Solar Tree Time: Taiwan Day 23 (Hualien 4, Taipei)

Today I got up early and got ready to go out for breakfast. We have Marasang Hunter School today. I went to 不懂事長 since they are right next door. Man I had a hard time waking up. I got a egg pancake with bacon, lobogao, hash brown, and milk tea to go.

There were some students dining in. I sat and waited and soon my order was ready. I went home and had the breakfast... But just didn't have much appetite at all. I had half of the lobogao and egg pancake left which I popped into the fridge.

Mr Yeh, the host, sent a message last night saying I can check out when he drops me off at the station. Awwww 🥺.

The hash brown was just a tad greasy (they didn't really shake their basket after frying). The egg pancake 蛋餅 was kinda soft. Interesting. Milk tea wasn't as hot today though...

Afterwards I packed most of my stuff and got ready for the day.

My pickup from Marasang rang me and said he'll be here at 8:50am maybe a little early.

He ended up being here at 8:40am and called me her was here, just as I was getting ready to go down.

There was another guy in the van today. He introduced himself as Simon, and he is a immigrant kid just like me but his parents spoke English to him to try and assimilate him so his Mandarin is poor. But he can still speak with an accent.

Our driver and host Ahzher arrived, and as we turned in there was a huuuuge pile of driftwood. I asked about it and he said that it's from the typhoon.

We got out and he told us to have a look around first while he checks where the other group is.

The decor is sooooo cool. I took a couple of photos and noticed that there are some geese and a goat!

Haha looks like banana.

Soon the others arrived and we were all given a traditional bag called 情人包. Ahzher started his briefing and introduced about the 16 tribes and what the 情人包 was for. The bag may all look the same now, but traditionally they may have embroidery unique to the person.

The 5 colours on the bag represent:

White - sky

Blue - water

Green - plants/earth

Yellow - grain

Red - blood/people

The 10 big gemstones on the strap comes from the myth with 10 suns. All tribes have this myth.

If you wear the bag on the left shoulder, it's for dead people or someone has passed away. If you wear on tight shoulder you are happy and all is well. So wear on right shoulder.

Once a year in summer, traditionally they have a harvest festival for 5 days? And on the latter days there's a ceremony. Amis tribe is matriachal.

During this ceremony the guys dance holding hands, facing inwards in a circle. It's a ceremony to find a partner. Only guys who has passed the coming of age test can participate. They need to know how to hunt, cook, clean, plant crops? And other essential life skills.

The girls watch the guys dance from outside the circle and if they choose a guy they place a bettlenut or a rolled cigarette into the guy's bag. The guy then looks and sees who gave them the thing and they can choose to reject or accept. If they reject they can chew and eat the thing it throw it on the ground. If it's a cig, when they throw they spread it the grass like throwing sand in the air.

If they accept I think the lady gets pulled into dancing?

If no luck this year they can try again next year.

The next day the guy moves into the girl's home and they begin a relarionship.

Our first activity is to make bamboo rice.

So we wash hands and then put one glove on and put glutinous rice into the bamboo tube which has been pre-prepared for us. Ahzher 阿哲老師 (I don't know how to write) says to him up to about 40% full, and give it a few taps to settle. Then add water of the same level. And stuff the top with wild herbs/vege, but make sure you don't touch the rice or it will become bitter. The rice has no seasoning it's just the natural flavour. The rice was prepared for us in a bowl of water.

After that, we went to get dressed in their traditional clothing.

The men has about 3 main pieces.

A pant which is just the front piece, tied together at the back.

So their privates are visible from the back! Before being covered up with a skirt, that wraps around and ties on the left side.

Then two cords, on the waist. Right upper and left lower tied into a bow.

then they wear their headband.

Traditionally men go with a bare torso.

Women have 6 pieces.

They have the calf covers which is to protect them from the wild grass on the fields when foraging or planting.

The skirt which wraps around and the black part starts on the left. Then you wrap around and move the back over the top of the other end when it comes back around.

Then the vest which crosses over right over left. Ahzher said that it's a v-neck like kimono due to colonial influence.

The the chest piece which is work from right shoulder to left underarm and covers the breast.

Then two cord ties, the lower over on the waist over the skirt, I think left lower tied at the back.

And the other cord tie over the chest piece to keep it on place, tied at the back upper right.

Then the head tie with the pompom and tail!

After that, we took photos and Ahzher taught us how to dance. 4 steps and you ad d in raiding your hands too while linked! It was kinda hard... And they dance like this for the whole day!

First step left leg forwards, second right leg forwards, third right leg diagonally back to the right, fourth you lift your left leg up and then step to the right. And lift your arms up! While linked hands with the people next to you. Then repeat. Dance to the beat.

Once that was complete, lmao, none of us had very good dance skills, we moved to the archery!

While Ahzher was preparing, we talked to the other group which was a family with 3 kids. They are from Singapore. Benson and Shayanne. When I asked if we can take a photo together, they went to ask Ahzher if he could take a photo for us.

We lined up at the gate and he got photos of us!

Next was the archery.

Ahzher showed us how to do, and how to stand. It was hard! I don't have the arm and back muscle to pull the bow back properly.

The bow is a proper one where it is straight and it's pulled back by twine. Ahzher showed me when I asked.

I got the centre target once lol and never again haha.

So cool. This was really fun and we shot 2 rounds. Simon did pretty well! And was more consistent with hitting the boar than I.

After archery, Ahzher took us to a lesson on what traps and how they worked.

They use traps, archery (now pellet guns with gunpowder), and spear.

He said he once saw a master hunter spear a boar charging at him (due to nowhere to run) and he speared the boar accurately in the heart. It sounded so cool and amazing. Just like Sugimoto from Golden Kamuy!

The guns, they need to pass tests for a firearms license and you are only eligible if you have Indigenious identity.

The traps, they set one up near the tracks of an animal and rig it up so that when their weight shifts the twigs it releases the grip and then the animal would be alarmed and run, causing the rope to tighten.

They would cover the twigs with nearby leaves and dirt, as animals have good smell and can tell when something is not from the surroundings. They would check the trap every few days but not go up to it to disturb it. If they see tracks or signs of disturbance nearby, they would throw rocks to frighten the animal to check what animal it is.

They also used to use a mousetrap spring trap, but it is now outlawed because it's too cruel.

Ahzher also showed us how they cast a fishnet to catch fish. It's difficult! The net kept sliding off his shoulder.

Ahzher told us to return the clothing and get ready for... The food. Our bamboo rice is almost done. Ahzher cooked us wild veg soup. He also provided us with bamboo skewers to roast pre-braised pork on, or marshmallows. The little girl wanted lots of marshmallows. The pork was really nice and extra aromatic when charred. Mm mm. Smoky.

We sat and ate for a while and the bamboo rice was soon done. The soup has 8 types of vegetables in it. One was a type of ginger that was similar to a yam (the red one that looks like poop). There was a bitter eggplant which is round and small. It was so poop bitter. Some leafy vege, and pumpkin, bitter gourd, and other? It was light and nice.

The bamboo rice was sooooo fragrant! Sweet... Amazing... Ahzher told us to whack the solid end on the rock to split it so you can open the tube. It took me a few whacks. Amazing how good it tastes with no flavouring!

After we finished eating it was pretty much time to go home.

The Singaporean family hired a private driver.

Ahzher was to drop us back home. Simon forgot his water bottle a couple of minutes after, thankfully he remembered now and not once he got to his accomm. Our conversation included Ahzher mentioning that their business has been affected too, after the quake and floods.

I really feel for the businesses in Hualien.

I said bye to Simon and wished him a happy holiday.

I got dropped and thanked Ahzher, arai!

Once back I reheated my breakfast in the microwave downstairs, ate, had a cup of tea, packed, and got ready to go.

Mr Yeh dropped me off at the station and asked me to leave a review on Agoda since it's been a while since the last one. He commented that a lot of white people complain about the bed firmness and knock his score down.

I needed to pee so went and did that just before the train. When I got to the platform I entered in car 3 when I was supposed to be in car 12... Oops. So I dumbly made my way through the train all the way to car 12.

Luckily the car wasn't as full and there was space in the luggage space.

I did my review on and realised I had forgotten my lemonade in the fridge...

I ended up napping deeply, very tired, for most of ye journey and woke up about half an hour before. It takes 2.5 hr to get to Taipei.

There was a doggy in a pram that got in at Hualien and got off here too! I commented that the doggy was so well behaved. The owner said that we're just lucky today.

After I got off I could only find the HSR stamp, and the TRA stamp but not the wooden block stamp! There were no one at the info desk.

I made my way to the bus stop outside the station and got on. Bus was crowded as its now 5pm... But because I got on early at the starting stops, Roosevelt line bus still had sitting seats.

It started emptying out after Wanfang MRT stop as I was starting to worry about how to get off with my luggage through standing room bus... But thankfully by Muzha the bus had emptied out a lot and you can walk off easily.

I made it to 姨媽's house and the pebble art has increased! So cute!! A gentlemen asked if I have noticed 我們家門口的藝術？？？I think he said art. And pointed out wooden birds in the tree! Ahhhh!

It's done by a retired general on 5F.