My first venture outside Taipei was to Taroko Gorge. I caught the train to Hualien and then the bus up the gorge to the temple complexes where I stayed two nights.
On the train I sat next to a Chinese man who was teaching me how to say: “I am traveling to xxx.” in mandarin.
When I was at my accommodation I was in a mixed sex dormitory. In a private room was a Dutch couple. The husband worked for Shell in Taipei and they were on holidays. They had two daughters about 4 or 5 years old.
While we were at an outside table talking a spider walked past. It was unlike any other I had ever seen. It had a small spherical metallic green body with big bugeyed black eyes. The body was less that half a centimeter in diameter. It had really long legs, maybe 10cm. It liked somewhat like the alien craft from war in the worlds.
The girls squealed with delight. I told them to look, but do not touch, as the spider walked across our table and off into the forest.
Their parents said, “no snakes here” and walked off leaving me with third girls. I was somewhat shocked by this and took the girls back to their room.
Later they decided to go to the posh hotel up the road because of the smelly squat toilets.