First Time... I Knew Taiwan (Love at First Sight)

"Taiwan" - A Name I've Known Since Childhood

I first encountered the name "Taiwan" during my childhood. Back then, I vividly remember being captivated by the Taiwanese drama "Meteor Garden."

At the time, F4 was a band that every girl in Thailand knew, including myself.

I remember the series would air late at night when everyone was asleep. A young middle school girl sat in front of the TV screen, her heart pounding with anticipation. In reality, she was terrified of ghosts, but whenever the drama came on, her fear vanished without a trace. The silence and loneliness were drowned out by the sweet scent of love in the drama. ................................

After the series ended, I matured. The fond memories I once had of Taiwan faded away.

In his late 20s, Taiwan reintroduced me to it once again.

One day in April 2015, I had the opportunity to visit Taiwan with my university. Initially, I was not at all interested in going, as I believed it to be a very small island with nothing to offer and potentially quite boring.

However, as soon as the plane landed at Taoyuan Airport, my feelings began to change. At least the weather there wasn't as hot as Thailand. Hehe... In April, the weather there was perfect for me. The sky was clear and not as hot as Thailand. I think I'm starting to fall in love with it....

Upon disembarking from the plane, our guide escorted us onto a bus, where we enjoyed a meal as we embarked on our journey to Hualien.

The first meal in Taiwan was a lunchbox with a very large piece of chicken. The box was made of wood, similar to a bamboo basket for grilled mackerel. It was quite difficult to eat with chopsticks, but the food was incredibly delicious and the portion was huge. I finished it all, though, as I was very hungry.

The car then took us up the mountain, running from Taoyuan in northern Taiwan to Hualien in the east, and then into a tunnel. As we emerged from the tunnel, we were met with a breathtaking view. It was a mountainous landscape with emerald streams flowing through it. Our guide told us that this was Taroko National Park.

We visited during the low season, when the water level was lower than usual, resulting in less than ideal photos. (A bit of a shame.) But no worries, I'll be back to see you again when you're at your most beautiful, "Tai Lu Ko."

The bus then took us to Hualien in the late afternoon. The atmosphere in Hualien was delightful, with rice fields and open roads that were perfect for cycling.

Note:

Before checking into our accommodation, let's grab a bite to eat. If you're in Hualien, I highly recommend trying the seafood. It's fresh, sweet, and not too salty. While the appearance of the food might not be as appealing to those accustomed to spicy flavors, give it a try and you'll understand what "fresh" truly means. The natural flavors are delicious on their own.

After checking into our accommodation, we went out at night to look for a betel nut shop... because we had heard that in the countryside of Taiwan, there would be betel nut shops with sexy women selling them. However, no matter how much we searched, we couldn't find any. So we went back to our accommodation.

We woke up this morning to the feeling of our bed shaking. Yes, we experienced an earthquake! Fortunately, it was only a minor tremor, so we escaped unharmed.

Note: The original text is empty, so the translation is also empty.

Although my first trip to Taiwan was involuntary, I returned feeling joyful. I learned about the people's way of life and discovered more than just the beauty that meets the eye. I feel compelled to return to Taiwan and greet it once more.