First Time Alone in Asia ~ Taiwan Part 3

  As the story has progressed so far, I have only travelled around Taipei city and it was already nearly half-way through my trip... one of my aims was to actually see some of the country towns, because in Taiwanese dramas they always seem so serene and pretty.  So, it was definitely time to move a bit further from my comfort zone and venture out a bit more!

  To be honest, besides having my guidebook with me, I wasn't too sure what to do.  I didn't know how to look up train timetables on the internet (I tried!), I had no idea how long the waiting times between changing from one train to the other was and things like that that made for a lot of uncertainties.  Plus there was also the security issue, in the end, I was there by myself as a girl for the first time in my life, I didn't know how isolated these places were and how I was going to get around from one place to another (places are more dispersed in these areas)...so I was a bit scared.  Somehow though, I convinced myself to just go anyway, go to the train station and see what would happen, I was there anyway so why not take a chance!? I'm really really glad that I did, because this day proved to be one of the most memorable days during the trip.  If I had exchanged it for shopping or stayed within Taipei city, I might not feel the same way about Taiwan now.

  Ok ok so after rambling for so long, you guys might ask where was I really going? Almost being so mysterious and all... well, this place is called 十份! (I was originally going to go to 九份 as well, but I really didn't have enough time...and I'm really glad I didn't try to rush it so I could go to both places, but I'll explain more later!)  What is so special about this place? For those of you who have seen movies such as Tangled, you might remember this scene:

Excuse the blurry-ness...

 Ever since I've seen Tangled, I've always been mesmerised by how magical this was.  I always thought someone clever and romantic just thought this up for the movie, but then my friend told me that it was actually a tradition in some countries and that included Taiwan.  In 十份 annually around new year time, the whole village would write their wishes on a big paper lantern, then the whole village would light the lantern up at once and let them float into the sky, lighting up the whole evening sky with hopes and dreams.  (Even though this is an annual event in the village, the village has shops opened that allow tourists to perform this whenever they want to since this tradition has become well-known and attracted many people to this village.)

  A word of advice for if you ever want to travel to places like 十份 though...make sure you check the train timetable at 台北車站 (Taipei Main Station) the day before.  I just went there on the day at like 10am-ish, thinking that I'll be early and make the most of the day, only to find out that I've just missed a train and the next was was at 12pm... >.< PLUS don't ask the counter people about trains, they confused me so much, because what they said didn't match up to the timetable I saw.  So best policy would be to get the train time from the written-out timetables at the station (they list out stations and times...the times are pretty set and there aren't too frequent), buy your ticket at the self-service machines (the directions are pretty good and self-explanatory), you should be alright to go =) I was lucky too...in the sense that there were hong kong tourists at the station (holding the same guidebook)...so seeing what they were doing gave me more confidence to go ahead with my plans hehe

  With nearly 2 hours to do whatever I could before the train came, the best thing to do was of course to fill up my stomach ^^ The station had lots of choices that made my eyes @___@ But since I've been stuffing myself with Chinese food, it was time to get in touch with my Western self as well!

Brunch Stop: New York Bagels Cafe

Slick-looking store design attracted me ^^

Wood-themed interior is modern yet comfortable!

  There were many choices regarding to the way you want your eggs cooked, the content of your omelette, the combination that would become your set meal, the type of juice... and of course, the star of the meal - bagels.  There were blueberry, original, raisin, wholemeal...you name it! I went for my favourite ingredients - omelette mushroom with blueberry bagel mmmmmm ^^

It came with milk tea and juice (of your choices - you can mix it up as well!), as well as potatoes mmmmmm Perfect start to the day while planning ^^

   That meal filled me up real good and prepared me for the hour train ride ahead!

Train Stops: 台北 － 瑞芳 － 十份

In order to head to 十份, you would catch the train from 台北車站 (Taipei Main Station) to 瑞芳 station, then from 瑞芳, you catch a special small train to 十份.  From eavesdropping on this honky couple, I was glad to hear that once I got to 瑞芳, a train to 十份 would come within 20 minutes.  Another suggestion, good to look up when the trains to 十份 are, because it only comes every hour...haha

The train seats were surprisingly comfortable!

Arrived safely at 瑞芳 station!

   After getting here, it was slightly confusing...because I knew I had to change trains, but wasn't sure where, so I just kinda followed the crowd (especially the couple I've been eavesdropping on hehe).  Thankfully, there was also an information center at the entrance of the station, otherwise I was a bit overwhelmed by the names and numbers that were displaying on the board.  The lady asked me whether I was only going to 十份... I was a bit confused as to why she would ask that...but I said yes anyway (I didn't know what the alternative was...and didn't really know how to ask haha).  So I followed her instructions and bought a ticket to 十份... then I pretty much went back up to the platform I was on for the next train (apparently several different trains to different places could arrive on the same platform, you just got to look out for the electronic sign hanging from the ceiling, which should give you an indicator as to where the train was heading).

The train ticket was pretty tiny...I was so scared of losing it >.<

   After a while, as I looked around me, I realised why the lady asked me whether I was only going to 十份 XD Apparently the station to this village was one of the stations along the railway of different places that were visiting-worthy...so for tourists' sake, there was a special ticket which allowed you to get on the train along this line as many times back and fro as you liked -___-" (You can go to places like 平溪, which attracts a lot of tourists too! But from reading stuff on this village, it sounds like what you can see in 平溪 can mostly be seen in 十份 as well) No wonder most people were holding this big green ticket while I was holding this tiny one...but you know what, it actually worked out better for me because the train for this railway came only once every hour and I only had enough time to visit 十份, so if I had bought the other ticket, it would've wasted me money! Yaaaay, way too go ^^ But I guess if you were more prepared than I was and decided to catch earlier trains and get to these places earlier, maybe it would be worth the price for you =)

  The train to 十份 is easily recognisable, because unlike the other trains, each carriage is covered in different kinds of paintings, as though it promises to take you somewhere special ^^

The train is here!

Colourful paintings on the carriages ^^

Key-hole designed seperation inside the train

   The ride was about half an hour, but it didn't really feel like a long trip, because I personally love nature and to see scene after scene of the following made me smile so much! 

Passing through mountains and streams, for some reason, this kind of scenery reminds me of Chinese poetry XD

 Before I knew it, there I was!

Filled with people eager for the day ahead!

The station is decorated with pictures from the Lantern Festival ^^

 I love how obviously village-like this place is, in order to get to the shops/the other side, you have to cross the railway crossing (see the people in the photo above)! I don't know why, but I loved that feeling! People were even standing on the railway crossing taking photos! Of course, I did the same hehe Somehow I felt so daring!!! (Yes, I get excited over little things like this hehe)

Couple standing on train track - actually some guy from this shop told me to take the photo because he said the view from this angle was really pretty (note the flowers ^^)

My turn to stand on the train track haha

  As soon as I crossed over to the other side of the station, I was welcomed by a street of small shops deemed as 'The Old Town'.  The early part of the street was filled with shops selling wooden boards where you can write your wishes, or a letter to yourself and send it back home.  There were also lots of food stalls to choose from if you were hungry!

'The Old Town'

Lots of people write their wishes on these wooden looking scrolls and hang them up for good luck! OR you could choose to mail it back to yourself!

All the stores have a corner where you can get stamps with different designs! Very handy if you have a travel book where you keep everything with you =) You can also write a message on the white piece of paper!

Lots of different food stalls like this one along the street as well!

   Perhaps it's the fact that this village is removed from city life, the breath of fresh air and people's genuineness made me feel very much at peace.  Even though it started drizzling, I didn't feel annoyed or anything, but that...it was kinda cool!? It was a very strange feeling (nice though!) and I haven't felt it for a very long time it seemed...hehe

Speaking of peacefulness, maybe that was someone's intention when they set up this place - to make people feel at peace.  Because believe it or not, there's a bridge here called the Peaceful Bridge!

The Peaceful Bridge is decorated in such a way to say that it is a historical monument of the village.  I like how the guy pushing the rocks is connected to the wire of the bridge =)

It's a loooonnng bridge and I think I felt it sway a bit due to the wind...@___@ I'm alive though!

   If you want to know what's on the other side...there's actually nothing on the other side... haha You see the guy in the photo above? His friend and him walked ahead and sussed out whether there was anything...they quickly turned around and walked back to the side of the bridge we came from XD But I thought it was cool we got to see some of the residential area, which differed alot from the normal skyscraper and apartments in the city.

Old looking terrace-looking houses... it's a bit run-down but I've noticed how the doors weren't locked, it's as though they know and trust their neighbours...which is something we don't see much in the city any more =(

   Past this bridge began a series of shops which sell the main product of the town - lanterns! Here the tourists gathered, talking with the owners and trying to pick their desired colours and wrote thier wishes on the lanterns! Apparently the different colours meant different things, I can't really remember what was what...but the most popular one was the mult-coloured lantern, who wouldn't want to put in as many wishes in as many areas as they wanted!? Hehe

The main aim for most people who come to 十份, to have their wishes written on the lanterns and set them off into the sky!

Shop displaying the meaning of the different colours, letting people choose their lanterns as they wished

Look at that smile on that girl's face - that's what the lanterns do to people haha

A group of young people braving the rain to have their wishes let into the sky!

Up up up and away it goes!

   I stood there watching quite a few groups/couples let their lanterns up into the sky... I felt really happy for them as I watched the smiles on their faces became bigger as they watched the lanterns went up.  I couldn't help but wonder what kind of wishes, hopes and dreams these people might have...and how funny a little ritual like this could bring such happiness to people.  Perhaps everyone does want to put their hope in something, because life can be hard...and to watch their own wishes go up into the sky, it's as though the wishes might reach someone/something and their fates could be turned around.  To this, I'm even more thankful for what Jesus has done, because of Him, we are able to be reconciled to God, so that we might have a real close relationship with Him, which includes the fact that no matter where we are and when it is, God is willing to hear our prayers, willing to take actions as He sees as good =)

  Watching these people, for the first time during this trip, I felt slightly lonely...Perhaps it is because everyone was sharing this experience with somebody else and I guess it also came from the fact that I wanted to try doing this whole lantern thing as well...but being by myself, it felt a bit silly and embarrassing, to the point I didn't really know how to approach the different shopowners...so I decided to walk on by.  But what I didn't know was that even as I've passed all these lantern stores and thought I've gone passed all of it, at the end of The Old Town, one last lantern shop stood there and caught my eye - Grandma's Flying Lanterns.

It appears to be more colourful than the other shops and has cute drawings on the shopfront...I'm a real sucker for all things cute >.<

 Oh I told myself to just keep walking...first of all, no one was there and when no one is at a shop, it always raises a warning bell right? Second of all, what was I going to do? Since I wasn't going to light a lantern at all...but this always always happens (but only while I'm travelling it seems...), even if my head is telling me one thing, my body seems to do something else and before I knew it, I was heading towards the front door and stepped into the shop.

  I was greeted by a guy, whose first greeting wasn't 'welcome', but 'come in, come in, you're going to get soaked if you keep standing there'.  Haha in my mind, I wasn't sure if he was trying to be nice or trying to get business (because I would imagine that business could be quite fierce in this area).  Regardless of which, he was really accommodating and I couldn't help but feel that even if he was trying to get business, it was more than acceptable because I felt really looked after.   We talked a bit and then he told me that if I wanted to light the lantern, that it wasn't quite the time to do so yet... because evening hasn't come and the atmosphere wouldn't be the same...actually nowhere near the same (he even called the people silly for lighting the lantern now, the experience just wasn't the same!).  Before I knew it, I was telling him how it would be silly to do this on my own, it seems more like a group/couple thing to do.. it would be weird... 

He pretty much stopped me from babbling on about it, waved his hand around and told me not to be silly to miss out on this experience, there are plenty of people who would come by themselves and light up the lantern by themselves.  There was nothing silly in this, what would be silly would be to come to 十份, a village famous for this tradition, and NOT have a go at it.  After he has said that, I felt really comforted (maybe I'm just easily persuaded haha)...and the idea of it being silly immediately left me.  He kept insisting on me giving it a go around evening, that it was still too early and that I should explore more of the place, then come back and the time would be right.  He suggested a few places that I could check out and if I'd like to, I could hang around a bit more for the rain to die down before making my way.

  I was really thankful and really appreciated his efforts.  The embarrassment, loneliness and silliness that I had felt earlier on suddenly disappeared.  Perhaps I just needed a bit of reassurance that it was ok to do this, even if I was alone!? A friend of mine, CW, once said to me that if I wanted to, there was a lot of things that I would be capable of doing.  But the times I've thrived the most is when there's someone encouraging me, giving me positive reactions and feedbacks, supporting me, this somehow reassures me and push me to further heights.  (Although he kinda said this in the context of what kind of guy would suit me...lol)

   Anyway, I stayed in the store a bit and browsed around...they had collections of small lanterns that people could buy as souvenirs...so I sat there for quite a while picking out little lanterns hehe

Kinda like these... (this photo wasn't from that store...but I didn't take any from that store >.<)

   On the wall, the store also displayed the different famous people who have gone to the shop, as well as other people from different countries who have written back to the shopowner lady, thanking her for their experiences (which reminds me, I need to write!).  At this, the shopowner lady came out and greeted me...she was this tiny, cute lady who is very smiley, seeing her makes me feel a kind of warmth and tenderness.  She slowly took out the different souvenir lanterns and stock them on the shelf, while talking to me about the weather and about 十份.  I realised after a while that the guy who was talking to me before was her son, and there was another dude sitting at the counter who was her other son... something struck inside me at the thought of her sons helping her out at her shop, there was a particular warmth about it.  Yes, they might have been forced haha but having talked to them, they seemed genuinely happy to be there.  Later when I would come back to actually light the lantern, I would find out that the son (the one sitting at the counter) had gone off into the city before, but realised that the city life wasn't for him, so he moved back here and have been enjoying the village life since.   I really think it is so valuable to know where you belong, where you should at a certain point in time...I guess this is something I do struggle with sometimes - to be at a place where I feel this is where I'm meant to be.  Haha it is a difficult life an emotional being has >.<  

  Anyhow, there was still plenty of time to kill before evening (by this stage, I've completely killed off the idea of going to 九份), so I bid them farewell, assuring them that I would come back and proceeded to the famous waterfall. 

Off to 十份 Waterfall!!!
The waterfall was about 20 minutes walk from the shop, but the whole way, the rain didn't stop, splitter splatter splitter splatter they kept falling down.  I must say though it was quite an experience walking in the rain, with a somewhat small umbrella (even though the son back at the shop offered me a bigger one...I felt bad taking it >.<) and completely drenched shoes... somehow I have trained myself to forget about how wet my feet were and just enjoy the feeling of not having a care in the world even if my feet were wet! I mean... who was it that came up with the idea that it was bad to have your feet wet? Perhaps annoying yes, but it really didn't concern me at the time.  See, this is the magic of travelling! Things that usually mattered somehow becomes quite minimal ^^

  I actually quite enjoyed the walk, from people's houses, small shops to the picturesque green mountains! Oh the village life - the freshness of it is endless for a citygirl like me!

Colourful lanterns hanging off the roof of this store at the front, playful yet mesmerising <3 (hehe look at those people in the rain..like myself haha)

Tower noting this is the place for the Lantern Festival

A resort for people who wish to prolong their stay in 十份

十份is surrounded by greeneries - has such a refreshing feeling ^^

Abandoned place along the way...it looked pretty spooky actually...reminds me of certain scary movies *shudder*

Crossing a bridge filled with circular lanterns to the other side...lalala (that guy on the phone is a Japanese tour guide...I should've befriended him keke)

Overlooking the bridge is the endless green lake against green mountains...so beautiful ^^

The circular lanterns led me from the bridge to a pavement path right next to the train tracks...this scene kind of reminded me of one of my favourite movies 'Stand By Me'

   Yeh... looking back now, it was a pretty long walk.  But like I said earlier, how often do I get to do this right? Surprisingly I was really happy! ^^ Anyway, some of the village people are so smart and decided to make money out of the fame of the waterfall and built a 'garden' around it, so that when tourists come, they have to pay about 80TWD to enter - they called it the 十份山水遊樂園 (Literally translated would be Mountain and Water Playground)!

Entrance to the playground!

 To my surprise, inside was quite nicely decorated.  There were fancy swings, picnic tables and chairs, different sculptures...too bad it was raining, couldn't really sit around enjoying it.  Thankfully though, there was a eatery inside the place and you could just sit there admiring the mountain and the waterfall.. ^^

It was nicely structured and as you walk along the wooden plank, you walk alongside the green waters =)

Horse sculptures that you can sit on and you see the orange tents, they are actually swings! Too bad they were all wet =( Also note the stones on the ground, they are those therapeutic stones for your feet, supposedly massage them hehe

Eatery (and possibly the only place under cover in the park XD) where you can sit, eat and watch the waterfall...so good!

Stairs leading down to another area where you can be closer to the waterfall

 Ok ok, so all these talk about trekking to see the waterfall and exploring the garden... so what's all these fuss about the waterfall? Well...without delaying any further...here it is!

十份waterfall

View from the bottom of the stairs

   I sat at the eatery for ages, gazing out at the mountain, with the heavy water thundering downwards.  Yet it was an alarming sound, but strong and comforting.  I couldn't help but be amazed at God's creation, how He could create something so full of power, yet able to calm a person's heart.  I closed my eyes, the splitter splatter of the rain became one with the rush of the waterfall, two sounds becoming one.  The wonders of nature.

Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
²     covering yourself with light as with a garment,
     stretching out the heavens like a tent.
³ He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters;
he makes the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on the wings of the wind;
⁴ he makes his messengers winds,
    his ministers a flaming fire.

⁵ He set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
⁶ You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
⁷ At your rebuke they fled;
    at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
⁸ The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you appointed for them.
⁹ You set a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they might not again cover the earth.

Seeing this, I couldn't help but be amazed again at how mighty God is! My Lord God is almighty! Seeing this, my heart and my mouth burst into songs in worship of the Lord, who is worthy of all praise ^^


I really thank God for this time to just sit, to be amazed at His creation and be in awe of Him.  There was so much to reflect upon... even this trip, how He has brought me here, how He has allowed this to happen, to bring me away, just Him and me.  My often clouded heart was becoming clearer day by day, remembering that the best place to be is right next to Him.  As I reflect on that now, I'm astonished at how quickly I forget that - being distracted by the things in my daily life.  May I look more to the cross, all that I have and all that I am in Him, that even when I'm not looking at mountains and waterfalls as great as this, even when it's troubles and uncertainties all around me, may I seek to live for Him always, for He is majestic, loving, merciful and every bit worth my whole heart and my whole soul.


Psalm 73


Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.
²⁵  Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
²⁶  My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength^[b] of my heart and my portion forever.

²⁷ For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

 Even though I'm weak, at times sorrowful, yet may my heart sing because of Him =)

Note: Trip for 十份 hasn't ended yet! But this seems like an appropriate place to stop...to reflect on the amazingness of God! Please stay tuned for next edition - where I will finally light the lantern woohoo!!!!! I promise you it'll be good =D