I got my bags back on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler episode 533. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about rift valleys,

Aboriginal culture, and river tracing in gorges literally made out of marble as we go to the wilder side, the eastern side of the island of Taiwan.

Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen just back from the

Philippines. More about that on the blog, not necessarily on the podcast because we've

covered the area I went to before, but for now let's talk about Taiwan.

I'd like to welcome the show Robert Kelly.

Robert is a freelance travel writer including the author for the last what 10 years Robert of the Taiwan Lonely Planet guide book

Oddly enough. He's come to talk to us about Taiwan, especially Eastern Taiwan.

Robert, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me, Chris.

First of all, why did you go to Taiwan 10 years ago or so?

Was it just because you were asked to go or did you volunteer for the Taiwan guidebook?

No, I originally went to Taiwan to teach English.

I was back in Canada.

This was kind of the mid 90s when Canada was in a huge recession and I'd

graduated from university and it was 20% unemployment rate for new graduates kind of

like it has been in the US and Europe for the last few years and I just thought I can't stay here any longer and this

opportunity came up to teach in Taiwan and I went and just really love the place and end up

staying there and then eventually I started moving into

writing and I worked for local magazines and then one day this opportunity came

...