Flying Home

Saturday

New Zealand Flight 961

Depart: 2:00AM [Apia, Samoa : APW]

Sunday

Arrive: 5:00AM [Auckland, New Zealand : AKL]

Change Planes

New Zealand Flight 6

Depart: 7:15PM [Auckland, New Zealand : AKL]

Arrive: 10:30AM [Los Angeles, California : LAX]

Change Planes

Delta Flight 1566

Depart: 11:15PM [Los Angeles, California : LAX]

Monday

Arrive: 7:01AM [Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina : RDU]

Total:

$2,281 + $53 taxes = $2,334 USD Per Person

$2,334 x 5 Adults = $11,670 USD

What an INSANE TRIP!!! So great to be back on North Carolina soil though! Can't wait to get some much needed sleep and then look through our adventure and reminisce with the rest of the group!

Wrap Up: The End.

With the end near, were on our way to ­Apia Samoa. We had two whole days to fly from Taiwan to Samoa. I knew nothing about Samoa but my curiosity is what really intrigued me, not to mention this was our last stop on the traveling 5. With that in mind we set out, we had 2 flights Saturday night one of those flights went into Sunday. We had two more flights to catch before we arrived in Samoa early Monday morning. These 2 days of flying were kind of like a small trip in their own. We changed planes 3 times and got served meals on 2 of the flight. The last flight was the worst, we were all wide awake and just wanted to get to our hotel , we had been sleeping on planes and in air ports for 2 days now and it was enough.So we finally get to our hotel late Monday, and we weren’t the least bit tired. So we went exploring in the hotel only to find that nothings open besides the bar. So we decided to sit down and have a few drinks before we would go to our room. After hanging out with the Samoan bartender named Semo for a hour we all headed up to our rooms to pass out.

We woke up early afternoon and got on a bus a headed out to the Faleaseela River walk. On our way there we had a few near death encounters in the bus, seemed like our bus driver didn’t know how to drive, and he kept yelling at everyone, it was quite interesting. We ate lunch before we ventured out, we ate something called Palusami , it was fruity and weird but tasty all at the same time. We had to sit through a boring orientation before we went up the river, but at the end I got to decide which course we went on. It was nuts we went all over and saw some amazing stuff on our river trip. We got back to the hotel around 730 and didn’t have any near death experiences on the bus trip back. After a long day walking around we all decided to go to our hotels spa to check it out. We all couldn’t resist a hour long massage. Then we went to our rooms and fell asleep.

On Tuesday we woke up super early at 5am and went to this dock, I really had no idea what we were doing but Kristen told us it be fun. We get to the dock and theres a helicopter waiting for us, we all excitedly hopped in and went up into the air, we were up for a little bit and arrived at Falealupo ,Savaii and got right into a bus that drove its way into the rain Forrest. We arrived at the canopy and came across this bridge at the base of 2 trees. It was wobbly and high up but I loved it. We headed to Moso’s Footprint, all that was was a indentation in the ground, we weren’t to impressed with this so we moved on fairly quick. Our next stop was house of rock. The story behind it was more fascinating then the actual house it self but it was reall neat to put your self in their shoes to do what they did is incredible.

Wednesday was by far one of the best days we’ve had. We woke up early and took a van to a resort in Apia. We got to the La Vasa resort around 8 am and we rented a villa for the night. Out of all the wonderful things to do at the resort we all decided we would rent kayaks and go on a paddle, we got snorkeling gear and went out. We couldn’t of asked for a more beautiful trip. We got back in and ate a marvelous lunch, but we had such a big gap between lunch and dinner so we went back to our villa to chilla. When we got back to our villa we were shocked to find a bartended mixing Ugly Mermaids and other mixed drinks. to say the least a few of us were pretty intoxicated when it came to dinner, which lead me and mark to wanting to try the fire dancing. Boy that could have been ugly. We went and saw experienced a Fia Fia. Flames and dancers everywhere, it was INSANE. And after the entertainment there was a buffet laid out for all of us. I didn’t get to eat much of the food because I drank to much but I enjoyed the atmosphere. We finished our dinner and went back to the villa were we all drank a little bit more and passed out because we had to wake up early and head back to our hotel. But WOW WHAT A NIGHT.

After we fought off our hangovers we decided to go searching for a cricket match , but we ended up finding a Kilikiti match just outside of the hotel. We partook in a practice before the match and let me tell you, it looks like baseball but its not. Its way harder because the balls smaller and bouncing off the ground. So after we practiced we sat down and watched the match, but really we had no idea what the score was and who was winning, but we still enjoyed the festivities of the game. After the game we were walking back and with all the excitement going on I yelled ”drinks for everyone” . Hey there’s nothing that brings you closer to the natives than drinks. Id like the chance to play again, I think I could be a star in Kilikiti one day.

56 dollars spent on drinks on Monday (135.28 ST)

We spent 28,757.69 USD (69337.04 ST) on everything in total.

We had $40,433.20 USD before samoa

We have 11,675.51 for Friday.

10006.97USD. Spent on the yacht.

With 1 day left on our trip and over 10,000 to spend I took in into my own hands to treat us to something exquisite. With that much money you would think it be difficult to spend, but what we did was nice. I found a yacht rental where you can rent a yacht and pay per day to take it into a body of water. So I find a luxury yacht for rent for 23674.67 Samoa Tala and for an extra 500 Samoa Tala for a full bar and a butler. Of course we got the bar and butler. With this being our last day of our trip around the world, everyone brought their cameras and we plugged them into a television that was on our yacht. We all told stories of our favorite stops and favorite foods. We had the best day of our lives, nothing could compare to sitting on a huge yacht talking about our trip. We had the yacht all day and didn’t return it till late. And we went straight to the airport after our yacht experience to head back to good ol’ North Carolina.

We had another 3 flights to catch to head home. And being that we had just stayed out all night we slept on the flights home, and when we got there we had to say our good byes. These 4 other people were like my family on this trip and it was the best trip anyone could have asked for. We split our 1,668.54 $ that we had left and we walked away with 333.70 $ in hand, and a million memories.

Thursday: Recreation on the Island!

Today we wanted to keep the trend of blending cultural and recreation together and get the most out of our experiences.
I have always be fascinated with unique sports and cricket being one of them, I researched on the island to see if they had matches here.
I found two teams playing just a few hundred yards from the hotel on the coast.
Except, it was cricket, it was the traditional island game of Kilikiti, their version of cricket. The teams playing when we arrived were just practicing for the later afternoon game. And invited us to be a part of the practice.
After the practice, we took to the stands to see the Flying Fish team in yellow and the Fighting Foxes in red play a hardy match. I had to look up the rules and explain them to the rest of our group because none of us really knew what was going on. Mark played baseball in high school and had only a slight exposure to the English form of Cricket.

The equipment is unusual as the ball is made of a very hard rubber wrapped in pandanus (similar to a palm leaf) Players are not protected by any padding or masks, and will often wear only a lava-lava (or traditional skirt, however for this match, the men wore uniforms). The sennit-wrapped (hemp and string) wooden bats, which are shaped to individual players' likings and can be over a meter long, are three-sided, which means that the path of a hit ball is extremely hard to predict.

Just as with cricket, there is a batting team, a fielding team, and a pitch or field. The bowl alternates between two bowlers, one at each end of the pitch; accordingly, there are two wicket keepers (this as opposed to the single wicket keeper in cricket). These keepers are the only ones permitted to field the ball and stand behind the wicket to keep the ball in play.

There is typically no limit to team size, and teams are made up of whoever turns up regardless of gender or age. Other tourist accounts mention that strangers are often welcomed, as with us in practice. A kilikiti game is a multi-day community event full of singing, dancing, and feasting. Entire villages will compete and everyone will be involved, whether as player, cooks, or spectator.

The scoring was intense and complicated to follow as it depends on the runs scored versus the wickets lost. The Foxes edged out the Fish by a score of 252 for 7 to 230 for 9. All of our group was so into the game we were almost hoarse from yelling after the match. In our generosity and caught-up-ness in the excitement, Noah yelled, "drinks for everyone" and we all walked to the local bar hut and got beers for the two teams. The cost for the drinks was 1449 ST.

Man, we had a great day!

Wednesday: Historical Site: La Vasa Resort!

It's the last leg of the trip in Samoa and we decided we are going all out!
Wednesday's site is the La Vasa Resort! It was about an hour van ride from the hotel in Apia. The resort is on the Western edge of the island. We left at 7 am to get there early enough to enjoy everything the resort has to offer. The La Vasa Resort van provided transportation.
Le Vasa Resort marks Samoa’s most historical landmark, the Malietoa Memorial, the site of the last battle between Samoa and Tonga, during which the Samoans defeated the Tongans after 300 years of war (950 AD – 1250 AD). Built to honour the great nation of Samoa, the Malietoa Memorial serves as a constant reminder of the lasting friendship between the Samoans and the Tongans.

Originally built in 1989 and known as Samoan Village Resorts, Le Vasa was designed to honor the traditional villages that surround it. Encompassed by a protective double wall of coral reef, the resort has survived the two most recent cyclones and tsunami with very little damage.

In 2006, the resort was acquired by Scott Filipps and Soraya May. The couple had been searching for years for the perfect location to make their dream of island living a reality. They worked tirelessly to completely renovate the resort and create an island retreat for their guests to enjoy for years to come.

Mary Beth and Kristen were really drawn to the beauty of this section of the island and the serene setting among the coral reefs.

We had a special event planned for nighttime, but had the day to ourselves to enjoy.
After a fantastic fruit, sausage, and biscuit breakfast buffet we went to the main reception desk to plan the day. We decided to choose water activities to take advantage of the wonderful weather. We rented kayaks, snorkel gear, and inner tubes.
We had an incredible time exploring the coral reef and discovering how refreshing the water was! Total for rentals: 818 Samoan Tala.
For lunch we were treated to a brilliantly cooked southern pacific fish and Savaii Greek salads.
Total for lunch was 315 ST.

The best of the day was still yet to come. We knew the night event would run late so we moved our belongings to a resort room. We rented a villa for the night that was absolutely amazing!

The Villa Malietoa was 2 bedrooms./1,000 sq. ft.

It had an oceanfront Manono Island View; with two private bedrooms each with king-sized beds, adjoining large bathroom, lounge equippedwith daybed, refrigerator, two private oceanfront decks. Private whirlpool spa, patio, and yard with Umbrella table and hammock. We added in a private bartender to keep making the Ugly Mermaid drinks Kristen and Mary Beth kept drinking and for the fun concoctions of Vodka and Tequila the boys and I thought up. The room total for the night was 2097.00 ST.

Our night event is the real cultural treat for the day! We were invited to experience the real Fa'a Samoa. Traditional Fia Fia nights are one of the great cultural experiences of Samoa. These are performed by professional male and female dancers in traditional costumes of mat dresses and flower garlands. The highlight of the Fia Fia is the Samoan Fire Dance with spectacular displays of handling fire sticks by boys as young as six years old.

Noah and Mark tried to get up with the Fire Dancers, but unfortunately because they are not trained, they couldn't. I would have loved to as well, but I was just mesmerized by the dancing fire.

The dance routine is performed to upbeat rhythmic drumming, hand clapping and singing. The dance recalls stories from the past, from farewells to loved ones, to great fishing expeditions and war campaigns.

After the dance, an 'Ava ceremony is held to welcome and initiate guests to the ceremony. 'Ava, also known as Kava Kava, is a traditional drink consumed at all ceremonial occasions across the South Pacific. Extracted from the roots of a Pepper tree family and mixed with water, this murky brown drink has an unusual taste and gives a tingling sensation to the tongue. As we were told, if partaken in volume, 'Ava is mildly narcotic. Kristen and Mary Beth did not want to drink it, but it would have been rude if they did not. After drinking they said it tasted like drinking a peppermint mixed with toothpaste, but overall wasn't bad.

Following the 'Ava ceremony, a buffet feast is presented. Traditional feasts consist of fish, pork and several different root crops including yams, sweet potato or taro all cooked in an underground oven or 'umu and flavoured using coconut cream, as well as other delicacies including raw fish, lobster and tropical fruits. We devoured our plates and all returned for seconds. The price for the fire dance ceremony was included with the room for an additional 444 ST.

We were so exhausted from the day, we headed back to our villa to unwind and tell our favorite parts of the day! We laughed and drank and had fun talking to the bartender. We were headed to be soon enough because we had another hour trip in the morning back to our original hotel.

Total for Wednesday: 3674 ST.

Tuesday- Built

So since we did so well all trip saving up money I decided to splurge on this trip. On Tuesday we brought a day ticket that allowed to us to visit Canopy Walkway, Moso’s Footprint, and the House of rock. The surprise was it was on another island that the only way we could get there was by boat or helicopter. Well, we woke up at 5am on Tuesday morning caught a taxi ride to a dock where we all loaded into a helicopter and flew for about 30 minutes to our destination of Falealupo, Savaii. The helicopter ride was absolutely breathtaking and a lot of fun talking on the walkie talkies they provided us with. Once we landed a tour bus got us and took us on a short ride through a rain forest type area and we arrived at the Canaopy Walkway (our first adventure of the day). We went directly to the information Centre and got our day passes and put all of our things in a locker. We walked through a rainforest preserve for a few minutes until we arrived at a huge canopy across a hanging bridge between two big tropical trees. It was quiet an adventure to walk on and my fear of heights definitely kicked in. Once we accomplished the task of crossing the bridge (even though I would definitely not consider it to be a bridge- way to wobbly) we went and got our stuff out of our locker and jumped on the free ride that took us to our next stop, Moso’s footprint. Moso’s footprint is a huge indention in the ground that looks like a footprint. It was really cool to see but once we got there and took a few pictures we were ready to move on. We got on the first bus and head to our last adventure was to this place called House of Rock. It is this cave that apparently these two women made a house out of. It was apparently a race between two women and two men to see who could build a house faster and the women won by creating this “House of Rock” It was really cool to go in a take pictures. There were a lot of pretty rocks and stones throughout. After we finished here we took the bus back to the Information Centre and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the pool and eating lunch at the café they had there. We all had grilled beef and fries. We met a lot of people and around 5pm we got back on the bus that took us to the dock to get back on the helicopter to fly home.

Taxi to Dock (roundtrip)- 130 Samoan Tala – 55 USD

$55.00 x 5 = $275.00

Helicopter Ride (roundtrip)- 535 Samoan Tala- 225.72 USD

$225.72 x 5 = $1128.60

Day passes- 83 Samoan Tala- 35 USD

$35.00 x 5 = $175.00

Lunch- 26 Samoan Tala- 11 USD

$11.00 x 5 = $55.00

T-Shirt Souvenirs- 41 Samoan Tala- 17.4 USD

$17.4 x 5 = $87.00

Total: $275.00 + $1128.60 + $175.00 + $55.00 + $87.00= $1720.60

Monday- Natural

On Monday for our natural site we took a 45 minute bus ride to Faleaseela River walk. Since we did not even land until 1am Sunday night (technically Monday morning) we decided to sign up for the late afternoon shift. So we slept in until around eleven and then caught a bus at noon from Apia to a small little town called Falease’ela. Our bus driver was crazy he talked like a mile a minute and was acting like he just chugged about 5 red bulls. There were multiple times that I thought we might die, nevertheless it was still a fun trip full of laughs (and a few screams). Right when we got off the bus we checked in at the counter and paid for our day passes ($50 USD-per person). We also got lunch passes and since we were a little early for our 2pm climb time we went ahead and ate lunch. We all had Palusami because that is what the lady that was cooking suggested. She was cooking on this thing called Umu, it is basically fire with stones on top of it and once all of the food is on the Umu she covered it with Banana Fonds while it cooked. Palusami was absolutely amazing I cannot even begin to describe to you what it tasted like but it was definitely my favorite thing I have tried this entire trip.

After lunch we thanked the cook and tried to give her a tip but she told us in Samoa tipping is not accepted generally. We headed back to the front desk to go through a quick orientation. The lady working the counter said we had a choice between two tour guides. Olson or Fly, she described Olson as the calm, informative, slow moving, knowledgeable guide and Fly as the young, acrobatic, fast paced, daring tour guide. Of course, before we could even open our mouths, Noah demanded we have Fly. Although at the time I was a little hesitant after hearing her description I am so glad that we ended up choosing Fly. He is the best, the tour took a little over 4 hours and I enjoyed every last minute. We hiked through river beds, lava formations, waterfalls, and banks. It was definitely a wild and challenging adventure but very rewarding. Fly was tumbling and jumping around the whole way while we were all trying to keep up while also taking in the beauty of this amazing natural attraction. This was one of my favorite things we did and definitely something I will never forget. After we were done we were all exhausted and it was about 7pm by the time we were all boarding the bus back for the hotel. The bus ride home was a little less eventful since we were all asleep the driver was quiet and just woke us all up as we pulled into the hotel.

Bus (round-trip)- 75 Samoan Tala= 31.60 USD

31.60 x 5 = $ 158.00

Day Pass- 119 Somoan Tala= 50.00 USD

50.00 x 5= $250.00

Lunch- 23 Samoan Tala = 9.71 USD

9.71 x 5 = $ 48.55

Total (USD)= $158.00 + $250.00 + $48.55= $456.55

http://samoa.travel/sightseeing/x68/Lefaga-River-Walk

HOTEL !

We are staying at the Hotel Millenia Samoa!

It is a luxury hotel that includes a bar, restaurant, and pool, and it near the beach. We decided to stay in a nice, relaxing hotel to end out our long trip. We got a double room which was 280 and a Triple room which was 330. Both of ours rooms were the nicest rooms at the hotel. The were ocean view, self contained rooms. The hotel has a spa, swimming pool, free internet, and a huge conference center. Mark and Noah stayed in the double room, and Kristen, Alex, and I stayed in the triple room. We all hung out together, so the rooms only matter for where we slept.

For both rooms, it was 610 Samoa Tala a night, which equals $253.15 USD per night. For the entire week, it costs us $1518.90 USD, or 3660 Samoa Tala.

The Amenities included are:

Property Amenities

24-hour Reception	Internet Centre
Bar	Restaurant
Conference Centre	Spa
Gift Shop	Swimming Pool

Room Amenities

Air condition	Internet
Balcony/terrace	Iron
Bath tub	Ironing board
Bathrobe	Kitchenette
Bottled water	Mini fridge
Coffee/tea making facilities	Shower
Fan/Ceiling fan	Telephone
Hairdryer	TV

MONEY: $1518.90 USD = 3660 Samoa Tala

Flight

Flight to Apia, Samoa:

Saturday

China Southern Airlines 4801

Depart: 1:45PM [Taipei, Taiwan : TPE]

Arrive: 3:45PM [Guangzhou, China : CAN]

Change Planes

China Southern Airlines 325

Depart: 9:05PM [Guangzhou, China : CAN]

Sunday

Arrive: 9:30AM [Sydney, Australia : SYD]

Change Planes

Qantas 43

Depart: 11:45AM [Sydney, Australia : SYD]

Arrive: 4:44PM [Auckland, New Zealand : AKL]

Change Planes

Air New Zealand 964

Depart: 8:05PM [Auckland, New Zealand : AKL]

Monday

Arrive: 1:00AM [Apia, Samoa : APW]

Cost:

$2,050 + $193 tazes = $2,243 USD per person

$2,243 x 5 Adults = $11,215 USD Total

Wrap Up- Taipei, Taiwan

This week we were in Taiwan, the plane ride there was not bad at all. It was only 6 hours to get from Korea to Taipei. We actually ended up getting two free upgrades to first class because Alex started talking to the one of the ladies that was checking us in and told her about what we have been doing and she thought it was really neat and since there were open seats she wanted to make the experience even more special for a few of us. So we decided to draw straws and Mary Beth and Mark won and got to sit up in first class for free. Once we arrived we went directly to our beautiful hotel, Hotel Sense. We took a taxi to the hotel from the airport it was NT$1250 which is $41.34 USD.

The hotel this week was absolutely AMAZING. We stayed at Hotel Sense which is in the heart of downtown and it is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We stayed in the double superior deluxe room. We had our own personal butler Greg who was just wonderful and very accommodating. We had a full kitchen in our room plus TV’s everywhere including one in the bathroom! The hotel had a coffee shop and a bar downstairs that added fun for us early morning and late night. When we checked in we got free vouchers for both so that was fun. The interior designing of the hotel was spectacular. I think I am probably the only one that really really enjoyed it but there were leather couches in the lobby and beautiful black and gray stone décor accenting it on the wall. The rooms were beautifully decorated and very fashionable, I loved it. On the plane we got a lot of snacks so when we got the hotel it was about dinner time but we were all full so we just wondered around, got a free drink and hung out.

Monday we went to Shuangxi Park and garden. This place was so pretty and authentic. The stone lions at the front were the hit of the trip for Alex and Noah they were practically obsessed. It was a really neat place to go and the type of place I enjoy visiting to get a cultural feel of other places. We had rice bowls for lunch which was my favorite. We walked from the hotel to the park it was not far at all and I really enjoyed all the sight seeing along the way. Not to mention the weather was absolutely beautiful with a high of 75. Noah and Mark of course were joking around on the walk and Mark pushed Noah out into the street and a biker ran into him and fell off his bike and was not very happy about it. Other than that it was a pretty uneventful day. On the way back to the hotel we passed a street vendor that had all kinds of crazy animals to eat, so we decided to stop and grab dinner. Basically they just have a whole bunch of meat to pick from and you go down the line and tell them everything you want and they boil it for you and serve it to you on a plate. I just got noodles and vegetables because I could not stomach the idea of not knowing what you are getting. Maribeth got what we think is chicken breast and some kind of beef and noodles. Alex tried scorpion and chicken, he said the scorpion tasted just like the chicken. Noah tried chicken feet. It is actually a delicacy there and he said once he figured out how to eat them they were not that bad. Mark got mushrooms, and duck tongue. Yes, duck tongue… it was quiet interesting. He said besides the bone in the middle, and having to get over the fact he was eating a tongue it was not that bad. So after our exciting dinner or mystery and crazy meat we headed back to the hotel for bed. The total for dinner was NT$1132.3125 so $37.50 USD.

Tuesday we went to Boaoan Temple. This was also a really fun place to go. We rented scooters for the day which I think was all of highlight. Of course right when we get them Alex, Noah and Mark have to have a race and Mark almost killed like 10 pedestrians because he decided to beat the other two by riding up on the sidewalk. Once we made it to the temple we all really enjoyed it. I could not believe how well maintained the building was. Literally the cleanest place I have seen in Taipei. For lunch we stopped at another street vendor but this time everyone was a little more conservative about their selections considering everyone felt a little sick last night after we got home. We also split a piece of cake it was delicious.

Wednesday we went to Taopai artist village. This place was wonderful. There were 13 full studio buildings we spent over three hours walking around in here. It was truly wonderful to get to see the amazing pieces of art these talented people created.We left a nice tip in the donation jar and you could tell the people were extreemly greatful for our donation. We took the long way home and stopped at McDonalds to grab some dinner. McDonalds is only two blocks from our hotel and we were all really excited to get some american food. However, McDonalds in Taipai is not McDonalds in United States. At mcdonalds in Taiwan the buns are made of rice. So we all got chicken toasted rice burgers. They were actually really good and we all really enjoyed them. We walked back to the hotel and got a good nights sleep.

Thursday we went to Saichia air sports park. This was by far my favorite day. We went paragliding and it was the time of my life. The park was really crowded so that was the only down fall and the long taxi ride but I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It is the only air sports park in Taipai so that is what led to the crowd I would imagine. Paragliding is something I have wanted to do for a long time and I am so glad we did it. They dont want you to eat alot before you go so they provide a meal for you after you have gone. We were one of the last groups to go so we ate our lunch really late so it ended up tying us over for dinner. It was really good cuisine that was cooked right in front of us on a grill. We all had chicken, rice, noodles, and soup. This was definitely one of the most memorable adventures of the trip we have been on.

Friday we hung out at the hotel and recuperated from the week. We met some interns from California that were there for a business conference earlier in the week and they had the day off so we all went for a swim in the huge Olympic size pool in the hotel and Greg our butler brought us all free drinks all day long. It was alot of fun. We had dinner at the hotel in the restaurant which is very fancy so we all got dressed up and enjoyed ourselves. Dinner totaled to NT$ 7065.6300 which is $234 USD after we tipped our waitress who I am pretty sure Mark is in love with. His flirting with her paid off though because she gave us a free desert which was chocolate ice shaving with chocolate pudding. It was amazing.

The totals for the trip are:

Flights= NT$- 61738.4584 USD- $2,045.00

Taxi to Hotel= NT$- 1250 USD- $41.34

Hotel= NT$- 371653.94 USD- $12,313.00

Monday= NT$- 2189.63 USD- $72.50

Tuesday = NT$- 1607.75 USD- $547.43

Wednesday=NT$- 5,890.75 USD- $195

Thursday = NT$- 13,594.05 USD- $450

Friday= NT$- 7065.6300 USD- $234.00

Total= NT$- 464990.21 USD- $15,898.27

Left from last week: $56,331.47 USD
Minus: $15,898.27
Amount left: $40,433.20 USD

I haven’t been having the best time in Taiwan thus far, so today we decided to spend a little extra money and do something real exciting to make up for it. We headed to southern Taiwan to Saichia Air Sports Park, located in Saichia. This is Taiwan’s only air sports park and was the perfect place to get find an adrenaline-filled activity. We decided to try paragliding and in the end were happy that we did. The park was actually very busy, we noticed quite a few other Americans in there as well. Supposedly this park is one of the best air-sport-related parks in all of Asia! The prices weren’t too bad and were completely worth the great views and unique experience. None of us had ever done anything like this before so we were all amazed at how fun it turned out to be. The price included a late lunch that ended up holding us over for dinner. Other than the long taxi ride, today was awesome.

Taxi (there & back) = $100 USD : $3,020.90 NTD

Paragliding (x5 persons) = $350 USD : $10,573.15 NTD

Total = $450 USD : $13,594.05 NTD

Wednesday - Cultural Site

Today we took at look at Taipei and Taiwan culture by going to Taipei Artist Village. Asian art is always quite interesting and we expected to see some great pieces. The site was located within walking distance so we headed out from the hotel and stopped for lunch along the way. We all enjoyed our Taipei cuisine, it’s uniqueness like nothing I’ve ever tasted. We arrived at the address No. 7 Beiping East Road, Taipei Artist Village (TAV) and almost passed by it as the front of the building blended in with the rest of the city structures. At that point we were not intrigued, as we were hoping for something crazy looking just like the Asian art we had all seen in the past. Upon entering, our disappointment quickly left us as we were struck by the intriguing paintings in the 13 full studios of the building. We ended up spending over three hours just looking at the art before we realized how long we had been there. We didn’t end up purchasing any art, but left a donation in the jar on the way out. Truly a great experience. I felt as if I was part of the Taipei culture just by looking at the brush strokes on each piece of art. We took the long way home and stopped to get some dinner before returning to the hotel.

Lunch = $60 USD : $1,812.54 NTD

Donation = $75 USD : $2,265.67 NTD

Dinner = $60 USD : $1,812.54 NTD

Total = $195 USD : $5,890.75 NTD