Last Day in Hualien

I can't believe that this is the last day in Hualien. My going away banquet was last night and today is relatively open. Looking back, this has been an amazing journey. In 12 days I have visited 5 schools, 2 radio stations, 2 newspapers, 1 TV station, the police headquarters, the fire headquarters, the city council, the county council, the city department heads, the Taroko gorge, the countryside, the Hualien version of Seaworld, museums, art galleries, an artist's studio, aboriginal sites and restaurants, social service homes for the disabled, retirement homes, the environmental protection agency, the new bio-tech/sustainability business park, the East Coast, Japanese historical sites, a community college class in English, a Toastmasters meeting, and more restaurants than I can remember (I'm sure I'm leaving something out). Bottom line, this has been a true whirlwind and quite an adventure. It is going to be very hard to leave, yet I think I need a few days to decompress.

Off to Taipei tomorrow, then Hong Kong on Wed. I'll try to find internet cafes on the way. I still can't figure out how to download photos, but they gave me a photo album of every venue I visited, so I'll bore you all when I get home. Enough photos of me to last a lifetime. If I am never photographed again, it will be just fine.

Off to lunch at my host family's inlaws. Quite a house, hope I can take photos to show you. They have the biggest jade carving I have ever seen. It is used as a room divider and is approx. 16 sq. ft., depicting a mountain scene. Incredible. The marble and jade here is so beautiful - wish I could bring home more than my little pieces.

So ciao for now - I might get one more post in before I head to the "big city".
xiexie.