Sunday, February 20, 2005

Hello, I just came back from what is probably my last outing in Taiwan :(

Points of note:

- I went on a "hot springs excursion"...yes, the same kind I went on last year (okay not really, that wasn't an excursion that was just hot springs)...yes, it's the kind where you get totally naked with people you don't even know and sit in water they're also simultaneously sitting in.

- The first one we went to was a government owned one at a place called "Yang Ming Shan", which translate in to Sun something Mountain, or something. Anyway. It's free cause it's government run but it was also pretty basic. One toilet, which was kinda scungy looking, the lame squatter kind, and basic wooden cubby holes for clothing + personal items, a small exterior area and the hot-mountain-spring-water-container-thing place itself. There were old men here while I was there and they were really boring cause they were all speaking really loudly in Taiwanese, which I don't understand. Yeah. But it was kinda relaxing, especially since this weekend it's been REALLY COLD (5 degrees celsius! FOG! WIND CHILL FACTOR!).

- The second one we went to was a Japanese styled one, which was really high class and costs normally around $30 a pop in NZ (roughly NT $600) but since we bought concession tickets it was NT $400...this one was AWESOME. Black tiled hot spring pool thing, lockable lockers with personal keys attached on little spring thingies which you hold on to. (Okay that may not make sense but I know what I'm talking about >.>), two toilets, which were clean, and nice...sauna, with/without steam, exterior view of Wu-lai mountains and an exterior hot-spring area, showers (inside and outside), free bottled water, shampoo, shower gel, hairbrushes for use afterwards (steriliser machine as well), toothpaste toothbrush free facetowel and waterproof bag for you to keep, fluffy towels, free razors, shaving gel, about four mirrors upstairs (the area was multilayered)...and a really flash design. Awesome relaxation...I basically sat in that black-tiled pool and enjoyed the hot water and the really cold breeze from the window, at the same time. ah,......

I feel sorry for the cleaner guy who has to work there though cause he has to watch naked men sit in hot water all day, and stuff.

There was free tea afterwards too...and all the staff were nice and friendly, although it did get a bit creepy hearing welcome about five times in a row. When we were gonna leave this guy tried to "escort me to the car I'll drive home" o_O I don't think I look that old.

...

Yeah that was hot springs. Went to sleep at policewoman aunty's house again. You know how my aunt has a superfriends group, 10 of them? ...

There were 10 good friends in Kaohsiung, three of them moved to Taipei when they got married (policewoman, babysitter, my aunt), four still in Kaohsiung and three in Taichung (i think...)...yeah anyway two Kaohsiung ones came up to Taipei for the weekend for this excursion thing.

The two ones I met this time (I saw them when I was in Kaohsiung but I didnt really get talk to them):

Mushroom Aunty - I don't know what she does for a job but she gave dried mushrooms for me and my aunt to take back to Taipei when I was in Kaohsiung so I'm gonna call her this from now on. XD She's the "blonde" of the group, and the oldest, and there's a whole lot of really funny stories about her which I will probably tell really badly so I won't.

Bravery Aunty - She has a daughter, and she's really cool and friendly. I'm gonna call her Bravery Aunty cause my aunt says she's not like mushroom aunty and scared of being taken away by strangers or something. Yeah.

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That's it for now. I leave soon :( :( :( supersad Hi guys in Kaohsiung if you are reading, I'm still thinking of y'all!

There may be photos soon. Maybe.

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