Flattered, of course I accepted.  Though I was nervous and feel like I sounded kinda valley-girlish during the whole thing (hey, it was late at night!), the interview was fun.  Note: I do not have blue eyes!

You can hear the full interview here.

Tune into Taiwan Today as Natalie Tso interviews writer Rhonda Mix. Her blog Bamboo Butterfly was voted one of the most popular personal blogs in Taiwan of 2011. Mix shares about killing giant spiders (ie the Huntsman Spider pictured), dating and making friends as a conspicuous blond-haired woman, and other memorable aspects of her journey in Taiwan. –Radio Taiwan International

Typical market with scooterists

Walking, in general, is a very dangerous activity in the country, especially when most of the time you’re forced to walk in the street alongside crazed scooterists, cars, elderly people on bicycles, food vendor carts, and enraged little blue trucks whose sole purpose in life seems to be to run everyone else off the road. People in general do not look when backing up. You could get run over at any given time. People don’t look when changing lanes. In fact, it’s a rule that most drivers in Taiwan only pay attention to what’s directly in front of their eyes, and *occasionally* what’s coming from the sides if necessary.

The most popular mode of transportation on the island is scooter, most likely due to the fact that the country is densely populated and the roads are already clogged to the brim with cars. On any given morning in locales around Taiwan, hordes of scooterists descend on the cities, weaving in and out of traffic and driving other motorists, especially taxi drivers, to the point of madness. Even in Puli, a small mountain city with a population of a mere 80,000 people, scooters remain the kings of the road.

Parking lot in Taiwan

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is exempt from being carted around on a scooter. During the time I spent in the country some of the strange scooter sights I witnessed included a couple driving with a full-grown pig sitting upright in the middle of the seat,  the woman lovingly patting its head; a woman driving with two gigantic sheepdogs stacked on top of each other; numerous babies standing up on mommy or daddy’s lap sans helmet, families of five or more heading out for a joyride on a 100cc; people carrying all means of furniture; barefooted and helmet-less drivers (esp. in the countryside),  and people sitting on bamboo chairs on top of their vehicles, just to name a few.

© The Real Taiwan

After about 6 months in Taiwan, I finally got up the nerve to get on the scooter I’d bought several months earlier. The scooter I was terrified of driving. Living in Hsinchu at that time, it wasn’t exactly the best place to learn how to drive. I’d practice at night, mostly around 2 in the morning, when I’d be least likely to run over a helpless pedestrian. Or get stopped by a police officer.

My first scooter, driving practice

My brother came to visit that first spring and we completed a scooter trip around Taroko Gorge. After that adventurous experience, I felt much more confident on the road.

Taroko Gorge, my brother and his girlfriend

bridge at Taroko Gorge

My second year in Taiwan, I bought a new scooter in Hsincu (a city in Northwestern Taiwan) and drove it back to Puli (my new home in Central Taiwan) at 4 in the morning. The journey was supposed to take seven hours but I got home in five and a half. I’ll never forget that trip, my experience with the Hsinchu police department (trying to ask for directions in Chinese while they kept saying “crazy foreigner” because even most locals wouldn’t drive a scooter that far), how it felt to have nothing more to go by than map written in Chinese, the cool damp mountain wind at my back, lashing against my face, as I journeyed along a mysterious winding road into the great unknown. I’ll never forget the scenery, the towns, the people I passed along the way.

© Rhonda Mix, highway in central Taiwan

© Rhonda Mix, empty road

Another time  I drove to the top of Hehuan mountain near Puli, the highest passable driving point in Taiwan. The journey took about 3.5 hours and though it doesn’t seem like much, the road to the top is precarious, with countless narrow turns. There’s always the risk of furious street dogs running out from nowhere, chasing you down, sending you plummeting to your death.

© Rhonda Mix, winding road Hehuan Mountain

At the top of Hehuan I was rewarded with one of the most beautiful views I’d ever seen, and a sense of newfound strength.

It wasn’t long before I became one of those people driving about with strange cargo. Or weaving between the cars.

Doing laundry with my old scooter

How I'd go shopping in Puli

The ironic thing is, that after living in the country for awhile, you begin to see that there’s a flow to the system. The people make it work. As crazy as it seems, I felt safer driving in Taiwan than I have back home in the Chicago suburbs. There’s a synchronized dance at work behind the chaos.

And a wild, fulfilling freedom that belongs only to Taiwan.

© Rhonda Mix, road in Hualien, Taiwan

© Rhonda Mix, rental scooter in Hualien

I want to drive in Taiwan!

Do you have to have your Taiwanese driver’s license to get a scooter?

No. Anyone can purchase a scooter in Taiwan. However, it’s not legal to drive a scooter without a TW driver’s license. With that being said, most foreigners in Taiwan still drive illegally, without a license. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a foreigner who had a license. My previous boss has lived in the country for about 20 years and still didn’t have a license.

While it may seem like foreigners are taking advantage of the system, the truth is, it’s not that easy  to obtain a license in Taiwan.  My boss said they failed him all three times he took the test.

In fact, many locals do not have their driver’s licenses.

With all that being said, I would suggest still making an attempt to take the test, get insurance, etc.

Isn’t this dangerous, driving without a license in a foreign country?

Yes, but so is walking down the street. As horrible as it sounds, most foreigners know that if they’re ever pulled over by a police officer they’ll get off free. Many Taiwanese police officers either let foreigners go or give up quickly when said foreigner pretends to not understand Chinese. This doesn’t mean such behavior is ethical, but these are the facts.

However…

If you are in a driving accident, it will be your fault no matter what, because you are the foreigner. And be prepared to pay hefty legal and medical fines.

Driving in Taiwan CAN be very dangerous.  There are some places that I wouldn’t drive, such as the heart of Taipei.  I know many foreigners who would disagree with me but if you want to drive in Taipei be prepared to deal with this:

hordes of motorists in Taipei

Driving a scooter in Taipei is not necessary as the city has a fantastic public transportation system put in place.  The MRT and a network of city buses can take you anywhere you want to go.

Driving in Taiwan can be a nerve-wracking experience but once you catch onto it, your life there will never be the same again.  I think of all the experiences I had driving out in the country, the reflections, seeing Taiwan from an entirely new perspective.  I learned a lot during those road trips and those moments connected me that much more with the country and the culture.

Proceed with  caution.  But do proceed.

I remember my first weeks trying to cross streets in Sanxia, Taiwan. Cars and scooters whizzed by, the drivers ignoring the traffic lights and every single rule I’d learned in drivers ed. Pedestrians have the right of way? Not unless said pedestrian wants to be smushed in the middle of the road like a flattened cockroach. After about ten minutes, I managed to get across the street, running for my life and thinking I’d never seen such crazy drivers before. But as the months went on, I caught onto the flow and even found myself slowly becoming one of those misfit drivers. And I discovered that in their world, such flow was the norm.

Being back in the Chicagoland area I see that cars continue to whiz by haphazardly, but in this case, the drivers seem angry, rushed, ready to fight anyone that gets in their path. Two worlds, rushing cars, different reasons.

Are our worlds really that far removed? A taxi, tuktuk, or tricycle driver in Taiwan, Thailand, or the Philippines may weave in an out of traffic as if he or she is about to fulfill a death wish, yet, is a cab driver in Chicago or New York much different?

But there are differences.

You see the things you take for granted. Quick medical care. A proper bed. Your personal space. When you’re being pushed forward in a crowd of a million people, shoved into an MRT car where you’re squeezed tightly with the endless staring faces, forced together like sardines in a can, strangers breathing in your face, sometimes brushing up uncomfortably against your body. This is just another day of movement, of life in another world.

But you get used to it. And some days, you fall asleep on that MRT. Under the watchful gaze of an elderly woman’s inquisitive eyes, opposite a pointing child, drifting away to the lullaby of strangely soothing foreign voices.

And you learn how blind you’ve been and how spoiled your home country can be. How many back  in the land of grand and broken dreams live lives of extreme excess.

There’s something about the way life flows from country to country.

Orchid Island

One of the most beautiful islands, Orchid Island is home to turquoise waters and the Yami aborigines.  Here visitors will find people that still try to hold into traditional ways (some will even be sporting loincloths) despite the pressure from the outside world that’s plagued them for years.  Access to the island is available only by sea or air.  Visitors can get around the island via scooter rental.  Activities include taking in the maginficient scenery, diving, snorkeling, and learning more about the aboriginal peoples who live on the island.

Want a weekend getaway to Orchid Island?  Contact Green Island Adventures.

Packages vary but even the most basic includes pick-up from ferry, lodging, breakfast, scooter rental, and snorkeling.

Green Island

Accessible by airplane and ferry, Green Island is best known for superb diving and its political history.  Once upon a time it served as a place of exile for political prisoners when Taiwan was under martial law.  The Green Island Prison once held up to 2,000 political prisoners at one time.  Green Island is home to deer, goats, chameleons, giant bats, and coconut crabs.

Do you want to learn more?  Please contact Green Island Adventures for package information.

Penghu Island

Probably the most popular island destination in Taiwan, the Penghu Island archipelago actually is made up of 64 islands in total!  Many small towns and fishing villages can be found throughout the chain of islands.  The largest island, dubbed Penghu, is no doubt the most frequently visited.  The islands are known for beautiful beaches, some of the oldest temples in Taiwan, and traditional Chinese-style homes with walls made from coral.  A perfect vacation spot in the summer, the islands also draw crowds in the winter and spring–particulary those with a love of windsurfing.

How to get there: by boat or air.  To island hop, boating is your best bet.  For more information on tours and getting around, please visit the Penghu Islands site.

Are you interested in other exotic getaways? Check out costa rican vacation packages  or  these great vacation tours.

As a foreigner, I myself grew to love ordering from these small restaurants and street vendors. Despite the fact that I once saw a large, bulbous rat eating out of a wok at one of my favorite egg fried rice places. A sad day that was! I never had the courage to return to that rice stand again.

The choices of street food are endless. Not all street food is fried and slathered in oil (or munched on by rats). From steamed buns, to endless noodle and tofu shops, to bustling night markets full of wonderous and exotic fare, you will not go hungry in Taiwan. For my vegetarian friends out there, you’ll find culinary Nirvana in the country. Local vegetarian restaurants and street vendors abound, offering numerous tasty meatless options. It’s in these shops you’ll often find the Buddhist monks gathering.  I visited places such as this about 3 times per week.

Though farming space is condensed in the country and there’s the risk of factory run-off flowing into crops– in addition to potential pesticide use, in general I do believe one can live off street food in Taiwan and still retain more optimum health than many people in the United States. Living off street food and fare from local vegetarian restaurants, I lost around 20 pounds. In addition to that, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels dropped significantly and I felt less sluggish.

Unlike the US, alot of the food in Taiwan is made using fresh ingredients from local farmers. In the United States, most ingredients are made by food manufacturing companies.

Certain forms of cancer are almost obsolete in Taiwan as well as other parts of Asia. Diet of course has a big role to play in this. To live longer, healthier lives perhaps we should all learn something about proper eating habits from our brothers and sisters in the Far East.  Living in Taiwan has definitely  altered my way of looking at and eating food forever.

Personally I enjoyed teaching the younger students. They’re generally happy to see you and act excited about the smallest things, like getting a happy face next to their names on the whiteboard. The older classes can be fun as well (with the older students expect to get a lot of questions about your dating life/lack thereof or anything else they can come up with to avoid talking about subjects such as passive voice). I did find the Jr. High kids harder to teach than the younger students, though the older the student in Taiwan, the more intense his/her Chinese school schedule is so this might explain why the older kids aren’t exactly thrilled to be sitting in English class at the end of the day.

Some schools in the country will treat you like a dancing monkey; you’re there for entertainment and to make the parents happy. Upon arrival in Taiwan, I worked for a school like this for a very short time before finding a great job in Hsinchu, where I stayed one year. My second year, I was also blessed to work at another wonderful school where they treated me like an actual teacher. Some foreigners prefer to be the dancing monkey–less responsibility. However, I liked feeling like a “real” teacher even if I didn’t really know what I was doing a lot of the time.

Parents expect their kids to learn from the teacher and if the kids aren’t learning, the teacher is probably doing something wrong. However, equal responsibility is placed on the student, something I find lacking in the United States. In Taiwan students are expected to listen to the teacher no matter if they want to be there or not. Education is highly valued.  Many Taiwanese parents also take more responsibility for their children and make sure the children are doing what they are supposed to do.

Teaching ideas for younger students

I believe the younger kids are the easiest to teach.  Lots of people wonder how one can teach English to a bunch of children who don’t know a single English word but for the most part, it’s not that difficult. My second year in Taiwan my kids came in knowing ZERO English and by the end of the year they were sending me text messages and reading short stories. It’s awesome seeing how fast they catch on.

Here are some ideas:

-Give them English names if they don’t have them already.  Everyday write their names on the whiteboard.  This is useful for delegating black or blue smiley faces next to their names as rewards (four happy faces meant a sticker on the sticker chart, ten stickers meant a prize from the bookstore) and also red sad faces for behavioral problems.  When we came to the unit on animals, I would have them name animals they wanted to be for the day and then drew the animals next to their names

-Flashcards, flashcards, flashcards!  You will need flashcards of all kinds.  We had everything from vowel and consonant cards, to sight words, adjectives, nouns, verbs, pronouns, etc.  Word flashcards are very useful for making sentences.  Single ABC flashcards also come in handy and there are a lot of games that can be used with these.  Make them yourself or find a unique collection at your local bookstore.

-Singing and dancing: children at this age learn a lot through music and motion.  At the start of the year, we’d take the last ten minutes of class to sing, dance , and act crazy while learning the words to English songs

-Drawing pictures on the whiteboard:  This was a major aspect of my teaching style and ones the kids really enjoyed.  It helped them understand English words quickly.

-English only necklaces:  I made little necklaces out of plastic covered cards and yarn.  On the cards I wrote their names, drew each child’s favorite animal, wrote “No Chinese, English Please,” and had the kids wear the necklaces every day.  If a child spoke Chinese more than three times during the class session, I took his/her necklace for the day and he or she did not get a happy face for still having their necklace on.  Amazing how it worked…no child wanted to be the odd one out so this definitely helped with the language issues in class.

-Twice-weekly story time

-As reading progressed, I had the kids act out the short stories we read.  They loved it!

-Lots of games!  Will write more about games in the next post.

Teaching ideas for older students

The older a student, the less attention he or she wants to attract.  They do not want to “lose face” in front of the group.  Upper elementary and Middle School students are not the easiest to teach but they can be fun.  Here are some ideas for getting them involved:

-Group work

-Educational games

-Encouraging conversations on things they like to talk about (school, how life is in other countries, what they think of their country, etc) using specific grammar points

-Having Q & A sessions using grammar points…best when students ask the questions to their peers

-Sentence racing/writing on the whiteboard using grammar point of the day

-As with the little kids, I also had a reward system in place for the older students.  Instead of smiley faces, I handed out colored poker chips for things like good participation.  If the student had 5 chips for the day, he or she got a check next to his or her name on a special chart.  When they reached 10 checks, I went to the bookstore and bought them something useful like a notebook or a planner

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on great games to play in the English Language Learning classroom!

Where to find Bao?

Bao are quite popular and can be found almost anywhere in Taiwan.  Get them from street vendors, in day and night markets, or the local Family Mart and 7-Eleven.  Nothing beats a piping hot bao on a cold rainy day (or after a night out with friends!)

The story behind Bao

Legend has it that baozi dates back almost 1,800 years.  Once upon a time there was a military strategist named Zhuge Liang.  As he traveled on an expedition to South China, a plague struck his army.  In an effort to appease whatever deity he believed brought down the curse upon them, he created a human head made out of flour, pork, and beef to offer as a sacrifice.  He then created more to use as food to help cure the ailing soldiers.

Types of Bao

Bao can be filled with a variety of ingredients.  Some of the more popular fillings include:

• chicken/BBQ chicken
• pork
• bean paste/red bean
• custard
• pickled, spicy vegetables
• black sesame paste
• seafood
• curried/Thai meats

Bao around the world

Bao are not just popular in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong.  In Malaysia, the Malays have adopted these buns as their own. A Malaysian baozi is sometimes filled with potato, chicken, or beef curry and a quail egg in the center.  Baozi are also becoming popular in the United States.  In Chicago, a chain restaurant catering to those seeking bao has sprung up at several locations.  Wow Bao is drawing in crowds. One of the most popular locations can be found at The Water Tower Place, where people stand in a long line waiting for their baozi.

How are bao made?

There are many recipes on the internet teaching how to make bao.  If you’d like to try,  check out the video below.  Substitute the cook’s ingredients with whatever you’d like!

Located in Fulong Village in Northeastern Taiwan, the beach is a popular hangout for locals, expats, and tourists alike during the hot summer months.  The beach is divided by the Shuang River into inner and outer parts, linked together by a huge footbridge called Rainbow Bridge.

It’s an amazing place to take pictures, watch many of the local women hide under beach umbrellas (many women also wear long sleeves and sun hats), take in the sailboats, enjoy a snack at the snack bar, or just lounge around on the beach.  Other activities include windsurfing, beach volleyball, and digging for exotic Taiwanese treasures.

The summer months also bring the Hohaiyan Rock Festival (貢寮國際海洋音樂祭) to Fulong.  The festival features local and international acts, a “battle of the bands,” fresh seafood, and lots of entertainment.  Oh, and lots of drunk, rowdy foreigners which is why I never went.  However, camping on the beach is also available so this cool factor makes up for the annoying expat factor.

All in all, Fulong beach is pretty perfect.  Except for those giant centipedes that may be lurking about…on one visit I saw half of one (dead, but still) sticking up out of the sand.  Toes, be warned!

Stay tuned for more posts on beautiful Taiwanese beaches.

Though I keep the more personal details of  my life quiet on this blog (then again, there’s always the MRSA incident which is frankly, ridiculously embarrassing but people actually come to the site because of that post!) I will now reveal some of my experiences to you all in hopes that my tales will help Waiguoren women make sense of the strange dating pool they will find when living in Taiwan.

First off,  while  in Taiwan I lived like a monk and avoided relationship drama at all cost.  Most of the time.  There were however, a few moments (or months) of curiosity where I gave in and attempted to go out and have fun with a member of the opposite sex.  I suppose I even “dated” a few of them though it never turned into anything serious and I preferred just having friends.   I wanted to be alone and brood and if you are a broody, pondering type of woman then you’ll find Taiwan the perfect place for this activity.  More often than not you will be left alone (note: you WILL get stared at all the time).  You see, Taiwan is a foreign man’s playground and from what I witnessed it’s much, much easier for foreign men in the world of Taiwanese dating than it is for foreign women.  There are numerous reasons for this…some of them being:

1.    Due to the language barrier and other similar issues, Taiwanese men are less confident about approaching foreign women.

2.   Foreign women are generally loud and easy (This is what I heard, not necessarily what I think;) and while such labels may work in the club they’re not going to secure any kind of serious relationship in Taiwanese culture.

3.   A lot of TW men are not very attracted to foreign women as we tend to be larger in size.

If you do find a guy to date in Taiwan, you’ll probably discover that you both won’t really take the relationship seriously since at some point you’ll probably have to say goodbye (I do know a few that have worked, so this isn’t always the case).  I also believe a lot of Taiwanese guys view foreign women as trophies.

Some foreign women are interested in dating foreign men while living on the island.  I strongly suggest avoiding this at all costs.  While I have a few good male foreign friends living in Taiwan, I can say with complete confidence that many foreign men living on the island believe they are God’s gift to Taiwanese women and will frequently take advantage of local girls.  I’ve had local men and women express their anger at this fact.

A lot of foreign men tend to believe they can win foreign women over just as easily; or they won’t even try because they know they don’t stand a chance as we are wise to their antics.

My dating experiences:

Mr. Moneybags

We went out on two dates.  His brother called me old and told me I had wrinkles under my eyes and suggested getting good eye cream so I could look as young as the Taiwanese girls.  Mr. Moneybags tried to play too many games, I deleted him from my phone book.

Mr. ABC

Well not really an ABC (American born Chinese) since he was born in Taiwan.  But he moved to the states in his early teen years, adopted a completely American lifestyle, and temporarily moved back to Taiwan in his mid-twenties to complete his military duty.  We actually had fun and dated a few months but we both knew it wouldn’t last and obviously he was more into TW girls because ironically I ran into him and his girlfriend while riding the same train to a beach in northern Taiwan one Saturday.  Very awkward moment for him.

Mr. Local Who Studied Abroad

The guy I dated for the longest amount of time–we had the most fun together and considered taking things to the next level (aka, boyfriend, girlfriend) but I didn’t want a relationship and he was too consumed with his work for anything serious anyway.  In my experience local Taiwanese men who’ve studied abroad are less likely to feel intimated approaching foreign women and befriending them.

Mr. Foreigner

I won’t get into this one too much other than to say we ended up as friends but the brief stint was somewhat crazy and not very fun on either end.

BEWARE:

When I first moved to Taiwan I became friends with a guy who owned a shaved ice stand.  Nothing romantic ever happened with us other than a hug and an innocent visit to a hot spring one night.  And a couple of dinners.  However, almost one year after we stopped talking I got a call from his deranged wife (who I knew nothing about, I thought he was single) shouting at me in English and Chinese, telling me he had a wife and kids and I was wrecking their marriage.  She found an old e-mail from the previous year (completely harmless) and thought we were having an affair.

Overall, I found Taiwan to be the perfect place to learn more about myself, single.  Those months of solitude helped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined and if you’re looking for solace and a chance to discover who you really are, then you’ll be delighted with Taiwan.  However, if you’re looking for a  romantic rendezvous, better go to Italy.

Secreted away in the mountains of Yangmingshan—as well as other areas throughout Taiwan, are over 100 hot springs, some open 24 hours; where people can enjoy spending sizzling nights underneath the stars.

Taiwan is home to six different types of hot springs (including mud-springs), with the highest concentration located in the northern and central areas of the country.

The Taiwanese hot springs contain medicinal properties and are said to help heal the body in the following ways:

Sodium Carbonate Springs

Contain properties for treating skin diseases, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress. The water in these springs is colorless and odorless.

Sulfur Springs

Helps people with joint pains, beneficial for women’s ailments, said to have a detoxifying effect on the body. The water in the springs tends to be milky and gives off a strong rotten egg smell. (The smell isn’t too bad and my skin always looks wonderful after spending some time in these types of springs).

Ferrous Springs

Contain metallic elements, beneficial for women’s ailments and skin diseases.

Sodium hydrogen carbonate springs

Said to help metabolism and blood circulation. Contain properties that beautify the skin and assist in correcting skin ailments.  Water is colorless and odorless.

Mud Springs

Aid in treating gastrointestinal disorders and diseases of the skin.

Salt/Hydrogen Sulfide Springs

Assist in treating women’s diseases, skin ailments, and intestinal disorders.

Soak it up…

One of the more famous hot spring areas can be found in Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park, where visitors can enjoy an abudance of indoor/outdoor springs. For a small price one can soak up the heat in the group pools (bathing caps are often required) so if you’re keen on frolicking with the locals and sitting back to relax in the open night air, the outdoor springs are for you.

However, private hot springs rooms can be booked as well, though the prices are a little more expensive ranging anywhere from 400 NT (about $13 US) to 800 NT (about $27 US) per hour. The private rooms are usually fully enclosed in stone settings or have a romantic, garden-like ambiance. There are a number of hot spring resorts as well, where guests can enjoy the luxury of enjoying their own mini-spring right from the comfort of their own rooms.

Suggested hot springs resorts in the Taipei area: (Just show up in these locations to find cheaper options in addition to the upscale facilities).

Yangmingshan

Ba Ian Hotspring Resort

Jin Shan Hotsprings Area (call [886-2] 2498-1191)

Wulai

Full Moon Spa

Pause Landis, Wulai

Beitou

Spring City Resort

SweetMe Hotsprings Resort

Moving down to central Taiwan, visitors can explore Lushan, which offers the highest hot springs in Taiwan, with water temperatures searing up to 90°C. People can choose from a variety of open or private baths as well as hotels.  A popular activity in Lushan is indulging in hot springs friendly fare while bathing-cook a hard boiled egg in the steamy water as you relax! Having driven my motorcycle up this way before, I have to say it’s one of the more scenic areas in the country–some have dubbed it “The Switzerland of Taiwan.” So if you’re looking to enjoy soaking in hot water while gazing upon breathtaking mountains silhouetted against endless starry skies, this is the place for you.

A more complete listing of Taiwanese hot springs can be found here.

Taiwanese Hot springs Etiquette

There are certain rules to follow when enjoying the use of hot  springs in Taiwan.  First, be prepared to get stared at, especially if you’re a pasty, white waiguoren (foreigner).   People will not laugh and point but they will stare at you like you’re a creature from another planet as you try to climb into the hot spring pool without being noticed.  Good luck.  Other things to remember: Alcohol should be avoided though I wonder how many people actually listen to this. Those with heart disease and pregnant women are advised not to soak in the springs. Showering is recommended before using public pools.  Most public pools will require a bathing cap of some kind (yes, they do look really dorky but they do help guard against attracting additional unwanted attention, especially when you’re a blonde trying to go unnoticed in a sea of black hair).

Some springs require separation of males and females and in these cases, the bathers are expected to enter the water fully nude.  I’ve yet to try this experience myself…I just can’t bring myself to do it.

Conclusion:

If you’re ever in Taiwan and looking for something exciting to do…one of the more adventurous options is to enjoy an evening in the wilds of Taiwan, letting your cares float away in clouds of steam as you relax in one of the country’s many hot springs.

For more on Taiwan visit Taiwan: The Heart of Asia.