Xinzhu- Beipu Hot Springs

We got to go up into the Beipu mountains and play in this awesome hot-cold spring resort. They had a pool and about 8 different springs all at different temperatures so you can hop from a hot to a cold spring. It was beautifully nestled in the lush mountains- you couldn't even see any other buildings or road. It was dreamy.


The pool- it was a straight edge that just looked like it ran into the forest.

Spas in the evening

Last night here :'(
We are really going to miss all the wonderful food, friends, and fun. Here's one of Rick's friends, Thomas, visiting.


Our wonderful hosts- the Wang family

Xinzhu- Sanyi & Sushi

We're here in our last stop- Xinzhu. We went out to a town called Sanyi where the main street is just all stores of hand-carved statues and other woodworks. It was amazing the talent that these people have.


This was a dragon that was about 10 feet long

I just thought this little piggy was soo happy and cute

Rick's hero, Damo, the kung-fu kicking missionary that took Buddhism to China

This one carved piece was as big as a wall in a normal house


The family we're staying with have been wonderful and took us out to sushi- the chefs are crazy busy and just put the sushi on the conver belt and you just chose the one you want when it passes


Much fresher than Utah


They charge per plate- um... let's just say we were impressive


The Wang Family


City center at night- this is the ancient city gate


We spent the rest of the evening doing what I do best- shopping! So many shoes, purses, and clothes, oh my.


This is a drug store here that I had to take a picture of for my grandma watson- she's famous here!

Xinzhu- Neiwan

Neiwan is a beautiful bamboo forrest up in the north-western mountains. We went hiking for the morning there and had a lot of fun. It was in the 90's and like 80% humidity in the mountains. It felt like walking through a pool- I've never sweat so much in my life. Fun though ;)

These are some huge pommelo's growing in the trees on the way up. They were about the size of your head- no exaggerating.

What a view


A little pagoda in the middle of the woods. Apparently most Asian's aren't the "outdoors" type- so we were totally alone on this hike.




Some poorly focused pictures of us pretending to be pandas and hang on the bamboo.

Dali- National Science Museum

We got to go out to the Taiwan National Science Museum- it was huge and had tons of stuff about Chinese technology and science. It was all very interesting to see the different take on some things here in Taiwan.

Rick doing a 3-D tai-chi lesson

They had large replicas of tiny things- here is Rick cowering in the presence of a giant bacteriophage

Rick posing with some life size DNA- oh, his little science heart was so happy

The dinosaur part was so cool with real size animatronic replicas- here's Rick showing little brother


Some crazy kung-fu looking dinosaur bird


Lisa getting back to here roots


Apparently Rick is the next step in evolution- scary thought, huh.


The Shi's were so kind in helping us we offered to take them out to lunch. The kids got to pick where- yea, McDonalds ;) Ironic that the only time Rick and I have ever eaten at McDonalds in our whole marriage is in another country.


Ancient Chinese astronomical chart


This is a silk loom- it is huge two person operation- who knew?


The first water wheel- man powered- this guy must have strong calves.

Some traditional clothes


Don't we look pretty




Visiting the mission office


Us with our huge backpacks- as if we don't stand out enough here, these backpacks are the icing on the cake.

Dali- 912 Earthquake Memorial

Dali is a great little place and the families here are even better. The Shi (pronounced 'sure') family and Ke Mama are some of Rick's old friends and have bent over backwards to make us feel loved. They have fed and driven us around all day and we love them!


We went to the memorial for a huge earthquake that occurred in Taiwan on 9/12/1999. The fault line went right through this school and was made into a memorial. It was pretty intense looking.

The fault line moved 1 meter horizontal and 4 meters vertical- that is a lot!!!! In the picture below you can see me next to the fault line for an idea of how big that is.

Of course we are being stared at and bombarded as usual- here was a group of students who wanted a picture with a white person. Their teacher was really nice and even wanted Rick to come work for him- haha.


The whole school was just demolished by this earthquake. The neat thing is though that Taiwan really learned from the earthquake and about half the museum was about all the structural improvements the country has made to be safer in the future.