Day 22 (July 30): Living with Nature

Starting in Taichung, we headed to one of its most popular destinations, the National Museum of Natural Science. Each bus was provided with a tour guide, where we were shown the museum's iconic exhibits. Natural science turned out to include a lot of history and culture though, as we focussed on Chinese medicine, the lifestyles of Taiwanese aborigines, and traditional architecture, in addition to halls focussed on biology, ecology, and physics.

Left to Right: Architecture and Innovation, Medicine, and Taiwanese Aboriginal Cultures

After the tour, which lasted about half an hour, we were given about another hour and a half to explore the area on our own. The second floor featured a "mini-zoo" gallery, with a focus on insects, lizards, and amphibians. I also spent some time walking through the evolution of life hallway, which featured a comprehensive view of the earth's history - from a biological perspective (which featured the most realistic moving dinosaurs I've seen yet), and from a geologic perspective! Despite the museum's overall lack of English explanations, the hands-on exhibits and visuals made the information easy to understand.

Left: Mini-zoo - Turtles!; Right: Mammoths during the Ice Age

Lunch passed by quickly (I don't remember what it was, and I didn't take any pictures, so I assume it wasn't great), and we were soon at the Miaoli Agricultural Center, about an hour north of Taichung. The cluster of buildings showcases the agricultural techniques used in Miaoli and other areas around Taiwan, with certain halls providing insight on the area's main agricultural products, including honey, silk, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables.

One of the main displays: Live Silkworms. 

The weather was very hot in Miaoli, while the air conditioning in the buildings weren't sufficient to keep a group of thirty-something students and counselors cool. Thus, we were relieved when the tour was finished, boarding the bus towards our next destination: Fusing (also romanized as Fuxing, Fushing), in Taoyuan county.

I've looked up the town in my travel guide - finding out that Fusing is essentially an empty town. The population is small and there are no tourist sights. The only spot worth mentioning is the only place to stay in - the Fusing Youth Activity Center. Despite being in an empty town, the center itself is very nice. We had driving upwards into the mountains again; though we weren't even close to our elevation in Sitou a few days earlier, the weather was cooler and we had an excellent view of green landscapes and a reservoir.

The view just outside our window!

The areas surrounding the centre made us feel very close to nature, with the sounds of insects, ducks, and birds filling the air. Yet, it seems that Taiwan wouldn't be Taiwan without street vendors - and among the trees and ponds were vendors selling deep fried seafood and the region's specialty: peaches!

Surrounding areas of the Fusing Youth Activity Center

We didn't have much time to explore the area though, as dinner was scheduled soon after our arrival. We first dropped our bags in our rooms, where, for the first time, we would be staying eight to a room. It appeared to be a little cramped - essentially, it was a wooden floor while we were each given a bed mat, blankets, and a pillow, but the room was quite spaced out, and the night turned out okay.

After dinner, we had our talent show. There's wasn't much I suppose, mainly individuals or small groups singing, while each bus had to perform for about ten minutes - our bus had chosen on a skit. Overall, it went well, though there was nothing really noteworthy. I did enjoy an a capella medley though =).

With dinner and the talent show over, we were given time to explore the area. There were, however, no vendors still open when we went outside; the sun was down, and the stands had seemed to shut down too. A few friends and I walked down the relatively deserted street (passing by a few other campers), until we reached the highlight of the area: a convenience store (a Hi-Life to be precise). We counted at least another thirty to forty campers in there, and after waiting in a long line at the cashier, we left with a few snacks and drinks to enjoy the night.