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TAIWAN
1261 Kilometres - 33 Days
27 December 2013 – 26 January 2014
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25
– 27 December – Manila, Philippines - Taipei, Taiwan
The
only way to get to Taiwan from the Philippines was by air. The flight from
Manila touched down in Taipei at the extremely inconvenient hour of two o’clock
in the morning. All went smoothly and the whole shebang came out on the belt,
bike and all. The time was three in the morning, and I thought it better to wait
until daylight before hailing a taxi into Taipei. The hostel booked was in the
suburb of Gangnam (I couldn’t get the song out of my head) and wasn’t open at
night, and only opened at nine o’clock. I further wanted to drop the bicycle at
the bike shop for reassembling, located next to the hostel, but they only opened
at ten.
I
slept soundly upon the soft airport couches and, by daylight, was ready to venture
into the city (still humming Gangnam Style but, thank the lord, never broke
into the routine).
Taipei
was a vast, busy and modern city sporting highways, freeways, flyovers, fast-moving
cars, and even faster-moving trains all situated amongst lush green hills.
Capitalism and consumerism were alive and well, and the streets were packed by
people and vehicles. Unable to read or speak a single word, I felt as out of
place as stinky tofu at a barbeque in Cape Town. I imagined getting out of the
city would be challenging. It rained steadily from my arrival and I wondered if
I made a mistake venturing this far north.
The
following day was off into the streets to find a much needed new Ortlieb
handlebar bag as I was convinced if one couldn’t find what you are looking for in
Taipei, it didn’t exist. Warmer clothing was also required to keep the freezing
weather at bay. The largest part of the day was spent investigating the alleys
and wandering around the markets, at times becoming wholly lost and strangely
landing up exactly where I started. Between its busy alleys, shopping malls,
markets and crowded streets, one could stumble upon a temple dating to the Qing
dynasty. In these peaceful places, the koi was king and the smell of incense
mixed with the chanting of devotees.
I
moved to Ximending, another part of the city, and the ultra-consumerist heart
of Taipei. The area was young and trendy, and if any part of the body could be
inked or pierced, it could be done in Ximending.
I
was fast warming to Taipei. By evening, I strolled towards the night market
where, as usual, the food was intriguing, tasty, and plentiful. A long walk
took me to all the well-known city temples in the morning. I finished my
spiritual tour by visiting the remarkable Longshan Temple built in 1738. The
temple represents the pride of Taiwanese temples, worshipping a mixture of
Buddhist, Taoist, as well as deities.
28
December - Taipei – Shimen - 50km
Though
not raining, the weather was bitterly cold as a scenic bicycle path led out the
city along the river. The ride was a beautiful one past many colourful temples,
and in the process the town slowly disappeared behind me. The trail was popular
and packed by friendly cyclists, all interested in my doings. I cycled with William
for a while, who treated me to coffee before returning home.
Outside
the city limits, cycling was straight into an icy wind accompanied by a slight
drizzle, no fun at all. Shimen, had both room and food and a blessing to settle
in under a thick duvet.
29
December - Shimen – Keelung - 40km
The
weather was again miserable. It drizzled, a drizzle which lasted all day and a frigid
wind blew in from the ocean. My path continued past more fascinating temples, one
being the 18 Lords Temple or Dog Temple. Legend has it a man went out fishing
but never returned. His loyal dog pined days on end until he could bear the
suffering no longer, and it’s believed he leapt into the foaming ocean,
drowning himself. People were so astounded by this act of loyalty they built a
temple in honour of the dog.
In
Keelung, a gigantic version of a giant yellow rubber duck graced the harbour. It
was pretty bizarre, but it seemed thousands braved the cold, all bundled up in
scarves and jackets, to witness this rubber duck floating in the bay. The duck
further created a lively touristy trade selling anything from T-shirts and hats
to umbrellas, even duck-themed food. Who would have believed a massive rubber
duck could be that popular?
Keelung’s
famous night market was a delight, and the food well-known throughout Taiwan.
The streets were crowded and one could barely walk but, joining in the madness,
I pushed my way past massive pots of steaming soup – just the thing on a cold
night.
30
December - Keelung – Jiaoshi - 85km
Again,
the weather was wet and cold, leaving Keelung. The route headed along the coast
past the old mining settlements of Jiufen and Jingush; they say there’s still
gold in them hills. Taiwan was exciting and sometimes quite contradictory, modern
and traditional, hectic yet organised. Taiwan was easily the country with the
best street food and snacks and unsurpassed scenery. Bitou Cape, featured sea-eroded
cliffs, and a bicycle path flush next to the coast, a bike path I assumed could
rocket Taiwan into the number one cycle touring destination.
Jiaoshi,
well-known as a hot springs destination, was an excellent place to call it a
day. Virtually all hotels had natural hot water in the rooms and I was keen to
try it. An abode along the main road was just the place, and I soon found
myself soaking in a hot tub. The town was further known for its cuisine (the
vegetables are grown in hot spring water). The food must have been tasty as I’d
supper twice.
31
December - Jiaoshi – Suao - 40km
After
departing, the first stop was at the National Centre of Traditional Arts. The
centre occupied a massive 24-hectare site and was well-known for its folk art. Unfortunately,
the complex was disappointing, and I believed my incredibly talented mother’s
garden was more unique.
Being
New Year’s Eve I didn’t feel like camping, all by my lonesome. Suao was quite an
attractive village and a good place to spend New Year’s Eve. Not a significant
amount happened in Taiwan where people celebrate Chinese New Year instead of the
Gregorian New Year. There were, nevertheless, a few fireworks to mark the start
of the new calendar year.
1
January 2014 - Suao – Taroko National Park - 80km
From
Suao, the route took me straight up the mountain, and in no time at all I was
high up, overlooking the coastline with Suao far below. This was a mountainous
stretch and the going slow. It, nonetheless, wasn’t difficult as Taiwan was home
to master road builders and the gradient very doable. The east coast was a
stunning part of the country as the road cut through tunnels and crossed massive
valleys, all while the coast stretched miles, both north and south.
In
January, it got dark early. No time remained to cycle up the famous Taroko
Gorge, arriving in Taroko, but better to locate a room, eat, and relax.
2
January 2014 - Taroko Gorge - 40km
Being
more cost-effective, I returned to the hostel spotted the previous night, leaving
enough time to cycle up the gorge.
The
Taroko Gorge was stunning and revealed sheer marble cliffs, reaching 1,000
metres into the air. A narrow road headed through winding tunnels, with the
Liwu River way below. The path went past what was known as the Swallows Grotto,
where the road ran through tunnels carved into the sides of the gorge - thirty-eight
tunnels, all in all, including the Tunnel of Nine Turns. This was a lovely part
of the canyon and an area where numerous hiking trails began. Finally, I merely
walked to the Eternal Spring Shrine. These little temples were built in memory
of those who lost their lives during the cross-island highway construction.
Albeit
uphill, the gradient was gentle, or so it felt as I wasn’t carrying any
luggage. The ride was extraordinary and took the best part of the day to cycle
the 20 kilometres to the next village. The gorge was littered with intriguing
sites and walks up the mountain.
3
January - Taroko – Shimen - 92km
My
leisurely start was, primarily, due to my indecision whether to stay an
additional day or not. In the end, the time was past ten o’clock before getting
underway. The coastal highway continued south and became one more beautiful day
of cycling. From time to time, the route stuck close to the ocean and at times
climbed up the mountainside offering stunning views.
Being
winter, it got dark relatively early, and I was unsure if it was possible to
reach the campsite indicated on the map; Shimen came at the right time. A
conveniently situated roadside guesthouse and restaurant turned out another curious
experience. My order of sailfish was served raw and the bed a futon and I thus assumed
the joint was a Japanese-owned establishment.
4
- 5 January - Shimen – Dulan - 80km
The
stretch between Shimen and Dulan marked my last day of riding along the
Philippine Sea. The path hemmed in by the mountains and the ocean as I biked
past many tiny fishing hamlets. The rich Kuroshio Current ran close to the coast
at this point and the primary income, not surprising, from fishing. The route
passed the Tropic of Cancer Monument, and I was officially in the tropics. The
many interesting places made good exploring and a multitude of photos stops. Unaware
Taiwan was such a popular tourist destination, the many tour busses encountered
came as a surprise.
The
assumption the road would be level was clearly incorrect. The coastal highway climbed
steadily to the Baci Observation Tower and then sped down to lower ground. The
Caves of the Eight Immortals, and site of the earliest human inhabitation of
Taiwan, had sadly been turned into shrines distracting a bit from its
archaeological importance.
Dulan
looked worth investigating and Dulan Café and rooms sported a Mexican theme,
famous English breakfast and quesadillas. Furthermore, the old Sugar Factory
(turned into a bar/music studio/art gallery) put Dulan on the Taiwanese travel
radar and an excellent place to spend the day, do laundry and update travel logs.
6
January - Dulan – Dawu - 95km
The
stretch between Dulan and Dawu was surprisingly varied. The first stop was at “Water
Running Uphill”, where water was clearly running uphill. Next, the route went past
rural fishing communities, eventually turning off to hot springs.
The
region was disappointing as it was immensely touristy, and I didn’t stay.
Instead, I followed the road passed indigenous settlements providing fascinating
art. The entire stretch was hilly as the mountains came right down to the coast.
It couldn’t have been an easy place to build a highway. However, a guesthouse
at Dawu made a convenient overnight stop as it had an adjacent restaurant.
7
January - Dawu – Linyuan - 105km
My
route turned inland and headed over the mountains to the West Coast. The road
climbed steeply away from the coast and after 10 kilometres I could see the ocean
far below. Eventually, the road descended and, on reaching the ocean, it veered
north along the South China Sea, in Taipei’s direction. Arriving at the coast
meant the mountains were done and dusted, and they slowly disappeared in my rear-view
mirror.
The
route headed past Dapeng and through a picturesque region along a famous bike
path rumoured the most expensive bicycle path in the world.
8
January - Linyuan – Tainan - 74km
It
took forever to cycle through Kaohsiung. Eventually, the road cleared the city
limits from where a less congested route proceeded to Tainan.
The
area was pan-flat but straight into the wind. It wasn’t as pretty as the East
Coast and best to put one’s head down and get on with it. Tainan was the first
capital of Taiwan and the oldest city and steeped in history and tradition.
9
January - Tainan
The
initial intention wasn’t to spend the day in Tainan. Still, the city turned out
interesting and featured plenty of great temples and shrines, and warranted an
additional day. Tainan was best explored on foot. First up was the Confucius
Temple which oozed calm, grace and beauty like any good Confucius Temple.
Narrow
alleys provided traditional street food led to the old city gate and more remarkable
temples, a few revealed quite terrifying deities and others where people still
cast moon blocks to determine the best course of action. Now and again, I had a
cup of Taiwanese tea and then headed off to the next temple. Taiwan has different
temples for different things. At some, you asked for good luck, and at others
people prayed for the protection of children.
The
many swastika symbols were intriguing. Hitler, sadly, gave the swastika symbol
a bad name. Nevertheless, the symbol remains widely used in Indian religions,
specifically Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s understood the word “swastika” came
from the Sanskrit swastika - “su” meaning good or auspicious, combined with “asti”,
meaning it is, along with the diminutive suffix “ka.” The swastika, therefore, literally
means “it is good.” During World War I, it’s believed the swastika was found on
the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division.
10
January - Tainan – Beigang - 100km
The
wind picked up and the ride became a slow slog, not a good deal one can do but get
the day over and done with. There’s nothing good one can say about cycling into
a headwind: it’s slow going, frustrating and energy-sapping. Even though the
road passed various wetland reserves, the weather wasn’t good to explore.
At
around 16h00, the hunt to find suitable camping didn’t reveal anything. Eventually,
a friendly chap pointed me in an easterly direction and easily 20 kilometres
before biking into Beigang.
Each
place has something of interest and Beigang was home to the popular Chaotian
Temple, where people went to cast moon blocks. Although late, I wanted to see
the temple. Once inside the temple, one could hear the clackety-clack,
clackety-clack of devotees throwing moon blocks. Both men and women of all ages
clasped identical blocks, whispered to themselves, paused, and let the blocks
fall to the ground. One side of the block was curved and called the yin, while
the other flat and called the yang.
I
understood the gods’ fate is revealed in how these blocks fall to the floor.
One yin and one yang are a yes; two yins facing up with the flat surfaces
against the floor means the gods are mad, and it’s a no; two yangs with the
curved surfaces swaying on the ground shows the gods are laughing, meaning
either the question was unclear or the inquirer already knew the answer. The gods
told me to stay on Route 19.
11
January - Beigang (Beikang) – Lukang - 70km
As
the gods told me to stay along Route 19, I did, a good thing as the route wasn’t
as windy. In addition, the area was agricultural, making a pleasant ride past
vast expanses of farming activities.
Lukang
came as a pleasant surprise. Once a thriving harbour town, Lukang became a
backwater after the harbour silted up and closed altogether around 1895.
Forgotten, the Lukang continued in its own way and was rediscovered when people
realised not a great deal has changed since 1895. The village is home to the
oldest and most beautiful temples, narrow, curvy streets, excellent traditional
food, and old lantern and fan shops.
12
January - Lukang – Miaoli - 100km
What
an unpleasant day! The wind was howling, and my path led straight into the
weather. The best part of the day was meeting two young men circumnavigating
the island on foot, dressed as the Chinese God, Nezha. In Taiwan, Nezha was an
icon. Nezha fought and killed the son of the Dragon King of the East China Sea.
Fearing his parents would suffer for his actions, he committed suicide to
prevent his parents from being punished. At the time, over 300 temples were worshipping
Nezha. He was considered a god especially good for protecting children with his
boy-like appearance.
I
battled the wind but felt surprisingly strong and didn’t lose my sense of
humour. The people of Taiwan impressed me; twice people stopped to offer me
water – how nice of them. Surprisingly enough, I made 100 kilometres; some days
I could and other days I couldn’t.
13
January - Miaoli – Xinfeng - 55km
Sadly,
the wind didn’t ease or change direction. In fact, it looked even stronger. There’s
nothing one can do but battle onwards - at times it felt downright dangerous as
the wind gusted sideways, practically blowing me off the bike. A kind lady
stopped and offered me a cup of piping hot coffee - wow, how nice was that.
As
always, all one had to do was keep going forward, and you will eventually get
there. Nothing stays constant and the wind had to change sooner or later. I
feared it would merely be once I’ve left Taiwan, but change it had to change; it’s
almost the sole thing in the world one can be sure of.
Reaching
Xinfeng, 65 kilometres remained to Taipei and the drizzle gave enough
encouragement to find accommodation.
14
January - Xingeng – Taipei - 65 km
The
rain-streaked windows warned of another unpleasant day. Luckily, Taipei wasn’t
far, and cycling into Taipei, I was thrilled to find a bed at Taipei Hostel. Though
small, I needed nothing more and stood under the hot shower for what felt like
ages. The hostel had an especially convenient location close to the central
train station and, a short hop to practically anywhere.
15
– 23 January - Taipei
A
ferry from Taiwan to mainland China made it a no-brainer where to go next. The
problem was obtaining a Chinese visa. Taiwan and China weren’t the best friends,
resulting in no Chinese embassy in Taiwan. The day turned out a total waste as
absolutely zero got done. The office organising Chinese visas wasn’t indicated
on the map, and Giant Bicycles was not behind the train station as expected.
The hostel’s helpful staff helped locate the visa office’s address and
suggested a different bike shop.
The
following day the visa service office was located close by and within easy
walking distance from the hostel. ST International Travel Service (www.sttvisa.com)
made it extremely easy and took care of everything. They had been in business
for the past 20 years and knew the procedures well. It took five days as passports
were sent to Hong Kong. It wasn’t a big deal as a whole bunch of things remained
to do in Taipei and plenty to keep me occupied.
A
bike shop was situated four blocks from the hostel and the friendly owners gave
the bicycle a good overall.
Unfortunately,
the ferry operating between Taiwan and Mainland China (Xiamen) departed from
Taichung on a Wednesday and from Keelung on a Sunday, meaning one had to take a
bus to Taichung or wait five days to catch the Keelung ferry. So, after
collecting the bicycle from the bike shop, I continued to the camera shop to give
the camera a good cleaning.
I
liked the hostel and the people who stayed there - nearly all of them in the
process of looking to find teaching jobs in Taiwan. I even met a South African lady,
quite unique as I seldom met South Africans and could count on the fingers of
my one hand the ones I did. The others consisted of a Dutch guy (Martin), who didn’t
look or sound Dutch at all, a British guy, who looked and sounded British but who’d
been teaching English more than ten years in Taiwan, a New Zealander, who’d
spent eight months working and travelling in China, etc. Always a fascinating
world in a hostel.
I
met Borut Kocar, a cyclist from Holland (Yugoslavian by birth), who spent seven
weeks biking Taiwan. He was a charming person and worked as a dance/movement
therapist in a small psychiatric hospital in Holland. On my return to the
hostel, a tiny box was placed in front of my door. It contained a lovely
message from Borut as well as a small porcelain clog - how sweet and thoughtful.
Taipei
offered a whole host of exciting sights, one being a visit to the famous Taipei-101,
the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2009. The building was also the
tallest and largest “green building” globally at the time. Moreover, Taipei-101
was one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. Besides various piles
and reinforced foundations, the building was fitted with a 660-ton steel
pendulum serving as a turned mass damper. Suspended between the 92nd to the
87th floor, the pendulum swayed to offset the building’s movements caused by
typhoons and earthquakes.
I
paid a visit to the Martyrs’ Shrine; not so much for the aesthetic grandeur or
to pay respect to the fallen servicemen, but more to watch the straight-faced
military guards as they changed shifts every hour, followed by an elaborate
marching ceremony.
Yay,
I received my Chinese visa and then had to wait until the Sunday before the
ferry departed. My poor, old, tattered and torn passport was filling up and
needed replacement.
Taiwan’s
coffee industry was brewing, something I wasn’t opposed to. Starbucks seemed to
have targeted the upper-income levels and coffee drinking was fast becoming a
fashion. The young and the hip were sipping their brew (I wasn’t even sure they
liked it) in trendy cafes. Tiny and intimate coffee shops, as well as a few “hole-in-the-wall”
type places, roasted their coffee right on the pavement, making it quite
impossible to walk past.
The
remarkable thing was a strong Japanese influence appeared when it came to
brewing coffee. The specially-designed kettles and filters allowed water to
drip through, one or two drops at a time, resulting in brewing one cup at a
time. The beans were weighed, grounded, emptied into the filter, and cup and
saucer warmed. A small, swan-neck kettle was used, but instead of flooding the
filter and letting it drip, the lady only poured a small amount of water in - a
process which took several minutes. I sat watching in fascination and once my
cup was placed in front of me, I felt it should be savoured.
24
- 26 January - Taipei – Keelung - 90km
I
finally left Taipei and cycled the 90-kilometres to Keelung. The ferry boat to
China was only in two days, but having itchy feet, I moved along. The weather was
beautiful. The sun was out, and aided by a slight tailwind, it became a good
day of riding. The route led past odd rock formations, created by wind and sea
erosion aeons. Reaching bustling, Keelung was in good time and there remained more
than enough time to explore the night market, famous for its wide variety of
food.
Around
16h00, I cycled to the harbour, where I bought a ticket. Although the ferry had
been in port since my arrival, we waited hours until finally allowed on board.
27
January - Keelung, Taiwan – Xiamen, China - By boat
The
Cosco Star was far more substantial than envisaged and resembled more a cargo
ship than a ferry. As a result, there weren’t many people on board. The
interior was quite luxurious. Cabins had six bunk beds to a cabin, but I was
the sole person in the cabin. The ship rolled wildly, and best to stay put.
Reaching
Xiamen, China was around 9h30 the following morning and provided an
uncomplicated entry into China. I changed my last Taiwanese money, drew a few
more Chinese yuan and was excited to see what the area held.
