Jhiben

Today we decided to go check out Jhiben National Forest Recreation Area, which has hiking trails and some hot springs. We got up early to beat the heat and had our usual Chinese breakfast at the B&B before driving up to the park.  It was about a 30 minute drive and we were one of the first cars there. We paid our NT$100 (about US$3.30) entrance fee and started on the trail.

more poisonous bees and snakes

From the map and the paved trail, we weren't counting on getting much exercise but were happy to be outside. We took the "Forest Trail" to be a little more adventurous and it seemed to give us more time to hike in the shade. We quickly found that the trail didn't ascend the mountain, so we decided to take the "Brave Man Horse Trail" to get to the summit which was only 500 meters up.  Five hundred vertical meters of steps...

 

 

It was definitely the exercise we were looking for and we were both drenched and beat when got to the top. Oh, did we mention it was 95 hot, humid degrees?

The had a nice (shaded) viewing area up top with some pretty scenic views of the forest and beyond.

After resting up for a bit, we started the hike down to visit the waterfall. On the way down we saw this guy:

and this guy:

Unfortunately, when we got to the waterfall trail, it was closed :( So, we crossed the long suspension bridge and headed for the exit.

We were desperate to cool off and get some nourishment - since we forgot to bring snacks with us - so we hopped in the car and decided to head to the Chihben hotel up the road to see if they had a restaurant. Wow, did they ever...

The hotel buffet consisted of Japanese, Chinese and Western foods. They also had excellent coffee, desserts and tons of exotic fruits. We were in heaven. It was the perfect scenario for two very sweaty, starving tourists. We were so hungry that it hadn't even occurred to us to at least change our shirts, which were still sweaty. I am sure the other diners really appreciated having us there. Lol.

About two hours later, we paid our bill and took a quick tour of the hotel, which is very nice. The grounds had an archery range, putting greens, three pools and private hot springs. We were really tempted to just check-in and hang out for the day!

We decided to squash our original plan of visiting the Jhiben hot springs, given the ridiculously high temps, and go swim in the ocean instead. On our previous drive up the coast, we both noticed an AMAZING beach, but were not entirely sure of the location. It was still pretty early, so we figured we would drive up and look for it. Strangely enough, after about an hour and a half of driving, we never found it. Bummer. We decided to check out a different beach which was at the Donghe River mouth. It was kind of rocky, but the water was gorgeous and refreshing.

After our swim, we headed back to the B&B to shower up, then headed out to the Siwei night market, which is the big one that only happens on Sundays. It was huge and super-crowded. The weather was actually pretty nice, though somewhat humid, and we ate some great foods. Our favorites were the spicy skewers: fish balls, tofu, tofu skins, chicken livers, some others we never identified, and Am's new favorite; pig's blood. Ok, so we didn't know what it was at first, but after eating and enjoying two of them we just HAD to ask! Trust us, it's GOOD.

Skewers

Pig's blood - YUMMY!

Tomorrow we continue our journey down the coast where we will meet Bernard's family in Hengchun, which is near Kenting. Kenting Town is supposed to be really gorgeous, with beautiful beaches, surf (again, fingers crossed), and lots of nightlife!