from Folkston to Taipei...

Who would've thought? A mini Pickren family reunion in Taipei, Taiwan... in Asia rather than the Okefenokee Swamp??

When my crazy self started thinking up this entire journey to Asia my dad, after suffering another near heart attack due to my travel aspirations, immediately contacted his cousin Dan who has lived in Taiwan for the last 20 or so years. After informing my dad that I would most likely not die upon entering Asia, Dan was kind enough to extend an invitation for me to come visit. As a trip to Taiwan was never in the original plan with Vasae and I, I hoped that I'd be able to make it over before settling down into a teaching job in Indonesia. I've been looking and applying since Singapore and I think I found a great job! I'm a bit apprehensive being that its an online gig but I'll also teach real classes to kids after school as well...  so we'll see how that goes come November. But for now, we're in Taiwan!

The last time Dan and I saw one another I was most likely up to his hip and wearing an outfit my mom picked out for me. Dan has more or less called Taiwan home ever since he ended up staying after a backpacking trip back in his thirties. Hm, that person kinda sounds familiar... Now being kin I knew that Dan and I would of course get along great but I was thrilled upon learning that we have loads in common.  We had a blast chatting about our wonderful, albeit crazy, Southern family back at home. Also being the Southern gentleman that Dan is he spoiled me rotten over the trip. I would have gained 91 pounds if it wasn't for all the outdoor activities we did :)

My trip basically consisted of excellent food adventures, wonderful sight seeing trips, loads of amazing outdoor activities, day trips and one over night trip with Dan, his trusted vehicle and friend, Paul, and most importantly, countless conversations with Dan about everything under the sun- from family to plants to politics to music. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

Right before leaving Bali, a huge and wonderful coincidence revealed that my roommate and beloved friend from my TEFL certification course back in Prague was moving to Taipei the same day I was arriving. How crazy?! Not only was I able to visit and run around with Dan, but also I got to catch up and hang out with Katy when Dan was busy working. She and I basically talked each others faces off while simultaneously eating everything in sight at the night markets :) It was wonderful to see her and I'm so grateful that we randomly crossed paths again, and in Taipei of all places!

I could devote an entire blog, not just a measly post, to my trip to Taiwan.  It was extremely pleasant having a likeminded tour guide in charge and full of ideas :) Dan made my visit action packed with a range of activities and sights to see.  I have to start out by saying that Dan is active, and I mean active. He works extremely hard and plays at about the same level. At times it took a lot for me to keep up with him- hiking up a mountain, biking up a steep hill, zipping around town, a walk here, a tai chi lesson there, etc. He wouldn't have you believe it but he is an active and involved fellow, indeed.  


Apart from all the shenanigans and tours about, I had a really nice time laying low at Dan's homey apartment. He lives in a nice residential neighborhood where the most consistent noises are kids playing in the school yard below his apartment and banter from the market around the corner.  One of my favorite things from the trip was simply doing some of Dan's daily things with him.  Breakfast around the corner, afternoon vegetable and fruit juice from the market, bike ride in the park along the river...  But my absolute favorite part about doing these things with Dan was the reaction he evokes in these daily outings. I kid you and exaggerate not when I say that everyones' faces light up when Dan walks into their shop. Whether it was the lady who has cut his hair for years, the juice lady, the fruit stand man, the family at the duck restaurant whose kids treat him like an uncle, the couple at the ice-sweets store, the kids in the school yard who wait for him every night to play badminton or ball... everyone in his neighborhood adores him.  This goes far beyond admiration for the token white guy in Asia, these neighbors and friends of his truly treasure him. What was best was hearing Dan rattle off in Chinese and then turn to me to jokingly translate into English with his undeniable Southern twang and a welllllp and yall thrown in there. A wonderful marriage of two cultures wrapped up in one man :)


I should give a word of thanks to some of Dan's wonderful friends who helped make my trip as memorable as it was. Particularly to his friend Stefanie for the bike rides, night out and amazing experience with an accupressure doctor, Gloria for showing me around the markets, Thomas for the loan of his son's bike, Jerry for the thai chi lesson, and Paul for the good times and guiding on our over night trip.  Like I said I could type for days about the trip but this is already long overdue and nobody wants to sit and read that much.  So now I'll let the pictures do the talking...

meet Dan, my guitar pickin' 2nd cousin :)

visit to the Long Shan Temple

one of the many night markets with Katy 

adorable riverside cafe I stopped at on my day-long bike trips

marveling at one of the remarkable and 2,000 year old "sacred trees" at 

Lalasan Park a few hours outside Taipei

Dan walking along the fall forest 

city amongst the hills 

rolling hills and mountains on  beautifully clear day!

Dan and I in the middle of a swinging bridge
on one of our beautiful hikes in Taroko National Park

drive inside the massive gorges of Taroko National Park, 

some reach as tall as 3,000 meters!

Tai Chi lessons at the riverside park with one of Dan's good buddies, Jerri

visit to the hot-springs just a short metro ride from the center of Taipei!

amazing traditional dance performance

incredible (and windy!) walk around Yeliu Geographical Park 
on the Northeastern coast of Taiwan

visit to the beautiful and impressive Ju Ming Sculpture Garden and Museum

going away dinner with Dan's wonderful tour-guide friend, Paul and his lovely wife 

After 2 wonderful weeks I felt like I had gone on a vacation from my trip.  It was a treat to be in someone else's trusted hands, have some nice, chilly weather and visit with family you love and admire as much as I do Dan. I'm so grateful to him for letting me come stay with him and for showing me the awesome country of Taiwan! Here's to hoping for many more reunions in the future, whether in Asia or in the States :)