HOT SPRINGS YO!!!

Friday April 5^th, 2013

Beforehand my host father told me we would go to Yilan today. Yilan, a name that sounded so extremely familiar yet didn’t connect with anything in my mind. I thought perhaps it was a place I’ve heard a lot of from friends and haven’t been yet. Yilan, Yilan, what’s Yilan? Host father said some things we would see in Yilan were an orchid area and a wine place. Orchids…wine…Yilan.

OF COURSE! Why hadn’t I remembered earlier?! I went to Yilan with my temporary host family for a Rotary Club trip! There we saw a calligraphy display, greenhouse and King Car facilities. So I did indeed know and saw Yilan before, which makes today my second trip but this time with second host family.

Our first stop after driving to Yilan was the “orchid place,” otherwise referred to as a greenhouse. Predominately there was various types of orchids but other things like vegetables were there as well. A difference from my previous visit and today’s was that many sprouts had grown into blooming flowers. Last time short green sprouts of plants were the majority in the greenhouse but now it’s the opposite. Pretty flowers in bulk!

Next up was King Car Company encompassing both Kavalan Whiskey and Mr. Brown Coffee facilities. This would be the “wine place” my host father mentioned but of course the “wine” is more understandably labeled as “whiskey.” I had already seen everything but I didn’t have any problem going there a second time. King Car Company is one I support solely because of their lovely Mr. Brown Coffee stuff. And I’m sure Kavalan Whiskey is outstanding as well considering its won numerous international awards for many of its products. I wouldn’t know if it tastes good or not because as y’all know, Andrea no likey alcohol. :P

We began at this building, which contained a short movie that gives a general overview about King Car Company, its branches, manufactured goods, awards, etc. It was a nice video, very well put together.

Ran through the whiskey process making museum quickly then headed over to the other building that had whiskey tasting, quick samples (nummy coffee included) and gift shop. Only the last two options were completed by my family. So that’s about it. Oh and rain too. Yep Taiwan is still leaking up a storm throughout the day. Umbrellas were needed.

Following was pastry company called something like “R.den.” We went into the shop that was brimming with people to buy the treats. Their most famous product was like a segmented cylinder with a hole running down the middle. Various flavored sponge cakes seemed to be a hit too…because they had free samples. Remember how I experienced a mad crowd for selling “wen duan” at the market festival thing? The behavior was similar because people dived fervently into the sample boxes before each type ran out. I’m sorry but I can’t watch such a thing. It just fills me with sadness and pity to see such animal-like conduct. I much prefer lines, order and patience.

When I did get around to sampling some sponge cakes, they had flavors such as honey, green tea, and orange. Though all were tasty, orange was my personal favorite.

Host father bought both chocolate and honey(? Or vanilla?) flavors of the unique dessert. They kind of remind me of the Leaning Tower Of Pisa. XD

First was the yellow one. Cutting off a section, this round cake was soft with some small circles being even more supple and a tad moist. Quite tasty.

Second was the chocolate flavor. Also yummy with the same texture.

The wrack/method of baking these cylinder cakes

While taste testing each cake, we had small paper cups of coffee that was provided for free (after waiting through an extensive line to get). I drank only two, quite a small amount but still managed to get my stomach upset. That hasn’t happened in a while, getting a stomachache over coffee. It’s because coffee doesn’t mix well at all on an empty stomach for me. Noon came upon us but we couldn’t get lunch yet until we completed our Yilan visit list.

“Beneficial Microbes Museum” was next up, a lacking place. No museum or things to look at so we literally came and left within five minutes.

The final Yilan location was another specialty store, this one based on what I think is citrus fruit. They had samples of some (dried?) fruits out but sadly I didn’t like any. I believe all were Chinese fruits, sometimes used as Chinese medicines, but the flavors were too strong and too citrusy for my tastes. But that’s just me and I’m sure other people would find them good.

Driving from Yilan to a new location, we finally got lunch placed in front of us at 1:50. Thank goodness! The noodles did my stomach a world of good by balancing out the emptiness/coffee combo pain with actual solid food. It gratefully relieved the tummy ache. My dish was seafood ramen with ingredients like corn, mushroom, shrimp, oyster, egg and more. Really yummy, really satisfying.

Host father educated me in this town’s characteristics. Its name is “Jiaoxi” and is notorious for being occupied with hotels and hot springs. Well-known foods available as gifts here included things with green onion (scallion), kumquat and cow tongue cookies. Since it is a holiday, many people and cars filled the town.

As the main attraction of Jiaoxi, my host family primarily came here for the hot spring experience. The hotel we went to is labeled ‘Chuang-Tang Spring Spa Hotel’ and bought a pass to visit its hot springs. It began with entering a small area to remove shoes and socks and place them on a provided rack. At first I was super uncomfortable with this because having bare feet on a tile floor that has been stepped upon by numerous barefoot people left me squirming with the paranoia of foot fungus. I’ve had it before, it sucked and I didn’t want it again. So not the best first impressions.

Changed into swimsuit and headed into the spring area, all being man-made and not natural. I followed host mother to a pool and sauna area that reminded me of a water park rather than a hot spring because of so many people and the fact that there was a water playground for kids. The water at the pool-like area was warm (not hot) and the water jets were pretty weak. I did have fun with the sauna because going from a long sit in a 60°C wood sauna to a 10°C pool was intense. XD But that area was only the beginning…the dull beginning.

Afterwards I was led to the AWESOME part! This was where my mind was blown! There were various small round hot springs each containing a different color and substance (I’ll touch more on that later), scented saunas, and a snoozle area. But first I shall tell of the fishy pool.

The oh-so-fantastic fishy pool! I’m sure you’ve heard of fish that eat the dead skin on your feet right? …teehee. So have I but it was my first time to encounter it first-hand today! A small semi-circular pool that could seat about 10-15 people along its edge had multitudes of little fish ranging in length from 1-2 inches with even a few really large ones. Some fish were seemingly full and just chilled in a far corner. For those who were hungry…ATTACK HUMAN’S FEET TIME! >:D They came few in number as well as in SWARMS! One time I could have two nibbling away while others amounted to around twenty!

At first when I dipped my feet inside even a few hungry fish were winning hefty giggles from me. I tried so hard not to laugh but I just couldn’t help it. When more fish came to my feet, I was biting down, covering mouth, squeezing arms together, etc. all unsuccessfully muting bubbly laughter. Apart from that, my feet would also randomly twitch despite my best efforts to stay still for my little clients. Several minutes passed of this seemingly torture of tickles and twitches until it set into my system and I became desensitized to it. Then it was just staring with fascination at all the life forms munching on my feet. Weird thought huh, being eaten alive in a sense. XD Being eaten was like getting scores of pecks, pokes and kisses all over. It was actually a lot of fun and felt so cool! And I’ve been wanting a PedEgg lately (if you understand that reference) and hoped that my underwater friends would help with that condition. Turns out my feet did indeed visually have less dead skin afterwards making the skin smoother. That’s awesome! If I ever were to get fish as a pet, this type would be my choice! Heck it should be cheaper to own since you feed them by getting a personal spa. ;D

Taking my feet out of being a buffet, my host parents led me over to the area with differently colored circle pools. First we dipped into a sickly-looking yellow one, which they said was sulfur or something along those lines. The signs were in all Chinese characters and I obviously don’t know mineral names in Chinese. It felt like a normal hot tub just with murky yellow water instead. While sitting in here, I had a quick oh-gosh-that-can’t-be-true moment. Passing by the pool were two foreigner guys, one with long blonde hair and European facial structure. I was prepared to flip out if he ended up being my Dutch husband. But after three seconds, I realized he wasn’t and calmed down. Bringing my shock to the conversation among my host parents, I related that I thought he was my “friend” but was mistaken. They found the humor in it and seemed like they wanted to talk with him.

Then my host mother left and soon after came back ready to introduce the foreigner guy. He was German named Max in Taiwan for a semester of engineering studies at college and currently on a short vacation with other foreigners that somehow came together through some program. His long blonde hair was actually blonde dreadlocks that were outstanding. We made acquaintances and connected very easily, language not being a barrier because his English was great (Chinese not so much :P). Pleasant conversation ensued and funny moments unfolded like when an employee made Max put on a tight blue swimming cap that with his thick dreadlocks had the appearance of Megamind. XD

FYI, swimming caps are required at pools in Taiwan and truthfully I’m not a fan of them. I prefer my American swim team plastic whatnot material one instead of a fabric based one. So far I’ve only come across really baggy ones or really tight ones in Taiwan, neither being comfortable. I won’t miss wearing them when back in America. ;P

Other than the German, I meet several other people in the same vacation get-together-thingie-ma-whats-it who were all in their 20’s. One was South African, one French, a couple Taiwanese and three of Americans from different states. We spoke in 100% English because they didn’t necessarily know Chinese. Wow, even talking with Braden’s family in English yesterday, I still spoke Chinese with my host family. The time with these foreigners was entirely comprised of English. What a strange feeling! But wonderful at the same time! I say that because I could clearly explain my thoughts without struggling with Chinese words and grammar. Plus it’s hard to patently explain things like feelings in Chinese because it lacks the diversity of distinct words that English has. So I was having a blast being reminded I can converse intelligently on a higher level of speaking! ^_^

All of my new buddies were super friendly and we enjoyed each other’s company immensely. We talked about our time in Taiwan, culture, etc. An observation brought up among us was the people at this hot spring. The majority of people could be divided in three groups, adults, children and foreigners. It seemed like we were the only young adults. Furthermore we noticed that this public area didn’t exactly have many swimsuit models despite the Asian stereotype of being stick-thin skinny. All harmless remarks of course with no meaning behind them.

To my new friends, I felt slightly indebted to them just from their kind comments about myself. I explained what a Rotary Youth Exchange was, a program for total culture submergence and language learning. A.K.A. to be an ambassador. Immediately they pointed out I did strike them very much as an ambassador that represented American extremely well. Such a small remark but it gave me a bucket load of gratefulness to be told I’m accomplishing my purpose and year-long dedication with flying colors. A little encouragement like that is needed every once in a while to reinforce a person. Later weight was brought up and I told them how some Taiwanese said I noticeably gained. The slim foreigners countered with saying I was nowhere near being fat. I strike them as an ambassador and as non-pudgy? I felt like hugging every single one of them. XD

All of us talked while soaking in several different types of hot spring. There were various colors of water ranging from blue, green, yellow, red and white. Each had their own unique ingredient such as sulfur, rose, milk and several more. From the perspective of colors, blue was the most fun because your skin looked like it transformed into the Navi from ‘Avatar.’ Seeing my legs all blue was strangely beautiful and I couldn’t help but stare for a while. XD The red (rose water) was also a blast because everyone seemed to turn into vampires, soaking in thin blood. XD My favorite by far was milk because of the eccentricity, feel and smell. I’m not sure but I assumed that milk would do wonders for the skin. I wonder what benefits lay within each hot spring type. Interesting research for later! ;D

The small square scented saunas were quite pleasant as well. In total there were four variations: mint, lemon, rose and Chinese medicine. Unfortunately the Chinese medicine one didn’t seem to be working properly so I can’t give my opinion over it. But for the rest, all were fantastic! Each smelled lovely and felt good. Mint though dominated by far as the absolute best for two reasons. First, it was the steamiest sauna, so steamy that you could barely distinguish a person five feet away from you. It did a great job of being hot enough for a true sauna. Second, the mint scent was the strongest and most potent. Right as you entered, the smell laid a powerful blow that travelled up your nose. Oh it was brilliant! I inhaled long breaths to get the lovely aroma as deep as possible in my lungs. My sinuses were crystal clear from the robust fragrance. It was like a hot, steamy version of closely sniffing an Icy-Hot-Patch. Fantastic stuff! Exiting the sauna, my skin felt super fresh and crispy. I don’t know the science behind it but I can best describe my skin as literally feeling minty. And I love mint! BEST SAUNA EVER! LOVE! :D

All my new buds left at one point for their next destination. Before that, Max got my Facebook so they could get in contact with me. When we bid each other farewell he did something that proved Taiwan has influenced my reactions. As a friendly goodbye jester, he simply and lightly touched my side for less than a second, almost as if patting a friend on the shoulder. Remember in America I’m a hugger yet in Taiwan that behavior isn’t commonly accepted because there is very little touching even among friends. Yet there’s solid proof I’ve adapted to that barrier because Max’s quick, light touch flew up a red flag in my mind and stunned me for a bit. I’m Taiwanese in that sense but I’ll fix that once back in America. ;) Hug me senseless! ;P

Something random but cool to see were people emerging from hot springs with steamy skin from the change of temperature. The smoke coming off from them looked like something straight out of a movie. XD

The final station at the hot spring was a nap zone that my host parents led me to. Naps? Heck yes I’ll go for one! Its characteristics were outlandish but very simple. Just a warm, smooth stone floor with a wood headrest. Not the most comfortable conditions but still found some nice rest. :)

Whilst my host parents were still sleeping, I did some rounds of my top three favorite places, fishy pond, milk hot spring and mint scented sauna. In total, I visited each of those places about three times today because they were just that delightful! I have got to find these in America! Not only are they relaxing but each station had wonderful effects. Now my feet are smoother with less dead skin, my sinuses are clear as a bell and skin silky soft. This hot spring experience was extraordinary! It earns a spot among my favorite Taiwanese trip list. ^_^ (NK101 is still #1 though!)

Wrapping up our time there was a fast rinse down, drying swimsuits in a machine and then sitting in a vanity area for blow-drying hair and using free Q-tips. Fun fact, I’ve never had to buy Q-tips in Taiwan because I just take some from such spa areas (mostly in Bali). I save, what, the equivalent of a US buck? XD Still, a buck’s a buck. ;)

All of us exited the hotel at 7:45 when the sky was dark and still down pouring. While waiting for host mother to get the car, I asked host father if we could buy some water because I was PARCHED from not drinking water all day and spending hours in a hot spring. Andrea was very dehydrated. I know they don’t like to buy water at convenient stores (they bring bottles from the house) but I just had to ask. A purchase of a large bottle of water later and Andrea was in cold refreshment heaven. It was rapidly chugged easily and eagerly. XD Gosh, water is so fantastic!

My feelings, once settled in the car and evaluated, can be summed up with James Brown’s famed song of “I Feel Good!” Man that hot spring just did a wonder of good! So rejuvenating! The unsuspected meeting of charming foreigners with enjoyable chat was also restoring. If and when I come back to Taiwan, I so want to revisit Jiaoxi’s Chuang-Tang Spring Spa Hotel! :D

Even with terrible traffic that followed, my mood couldn’t be dampened especially when silently rocking out with my iPod. ;P Just like lunch, our evening meal was quite late. We arrived at a restaurant at 9:25 and the people still served us though extremely close to their closing time. This place didn’t have a rotating table but it was in the Taiwanese style where you share the food with your tablemates as if it was a rotating table. Let’s get to the food shall we?

Chicken seemed to be this restaurant’s primary dish. Inflated chicken balloons dangled above each table, the big menu item was chicken, every customer had a big saucer of duck, etc. It comes out as a whole bird and one person must put on provided white gloves with another layer of plastic sanitary gloves to pull apart the meat. I’m not sure if the chicken was supposed to be like this but it was really tough and easily got stuck in between my teeth with very bite. It was ok but I would’ve liked softer meat better.

Green onion dish. My favorite amongst all six ordered.

Duck blood. Haven’t been a fan before and still am not from trying it tonight. Just not my cup of tea.

Host father said these are the leaves of sweet potatoes. Not bad stuff.

I think this is chicken heart soup? …??? Maybe? Another ok dish.

Another veggie based dish. Not bad.

Since it was so late at night and not being hungry, I ate very little and kept a light stomach. A final hour of driving and we were back in Taipei. It’s been a full day alright! Add in writing Taffys and the day’s cup is definitely full! Time for some snoozle to prepare for tomorrow’s adventure! Good night all! ^_^