Hualian Day THREE! - Cow Mountain

If I keep busting it out, I can get us entirely caught up!

Due to a later night for us, we had a late/relaxing start to our day today. To the left is some of what we did with the time.

Then it was back to the beach, which means it's time for another shocking info graphic, in keeping with tradition. Love that this misspelling is carved in MARBLE.

Our destination, Niu Shan, was suggested by our helpful breakfast shop ladies. It was enough off the beaten track to have all to ourselves, despite it being Saturday. It also may have helped that the food was outrageously expensive AND that the beach was terribly rocky. Still, it didn't slow MY kids down!

The place was first used by an Aborigine tribe, as explained below.

At this beach, I had the added pleasure of stressing not only about my children being sucked into the sea by larger waves than the ones in Baisha, but also that there skulls would be shattered by small boulders being hurled by the waves. Where are the complimentary helmets when you NEED them!?! Here is what the day looked like for us:

I played "guardian" of my children, with a special emphasis on Stew.

Big Bro LOVED the body surfing. When he put these bad boys on he began diving under the waves and swimming out to sea, so I ended THAT fun pretty fast.

Veeve was a pretty avid body surfer, herself. Thankfully Weese was more cautious, as her size and skill demanded.

Weese was also blessed by her little playmate who inherited the gene of ocean-phobia from her Chinese parents. Sammi is sitting dry under the umbrella. Sophia was VERY hesitant about the crashing waves, and Weese sometimes humored her, and they would both run from the water's edge.

Thank goodness for Rachel's extra hands and eyes on the little ones. (My crew all kept their shirts on because of the nasty burns we'd suffered from just a few days earlier.)

I love this shot. It captures the triumph all my kids seem to feel as they battle the "fighting swimming pool."

We left the beach at about 2 and took a few shots on some of the rest of the grounds. I don't know if it is Taiwan culture, or aboriginal, but there is a totally casual sense about "private parts" and bodily functions. Veeve's expression here was the best of all the kids:

As I've already mentioned, beautiful places bring out the ballet in the kids, and this stop was no exception.

Maybe serenity brings out the yoga in Q?

These two were more than a little ready to call it a day!

As we headed out around 3pm the cars seemed to be pouring in, so our tactic of getting up and out early continues to prove useful. Though starving, we came straight back to the apartment to shower off before heading out for FOOD! Our noodle shop didn't open 'til 5pm so we stopped over and had Beijing duck (one of my favorites I haven't had since my mission!). The kids loved it and the owner treated us to an extra half duck because she was sure Q's request to have our first half "big spicy" (da la) was a mistake for the kids. It WAS super spicy, but all of it was really enjoyed!

Another day, another round of action-packed adventure, good friends, classic moments, and fabulous food. We are SO BLESSED!