I slept on the beach in Taidong but I didn’t make it to Green Island. I slept on the moon (the mountains called Moon World that is) and found out wild dogs live there. I’m on my way back to the North. I’m at a homestay in Suao. There’s no a/c in this joint. I’m sweating just sitting here. I’ll be back in Taipei by Sunday. I want to visit my friends in Jinshan. It’s been quite a trip. Almost there…

快樂

Day 5 is about to end. I’ll be sleeping on the beach tonight. I can pitch a tent. Who said I couldn’t? It takes less than 5 minutes. 宗庭 taught me just before I left Taipei. I’m in Taidong now. Hope to camp on Green Island tomorrow and at nighttime sit in the saltwater hot spring and take in the stars. There’s only 3 saltwater hot springs in the world.

It’s good.

Okay, maybe I’m going to leave tomorrow morning. I won’t say more than that. Today my battery did get replaced. My plan I had in my had got put down on paper (halfway). I still can’t believe the forecast says thunderstorms everyday. The thought makes me upset.

宗庭 let me borrow a tent and a sleeping bag. He said the tent is really easy to set up. One problem, I don’t have experience pitching a tent and I’m not that technical. I’ve camped before but I never had to pitch the tent myself. I’d like to say I could. I would love to camp. But having little camping experience and doing it on my own is a little much and a little scary. So, good thing I tested it on the sidewalk tonight before carrying it around the country with me and being unsuccessful on the mountain top.

I ate Burger King tonight for the second time since I’ve been in Taiwan. I had a 麻辣華堡 (Whopper with spicy Chinese sauce). Upsizing your combo here is only like 10 cents extra. But actually, I don’t feel like scarfing down a whopper or using as much sauce as I used to. I use to make a special sauce for my fries. A ketchup, mayonaise and mustard mix, sometimes I added honey. I used to be all about it in high school. My best friends’ mother was a manager at Burger King and we used to go there to eat for free.

Though I haven’t worked these past two days I haven’t got much rest. I’ve gone to sleep late both days and didn’t sleep in. It’s hard when you’re excited about something and also when you have construction going on next door. I hate jackhammers.

我把機車騎走了, 兩個多星期才回來.

I packed (打包) a lot of stuff but my backpack is amazingly light. Or maybe carrying my backpack to work and the library everyday I’ve trained for this trip already. I planned on leaving this morning but I didn’t finish packing until late last night. And now my bike is at the shop getting the battery replaced. Hopefully I can head out (出發) around lunchtime tomorrow. The weather forecast (預報) says it’s going to rain every afternoon this week on the east coast (東岸). I can’t believe that but I must head out. If I wait till next week maybe it’ll be sunny or maybe a typhoon will come. I was at Starbucks for half the day today reading my travel guide and maps (the library is closed on Mondays). I still didn’t write a plan down but I have a rough idea.I bought a 10nt straw hat (十元帽子) and my friend said I look like a farmer. I like it. It can fold up flat like a map. Only, it’s not too good in the wind. It’s a little flimsy. I hope it holds up.

In my backpack: tea container, flip flops, fan, 3 maps (East, Southern, Whole Taiwan free from the Tourism Bureau), small dictionary, snacks (instant pouridge, crackers, vitamins), wide-angle lens, extra batteries, battery charger, phone charger, old t-shirt (had since middle school, dries fast) swim trunks (double as shorts to sleep in), Petzl headlamp, Swiss army knife, lucky lighter (I don’t smoke), swim goggles, mosquito repellent, sunblock, straw hat, tissues, Bandaids & Neosporin, toiletries (no razor), water-repellent Addidas bag, detergent, clothesline & clothespins, umbrella, one short novel, extra dough, ID & atm card, int’l driver’s license and a cell phone.

In my waistpack: camera, mp3 player, wallet with cash & phone cards (IC phone card for use at payphones, int’l calling card in case I need to call home), Moleskine notebook, Siang Pure Inhaler (Menthol, Peppermint Oil, Camphor, Borneol, Eucalyptus Oil and Mineral Oil - a very useful product, good for a stuffy nose and dizziness), lens cleaner and mints.

That’s a lot of stuff. I might be gone two weeks, so everything should come in handy. I have a very light rain jacket to cover my backpack if it rains. I don’t want to wear/buy a rain suit for wearing when riding a motorcycle. If it rains hard I’m going to get wet. Maybe I should bring a towel.