Today we headed east from Taichung where the mountains start as soon as you leave the city. At first, we followed the Freeway leading through the lower part of the mountain range where it becomes evident that the annual problems with Typhoons are a main issue of concern. The amount of water dumped during the passing of a typhoon results in major flooding of the low-lying areas - not only due to the severe rain but mainly to the runoff from the mountains. To combat the problem of cut roads the entire freeway system leading east is built on posts, several meters above the ground.

Our first destination was Sun-Moon Lake which has been created by means of a dam in the nearby river. Tranquil surroundings with walking trails and temples along the edge of the lake make this a popular destination for the inhabitants of Taichung. From here route 21 took us high up to Alishan Mountain at an elevation of over 2600 meters.

Being high up and not easily accessible has meant that the area is still as it has been for thousands of years and has not been spoilt by the industrial revolution. We stopped at a village where a narrow gauge railway line takes visitors to an unspoilt area where huge trees of over 1000 years of age make you feel like an ant with a very short lifespan. The quietness, enormous trees, and subtropical plant life combined with a light fog gives it an eerie feeling. Although Romania is far away you would almost expect count Dracula to appear from behind the trees.

Instead of crossing the mountains to the east coast we veered south and west again. The area is inhabited by monkeys, evident by the warning signs along the road. As soon as we spotted one at the side of the road and disappearing into the undergrowth we stopped and spent over 15 minutes watching and waiting only to discover that just around the corner, there were many more along the side of the road.

At home, Amber had made the arrangements and booked our hotel for the night. We occupied a very large room with three single beds on the 12th floor overlooking the city of Tainan.It is interesting to note that almost wherever you go in South East Asia you can see evidence of early Dutch settlement and trading posts as is here in Tainan. In the area called Amping, now within the town itself, are the remnants of what was once an outpost of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Only part of the original fort in still there (the Japanese destroyed most of it) and worth a visit. Within the compound, there is a small museum filled with artefacts and historical information. It also forms part of Taiwanese history and is seen as a positive connection as the Dutch did not "occupy" the country as such.

Later in the afternoon we arrived in Kaohsiung, further south and very hot. This city is known for the largest temple complex in Taiwan. The complex is fairly new and as large as a village. Ultra clean with straight lines and manicured garden, the enormous main entrance leads to a marble floored hall with several shops and even a …Starbucks! A large courtyard of perhaps 400 meters long leads to the temple with, elevated above it, an enormous golden Buddha. The inside of the building is well lit, clean and modern and has more of a feeling of being in a shopping mall than being inside a temple complex. After Gert was given some instruction of how to get on your knees and get up again, we checked into our next hotel and walked over to the night market to enjoy a series of local snacks instead of a proper dinner. We past an interesting place just outside our hotel. Inside a building (open to the road) people can partake in indoor fishing. Just sit and relax and throw out a line to catch some large prawns which you can place on the nearby grills. It was late when we left the market and headed for the nearby river which is flanked by restaurants and a few places where you can enjoy a drink or two. We arrived back at the hotel at nearly 2 a.m. - across the road people were still fishing for their prawns.