Snow! Snow in Taiwan?

Monday morning, December 30, 2013 dawned bright and beautiful on the bustling city of Taichung, Taiwan. Not hot, but a definite promise of increasing warmth. Typical Taiwan December weather.

The car was loaded, both with suitcases and family. And much to the disappoint of many, once again Nickless. As much as I love him, I completely understood and respected his decision to skip out on another post Christmas tradition- traveling to the eastern coast city of Hualien.

His decision to stay saved him from a most horrible experience..... SNOW!

When most people think about Taiwan, they just don't get the image of snow. But it happens. Ok, well, it happens only in a very small part of Taiwan. And we just happened to be there.

Before we left home, the website was checked. Yes, the mountain pass was open. Chains not  required.

So imagine my surprise when we started seeing minature snowmen bravely riding the hoods of cars descending from the top. Never had I seen such a sight.

Cars, vans, SUVs pulled over to the side of the road adorning their tires with thick chains. 

What?

Sure enough as we neared the top of the winding curving ascending road, white stuff began clinging to the trees, rocks, cliffs. There was snow, at lots of it. Ok, lot's is a relative term. Especially to my Ohio friends who may receive up to 10 inches over the next 24 hours. But for Taiwan standards, lots of snow.

 Not to be out done by Taiwanese rookie snowman builders, Jacob quickly reverted to his Ohio childhood and built this little guy.

 He bravely held on, despite hairpins turns, steep descents, and increasing temperatures, downward into Taroka Gorge. 

Back and forth, across the hood. Precariously teetering on the edge, slowly melting, until poof, he was gone. Never to exist beyond the high elevation crags and crevices of the Taiwan mountains. 

Sad to see him go, but glad to be in warmer and more comfortable temperatures.

And a nice dose of reality! I needed that exposure, if only to give empathy to my friends and family suffering in the grips of a midwestern winter. 

(And by the way, the roads were clear except for one or two patches of ice. No chains necessary!)