Wii, Hot Spring, and Monkey Tattoo

This past weekend Erin and I had a fun getaway to Taipei. Riding the high speed rail on Saturday was a good way to start to unwind after a stressful week of job interviews over Skype. When we got in, the first thing we did was get some lunch at Sumi Sushi which has delicious rolls. Though it was raining, we then went to find a tattoo parlor that had been recommended. Fortunately the girl there spoke English so I was able to show her the monkey design I had made and discuss where it would go. We made an appointment for the following day and went to find our hotel.

For this trip we were staying in Beitou, north of Taipei. We had been to Beitou before and had found a place where we could have our own hot spring bath in our room. We were also excited that we could check out a Wii for our stay. With a variety of games to play we were thoroughly entertained for the rest of the afternoon. That night we went out to a great Mexican food place called the Mayan for dinner. While they forgot our dessert order it was still a good meal.

On Sunday we got up and took a walk around Beitou. The thermal valley was especially interesting as the open spring was sending plumes of steam into the air. Nicknamed "Hell Valley" it had a stench of sulfer and we could feel the heat from the water. After a soak in our hot tub we checked out and headed back downtown. After lunch at a grilled cheese place we headed over to get my tattoo.

It was just as painful as always, but I'm happy with the results. I chose a monkey to symbolize our time in Taiwan and also due to my love of climbing. Though I didn't get to climb as much in Taiwan as I had hoped we did get to see lots of monkeys during our stay here. While we've had our ups and downs here I'm glad we came to Taiwan and I'm sure we'll miss it when we leave.

Venturing into Cloud Development

Over the past few months I've taken up development on Amazon's Web Services (AWS) platform.  Looking at the integration of development and IT operations in devops my foray has started with the AWS Cloudformation service which allows the programmatic creation of other web services such as computing (EC2) and storage (S3).  I like the ability to upload a JSON template, specify some parameters, and soon have a brand new system up and running.  What's more, using Canonical's cloud-init scripts I'm able to use the Cloudformation template as a base to further service configuration with Puppet.

Puppet is a configuration management tool that provides the ability to define the packages, users, and services (among other things) that a particular server should be running.  It allows me to get away from manually setting up a server each time it comes online.  Instead I simply have the Cloudformation template download my puppet modules from GitHub and apply them using the cloud-init script.

My plan for this infrastructure is the ability to quickly and easily create an environment for Java development.  While there are currently other services that provide similar environments, rolling my own on AWS has given me an opportunity to customize it to my liking and learn to use some of these new tools.  This means that I can install the latest development tools such as Gitolite for private Git repositories, Eclipse Orion for online code editing, Gradle for builds, Sonar for testing, Jenkins for continuous integration, and Artifactory to store the completed products.

Check out some of the resources that enable my setup on my GitHub page: https://github.com/myrontuttle

Spring Break, Part 2 (Ticks and Taiwanese Motels)

Waking up in Taroko Gorge Wednesday morning was a treat as we exited our cabin and saw the verdant sides of the gorge surrounding us. After breakfast we set off for a variety of small hikes in the gorge. After a variety of hikes through the beautiful scenery we went back to Hualien for lunch.



It was then that I noticed a tick embedded in my leg. We tried several ways that Erin and I had thought were right (burnt out match and hot metal on the tick) and visited a pharmacy for their recommendation (some cream that I was instructed to leave on for 24 hours). After driving up the beautiful North-East Coast of Taiwan we finally got to our motel on the outskirts of Taipei which had an Internet connection.  It was only then when we were corrected of our misconception as the widely-held advice was to gently remove the tick with tweezers; the one thing we thought you absolutely shouldn't do!

Internet: +1, Old Wives' Tales: 0, Taiwan Pharmacies: 0.

Before I go on, I feel I should explain taiwanese motels. With big families and limited space, homes can often be very crowded; sometimes containing three or even four generations of a family. Recognizing that this makes privacy for couples difficult, taiwanese motels provide private, secluded, romantic rooms with hourly rates.  Understanding this, we were intrigued by a colleague's recommendation for a motel on the outskirts of Taipei and reserved three nights at their nightly rate.



The first thing we notice on arrival is that there is no lobby. Instead there's a drive-up booth and a gate. After finding our reservation and getting payment, they waved us through to our garage.  The only way to access the room is through the one-car garage (which also happens to have a small vending machine filled with things you would find in a sex shop). Going through the door in the back of the garage to our room and putting in the key card activated the soft, multicolored lights and smooth music.  Playing with one of the three remote controllers that controlled everything we were able to get regular lighting and change the music. Most of the room seemed relatively clean and after we got over the overt sexual tones (e.g. complimentary condom by the bed) we were able to settle in.


The next day it was raining in Taipei and we were a little tired from all of the travel, so we decided to head into the city.  We had lunch at a wonderful sushi place called Sumi Sushi then we found a Starbucks to have a drink and relax at. As the afternoon wore on we made our way to the Museum of Contemporary Art which had some very innovative and interesting pieces. We finished the night with dinner at The Mayan: the best Mexican Restaurant we've been to in Taiwan.



Friday was our last day in Taipei, and even though it was still a bit wet out we decided to got to Pingxi for the day.  Driving from the Taipei Zoo on route 106 for about 45 minutes took us to Jingtong station. The last station on an old coal-mining railroad that has been renovated for tourism. We grabbed some prime seats at the front of the train giving us a wonderful view as we rode out to Sandiaoling.  Following the directions of our Lonely Planet guidebook we got off for a hike up to some beautiful waterfalls.

Seeing how beautiful the falls were and having the afternoon free we decided to take the authors advice and continue on the trail walking back to the previous train station.Though there were some warnings in the book we were not fully prepared for how harrowing the hike became. There were many times when local dogs were barking and snarling at us. We climbed down old trails with trees covering the way and slick wet stones.  There was even a long tunnel we had to pass through without a flashlight.  Even so, it turned out to be an exciting adventure.  We finished the day at Pingxi where we got more paper lanterns that our families had enjoyed so much over Christmas.


Saturday was the last day of our trip so we spent most of it driving back down to Kaohsiung.  On our way we stopped at a nice ceramics museum and a temple with an outdoor market nearby.  By the time we got back to Kaohsiung we were pretty tired though.  It had been a great trip and we were glad we went. It was very nice to see a little more of Taiwan before we leave this summer.

Spring Break, Part 1

Last Saturday morning was the start of Spring Break for Erin and me. We had decided to rent a car and drive around Taiwan. Having gone out to see "Hunger Games" in the theater the night before and trying to decide what to do with newly found mold on our stuff we had a late start.  But then, after picking up the car and making a stop at Costco for supplies we were on our way.

First stop was the Taitung Sea Art Hostel near Dulan. The couple there has created a beautiful home in the woods. While somewhat difficult to find it turned out to be a very peaceful stay. They had recommended a good Vietnamese place nearby for dinner. Before heading back to bed we stopped by the Dulan Sugar Factory which has been transformed into an artistic community.


The next day we started at a local attraction where the water appeared to be flowing upward. We then found a trail that the hostel owners had recommended. It was a very technical trail with many slippery rocks and need for ropes, but the views were beautiful. We then drove to our next stop, The Wisdom Garden Guest House at Yuli. The owners were very nice and offered to take us and several of the other guests out to dinner. We were very fortunate to taste the local food with the host and guests from Germany, France, and New Zealand.



The next day we left out early with one of the other guests to hike the nearby Walami trail. Part of a Japanese-era cross-island trail it featured several suspension bridges and beautiful views. Our new friend helped push us a bit further than we would have normally gone so after the 10 mile hike we were exhausted. It ended up being an early night back at the guest house.

On Tuesday we drove up the Eastern Rift Valley of Taiwan. It is very pretty countryside. We stopped at the Hualien Sugar Factory for some ice cream and then at Liyu Lake for a bike ride. In Hualien we found a nice brunch place serving Western food for lunch. We then made our way to Taroko Gorge. After battling the traffic on the narrow winding roads we stopped for a short hike. Finally we made our way to the Leader Village where we had a cabin room for the night. After a delicious dinner of grilled meats and vegetables we were ready for bed, looking forward to the hikes we would do the next day.

Hsiao Liuchiu Island

This past weekend Erin and I took a trip out of Kaohsiung to Taiwan's only coral island, Hsiao Liuchiu.  Located just south of Kaohsiung it is made entirely of coral and provided a wonderful getaway.


We asked one of the school office staff, Ellen, to help us make arrangements earlier in the week.  She was able to get us an all-inclusive deal which included one night's stay, dinner, breakfast the next day, 24-hour scooter rental, and round-trip ferry tickets.  This made things much easier then trying to figure all of it out on our own.

However, there was still some difficulty getting to the island.  We started by taking the MRT subway down to the airport, from there we hoped to catch a taxi down to the ferry.  Unfortunately the driver didn't understand what we meant and we had to call Ellen to have her explain.  Finally we made it to the dock and after waiting awhile got on the ferry for the 30 minute trip to the island.  On arrival we were happy to find someone waiting for us who got us a scooter and led us to our hotel.

We were soon cruising around the island on our scooter enjoying the warm sea breeze.  Before long we found a nice harbor with a beach to enjoy our packed lunch.  It was really nice to just sit back and relax while listening to the waves lap at the shore.  After lunch we were back on the scooter down to the "Black Devil Cave".  The ominously named cave had many people backing out after getting halfway in and realizing they needed a flashlight to see (us included).  Crawling through the dark, narrow confines was exciting, but certainly wouldn't be for everyone.  After the cave we took to cruising around the island some more and checking out the local scenery.  We quickly passed by fishing ports, interesting rock/coral formations, and even a stage with a live play on the side of the road.

Back at our hotel we found a bench overlooking the ocean where we sat and relaxed for several hours.  It was nice to just look out over the sea while the sun slowly set.  For dinner one of the hotel staff led us into town at what must have been a sister establishment.  The food was good with plenty of variety.  Being downtown we went to check out a bar we had seen earlier.  Though not much more than a shack, the Deep Soul Bar had a nice outdoor area decorated with driftwood, some good mellow music, and tasty drinks.

On Sunday we found a path to hike partway around the island.  There weren't many people allowing us to leisurely enjoy the jungle and caves that we found.  Afterwards we spent some time on the beach so Erin could look for more shells.  We were soon back in town enjoying fried rice and smoothies for lunch.  It was getting time to head back home though so we took one more ride around the island before grabbing our stuff and going back to the ferry dock.


With subway, taxi, and ferry it ended up taking us about two hours to get back home.  While this was somewhat exhausting and often confusing when dealing with the taxi drivers, I'm very glad we went.  The island was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and the food turned out to be really good.  What more can one ask for in a weekend getaway?

Hot Springs and Hot Chocolate

Well, it's been a slow month for us as we've gotten back to work and used to the routine of life here. Things have been pretty good aside from a few weekend markets behind our building that play annoying music on repeat. Erin is as busy as ever with classes and the drama club while my work has been less demanding. It's given me more of an opportunity to focus on what we'll be doing when we return to the US this summer.


Last weekend we had planned a full itinerary in Taipei. While the rain and the cold kept us from doing some of it we still had a good time. We left Saturday late in the morning and after resolving my mistake at the hotel we were on our way to lunch at Ding Tai Fung, our favorite soup-dumpling place. In the same mall we were able to do some shopping for some western food that is hard to find in Kaohsiung. With the rain coming down we skipped our plan of a hike and instead went to see a movie. We finished the night with some drinks and bar food at Gordon Birsch.


The next morning we slept in before having a delicious breakfast at our hotel. We were relaxing back in our room when we started to notice some of the hangers shaking.  Turns out there had been an earthquake on the southern part of the island.  It had been strong enough to feel in Taipei, but hadn't done any more damage then a little bit of grout falling out of our shower tiles back at home.

We soon made our way out by the MRT to Beitou in the north part of the city. There we found a nice landscape and wonderful park based on existing hot springs. After walking up some narrow streets we came to the spa recommended in our book only to find it demolished. Nearby though we found another place called "Poetry in the Woods". Though it looked nice, the price and the setup made it not for us. After more looking we finally found a spa that we liked. Thankfully it had stopped raining and we were able to enjoy the hot springs for a little while before moving on.

Beitou was a nice setting and we would like to return one of these weekends, but we were on a mission to get some hot chocolate. In Danshui, a city/suburb by the coast there is a place called "In Joy Chocolate" that serves the best hot chocolates we've ever had. They treat their hot chocolate like wine with a care for the varieties found from different parts of the world. The result is a pot of hot chocolate that we were willing to brave the renewed rain to get. They also make some good waffles and have a cozy cat-themed place.


We finally made our way back down to Kaohsiung after a ride on the train Sunday night. We had apparently brought the cold down with us, but it was okay. The hot springs and hot chocolate had warmed us up and gave us the needed reprieve from our routine.

Cambodia for Erin's Birthday

After a cold couple of days in Northern Vietnam, Erin and I were off to sunny central Cambodia to see some temples.  Flying in to Siem Reap we arrived in one of the nicest airports we've ever seen.  Getting through immigration and getting our stuff was a breeze.  There was even a tuk-tuk driver waiting there to take us to our hotel.  The ride into town was nice and the hotel staff were very accommodating.  It didn't take long for us to settle in, change into cooler clothes, and head out for dinner.  After some walking around we found a good Cambodian place to eat which let us try a variety of meals for not very much money.

The next morning after breakfast and booking our activities for the rest of the week we hired a tuk-tuk driver to take us around to the different temples for the day.  The main temple of the region is Angkor Wat, but there are in fact dozens of temples in the region.  We started with Angkor Thom which contained within it Bayon. We loved how we were able to climb on and around this centuries-old temple without being forced to a specific path.  This was the same for most of the temples as we were free to roam as we chose.  We took a route around Baphuon and Phimeanakis; over the Terrace of the Elephants and Terrace of the Leper King.  All beautifully carved.

By the time we had met back up with our driver it was around lunch time and we were getting exhausted from the heat.  Having some ice cream and creatively carved pineapple gave us the energy to drive on to our next stop, Ta Prohm.  Unlike most temples in the area, this one has been left in much the same condition as it was found.  Used in scenes from the original Tomb Raider movie it includes several trees growing in and around the temple ruins. Once we finished there we went to a small restaurant near the Angkor Wat temple for a true lunch and to cool off.  After lunch we had some time to explore Angkor Wat in all its glory.  It is a massive temple with well preserved carvings on several of the walls.

We finished our tour of the temples with a short hike up a nearby hill to Phnom Bakheng.  While a small temple where only 100 people are allowed in at a time, the real draw is being able to see Angkor Wat and the sunset.  When we were allowed up to the temple we found people sitting all over it waiting for the sun to set in what seemed like another hour.  We decided we didn't want to wait and went back down passing hundreds of people trekking up the hill for the experience.  We were glad we left.  It was better to avoid the avoid the crowds and head back into town where we found a Mexican restaurant with delicious margaritas.

The next morning (Thursday), after breakfast, we went downtown for a cooking course.  We started with a trip through the chaotic old market where a fish jumped off one of the tables at Erin.  There was a large selection of courses which we could choose to make, though Erin and I decided to make the same things.  It worked out well since there was only one chef/instructor for six of us.  While we enjoyed the class the lack of an extra instructor made it go a little late.  Once we had our creations for lunch we walked over to a complex of artisan shops.  Angkor Artisans was set up to give Cambodians with disabilities a place to learn and create art using different medium.  On a short tour we got to see people who were deaf and mute make silk screen paintings, lacquer items, copper engraving, stone carvings, and wood carvings.

Later that afternoon we got to ride ATV's out through the nearby countryside to see the sunset.  It was fun to ride through the fields and see all the kids waving as we went by.  We finished the night back downtown at an Italian restaurant tucked back in a small alleyway.

Earlier in the week, as I was making reservations for a horse ride, Erin reminded me of the many hours she had spent with horses growing up.  Feeling like I had a similar experience growing up we were looking forward to our two-hour ride Friday morning.  After resolving an issue caused by my inaccurate conversion from pounds to kilograms we were soon on our way with our guide.  It was just the three of us as we rode through the surrounding countryside, first at a walk, but then later trotting and cantering several times.  It was nice to have a bit more control of our horses than a standard trail ride would allow, but we had some problems when we tried crossing between two rice paddies and the guides horse refused to cross some quick-moving water.  With little space between the paddies to ride on we had a hard time turning the three horses around.  We eventually made it back to the stables safely, but we were also very sore.  After having lunch downtown we returned to our room to nap and recover.  That night we were picked up by one of the owners of a traditional Cambodian restaurant for dinner.  As we rode he explained how proud he was to be able to maintain this family-run business.  Tasting the food and some rice-wine mojitos from his brother in a very romantic atmosphere was wonderful.

The last day of our stay was Erin's birthday and so it was appropriate to take a car out to Banteay Srei, also known as citadel of the woman, or citadel of beauty.  But first, we went a bit farther to Kbal Spean, also known as "The River of a Thousand Lingas".  As it was early in the morning we were the first to arrive at the river and had the trail to ourselves, a guide, and a few friendly dogs. The guide showed us the many carvings in the river rocks mostly consisting of "lingas" which are a phallic symbol of Hindu god Shiva.  Back at Banteay Srei we struggled with the crowds to see the many intricate carvings.  Before too long though we had to get back to our hotel and checkout.


After two short flights and a long layover in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) we were back home.  It was a great trip and we were glad to have experienced such amazing sights first-hand. We would definitely recommend both Vietnam and Cambodia to anyone traveling in the area.   I feel especially lucky to have such a wonderful traveling partner to enjoy these places with and I'm looking forward to our future travels together.