Traveling Taiwan

Taiwan is pretty interesting! Why you have to come to Taiwan??? Not to be stunned by nature, because it ain’t gonna happen... You go to Taiwan for the experience, for the generous, caring and loving people!  The country isn't ready for the big tourism yet. People are friendly and helpful, although many do not speak english so therefor it isn't always easy to travel around. Sometimes I feel like a freakshow, and sometimes like a celebrity. Every day there are people saying hello (or even shouting), because that's the english they know and they probably think it's cool. Even some who wanted to schake hands after introducing themselfs, since that’s what they’ve seen Europeens do in the movies. In places where there are tourists, most of them are Chinese and often they wanna take a picture with me. Really strange, but I can see the funny side of it.

This time my writing will contain quotes from my own status updates on facebook, they will be written in italic (cursief) and bold letters

1 March: Knackered and COLD in Taipei. Seen a lot today, smelled things you don't wanna smell and have talked to locals (unfortunately they didn't all speak back in English). 

I walked around the Ximeng area and saw many temples, the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, 2-28 Peace Park and much more. At the Longshan Temple a woman gave me the english version of the ‘buddha bible’ . The next day I organized my whole Taiwan trip.

3 March: Went to Jinguashi to wander the Gold Ecological Park, see the Gold temple, almost being ripped off when I tried to go to the waterfall so skipped it and went to Jiufen instead. There I wandered the Jishan Street, found alley’s smaller then I’d ever seen and had a cup of tea in a teahouse without a view due to fog.

4 March: I left Taipei and went to Sun Moon Lake by bus. I walked around a big part of the lake and took the bus back. Next day I went to Alishan and had to sit in too busses and a train to get there, which took most of the day. The worst thing by then is still the temperature. In Alishan National Scenic Area, high in the mountains. the temperature was between 8 and 11 degrees and I only brought one thin long sleeved shirt and a thin black jacket... was freezing my tits off!

6 March: Apparently I was the main attraction in Alishan National Scenic Area...

             The following day I really enjoyed the sunrise, despite the cold. I didn’t even realize it until I drank something and I was drooling because my lips were numb. Two swedish girls joined me and we walked through the whole area. The next day it was raining and nearly didn’t have transportation back to Chiayi. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease and while ticket’s for the bus were sold out I manged to get on it. On Tuesday I took the early train from Chiayi to Kaohsiung and was happily surprised when the weather was alright. I saw the love river and visited Cijn Island.

9 March: Had an awesome day! Went to Meinong where I rented a push bike and biked around the country side for 3 hours. Of course the bike was too small and yes my ass hurts like hell, but it was the best day so far in Taiwan!

10 March: Very exciting day today. Went to a 52acre temple complex and paired up with a local girl who brought me to the lotus pond..... on her scooter!!!!! After we'd borrowed a "crash helmet" out of a shed (lost&found?) from the buscompany.....

The next day I went to Sun Yat Sen University first and then tried to get to Chaisan. I failed, so the local girl, that I was going to meet up with there, picked me up and drove me there after a few tourist stops. Chaishan NR was amazing. There were Macaque’s everywhere! I’ve made a lot of photo’s (which I lost, read on).

11 March: I've learned à few things today:
1: It's normal to ride a scooter at 60+km/h with me on the back, while on the road it clearly says 40.
2: Handsome monks do excist.
3: Monkeys can be pretty nasty, when they are used to having people around... and have been fed once.

12 March: In Kenting I found out that:
1: I can also ride 50+k on an electrical bike (semi scooter) and then without a helmet.
2: I can breakdown 2 of those within 5km.
3: I can even make the "battery" of a 3rd one go flat on me at the end of my trip... Had to bike and walk the scooter back... All of the 11km.

‎4: Had I spoken Mandarin the 2nd and 3rd wouldn't have happened, for I could've explained that I thought it was low on battery and I could've understood her talk about coming back for a new battery half way through the trip!

It was very nice in Kenting, especially after seeing al the other tourist sites. Maybe the ‘scooter’ riding/driving made it also more fun. Besides, the sun was finally shining and I was soaking up every sun beam. Even got a little sun burned on my hands.

13 March: Worst thing happened to me..... Someone stole my camera!!!! Must've happened when I was asleep in the train:(

I took the train from Kaohsiung to Guanshan and rented a bike there. After a few minutes I discovered that my camera was missing. I made a few phone calls and the girl from the last hostel took it over. I went for a bike ride anyway, because I couldn’t do anything but wait. It was a scenic bike ride, although due to circumstances I couldn’t enjoy it. Later I took the train to Hualien and that evening I bought a new camera. You can’t travel without one! Luckily I only missed several days from my trip, because I had changed my memorycard after Meinong. On the downside, they were the photo’s of the most scenic days...

The next day I went to the beach and to Liyu Lake. Both okay, but nothing to write home about. I wanted to go rafting but due to low season they weren’t going. In the evening I had a new roommate, who was Taiwanese, heard my misfortune and gave me a special bracelet of his. It’s an ankle bracelet, from his people on Lanyu Island. A very warming gesture and I love the bracelet!

On 15th I went to Fuyuan Forest. Took the train there and asked at the busstop (a little street shop) how to get to this place. There was no bus going and when I said that I would try to hitchhike, she offered to drive me there. The park was beautifull. I arrived there at 8.15 in the morning and walked all three trails; creek trail, mountain 1 trail, mountain 2 trail. It was suppose to take me 3,5 hours but at 10.45 I was back at the spa. At 11am it opened. I was the first, but also the one and only customer and had the whole spa to myself until I left at 2pm. An employee from the hotel there drove me back to the trainstation. In the train I was hoping to get some sleep, but a local teacher took the opportunity to refresh her English skills and I was her victim

16 March: I went to Taroko NP. I stayed over at Tienshiang. This lovely Taiwanese woman, who lived in Houston for years, gave me some travel advise. I walked with her, her cousin and two friends to the hostel, helped with their bags, but at the counter I realized this hostel was too expensive for my budget. She insisted on paying for the difference between lonely planet and reality, which was 200NT. So kind of her! The goodwill didn’t stop there, nor was she the only one. I went to the information centre, luckily, who were able to change my mind on the hike I planned. I was going to hike along the gorge, until this mountain volunteer offered to take me there by motorbike. I took that offer, received a construction helmet from the visitors centre (In Taiwan Helmet = helmet?) and apparently we were good to go. He drove me down to the ‘Grotto’ where I started hiking back up to Tienhsiang. Went throught the tunnel of the 9 turns, the 1,2 km long car tunnel that is, because the footpath was considered unsafe and taped off. Have to say that walking through a car tunnel isn’t any safer in my opinion! When I came out of that tunnel I had been walking for 2 hours. A police officer came by, stopped and tapped the back of his motorbike. So, again, I jumped at the back of a motorbike and he drove me to my next trail, the lansui trail. After that I walked back to the hostel. It took over 3 hours and decided I deserved a nice long shower. The phone rang after and it was the Taiwanese woman from next door. The shops closed early and she had heard that I hadn’t come back yet, so she bought me dinner! It was soooo kind of her! She bought me a really nice soup and a main course. How considered! All these people I meet on my trip, so kind, giving and caring!

The next day I took a bus to Taroko headquarters and walked a big part of the Shakadang trail. It was nice and left to take a bus and train back to Taipei.   

18 March:Today G.I.Jane (ME) got lost in the mountains of Maokong. After 3h I decided I was lost, tried to walk towards civilization and found a woman in her garden, called a translater and received directions towards a busstop. There a taxi driver took me to the trainstation for free. They couldn't believe I walked all the way from the Maokong Gondolas... in my G.I.Jane outfit: jeans skirt, legging and even a scarf;)

In the evening I met Justin who was planning on going to the Taipei 101 building. I said I still wanted to see it too, so we decided to go together. We had soooo much fun! I had three virgin experiences: 1. Had a Taiwanese beer float (beer with a scoop of icecream) and yes it’s as strange as it sounds; 2. Had a bite of a corn dog; 3. Went to a Hookah bar and had an apple flavoured experience. He had invited himself for the next day, so on Saturday I took him (and his roommate Kevin, which he had also invited) to Yangminshan NP. We were suppose to climb up that mountain, but after an hour walking and finding the trail, it was obvious that it was literaly the road less traveled (or should I say never traveled). Slippery and green, so we decided to take the bus to the next destination: bamboo lake. I’m not sure, but we think that we never made it too that bamboo lake. We arrived at this place where there were calla lillies everywhere, such an amazing sight. Walked around there, had amazing lunch (twice since we couldn’t resist it) and went to the next destination... Di-Re Valley. Not sure if we made it too that one either... since it was simply called Thermal Valley when we got there. I could stare at it forever! After that it was time for a hot spring. We went to the local one in Beitou, nearby the thermal valley. It was a completely different spa experience, but I liked it! Back in Taipei Justin and I went into town for dinner, while Kevin was suppose to meet up with some Spanish people he’d just met (it never happened). We had an amazing pizza’s (smoked cheese/ pesto, mushroom), went to the Hookah bar but it was full, went to a hairdresser.... Now that was very interesting... he got a new haircut which is not easy with the language barrier, but very funny! We kept finding new examples of haircuts in magazines, while she was already half way through cutting his hair. At the end he almost had a purple disaster, which we luckily were able to prevent... the hairdresser thought it would be really cool to put purple into his hair!!! We didn’t agree. Anyway, back to the pizza place for a drink after that, wandering around town, eating pineapple and then I had the silly idea to see one of those 4D movies. Well, I almost pissed myself laughing through the whole ride! It was a rollercoaster simulation, no great graphics but that just made it all the more hillareous. We then went back to the Hookah bar and had a cherry flavoured one this time. Then to another bar for a few drinks and off to the hostel. He left this morning unfortunately. Would’ve loved to travel longer with him. That’s the worst part of traveling.... every now and then you meet people that you have soooo much fun with, but then you go into different directions. That’s part of living the life of a traveller.... probably the only part I hate (besides being away from family and friends at home). 

My last day in Taipei I spent in Danshui after calling Ida and meeting up with her again. We met at Chiayi, when we went to Alishan. I hadn’t slept much, so the plan of going anywhere far wasn’t happening. We went to Danshui, sat at the harbour and walked around. It was so busy, people everywhere! We went to Shilin night markets for dinner and to experience the buzz of the busiest night market of Taipei. Had a good day, but think I’m ready for an organized trip now too... just tagging along, no planning or organizing new trips when others fall through. Bangkok here I come!

PS... Obviously saw an aqua blue sky, but mostly the weather was grey and the air poluted. Today was the first day of nice warm weather!