Hoodoo you think you are?

As water and ice eroded the sandstone cliffs of the Colorado Plateau, hoodoos were formed. Named by the Spaniards and derived from the same source as the word voodoo, these free-standing rock formations were considered sacred by Native Americans. You'll find these unique natural structures all around Bryce Canyon in southern Utah.

They come in many shapes and sizes. One night, we camped at Kodachrome Basin State Park, where "Big Stony" — a phallus-shaped "sand pipe" — overlooks the campground. Others look like humans; take the Queen's Garden Trail from Sunrise Point in Bryce Canyon down through what is known as the amphitheater (although I think of it more like a giant sculpture garden) and you'll come across a portly Queen Victoria overlooking the landscape.

During our first attempt to take the aforementioned trail, a lightning storm rolled in and we stayed safely in our car, due to a lightning risk. Afternoon storms are common in the summer months, and the risk of being struck by lightning is highest at Bryce--three people have lost their lives and 18 have been injured in the last 15 or so years.

The weather was much better the next day, when we hiked from Sunrise Point down to the bottom of the canyon. At each turn the sculptured sandstone cliffs and hoodoos elicited excitement from the many tourists along the path. At the bottom, the trail ended and another took its place. The Navajo loop trail went through a pine forest and then ended with an 800-foot climb out of the amphitheater along a switchback trail that left me out of breath, but the breathtaking views were worth it.

Going over the edge

"Just sit back over the ledge," says my guide Greg Istock. 

I've put my trust in this man, who refers to himself as Mr. Greg, to lead me into a narrow slot canyon in Dixie National Forest near Zion National Park, but the urge to go over the edge of a steep cliff goes against the natural laws that aid human survival. My brain is screaming at me to stop, but my fearless, adventurous side signals green.

"This is your last chance to back out," says Mr. Greg, who guides for Zion Rock and Mountain Guides based in Springdale, Utah. "There's no going back once we're in the canyon."

I gingerly step backwards, held by the rope that would be my lifeline as I lower myself into a shallow entrance to Yankee Doodle Canyon. After a few steps in, the rock wall disappears and I'm free hanging above the ground, which is only 15 feet below. I lower myself down. The next rappel, a drop of nearly 200 feet, came next.

For the next four hours, Istock and I navigate what he calls a technical slot canyon, which means it has several obstacles that require rope for rappels and down climbs, in addition to some knowledge of bouldering maneuvers. In some spots, I must wedge myself between the two walls of the canyon shimmying down until I reach the ground.

In one spot, as my legs dangle freely, I reach under a rock to find something to hold onto. I think of that guy who had to cut off his hand when a rock shifted and rolled onto it. He survived, but only after he sawed his own arm off with a dull pocket knife (I brought a sharp one with me just in case!). Greg had already pointed out a few small loose boulders loosely wedged under an even bigger rock that could easily cause a similar incident. Lucky for me, the only injuries were scrapes and bruises caused by friction burn as bare flesh rubbed against the sandstone.

The last obstacle to get through was a keeper hole. "It's usually full of water and rounded like a bowl," Mr Greg explains. "Worst-case scenario is that we would get into that water and realize we couldn't climb out because it's too slippery on the sides. We'd risk hypothermia because the water is pretty cold and we'd be stuck in there."

Once in the thigh-deep water, I tried in vain many times to flop myself onto the rounded mound separating me from my freedom. I can get out of a swimming pool with no problem, but I kept slipping off the tiny toe hold. Threatening to give me a shove from behind, I made a last-ditch effort to hoist myself over the wall and made it, although Greg assisted by pressing my foot on the toe hold.

I walked confidently out of the canyon into the sunlight, proud of my achievement. It wasn't that hard, I thought. Then I looked up and saw the greatest challenge of all — the steep climb out of the canyon to get back to the car. Huffing and puffing, I dragged myself up the canyon walls, using footholds (called moqui steps) carved out of the sandstone by ancient puebloan people, who called this canyon home more than 500 years ago.

I may not have been the first person to navigate this beautiful canyon, but I felt like an explorer, discovering Utah's underworld for myself.


Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Getting a bit campy

It was the March issue of National Geographic Adventure that inspired this current camping trip with my dad and stepmom. When I pulled the magazine out of the mailbox, the cover photo showing a red rock slot canyon piqued my interest. The more I read, the more I wanted to be in the southwest again, exploring the landscape with camera and tripod in tow.

I posed the idea of a camping trip to my dad, who had just begun the process of buying a new camper. The old 1982 VW Westfalia always had something wrong with it, got 20 miles to the gallon on a good day with a tailwind going downhill and could only inch along at a snail's pace.

We decided on a camping adventure that would take us through Diné (Navajo) tribal lands, then into the major national parks of Utah. And now here we are, in the newer 2002 VW Eurovan on its inaugural trip over a rainy Memorial Day weekend.

The setting sun broke out briefly as we made our way along the south rim of Canyon de Chelly on our way to the Spider Rock campground. The glowing rocks stood out against the bluish-gray sky filled with clouds in the distance. Standing at the rim, the smell of juniper wafted in the air and the sound of our voices echoed on the canyon walls.

When it began to sprinkle, we hopped back into the car to complete our day's journey. The campground was muddy, the fine water-logged red sand caked our shoes and made a mess inside our shelter. With no possibility for an evening hike, the bottle of red wine was passed around and we toasted our journey together by the light of my headlamp.

Fast forward 11 hours later, and what sounds like a a decent trip so far had turned quite ugly. Bobbie, my stepmom, had only gotten two hours of sleep because the rear-seat fold-down bed left much to be desired, and the overflowing porta-potties and lack of any running water put her over the edge.

Running for the nearest grocery store at first light, the Seattle's Best coffee cheered her up. However, the out-of-order women's restroom and the "disgusting" men's room soured her yet again. It was only after breakfast overlooking Canyon de Chelly's Mummy Cave that things started to look up again.

Amazing Race champion signs on with Competitours

Amazing Race Season 14 may have ended, but Competitours will keep the excitement going this summer with its European travel competition that anyone can do. No lengthy application process is required; just the willingness to go head to head with a bonafide Amazing Race champion — Tyler MacNiven from the show's ninth season. 

Along with other teams of two, he and a partner will be competing for the grand prize during the July 27 to August 5 trip, one of five offered this summer. All teams will travel to secret destinations in Western and Central Europe and perform a series of fun and quirky challenges that they will document with their own portable video cameras. Those videos will be evaluated by a panel of judges that will award a special grand-prize, consisting airfare, hotel and prize money.

The best part about Competitours, though, is that the challenges are not about speed or physical strength. Instead, teams that employ creativity, resourcefulness and originality will be rewarded. Furthermore, the game emphasizes "sight-doing," not merely sightseeing, so participants can enjoy their time abroad. 

“I’m a big fan of the 'sight-doing' motto,” says MacNiven. “I'm looking forward to being a part of this great competitourition. There is deep resonance on my end.” 

Long before he crossed the Amazing Race finish line, MacNiven and his then partner, B.J. Averell, had become that season's fan favorites and were dubbed “the hippies.” Their laid-back style rose above drama that has plagued many of the more infamous teams in the past. And they always stopped to enjoy the moment.

Check out a few videos from a previous competition on the Competitours YouTube page. or check out a few sample challenges on the Competitours sample Google Map.

View Competitours Sample Day in a larger map

Travel and tourism is a $1.7 trillion industry in the United States

This week marks the 26th annual National Travel and Tourism week. So what better way to celebrate than to announce an upcoming domestic trip to the Southwest!

I will be heading to New Mexico for a week-long camping adventure with my dad and stepmother in Arizona and Utah that will kick off on Friday, May 23. It will be the inaugural trip for dad's new (older) VW Eurovan that he bought back in March to replace his 28-year-old VW vanagon. Coincidentally, it's been about 28 years since I've camped with dad, so it should be interesting!

Stay tuned for more updates from various locations along our route, which includes the Navajo Nation, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and hopefully many more scenic destinations I've marked on my Google map.


View Utah in a larger map

More about National Travel and Tourism Week:
The week was established in 1983 when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated in May 1984. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with "the appropriate ceremonies and activities." Industry leaders and public relations professionals from the major travel and tourism trade associations were the first volunteers to manage the annual event. By January 1986, industry leaders had formed a permanent full-time office at the U.S. Travel Association to sponsor the event and expand tourism awareness into year-round programs.

Next year's events will take place May 8-16, 2010.

Departures from the Ordinary

Have you thought about where you're going on vacation this summer?

Yeah, I know . . . the economy.

Some travel companies are trying to sweeten the deal to be more enticing to travelers, but the best offer I've found is with Competitours, a travel competition that offers the chance to win a worldwide travel spree! Most tour companies are too busy tacking on extra fees to offer a deal like this. And with Competitours, the chances of winning are greater than 1 in 24.

Competitours, which is offering several trips this summer, has been called “the Amazing Race for regular people by National Geographic Traveler. Two-person teams visit secret destinations across Europe to vie for the grand prize.

“This is not a cookie-cutter package trip,” says Steve Belkin, Competitours’ president. “This is a chance for you to get off your duff, get into the game and create a lot of unique memories.”

In each location, participants select from a series of challenges, documenting them with a portable digital video camera in an effort to earn points. Judges then score each day’s videos based on the amount of effort, creativity, resourcefulness and daring used to create them. 

The following clip is from a team's recent trip to the beer stein capital of the world:



“Instead of sightseeing,” Belkin says, “participants are ‘sight-doing.’ Anyone can get off a bus, go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and say, ‘I’ve been there.’ How many people can say they’ve gone to the top of the Eiffel Tower and recruited 15 total strangers to do the can-can?”

After all the points are tallied at the end of the trip, one team will win a worldwide travel spree, including airfare, up to 40 nights in any Starwood hotel and up to $6,500 in prize money.

You can read my story about Competitours in the latest issue of CBC magazine and visit www.competitours.com for more information. 

I'm currently looking for a partner to do this with me . . . let me know if you're interested! 

Amazing Amazon Journey

In April 2008, Ed Stafford begain a 4,000-mile journey on foot from the source of the Amazon River in southern Peru to the mouth in Brazil.

"The aim," his website states, "is to use the expedition as a educational tool to raise empathy for local attitudes by collecting and broadcasting the different 'Voices from the Amazon.'"

The journey, which is expected to take 26 months, has been slower than he first hoped. At present, he is 1,500 miles into the journey with another 2,500 miles to go, reports the Iquitos Times.

In his most recent blog post, Stafford says: "Two kms a day was getting us down a bit and we wanted to arrive at the Atlantic Ocean this side of 2020."

Find more information about his adventure at www.walkingtheamazon.com, where you can also follow along with his travels on an interactive map that is charting his progress.

Yes, you can afford to travel abroad

Here's something I've been saying all along, and today it made the headlines in the Travel Daily News: "International travel need not be costly, says travel agents."

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), which recently surveyed its members about the best budget friendly international destinations, found that the following places are the cheapest:

1. Cancun, Mexico. Its close proximity to the U.S., a multitude of all-inclusive offerings, a favorable exchange rate and affordable airfare all contributed to its top ranking.

2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Inexpensive package deals make Punta Cana a low-cost destination.

3. London, England. Reasonable airfare and plenty of hotel rooms that fit any budget helped London make the cut.

4. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Although Puerto Vallarta was cited as being “cheaper than other Mexican cities,” the destination came in at number four.

5. Bangkok, Thailand. This destination may be on the other side of the world, but it has an exchange rate, strong value for the dollar and shopping.

Taiwan Redux

In the following video, I've boiled down a 10-day Taiwan vacation into a three-minute video. I was inspired by Eric Testroete, a Canadian guy who posted a quick-cut slideshow video of his trip to Japan set to the music of the LCD Soundsystem. While this video doesn't even come close to the brilliance of "This is Japan!", it is quite a bit shorter. Enjoy! Oh, and if anyone has any tips on how to improve video quality, please let me know!

Travel is the tonic for turbulent times

"When the going gets tough, the tough get traveling."

No, that's not my new motto now that I've been laid off. It's the latest marketing effort from Australia-based outfitter Intrepid Travel, which is offering anyone who's lost a job since last September a 15 percent discount on its tour packages.

"Take advantage of a bad situation if you can," the website states, "and take off to Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Latin America or North America."

Budget Travel's blog, "This Just In," reports that some folks have "optimistically referred to their layoffs as extra vacation time." After losing her job as en electrician in December, one woman seized the opportunity to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand. The tour will last four weeks--something that would not have been possible with the limited amount of vacation time Americans get each year.

Need more ideas to do with unplanned free time? Jaunted (the Pop Culture Travel Guide) has launched a new series on "where to go when you don't have somewhere to go from 9 to 5." Their first suggestion: "If you work in an unstable industry, try flying Flybe, where if you get canned, you can cancel your flight free free."

There are other deals and discounts available for the unemployed, too. SkyRoll is offering a 50 percent discount off the price of its luggage for people who plan to be traveling to a job interview.

"We know the economy is rough and want to do our small part to help."

Eat Your Art Out

On a recent trip to the National Palace Museum in Taipei, I discovered its most famous objet d'art is a head of cabbage made of jade.

It's true.

The "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects" belonged to a consort of the Emperor Kuang-hsu during the Ch'ing Dynasty (late 19th century) and was kept at Yung-ho Palace in Beijing's Forbidden City. By that time, the cabbage and insect motif had become an auspicious symbol and was a recurring theme in a variety of different art forms.

And now you can add culinary arts to the list.

The new Silks Palace restaurant at the National Palace Museum features an Imperial Treasures Feast that includes dishes that resemble some of the treasures in the museum's holdings, including the Jadeite Cabbage.

The artwork is re-created with baby bok choy (the larger version takes too long to cook) boiled in a a broth of chicken and ham. The kitchen staff trims the leaves of the selected cabbages to make them appear similar to the the original art. And the insects are recreated using dried shrimp.

The Imperial Treasures Feast consists of eight courses and costs $100USD, plus a 10 percent service fee.

Other featured dishes include:
• The Meat-shaped Stone is made with pork knuckle, which is marinated for several hours in a mixture of sugar, soy sauce and scallions, then carved perfectly to mimic the artwork it represents.

• Chicken Wing Stuffed with Glutinous Rice. The wings are drizzled with vinegar and maple syrup, dried, then deep-fried to a golden crispy brown.

• Classic Desserts in Chinese Curio Box include snacks such as Red Bean Pastries, Bird’s Nest Egg Tart, Donkey Rolling (red bean and glutinous rice snack), Wan Do Huang (yellow soybean snack) and more.

• Fruity Mao-kung Ting. Ice sculpture is used to recreate the “ting” cauldron, which has a wide, flared mouth, a linked ring motif decorating the rim, upright handles and three hoofed feet.

Taipei 101: The other way down

In a recent post, I talked about my visit to Taipei 101, which currently holds the record for the tallest building in the world, not to mention the fastest elevator in the world. Well, I found out there is a faster way to get down from the top.

In December 2007, base jumper Felix Baumgartner leaped from the observation deck of the building. Five seconds was all it took for his free fall. Those five seconds took months of preparation. The 38-year-old Austrian scoped out the tower on several visits while dressed in various disguises, all the while taking note of the surveillance cameras, security systems and inaccessible areas.

On the day before the jump, Baumgartner hid his parachute in a toilet with the help of a local. The next day, he commenced the secret mission with all the flair you might see in a James Bond film. On the look-out platform, helpers distracted the security team, giving Baumgartner the opportunity to climb the security wall, drop down to another ledge and jump off the building.

Baumgartner made a safe landing on a parking lot. "F*&#ing A! I did it," he exclaimed after completing the first-ever base jump from the tallest building in the world. He hurried to the airport and flew to Hong Kong couple of hours later to avoid arrest.

The jump did, however, have consequences.

Taipei 101 terminated its contract with the security firm in charge of protecting the observation deck. "It has failed in its task to prevent such risky acts from happening," Taipei 101 Spokesman Michael Liu said.

Since then, security has been beefed up and tourists are not permitted to carry large bags onto the observation deck, such as the backpack Chris was carrying with him the day we visited. Lockers are available in the lobby to hold belongings.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8U-z-SnbJU

Panda-monium at the Taipei Zoo

The Taipei Zoo is already the largest zoo in Asia, but Monday it got an attendance boost when 100,000 people came to see the debut of two giant panda bears that China gave to Taiwan as a symbol of friendship.

The four-year-old pandas, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan went on display Jan. 26, the first day of the Chinese New Year, following a 30-day quarantine. The Taipei Zoo expects the endangered animals to attract one million people per year, but only 22,000 visitors are allowed to see the pandas each day--for only 10 minutes.

We got our ticket to see the pandas at the front gate, which gave us the time we were allowed to enter the Panda House. All around us, vendors were selling all sorts of panda accessory items. By far, the most popular souvenir was the furry panda hat, which not only commemorated the event, but kept heads warm and dry since the weather was not cooperating.

When we finally did get our chance to enter the Panda house, the building was jammed with media professionals and onlookers. The line went rather fast, but the consequence was not being able to stop, even briefly, in front of the pandas. From what I did see, though, was the animals seemed oblivious to all the chaos around them. They were playing, each one trying to knock the other off a large tree trunk hovering five feet off the ground.

As we exited, two-year-old Mia Wu was interviewed by TTV--if you want to call it an interview. All of a sudden, a microphone was in her face, and the cameraman was shooting, while the interviewer was saying "Hello. Hello. What did you see?" Mia was just a little taken aback, but she finally responded to the question, "What's that?" as the woman pointed to the clip on panda coin purse attached to Mia's jacket.

"That's how the media is here in Taiwan," Mia's mother, Marci told me. "They can be really pushy."

We wandered through some of the zoo's other exhibits and saw lots of other animals. It left quite an impression on Mia, who woke up the next morning saying, "Elephant, panda, giraffe..."

Oh my!

If you want to see a panda closer to home, only four U.S. zoos have them--Atlanta, Memphis, San Diego and Washington, D.C.

Happy Lunar New Year

Gong Xi Fa Chai (Happy New Year), everyone!
Here's the most famous Chinese New Year song, remixed for you:

When two cultures collide at dinnertime

We had the honor of being invited to a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner at the Wu family home. The "reunion dinner" is a grand feast, usually held in the home of the senior most member of the family, but not in this case.

Photo at right, back row: Wu, Ching-wen (the middle brother) ; Wu, Jen-wen (the youngest brother); Wu, A-min (William's dad); Zheng, Su-ying (William's mother); Wu, Marci (holding Mia); Wu, Shiang-wen (William); Hu, Chi-shiang (A-min's brother-in-law); middle row: Wu, Shin-lu (Ching-wen's oldest daughter); John Parrette (Marci's father); bottom: Wu, Shing-long (Ching-wen's youngest daughter).

All of the dishes were neatly arranged around the table, having been first offered to the god Guanyin in the family's upstairs shrine (photo at right).

After each family member stood before Guanyin for a blessing, we headed to the dinner table. There were all kinds of delicious treats, including General Tsao's Chicken, leafy greens sauted in garlic, liver, soup and the special new year fish. It's important that the fish not be eaten completely as it symbolizes abundance. So, if there are leftovers, it indicates "there will be surpluses every year."

We each had our own bowl of rice to start with and we all grabbed what we wanted from the center of the table with chopsticks. There wasn't alot of conversation, but what we did talk about was routed through William or Marci, who would do the translating.

When we were finished we went into the living room for the after-dinner tea and small talk. There were sweet snacks on the coffee table, and the family opened the huge box of Malley's chocolates I had brought from home. Mia was drunk on chocolate by the end of the night.

I noticed two television sets next to each other in the room, and when I inquired about them, I found out one was used for karaoke. Soon enough, William's dad broke out the song book. Two pages of western songs were mixed in with Taiwanese and Mandarin selections.

After a practice run that didn't go to well, Marci and I sang, "The Sound of Silence" into the microphone. Then A-min, Chi-Shiang and William took turns singing a Taiwanese tune.

Even Shin-long and Mia got into the action, singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (in Mandarin) and the Miao-Miao song (a children's song about cats that I've been hearing in the car alot called,"shaio hua miao").

Su-ying came in and passed out red envelopes to the kids (see photo). The Hong-bao is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits. According to Wikipedia: "The amount of money contained in the envelope usually ends with an even digit, in accordance withChinese beliefs; for instance 88 and 168 are both lucky numbers, as odd-numbered money gifts are traditionally associated with funerals. But there is a widespread tradition that money should not be given in fours, or the number four should not appear in the amount, as the number itself has a similar tone to the Chinese character for "death", and it signifies bad luck for many Chinese."

After a fun-filled evening, we headed home with our bellies full!

Out with the old, in with the new

As the year of the rat comes to a close, Chinese folks are busy cleaning their houses and getting rid of all the broken down appliances, ill-fitting clothes and other things that they don't want. Doing this invites fresh new energy into the home and attracts good luck in the year to come.

Before we started our day, William Wu was in the driveway washing his car, despite cold temperatures. "It's partly because it's the New Year, but it's just really dirty," he told me as he finished up.

In the last week, the trash truck has been extra busy, too. It already comes through the neighborhood twice a day, but the volume of discarded material has increased. When residents hear the strains of the "Fleur de Lise" being broadcast over a loud speaker, they come rushing out of their homes with bags and fling them into the back of the truck. Usually the neighbors linger and chat long after the trash truck is gone, but today, they run back inside because they aren't used to the cold weather (it's in the 40s).

Or perhaps they are busy preparing their Chinese New Year Eve's dinner, which will be served tonight.

All this hard work pays of with many chore-free days after the new year. In fact, you won't even see a broom for a while. According to tradition, people have to put their brooms and dust pans away, and cannot use them during the first few days, otherwise all the new luck will sweep away!

Hot Spots in Taiwan

I bet you didn't know Taiwan was such a hot spot. In fact, it is...literally.

Taiwan is ranked among the top 15 hot spring sites in the world, according to Asia-Planet.net. The country lies on a fault line where two tectonic plates meet in the Pacific Ocean. As a result, there are tons of places--more than 100--where warm water bubbles up from underneath the earth's surface.

Taiwan also is home to a rare saltwater hot spring, located on Green Island. Saltwater springs are so rare that they are found only in two other places in the world—on the Japanese island of Kyushu and in Northern Italy.

I sampled my first Taiwanese hot spring at the Spring Park Urai Resort and Spa in Wulai. The name of the town derives from the Atayal phrase, kirofu ulai, meaning "hot and poisonous." Despite the warning, the water is clear, colorless, and odorless; it is said that bathing in it keeps the skin moist, and that drinking it is effective against stomach problems.

Wulai boasts the largest free-of-charge hot-spring area in Taiwan, and I have to admit that I would have preferred a more rustic, bathe-in-the-river experience. The resort offered a more luxurious experience, but when it comes right down to it, I essentially rented a bath tub for an hour.

The steaming hot sunken tub was set in grey slate stone with views of the Nanshih River through a large window. The resort provided towels, flip flops, a rinsing bucket and toiletries.

Apparently there is bathing etiquette that one must follow, especially if you are in a public hot spring. For example, unless the pools are mixed sex, you're expected to be naked, and you should shower before getting in. It's best to wait at least an hour after eating before bathing, and to avoid hot springs altogether if you've been drinking alcohol.

I think I'm going to stick to bathing at home by myself from now on.

This little piggie went to the market

If you're ever planning to go to the Dihua Street Market in Taipei, make sure you go hungry. By the time you've walked the length of the market, you'll have a full stomach without ever having emptied your wallet.

This week, the street was packed with people--if not the entire population of Taiwan--all sampling what the vendors had to offer, and stocking up on food for the Lunar New Year holiday (Jan. 26). While the street is often busy, the days and weeks leading up to the new year are the most hectic and exciting. According to photographer Dennis Flood, "Taiwanese people love food, shopping, and "re-nao" (noisy, lively action) in general. He adds: "What better place to find it than DiHua Jie."

So here we are in the midst of the crowd, being jostled around, pushed from behind, and at the same time being bombarded with vendors pushing their products. There are all kinds of tea, dried meats, fish, dried fruits and vegetables, octopus, candy, rice cake balls, milk-and-peanut nougat, and so much more. Chris took a liking to the wasabi-coated nuts and beans and I went out on a limb and ate dried squid.

We're looking forward to seeing how all these ingredients come together in one meal, when we go to the Wu house for the lunar new year's feast this weekend!

Count your blessings

There's a god for everything at Longshan Temple--the largest buddhist temple in Taipei, which dates back to 1738. So, depending on what's on your mind, you might want to get a blessing from the patron of pregnant women, the god of scholarly pursuits or the god of business people. But the gods getting the most visitors this week is Guanyin and Matsu, which watch over people while traveling.

CNN reported that 1,800,000 people in China are making their way back home for the Chinese Lunar New Year this week. That's more than the population of many countries. So, Guanyin and Matsu (shown at right) are getting a lot of action. I even stopped by to ask them to keep me and Chris safe on our trip to Taiwan.

I noticed a strange ritual taking place in front of the shrine devoted to the love god. People were grasping red crescent-shaped wood blocks between their praying hands, then tossing them on the ground. It turns out they are oracle blocks, which perform the same function as a Magic Eight Ball. You ask a question and the way the blocks land tell you the answer.

If the blocks are both face down, it means one thing, if the blocks are both face up, it means another. However, the ideal configuration is to have one block face up and the other face down. That means you got the answer you wanted. If you didn't get the right answer, rephrase the question and try again.

William, Marci's husband, put it this way:
If you have a problem with your neighbor, you might see if it's the neighbor's fault. And if it isn't, you re-ask to see if it's your fault. And then it'll help you to figure out the next course of action to fix the problem.

No matter how people cope with the things that come their way, there is no doubt that Longshan Temple is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city that surrounds it.

On Top of the World

In 2004, Tapei 101 became the the tallest building in the world at 1,670.60 feet high, but that's going to change soon.

I just read that the top piece of the Burj Dubai was just put into place on January 17, making it the tallest free-standing structure ever built at a whopping 2,684 feet. However, it will not take the title of "tallest building" until it officially opens sometime later this year.

So, Taipei 101 is still on top, and that's where we found ourselves earlier this week, too.

It took less than 40 seconds to reach the observation deck thanks to some space-age technology. The high-speed elevator that ascends at a speed of 37 mph, has a pressurized cabin, like an airplane, that makes take-off more comfortable and eliminates ear-popping. And the elevator is covered in the same material that is found on the space shuttls to protect it from the high heat and friction involved in leaving the earth's atmosphere.

On a clear day, you might see the mountains surrounding the city, but most days it seems to be smoggy from the pollution that settles in the valley where Taipei is located. Nonetheless, from this observation point, you can see how the city is spread out.

The free audio tour (offered in English) is a great travel guide to the city, offering suggestions of where to go when you're in Taiwan, whether or not you can see it from the sky-high vantage point.

The audio guide also offers spots to get a good view of Taipei 101 itself, such as Elephant Mountain, Maokong tea plantations (shown in the bottom photo) and the National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.


Facts About Taipei 101:
Taipei 101 has 101 stories above ground and five underground. Upon its completion Taipei 101 claimed the official records for:

--Ground to highest architectural structure (spire): 509.2 metres (1,670.60 ft). Previously held by the Petronas Towers 452 m (1,483 ft).

--Ground to roof: 449.2 m (1,473.75 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower 442 m (1,450 ft).

--Ground to highest occupied floor: 439.2 m (1,440.94 ft). Formerly held by the Sears Tower 412.4 m (1,353 ft).

--Fastest ascending elevator speed: 16.83 m/s (55.22 ft/s) (60.6 km/h, 37.7 mi/h).

--Largest countdown clock: On display every New Year's Eve.

--Tallest sundial.