March 21 (Day 4)

Ridah Abbas, Emma Stark, Samantha Whitson, and Grace Philip

大家好！Hello Everyone!

Today we enjoyed a wide range of activities. We met with a former president of Taiwan, went to a traditional Arts museum, went canoeing in between rice paddies, and went to Luodong night market. 

Wake up/breakfast

After a restful night we woke up at Eslite Hotel in Taipei for another amazing breakfast. We packed up our suitcases and put them on the bus to leave for Yilan, but first we made a few stops for some special experiences.

Meeting President Ma

Our first activity today was meeting President Ma Ying-Jeou. He was president of Taiwan from 2008-2016 and worked to establish a policy of “no unification, no independence, no force” and was focused on preventing war between Taiwan and mainland China. He emphasized his commitment to peace and the people's consent of the government. We had time after his speech to ask questions. Anyone who wanted to was able to ask from policy decisions to inspiring people. President Ma had answers to all in a diplomatic way. It was an honor to get to speak with him!

Lunch @ Traditional Arts Museum

For lunch we visited a Traditional Arts and Culture Museum in Yilan. We had fish skins, jellyfish, duck, and fish as an appetizer. For entrees we ate family style and had chicken, mushroom and bok choy soup, sea bass, rice and pork, vegetables, chicken soup, and fried buns. We finished our lunch with fruit and sweet green bean cakes for dessert. It was all delicious!

Walking around the Museum 

After lunch we spent some time exploring the National Center for Traditional Arts. There were street performers and local shops with handmade items to purchase as well as a beautiful lake that made for many pretty pictures! There were many shops to explore selling candies, chinese flutes, clothing, toys, shoes, and exhibits such as the uses of charcoal. Everyone was welcoming and friendly!

Kayaking in Yilan

When we got to Yilan, we drove through the mountains through fields of rice paddies. Following a thin, dirt road we arrived at a kayak rental. We kayaked in the small canals between each of the rice paddies, about half a mile in total. There were 2 people on each boat, and the canal was about 3 meters wide. We were given waterproof pants and life jackets to wear. It was so much fun! 

LuoDong Night Market 

For dinner we went to the LuoDong night market. This market was larger and more traditional than the Raohe Street night market. We were able to try a wide variety of traditional foods, drinks, and candy. We enjoyed bubble tea, pancakes, Taiwanese burgers, and more. There were many shops to buy clothes, jewelry, and souvenirs along the way!

Night Time

Since we arrived at our new hotel, Four Points by Sheraton, at around 7:30, we still had some time to kill before curfew. About a block from the hotel was a bustling street filled with many interesting things to do. Some of us tried spicy ice cream “The Level 7 Scorpion Chilli Hunter” and went to a fish pedicure spa where fish bite and clean your feet. Other of us explored small shops and enjoyed the hot springs. It was a great way to end the night on our fourth day in Taiwan!