Semester Break

Hi to all!! We just got back from our trip to Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand. The weather was very nice, and we saw many beautiful people and places. Our trip got off to a shaky start. We were traveling to Taiwan with our colleague, Amber. We almost did not get out of Baoding because of bad weather. The roads were closed to Beijing so the bus to the airport wasn't running. We scrambled to get train tickets to Beijing, and we stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport. We made to Taipei. What a nice city. It is very clean and friendly place. The bus and subway systems are very convenient. It was very easy to get around the city.

Here we are at the Taipei 101 building, the big landmark building in the city.

We went to one of the many night markets...

and sampled some local BBQ chicken...










People in Taipei are a lot more accustomed to seeing people from other countries, so we were not a novelty like we are in mainland China. English is more prevalent here, so language was not a big issue.

We stayed in a small, family-run hostel called the Mudan House. It was more of a B&B than a hostel. It was very nice and and comfortable. The breakfast was always great; we never went away hungry. Man Ni made sure of it.

We made time to visit the Hot Springs in the northern part of Taipei. It was a public hot spring, so it was a little crowded, but we spent about an hour sitting in the hot spring pools. Very relaxing.

Did some hiking at Yangmingshan National Park just north of Taipei. It was easy to get there, just a subway and bus ride right to the visitor center.

Lot's of trees were blooming along the trails. It was nice to be out in the fresh air enjoying a stroll in the park.

During this trip we were changing currencies every week. Marianne felt like millionaire flashing her six $1000 Taiwan dollars until I told her they were only worth $200 USD. But when you have to pay over $100 TWD for a breakfast, it goes fast.

We took a train to Hualien on the east coast of Taiwan. It's a nice beach town and home to Taroko Gorge. We did some biking and hiking there. The weather was a little overcast, but the rain held off so we were able to enjoy the day.

Here's a short video at Taroko Gorge.

After spending a week in Taiwan, we were on to Sydney. It was our first time in the Southern Hemisphere. We're big fans now. It was the end of summer there, so the kids were just getting back to school, so there weren't any crowds. The public transportation in Sydney is very convenient. Buses, subways, and ferries were all accessible and were the best way to see the city. We stayed in a hostel called WakeUp Sydney. Like other hostels, they usually cater to a younger crowd, but they were very welcoming to us, although some the the young people gave us some looks like, "You're in the wrong place, Grandpa. The old age home is down the street." No matter. We just blended in.

We ventured out and saw the sights of the city, sampling food as we went. Marianne had a knack for finding the bakeries. Here are a few highlights...

The Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge are the landmarks everyone comes to see. The waterfront area is very popular as you can imagine.

Having a glass of wine and some pizza along the harbor. So nice...










We rode the ferries all around Sydney harbor. Its a great way to see the different parts of greater Sydney. We took the Manly ferry out to Manly Beach. Its the best ferry ride in Sydney.

Great beach weather. The surf was rough on the main beach so we walked around to a little cove where people were swimming.

This is Shelley Beach. The water was chilly but very refreshing. We got a little roasted.










Here's a short video from Manly Beach. I just love that name!!

After swimming, we walked along the coast line for a while. Very beautiful. 

 We met up with a water dragon. A very friendly chap just enjoying the beautiful day like we were.

 We didn't run into any bandicoots, thank God. I would've had to pull Marianne out of the trees if we did.










So after a long day at the beach, we had a pitcher of sangria while waiting for the ferry. Its a tough life.

 Marianne tricked me into going to the Art Museum in Sydney. She said we were going somewhere that had a lot of bacon.

               I looked all over the place...no bacon.













 I'm going to end here for now. I still have New Zealand to share with y'all. Stay tuned. Kia Ora, my friends.