. Wouldnt want to fall down them, thats for sure.

Some lizard who wasn't scared of people.

The spider was as big as my hand.

Squid ink bread. Pretty darn tasty