The First Few Years: Part 1 – Leaving Taipei

January 6, 2025February 7, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / Leave a comment

Settling down doesn’t mean settling for less;
it means finding where you’re meant to be.

Getting Up To Speed

Needless to say, a lot of time has passed since my last post. Life got in the way of my blog creation. Call it a New Year’s resolution if you like (though I’ve never been a fan of the practice), now I’m back to doing some of my own writing. When I logged back on to my blog, I was disappointed to find out that I had lost a lot of earlier draft posts about my travels in Europe as well as South and Central America. I will focus on my life in Taiwan for now and revisit the other adventures when I have time (and have reread my journals).

To catch up, I had been bumming around Taipei, a little unnerved from my attempt to camp in a typhoon and wondering what my next move would be; my plan had been to take my little tent around Taiwan before I departed. I moved to a cheap hostel where I could have a private room and plan my tour of the island. I had a flight to South Korea that left in three months because my original plan had been to go there and pursue my goal of becoming an ESL teacher.

Becoming An ESL Teacher In Taiwan

It wasn’t long before I realized that teaching English in Taiwan was not only a possibility, but it could also be quite lucrative. While the wages for an English teacher in Taiwan are not amazing, the cost of living is VERY reasonable – especially if you live outside of the cities.

I grabbed my laptop and started searching. I had already applied for jobs in South Korea and received many offers, so I knew my resume was fairly decent. It didn’t take long until I got some positive responses.

One opportunity that appealed to me was from a school in a small town called Zhushan (竹山) in Nantou County (南投縣).

This county is directly in the center of Taiwan and is one of the only ones without a border on the ocean.

A Lovely Location

I did a little research into Zhushan before replying and was happy with what I saw. Its name (zhu 竹 + shan 山) roughly translates to bamboo mountain, and the name didn’t disappoint. The town was nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains containing vast tea fields, raging waterfalls, towering bamboo forests, and plenty of areas for hiking and exploring.

One of the major tourist attractions in this area is called the Zhushan Sky Ladder (竹山天梯). With 208 steps spanning 136 meters (446 ft), it is one of the biggest suspension bridges in the world (that has stairs).

I will write more about Zhushan, Nantou County, and the Sky Ladder in separate posts. For now, I will focus on my journey.

Joel, Diane, and Mia making dumplings (with James in the background, eating some).

The person who offered me the job was named Mia Lee, and she would be quite influential in my early days (years) in Taiwan.

An Offer I Couldn’t Refuse

Mia said I could have the job if I wanted to. I would be working in a kindergarten in the mornings, and then in the afternoons at what is called a buxiban (補習班) or cram school. I told her I would love to take the job, but she was a little wary. She worried that a newly arrived foreigner would be lonely in a small town like Zhushan. So, she invited me to come down and spend a week there to determine if I could survive teaching in such a small place for a full year.

I had no problem with a small town; in fact, I preferred that setting to working in a big city (obviously, Mia wasn’t aware of Duncan—the town I grew up in). I graciously accepted her offer, packed my backpack, and jumped on the train heading south.

Zhushan doesn’t have a train station, so I arrived at a town called Linnei (林內) in the bordering Yunlin County (雲林縣). Coincidentally, that is where my wife was raised and where we live at the time of writing.

Mia was there waiting for me. We loaded my gear into her car, and she drove to Zhushan. She brought me to her house and let me settle into an empty room. She told me she would take me to the school so that I could meet the teacher I was going to replace. Even though she was about to leave on a trip, she assured me that I could stay at her house and provided me with a scooter I could use to drive around town and explore.

I was amazed at the trust she was willing to show someone she had just met. It wouldn’t take me long to discover that this level of generosity and kindness isn’t uncommon in Taiwan.

Onward Through the Fog

September 12, 2014January 6, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / Leave a comment

The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality,

and instead of thinking how things may be,

to see them as they are.

After a brief recharge at my favorite Taipei hostel, I was ready to head out once more.
I went to the Xindian River, which leads to a body of water called Bitan, meaning green lake.

On the hike up the mountain, I got to witness even more evidence of the past typhoons.

It was an easy hike up except for the intense heat. By the time I got to the top it was almost noon. The view was amazing, and I was rewarded with a panorama of northern Taiwan, including many other mountaintops and the riverway. I met a lovely Polish lady named Ursella and we hiked down together through a thick jungle filled with butterflies and other insects.

When we got to the bottom we realized we were on the wrong side of the river (very far away from the bridge). Luckily, there was a boatman willing to take us across for a little coin (we paid, the locals did not.) I was so happy to have someone to adventure with that we made plans for the following morning.

The goal was to find the waterfall I failed to locate upon my arrival in Taiwan.

We met up in the early morning, and, after a brief gondola ride, we shared a snack next to a friendly-looking statue.

With food in my belly and a friend to accompany me, I felt so much more confident in exploring. I am not sure if Ursella felt the same way, but I just liked the idea that if something bad happened, there was a good chance one of us could go find help. We wandered for a long time. Sometimes there was a trail or stairs, sometimes there was nothing.

We passed shacks with music playing and toothless farmers waving happily.

We marched on, passing many shrines with fresh flowers.

Ursella read a bit of Chinese, so she deciphered any signs we encountered and led us toward a waterfall. We found a stream and followed it in hopes of finding the silver shower.

We eventually came to a lovely temple built into a cave with a small waterfall flowing down its side.

This was not the waterfall I had been aiming for, but it was a lovely spot. Good enough for a victory picnic and a relax in the shade.

Joel and Ursella sitting by a shrine nect to a small waterfall.

We were the only people there, and it was lovely (no, I am not naked, just shirtless).

The whole temple area was covered in cacti, orchids, and epiphytic plants. It was then that I realized this was the place I could finally perfect my knowledge of growing air plants. The air is so humid here that all they love to grow. No wonder I have had trouble growing tropical epiphytes in ol’ Canada.

Ursella and I lingered for a while, then headed back. We stopped to put our feet in the river a couple of times and many a little fish came and nibbled our toes. Everything is so alive in this country.

Next up, getting settled.

Does Fortune Favor the Bold?

August 9, 2014January 6, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / Leave a comment

Traveling is a brutality.

It forces you to trust strangers

and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends.

You are constantly off balance.

Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky,

all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.

My apologies for the delay in this post. I had most of it written but somehow it got lost in the ether. It can be disheartening to have to rewrite something that took some thought. I have now figured out a better way of navigating WordPress.

So, on a train I went, heading for some good ol’ beach camping. Three hours northeast. Shame I didn’t check the weather forecast.

It all started so perfectly. I spent my first night at a real campground, they advise you to set up your tent on a small raised platform. That way, if it rains you don’t have to worry about sleeping in a swamp. Except for a small summer camp of youngsters, I was the only one in the whole 37 hectares. The first day/night was great. Every couple of hours, a train of kids walked by just loving the chance to practice saying “Hello” and “How are you.”

I went down to the beach for some real relaxation, but the locals kept on looking at me warily; some of them were trying to tell me things I could not decipher. Eventually, I came to understand that bad weather was rolling in and I probably shouldn’t be camping. There was some grey sky approaching, so I battened down the hatches and found a good spot with tree cover on three out of four sides. Then, I salvaged some extra rope and tied down everything I could. I even used rocks so I didn’t have to worry about a tent chase. People still seemed to think I shouldn’t be outside, but I am Canadian, and we camp in the winter!

I equated this to my time in South America when people would hide from warm rain downpours, Tristan and I would march happily down the center of the street with water up to our ankles. Why are people always so apprehensive?

At first it wasn’t so bad, but it wasn’t that enjoyable either. As Mr Gump once said:

“We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain… and big ol’ fat rain.

Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath.

Shoot, it even rained at night… “

Even with all my prep, I was getting wet in the tent. It seemed like the wind was blowing the rain along the ground and then up in between the tent and my fly. I did make one friend though.

The weather didn’t ease up, enough was enough. A man I had talked to earlier found a younger guy to come and explain the situation. He told me no one should be outside at all. I acceded to his advice and packed up my gear as fast as I could. I donned my helmet (special thanks to Lisa S from Swedan for the life-saving gift) and the nice young lad offered me a ride back to the office at the campsite where I was met with a few other concerned individuals. I was rushed to a collection of little A-frame structures, given some bottled water, instant noodles, and told to stay inside. the weather should ease up tomorrow evening.

Typhoons are a magnificent display of the power of nature. The downfall of rain made streams and rivers appear everywhere, the thunder roared while the flashes of lightning illuminated branches flying through the air and trees tumbling to the ground. I think the storm was centered right above my little A-frame; there were only seconds between thunderclaps. Perhaps there was an earthquake, or can thunder be that strong? It didn’t ease up for a couple of days, at least that nice young guy came back with more water and noodles. Days bled into night, it was always dark. This was my life:

,Unfortunately, I did not bring enough books, only two small novels. Plus half of Verne’s 20,000 Leagues… is just scientific names listing all of the plants and fishies Prof. Aronnax gets to witness on his voyage with Capt Nemo… skim/skip. So I got to voyage into the depths of my own mind and spend way too much time contemplating life, love, and the nature of my current predicament. The weather was so bad no trains or busses came through the town. Was I safe there? How long was this typhoon going to last? Who were these people who so quickly ushered me into this little cabin? Did they have an ulterior motive? How much was their kindness going to cost me?

After a few days and a few nights, the weather started to break. It still wasn’t nice but I could see some blue sky and maybe even a little sunshine. Time to flee the cage and spread my wings. I tallied up a rough estimate of how much food and bottled water I was provided with, added some for disaster accommodation, and doubled it. With the keys to the A-frame and a wad of bills I left in search of life.

I found a couple of people crawling out from under their own protective rocks, and then I noticed the nice young gentleman who had kept me alive with provisions. I handed him the key and the pile of cash. He rejected the latter. I tried to find someone who wanted to take my money for their kindness, but everyone responded “its ok.” I got a feeling like the generous people of Taiwan look after each other in times of trouble and they took pity on me. I will find a way to show my gratitude.

Typhoons are indeed a force to be reckoned with, they are unpredictable and violent. Nothing I’ve experienced on the west coast compares (another reason Vancouver Island is awesome).

A typhoon is a tropical cyclone formed by six factors:

Warm temperature on the surface of the ocean.
Atmospheric instability.
High humidity in lower levels.
The spin of the earth causes a swirl(like the flushing of a toilet), and a low-pressure centre develops.
Pre-existing low level disturbance.
Low vertical wind shear.

Taiwan had received the wettest typhoon on record. The storm I endured was named Typhoon Matmo, it was not bad in comparison to others but in Taiwan, it claimed one life, injured five, damaged cars and buildings, and caused tens of millions of dollars of agricultural losses. A TransAsia plane caught in the typhoon crashed and 48 out of the 58 passengers died.

A friend later told me a story of a particularly destructive typhoon. A small town in a valley was waiting out an average typhoon. It was passing by the coast and everyone believed that they would be waking up to blue skies in the morrow. Then, they heard some rocks falling down the mountain. As the typhoon was traveling down the coast, it got to the spot where the nearby river entered the ocean. Instead of passing by, the typhoon was sucked up the riverway. The intense typhoon-weather-power and heavy precipitation caused the river bed to expand so much that it burst its bank, causing water and half of the mountain to fall into the valley. Now there is a memorial to that village that once was.

I am not going to camp when typhoons are near anymore.

Let’s Raise the Bar and Our Cups to the Sun

July 21, 2014January 6, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / 1 Comment

For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.

I travel for travel’s sake.

The great affair is to move.

So it was time to get a little social. I met a few nice people over some late-night drinks at the hostel and the next day, after saying goodbye to Lisa from Swedan, I went to the National Palace Museum with Hao from China and Monica from Taiwan.

No cameras were allowed inside the museum, so these photos are not my own, but there were many great exhibits. I enjoyed looking at the paintings done over centuries, some of the landscapes were my favorites.

There were bronze artifacts dating back past 1050 BC, some interesting and rather heavy-looking wine containers.

They also had very old swords with gold inscriptions.There was an entire exhibit hall dedicated to the various God and Buddha statues that have been popular over the centuries. But what everyone really came to see was the jade. They had jade of all sizes and colors; it was crafted into beautiful jewelry, statues, snuff boxes, and dishes.

The real prize? A naturally occurring piece of jade that looked just like a chunk of pork belly.

And of course, no hunk of pork would be complete without a piece of jade crafted to look like a cabbage.

We spent many hours at the museum, I don’t think Hao wanted to leave. He was busy looking at the rare books and calligraphy, but Monica and I had started to get tired so we had a coffee break.

A little internet ressearch told me there was a five day music festival happening at a nearby beach. Since I had been there over a week and not done any partying, I figured this would be the perfect chance. I met a girl named Jackie who really wanted to go so we boarded a train and headed to Fulong Beach.

The Ho-Hai-Yan Rock Festival happens every year, right on the beach. The word hohaiyan roughly means waves and oceans. The day we went showcased rock music from all around the world. One of my favorites was a band from India, least favorite was a heavy metal band from Quebec (too bad cause everyone was excited to point out the Canadian music to me).

The place was bustling. Everything you could ever desire was for sale, music was playing from two big stages and almost every little booth along the way. Once you got passed the train station and shops, you had to cross a bridge out to a sandy peninsula. This is where you could swim, dance, eat, or lay under a shady umbrella.

I liked the technique of digging a hole in the sand to make a beach recliner. It made you sandy, and walking through the crowd was hard without tripping over people. But it was a comfortable way to rest your feet after dancing in the sun. We stayed late into the night. The show ended with some fireworks and everyone crammed onto the last train back to the city. Did I mention that it was all free?

I went back to the festival the next day, but a typhoon was passing through to the north and it was very windy and rainy, so I didn’t stick around to party in the mud. I went back to the beach after the festival was over and enjoyed swimming and sun without to much crowds.

I still had my home base in Taipei, the longest I have ever spent in a capital city. It is just so clean and full of friendly people that I couldn’t leave. It also has a very convenient public transport system, so I could do day trips all over northern Taiwan. My next stop was the Tamsui River.

Tamsui means fresh water, though the place is not that big, it has three universities and an old fort. Due to its location, historically it has been quite influential in Taiwanese history.

This is Fort Santo Domingo, originally built by the Spanish in 1628. One night in 1636, a group of locals angered by Spanish tax attacked the fort and razed it to the ground. The Spanish rebuilt it with higher walls, but the Dutch took it over in 1642. The Dutch renamed it Fort Antonio but the locals called it Peh-oe-ji, or fort of the red-haired. After the second opium war in 1868, the British took control of the fort and made it their trade consulate. After the British broke off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China’s government, the building was turned into a museum. It has beautiful gardens and a row of old canons, each one from a different time period and nationality.

After the fort, I toured around the gardens of the universities and enjoyed the rest of Tamsui.

I am growing tired of the city, so i bought a really nice tent and am now going to head out. I can secure some of my gear, along with my laptop, in the basement of the hostel, so I may not be back for a little while, but I shall return with good stories assuredly.

Into the Wild.

July 15, 2014January 6, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / Leave a comment

The traveler was active;

he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience.

The tourist is passive;

he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes ‘sight-seeing.’

After a day of getting established, buying supplies and sorting out the metro system, I am ready to head out of the city in search of wonders.

My first adventure started with a trip to the Maokong Gondolas to ascend mountains and check out some shrines and temples. The metro stopped at the zoo but I decided to skip out on that attraction in favor of heading up. Some of the gondolas have clear bottoms, and everyone was lining up to wait for them. I didn’t need a clear bottom so I could skip the line and got the ride all to myself.

I felt like James Bond ascending into Jurassic Park.

The first stop was Zhinan Gong, built in 1891 this temple worships Lu Tung Pin, one of Chinese Mythology’s eight immortals. I must visit them all and discover their secrets of long life. A Tao inscription reads:

The Tao teaches the way to make peace with one’s inner self. In that state, one may expand beyond external boundaries freely without any conflict with the heaven, the world, or other people. He will then experience contentment, longevity, and eternal bliss.

The meaning of not fighting is so profound. It is the optimal way for us to bring peace to the world, enhance harmony in society, and maintain equilibrium in life.

In a confused world, people fight for power with all means. In a chaotic society, people struggle for fame and fortune with no end. What a pity that they do not realize that the tao tolerates no excess. Those in power may suddenly encounter extreme adversities. Those in good fortunate may lose everything in a blink. It is therefore better not to fight at all than to struggle with all might. As the tao master says, “It is in not fighting for anything that one ensures that nothing will fight against him.”
The tao teaches the way to make peace with one’s inner self. In that state, one may expand beyond external boundaries freely without any conflict with the heaven, the world, or other people. He will then experience contentment, longevity, and eternal bliss.
The meaning of not fighting is so profound. It is the optimal way for us to bring peace to the world, enhance harmony in society and maintain equilibrium in life. – See more at: http://studymorechinese.com/photo/tao-stone-near-zhinan-temple-taipei-taiwan#sthash.4m5D0WTe.dpuf

In a confused world, people fight for power with all means. In a chaotic society, people struggle for fame and fortune with no end. – See more at: http://studymorechinese.com/photo/tao-stone-near-zhinan-temple-taipei-taiwan#sthash.4m5D0WTe.dpuf

The temple sits perched on the mountainside surrounded by lush forest. A pathway weaves through the jungle leading interested parties to various shrines. The whole area is filled with beautiful bromeliads, green shrubs, and hundreds of butterflies (hard to capture the amount in one shot).

Many young Taiwanese people avoid the main temple because ol’ Lu was known to be a jilted lover, so the resident God is rumored to split up unmarried couples.

After a light snack of shrimp rice and an espresso (yes, there is good coffee here!), I get back on the gondola for the journey to the top. The views of the Zhinan River valley are glorious.

The top of the mountain was bustling; loud music played from restaurants, people mingled in the many teahouses, and a steady stream of folks meandered down the road toward shrines and gift shops. I took a small path running beside the San Xuan Temple and made my way up the mountain by means of the never-ending staircase.

I lost count after about 500 stairs and kept climbing, it started to become more rugged and less clean. After aproximately the 1000-stair mark there was a little shelter, and my book told me that was where I head into the bush to find Yinhe Dong Pubu, the Silver Stream Waterfall. After all those stairs, I was heading straight down the other side of the mountain, jumping from rock to rock. I regret wearing my new flip-flops, I slip a couple of times, and start to feel a little lost. Then, I almost run in to the web of this colorful lady:

Research later tells me this must be Nephila pilipes, the golden silk spider. It has a strong web that has been used for making fabric. Its venom is toxic but not lethal to humans; of course, I did not know this at the time. There were many butterflies and other critters along my journey into the depths of the valley.

Just when I am starting to feel like this solo hike is a bad idea, I hear the cound of running water and come across a small river, my directions tell me to go downstream, so onward I march.

Day was fading, and no waterfalls in sight. In the future, I will not make these trips on my own. I soaked my sore feet in the river and then started the long journey back. The buzzing of the bugs almost hides the loud beating of my heart (just a bit scared) as I climb out of the mountain valley. Lots of mosquitoes. Back at the shelter I cracked the beer I had saved for the waterfall and relaxed before heading back down the near-endless stairs.

It felt like the day had been quite successful despite not finding the waterfall. But I probably shouldn’t hike alone in a strange land. The next day I was a little sore so I decided to head to Dire Gu (Hell Valley), the geothermal valley of Beitou (this would become one of my favorite spots in the country). It was time to soak my sore muscles in some hotsprings.

Though it may seem strange to head to this steamy valley when it is so hot outside, this place amazes me. On my second visit I played tour guide to some friends who had arrived in Taipei from a high school environmental conference.

The Beitou Thermal Valley covers 325 sq m (3500 sq ft), it is a deep valley that was created prior to the eruption of a nearby volcano. Though the water temperature in the crater is slightly higher than 90C, it is deemed not hot enough to sustain another eruption. Visitors used to be allowed to lean over the edge and cook eggs, but that is now forbidden. I guess boiled tourists are less than ideal. The hot spring in the valley is one of only two green sulfur springs in the world.

No, that is not algae. When the ground water mixes with volcanic gases it gets heavily acidified and contains a high concentration of chlorinated sulfate. The sediment settles into the cracks of rocks and after a long time, crystallizes, splitting the rocks into pebbles containing the rare mineral hokutolite. Most of it has been extracted by collectors. The green sulfur spring contains traces of radioactive matter called radium, rumored to have a magic effect for recreation, sanitarium, rehabilitation, and beauty. Might as well pipe it into some stone pools and let people soak it up!

This is the Beitou public hot springs. The pool at the top right is a scalding 48 C, I could not stay in there very long. Seems like that was for the seasoned veterans (old locals). As the water cascades down to the lower pools, it naturally cools: middle pool ~38 C, bottom left ~30 C. On my first visit, I wondered why the two clear pools in the front of the photo were so full of people. When I finally squeezed myself into one of them I discovered why they were so popular; they were filled with clear, cool water. I have no idea how they keep them so refreshing, maybe it just feels cool by comparison to the hot pools. On my next visit, I met a gaggle of ladies from Toronto who would have lived in those cool pools if given the chance.

Reflections on the journey thus far:

You are only allowed to wear tight speedos in the public hot spring. No loos shorts allowed.
I need to get a cell phone, everyone spends all their time staring at them. Should have bought one in Canada, they are not much cheaper here.
Tie-dyed clothing is perfect for hiding sweat marks.
The humidity here fogs up my camera, making it very hard to take good photos, especially since I do not have a viewfinder. Moisture droplets are starting to appear inside the camera, don’t think it is going to last.
The employees at the hostel love English music, especially Leonard Cohen… I approve.
It is vital to find an adventure partner so I don’t have to hike alone. Preferably a Taiwanese adventurer (if they exist).
Never discount the rejuvenating powers of a cold beer and some Nina Simone after a grueling hike that has left every article of your clothing dripping with sweat.

In the Beginning…

July 8, 2014January 6, 2025 / Joel Malcolm Witherington / Leave a comment

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

My latest adventure has begun. I am now wandering the busy streets of Taipei. Contrary to the above quote, sometimes those who wander are lost. Luckily, every time I have stopped to scrutinize a street sign or city map, some friendly stranger has come to my aid. I am staying in a very nice hostel, most of the other guests are Chinese and I have yet to meet another North American, for now it makes me feel a little out of place but I am sure once i learn the lay of the land and pick up a few phrases, I will enjoy being unique.

My goodbyes from Canada were lovely, I am very lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life and to have been able to enjoy Chemainus River camp-out with a lot of special friends, beach weekend with Karl and Jordan, dinner with coworkers and the Spriggs family followed by drinks and my last climb up Johnson st bridge(probably will be gone once I return), family BBqs in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Vancouver, and a nice sleepover with Jeremy, Steph, and baby Marlie.

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During my time in Nanaimo I had a chance to teach the boys the art of tie-dyeing. The boys each did a coloured shirt of their choosing:

I even made a special t-shirt for every member of my immediate family, mine has come along with me on my travels.

For those of you I did not get a chance to say a final goodbye to, know that it was not intentional and I love you very much.

I may need to learn the fine art of planning in advance. In my past worldly trips, I had the freedom to move around as I please and find accommodation once I have arrived in a city. Here in Taiwan, it seems I actually have to book rooms in advance!

Originally I only gave myself three days in Taipei (Mon-Thurs), and I decided to extend it until the following Monday. As it stands right now I have no place to sleep on Friday night.

I may look into doing an overnight trip somewhere exciting, my other option is to just stash my gear somewhere and pull an all-nighter Friday, and return to the Hostel Saturday afternoon for a catnap. Luckily I have some time to figure this out. Taipei is a great hub for trips to surrounding areas, also for shopping (and I needed a few more hot-weather clothes).

My first morning there had torrential rain and mid-30-degree weather. I realized my hiking boots just will not do for city life. So today is a shopping day: tank tops, shorts, open footwear, and perhaps a hat are in order. I also need to price out a new cellphone and an e-reader or find an English bookstore.

Like most places in the world, it is quite easy to live cheaply or extravagantly here. All our Western chain stores/restaurants are available and expensive, but I will seek out the small markets and food stalls. I believe it is justifiable to spend a little extra cash at the beginning of a trip. It will take some time to get into the groove and find the hidden treasures.

Wander Not Lost

Explore – Engage – Enlighten

Travels