taiwan chiropractics

my lower back has been bothering me the past few years. so i try to find useful stretches along with sitting and sleeping positions that will ease it a little. on a train from taipei, i happened to meet a girl who was a yoga instructor, so we talked about stretches that may help. later she referred me to a chiropractor that specialized in pressure point massage and stretching before doing any adjustments. i was excited to finally have another reason for being in taiwan, since the trip wasn't planned.

the chiropractor's office was a very soothing atmosphere, like a spa. i was laying face down on table, and a therapist was pressing down brutally on each nerve in my back, following down my legs, and finishing at my feet. i was trying to relax, so that he could work out all the kinks. as he bumped around the tendons it was the most painful, and it took all of my concentration to not shout.

once i was primed, the doc came in and cracked my back and neck. he was finished in less than a minute. he contorted my body in all sorts of ways. he was confident in the way he worked. once finished, he said some things to his assistant, pointing to my leg and lower back. the doc gave me a thumbs up, and left the room. he didn't speak english. the assistant started putting some cream on my leg and back, and then a bandage over the top. it smelled fresh and herby like eucalyptus. my friend translated for me as the doctor summarized what he did. the bandage was placed over my sore joints to cover the "medicine", whatever it was. the doctor demonstrated sleeping positions and stretches that would also help. i was very aware of how comfortable my back felt, and the herb cream was warm on my skin.

i rode trains clockwise around the whole country, starting at the top in taipei. the most gorgeous stretch of land was the whole east side. the tracks are sandwiched between ocean and tropical mountains, and the view is spectacular everywhere.

some detailed maps in english would have made it easier to navigate the south. everything is really spread out without much public transportation. at one point i rode a bus to a town i had never heard of, to look for a hostel that had closed; and then rode another bus in the dark to what i thought was the next town, only to find myself right back where I had started hours earlier.

i finally met some locals, at which point we were able to find the only atm in town that would accept american cards. nice, because i was out of money. once i had some cash, they introduced me to their favorite food, grilled squid - the whole squid. i bought some from a street corner grill; hot, rubbery, and covered with a sweet, spicy sauce. awesome.

my favorite though, was some watermelon on the beach in kenting. i found some people burying themselves in the sand, and i took some photos for them. they offered me watermelon that they had been tearing with their hands. i ripped off a section and felt the juice run down my fingers. nothing compares to cool, crunchy watermelon, with salty fingertips covered in beach sand.