Frolicking in Formosa




Sometimes there are little signs that tell you that you are in the right place...was it the smile that wouldn’t leave my face as I was riding my scooter up highway 2, north of Keelung.. the cliffs on one side with lush tropical growth and the East China Sea on the other , the breathtaking beauty making it difficult to watch the road ,occasional beaches beaches enticing me to cool off, and the intoxicating freedom of the road sending me in search of new vista’s ....
its possible that todays search for adventure bringing me to the quaint hillside town of Jiofen, an old gold mining village, with its tea shops and view of the ocean from a high vantage point, temples on the hillside and many intriguing places to explore making it difficult to leave and only the threat of an oncoming typhoon getting me back on the scooter for the gorgeous ride back to Keelung , knowing that I will return soon, is an indicator of how great an appeal this place has...
or was it the fascinating characters I was lucky enough to meet at Bobwundaye’s in Taipei , Mark, the poet/stand up comic, most likely the only englishman making a living as a standup comic in Chinese...Angel, the philosophy masters student fronting what has to be the only balkan band in Taiwan.. Aashti, from Macedonia and amazingly ,we happened to know many people in common...Xiao Z Lin , a nice jazz drummer , and many more....
perhaps it was the early morning encounters.. chanting in a Buddhist temple at 6 am with 25 monks , the incense and gongs providing a exotic flavor, the rhythms of the chant resonating in the great hall , the beautiful script of the book I was given lending a sense of the artistic to the procedings and the standing invitation to return daily providing a deep sense of welcome to a new land and culture..
it could have been the applause of the tai chi group I randomly joined on another of my runs, again with an invitation to return daily , the location brilliant... a hilltop temple with a large statue of Buddha , that you can climb inside of and literally , “get inside the head of the Buddha” on the other side a view of the harbor, it really is hard to imagine a better spot to practice tai chi!
To share these experiences with an amazing group of fellow travelers, the dancers and musicians of Vinok- Katie, Leanne, Taisa , Colin , Ashly, Don and Bram, has really been a great pleasure... thank you so much...looking forward to 2 more weeks of adventure and fun!