Taoyuan Valley (桃源谷) 15KM hike ...

Love these little guys although it didn't seem to love the idea of me following it with camera in hand

Not a sole at the rest stop in the blazing hot sun — where's the next pavilion? 

4.0KM and happy to almost be done the uphill hike ... or not ... another 5KM begins

Eyes that dare us to inch closer to the little ones — he froze until we moved and then followed suit

Taoyuan Valley (桃源谷) 15KM hike ...

8KM of the trek was across mountain ridges as pictures here— thankful for the many rest stops

Only 2KM in to what turned into a very LONG trek — note the tiny pavilion on the top (rest stop #2)

Spent some time trying to figure out which animal's dung we kept passing — so many wild buffalo

Thankful for the rain clouds after a blistering sunny walk up 612m in 28° heat on October 29th!

Late nights + early mornings = quiet Sunday ...

Healthy and delicious beet salad
Finding fresh beets in Taiwan was a mission.

I boiled the beets, peeled them and spiced them up before leaving them to set overnight.

This salad here contains red onions, raw walnuts, feta cheese and of course, beets.


Boy Cat (Datsun) chilling on a chilly but sunny Sunday = 24°

Day one with iOS7

Girl Cat (Levi) also chilling on a chilly but sunny Sunday

Tuesday October 22nd, 2013

Part of a temple on Tiger Mountain 虎山

A nice surprise in the mountains at Huangchanyan 黃蟬園

A flower along the way to Elephant Mountain 象山

A nice surprise in the mountains at Huangchanyan 黃蟬園

Sunday October 20th, 2013

A brave Formosan Blue Magpie letting me inch closer and closer to get this shot

Delicious homemade dumplings made by my classmate's mom — so yummy

Out and about on a warm Taipei evening — still 25° which is my kind of autumn

Dumped on with rain in the mountains — guess I won't be needing these

Critters and snacks ...

Cute, little critter found on the hike at Houshanyue in Muzha

A wasp dragging a dead spider for days and days of eats

Colorful lizard on the steps of Zhinan Temple in Muzha — love these guys!

Delicious peanut flavored snacks for sale at Zhinan temple in Muzha

猴山岳步道 — Hiking on Houshanyue Mountain ...

The trailhead starts in behind the stunning Zhinan Temple in Muzha

Plenty of hiking trails drop you out in different parts of Taipei — fingers crossed for a bus stop

The way up the "Advanced Peak of Houshanyue Mountain" was mostly climbing with ropes

Creepy crawlies on Guanyinshan (觀音山) ...

An unfriendly beetle on the stairs going down the mountain

This little guy is climbing up some packaged biscuits

A very colorful bug found in the forest on the walk up the mountain

A leaf bug found on a mountain table

Windy and dark typhoon Sunday ...

Datsun sticking to his safe spot — my bedroom

Everyday red? — If you say so

Wholewheat pasta with veggies and chicken in a pesto/balsamic dressing

And then there were two ...

Typhoon Fitow covers the northern tip of Taiwan soaking Taipei

Strong winds and torrential rain outside — definitely typhooning

Tracking the typhoons — plural