Wulai with Brass and Jammy

A few weeks ago, a couple of my private students, Brass and Jammy, asked if I'd be interested in going to 烏來 (Wulai) and giving them an outdoor English lesson. Of course, I was delighted to take up this opportunity to get out of the city and get some fresh air!


The first stop on our adventure would be a short one on Wulai's "old street," where Jammy introduced me to 車輪餅 (chelun bing, wheel pancake) from a famous shop in Wulai! She was really looking forward to the 酸菜 (pickled vegetable) ones, but they were unavailable, so she got me a cheese one, and then a 卡士達 (ka shi da) one to boot. The cheese one was kind of interesting, filled with sharp cheddar.


The cheese wasn't melty at all... the cheese in Taiwan just doesn't seem to melt... but it was good nonetheless. It actually tasted an eerily lot like a grilled cheese sandwich! Then it took me a couple of bites to realize that 卡士達 was custard, which is generally the original flavor of these little cream puffs!

Next, we stopped at the visitor center in front of the Wulai waterfall, a stop Brass made especially for me. He told me he always preferred going straight to the waterfalls in 內洞 (Neidong, Inner Cave), where visitors could be completely surrounded by the beauty of nature. Anyway, at the visitor center, I tried to learn a few words of the 泰雅 (Taiya, Atayal) peeps, but it was just too difficult. I remembered how to say "hello" and "thank you" for all of ... half an hour?


Long after I'd forgotten how to say anything in the aboriginal Atayal language, we arrived in Neidong for the main attraction, a 3-tiered waterfall. The "hike" up was pretty negligible, with little to no wildlife to speak of. Almost instantly, we were greeted by the second of the three layers of the waterfall. The smell of fresh clean air and sound of water rushing over mossy river rocks was definitely a welcome sensation after months of smoggy city life. This is why I love the out doors!


Impressed as I was, my students told me that I ain't seen nothin' yet. Well... not exactly in those words, but that's the essence of it. A few more minutes and several dozen shoddily made stairs later, we arrived at the top of the Neidong waterfall, where visitors could get super close to the waterfall to take pictures!



The blast of cool crisp air from this waterfall is said to have a plethora of health benefits. Some may brush this off as superstitious mumbo jumbo, but there may be some science behind it! In short, anions, created by the friction of the waterfall, can "promote cellular metabolism, increases vitality and appetite, purifies blood and soothes one's nerve."

The final leg of the trip was a must see destination. After all, "Wulai" is Atayal for "Hot Water." And even though the day's 20C (~70F) dramatically contrasted the prior week's consistent 10C (~50F) degree rainy weather, I was still more than eager to jump into one of Taiwan's non-sulfuric hot springs. And what better place to do it than in the 春秋烏來, Spring Park Urai Spa & Resort?! That's right... no place. Apparently, a night at this high roller's joint costs 32,000nt (or about $1000usd).


To much of my readers' dismay, perhaps, I didn't take many pictures INSIDE the actual spa. But even if I had, believe you me, you wouldn't have wanted to see them. Actually, it wasn't so bad. While it was a public bath and clothing was forbidden, the lighting was far too dim, the room too steamy, and the guests too few to see anything too mind scarring anyway.

The resort offered a giant pool kept at 40C (~110F) with waterfalls and jets for a full body massage, flanked by an ice bath at 10C (~50F), and a less hot tub where guests can lie down and enjoy jets probing your entire body. I wasn't a huge fan of that one... Also, outside, there was a really nice basin, even hotter than the one inside at 45C (~120F) surrounded by a moat of ice water. It was pretty cool to bask on the ledge of the outdoor pool with a leg in the hot water, and one in the freezing water... confuses the heck out of your body, which I love.

After you've had enough of the soaking, you can relax in a reading room with soft background music, warm lighting, beverages, reading material, and a great view of the river. Unfortunately, it was nighttime, so the view was... turned off. And finally, the hotsprings package came with a great 6 course meal which I enjoyed soooo very much ^^

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