TravelStream™ news feed for member kurtmult on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/kurtmult en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:48:31 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257675715/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257675715/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257675715/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:48:31 -0500 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Bulao/baulai, TW.04, Taiwan

On Saturday, 31., we left the village at about 10:15 am and walked about 1.5 hours back to where we have parked our car. The main part of the day we drove North, on country-road 185, visiting the old, but well restored Spanish Christian basilica Wan Chin in the village Wan Chin. From there we went further North on roads 27, 27 minor ( because 27 has almost completely been destroyed by typhoon Morakot. ) and then 20 ( the Southern Cross Highway ), which is also mostly destroyed on the Western side and can only be driven until Taoyuan village.On the drive I realized that most of what I wrote a year ago when I walked around Taiwan and visited this area is not correct anymore - such is the extend of the damage. The hot-spring village Bulao is no more functional as the hot-spring has been destroyed and covered. When we then decide to continue to hot spring village Baulai we have to drive in the dark over damaged roads and through the river bed. A few hotels are still open, but all are operating low key. One up the mountain shall still be fully operational. Most hotels near the river have lost or damaged their outdoor hot-spring facilities, which were placed scenic beside the river. When we arrive one of our group has the tears rolling - she says because it is so sad to see the huge damage to the nature and the people; she is absolutely right and I feel the same, especially as I had experienced all this area on foot. We stay at one resort in Baolai with in-door slightly warm hot-spring tubs. We then decide for a good indigenous dinner - and bull's eye; great food ( at all standards and especially for the money ) and a great conversation with the boss. It's on the river side and uses bright colors and has some tables at the side with plants and flowers.On Sunday we drove back to Kaoshiung and stopped at Meinung, a Hakka town.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257653505/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257653505/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257653505/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:40:55 -0500 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Fangliao, TW.04, Taiwan

5 days trip to Pingtung County and Kaoshiung County. On the first day three of us went down to Kaoshiung by High Speed Rail, where we met 2 other friends, rent a car and went down south of Fangliao. Here we spent the afternoon leisurely in a coffee shop ( one of several on this stretch ) beside the coast.The night we decided to stay in Fangliao's F3 Art's distict ( www.f3art.com ). We got a place in one of the buildings belonging to the Arts Village with a flair of the Hippie period. Then the evening developed unexpectedly: Once-a-week or once-a-month night market with vendors from near and far. Here we sampled several typical local foods. Then we visited a temple, which turned out to be Taoist with a special kick, more exactly a Japanese kick. The temple worshipers a Japanese general with the name General Tien Chung ( Chineswe adaption ) from the time of Taiwan's Japanese occupation. The name of the temple is Tung Long Kung. From a lady in the temple, a kind of Taoist priest and a medium for the Japanese general, who speaks to and through her, we learn a lot about the beginnings of this temple. It was her who received the message from the general. The temple was then built and is only about 15 years old. The temple is very rich in decoration, such as wood carving. The lady herself became a Taoist priest after passing many tests, one of which has been to climbup a several meters high pole on knifes. Back at the Arts Village we ask two gentlemen about the name F3 for the Arts Village. The explanation is that in former times Fangliao has been the important end station for the railway in the south, before it was then extended to the East Coast to form a closed circle. The Arts Village was the 3rd warehouse area in former times. The two men were in a class room for Calligraphy study and one of the men has been a calligraphy master for 30 years and a railway director before retirement. He explains to us a lot and the paints for each of us a phrase and poem. We can choose from 4 different character styles. We are delighted and hang on to each of his words and are captured by his charism. The other gentleman is his student - he wants to learn calligraphy as is has developed an interest for Chinese painting. The next morning we buy our breakfast in town and enjoy it in our garden.    All of this can be seen in the photo section. Have a look.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257659746/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257659746/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257659746/tpod.html Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:24:55 -0500 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Lao Qi Gia, TW.04, Taiwan

29th to the morning of 31st we spent in Lao Chi Chia , about 45 minutes drive and 2.0 hours walk north-east of Fangliao. In the village Chi Chia, where the Paiwan Tribe from Lao Chi Jia was moved under KMT rule we meet the owner of the home-stay in the old village. We follow him, who rides a motor- bike by car - at first road, then dirt road, then temporary road in the riverbed. Here we really get a first hand look at the devastation caused by Typhoon Morakot a few month before - see one of the previous reports. Totally destroyed bridges, suspension bridges with their pillars standing only with their upper part out of the gravel, the cables dangling in the air or ending in the sand. The roads on the mountain slopes are washed away. After several trial and errors which way to take - conditions change almost daily - we drive a dirt road up the mountain. Here we park the car on a grass strip as soon as we see that the road is becoming worse and more steep. The landlord explains us the way how to walk and takes off with his motor bike. At first we walk down, then in the river bed, cross the river over a temporary bridge made of concrete pipes and then walk up to the village - all-in-all about 2 hours. Then we arrive at the abandoned old traditional stone-house village ( slate ) build by the Paiwan indigenous tribe. We get a traditional house, no electricity ( candles, flash lights ), water boiler to be heated with wood and one gas cooking stove. It's a wonderful place with front-yard with trees and benches and wonderful view, inside the village and the mountains.- First evening we got company by some local people, who visit their old homes from time to time.- First night we ( mainly our Taiwanse friends ) cooked the things we had bought in Fangliao, but the second night we collected several vegetables from around - I, as the male responsible for meat supply by hunting totally failed - so we turned almost vegetarian. - 3 of us slept inside, 2 outside on the terrace using their camping equipment.- The nights were wonderful, with the moon almost reaching full-moon status - it was so bright. The  second evening a circle formed around the moon as I have never seen before - I was told that this is common under specific weather conditions.- Second night also brought us a, let's say less welcome visitor, a snake - very poisonous. The snake - a Pointed Scaled Pitviper or Turtle Shell Flower ( Kuei Ko Hua ) moved under a beam below the roof into and out of the house. I have to admit that I considered sleeping out side as a viable alternative. Having snakes under the roof you don't know of is one thing, but ....Knowing... Finally with some noise she moved out onto the adjacent kitchen roof.Please see the photos - including the snake.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257649513/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257649513/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1257649513/tpod.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:07:52 -0500 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Wulai, Taiwan

Basically the tail of a Typhoon lingering around made for a uncertain start of this hike.When we meet in Taipei it begins again to drizzle. When we arrive in Wulai it raining pretty heavy - shall we really go? One of us four decides to take it easy in a hot spring instead. So only three of us hike - although the rain got increasingly worse we made it safely down the mountain after more than 5 hours with scores of leeches sucking on us. For more on the hikes see the photos.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1252832061/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1252832061/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1252832061/tpod.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:01:32 -0400 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Changhua, Taiwan

A two-days trip with Charles to Taichung, Taichung County, Changhua, Changhua County and Nantou. It has been a very interesting and, diversified and pleasant trip, during which I learned a lot about Taiwan's history, architecture, industry( history ), family trees and present life and communication.The trip was tightly packed and covered:- Taichung Modern Arts Museum- Rice fields- Taiwan's busy SME ( small and medium enterprises ) - Textile factory covering all steps from the unprocessed raw cotton or synthetic fiber packs via spinning the very fine yarn rolled onto huge drums to weaving the fabric as ordered. Very interesting for me ( gives me a lot more respect for my shirt - will try not to drop anything on it from now on ), but a very tough and competitive business to be in. Taiwan has lost most of its competitive edge in this industry over the past decades to countries like China, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and you name it.- Historic 3-sided Fuking style building- Way to Sun Moon Lake and the Youth Activity Center- Dinner in an Tsou Indigenous restaurant- Sitting under trees in coffee shop at Youth Activity Center till late evening- Checking out the new cable car - not yet in operation - with the base station below the Youth Activity Center- Visiting a pagoda and a temple beside the lake.- Driving around Sun Moon Lake to go back to Changhua. - On the way visit a home-stay below the lake's South side. The owners explain to us, that this land is actually the 'Sun' part of the Sun Moon Lake. The present Sun Moon lake is the former only 'Moon' lake. The Japanese colonists then built the Moon lake into a reservoir for electricity generation and drained the Sun lake part in order to resettle the people there after losing their farm land to the reservoir. The owners of the home stay let us walk on the ground of a grass field, which is still floating on water - it feels like walking on a pudding ( am sure you have all tried this before ).- Visit the second historic house in 3 sided Fukien style, which is now recognized as historic site. We get a tour around the house by a local historian.- Visit a third historic house in same style, but still used by relatives of Charles.- Having dinner in a Tea House/ Restaurant " Tea Work" in central Changhua. It is built in the building of an old former textile factory.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1250749230/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1250749230/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1250749230/tpod.html Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:43:13 -0400 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Chiayi County, Taiwan

On Sunday noon, August 16, just having finished a meal with my wife's family, I got a call from a friend: " A group organized by the Presbyterian Church is looking for volunteers to join supply missions to Aboriginal communities stranded and cut off in the mountains. Do you want to join?"  The priest in charge of the missions is a very good friend since many years. He belongs to the Atayal tribe in the northern part of Taiwan. No question that I will join. So I say " Yes " and we agree to meet in Chiayi at about 9:00pm the same day. Typhon Morakot hit Taiwan from August 08 to 10. The eye reached the shoreline of Taiwan's East between Suao and Hualien, but the major problem has not been the storm, but the unexpected huge amount of rain in the tail of the storm. Morakot dumped incredible amounts of rain ( up to 2.900mm ) in the mountainous areas of Middle, South and East Taiwan, causing the worst flood disaster since 50 years, killing between 500 and 1.000 people - a tragedy. Still two weeks after Morakot, some mountain communities, which mainly belong to the indigenous peoples have barely been reached for help. Taiwan's mountains are steep, high and covered with earth and trees. Hundreds of landslides have destroyed roads and buried whole villages. Rivers washed houses into the Pacific Ocean and destroyed roads and bridges. In view of this situation and the lack of supply of villagers in the mountains different civic and religious groups have initiated supply missions in addition to government and military efforts.So, when I got home I packed my backpack, not knowing what to expect, with sleeping bag. At 5:10pm I got a bus to Chiai, where I arrived at about 9:00pm. Here I met a friend who had already a mission on Friday. We take a taxi to a village, where we stay in the wooden houses attached to a hotel. A big 'hello' with some we know, especially the priest friend. He is the coordinator and as such busy planning. He says that the next day will be tough as we will have to walk up to a ridge and down on the other side. We eat some food provided, join a woman from New Zealand - she is a story by herself, but here only that she will not join the next days -in the hut and go to bed early.  Next morning 6:00am wake-up call, 6:30 breakfast. At 7:00 we  ( about hundred people ) are all ready for departure after a short morning prayer. We take road No.18 into the mountains. On a temple parking lot a short stop to meet with other volunteers, such as indigenous friends from Smangus, Cinsebu and Singuang. We continue by car ( like a slalom parcours around landslides ) until the road is blocked for 2-wheel drives, only 4 wheel drives with the goods continue. We begin our walk until a we get a ride on the back of a small farm truck. We finally arrive at the point where the goods ( cereals, milk powder,baby formula, canned meat and fish, noodles, washing powder, soap, tooth paste ) are unloaded and from where they have to be carried. This is the end of No.18, for now. Everyone fills the backpacks, baskets and you name it with goods and begins the walk. ( The news is that we will not have to walk all the way up and over the ridge to get own again on the other side of a landslide. The villagers have trampled a kind of path across the middle of the fresh landslide. ) A kind of tunnel built over the road to prevent rocks from falling on the road is filled with mud, earth, sand and rocks. At some sections the mud is almost knee-deep and makes walking very difficult - we later walk outside the tunnel on the slope side. The second section of the tunnel has moved a bit down the slope. the road suddenly continues about 1.5m lower and the wall stands 1.5m more to the front. Then we see that the whole mountain side on  about 800 to 1.000m is gone - slipped into the valley below - no grass, no tree, no road No.18 left. The walk is not easy as the underground is muddy, mixed with rocks and very loose. One guy had to say good-bye to his right rubber boot as he stepped onto a very muddy spot. Several of us pulled him out - without the boot. The whole scene looked like an army of ants crossing a barren land. It's basically 2-way traffic on a one-lane road, so someone had to step aside, find firm ground and this with a heavy load ( mine was not as heavy as the ones of trained mountain indigenous peoples.) On the other side of the landslide small trucks are waiting to receive the goods and transport them further up the mountain till the next landslide. Two houses are to be seen, one covered by and filled with stones and earth. The villagers welcome us warmly. This walk is done a few times until no goods are left on the wrong side of the landslide. The next day no mission is due, but on Wednesday again.On Wednesday wake-up call is at 5:30am, followed by same procedure as on first day. This time we approach our destination via Tainan, Tsenwen Dam and from there into the mountain. Villagers warn us that the road is difficult for 2-wheel drives, as will proof correct later-on. Several times the convoy has to stop, volunteers jump from their cars and push cars being stuck in the mud. Sometimes only the pulling by a 4-wheel drive could get the car going. The road was basically no longer existing, only a dirt, mud and rock road left. A temple on broken into two parts is lying close to the river on its side. Electricity poles are knocked over and power cables lying on the road - luckily without power. The village we shall supply with goods is on the other side of the river, which flows on the right side below the road. A steel cable/basket system has been installed to pull the goods over the river to the other side, where the villagers are waiting to receive the goods and bring them to their village. While I had left to pick up more goods from two stranded cars and helped two cars who got stuck, some indigenous volunteers swim across the river holding on to a rope - the river is still pretty strong and one you fall you will be carried away. They will help the villagers to bring the goods into the village. The village, built on a plateau, was lucky in so far as it has not been damaged, but a bridge had been washed away. At about 2:00pm all goods have been delivered and we return, having a lunch in a restaurant.Back in the hotel the plans for the next days are changing by the minute. On Thursday they only need a few experts who can build such a cable transport system - I am not one of them, I also cannot carry 50 to 60kg generators up a mountain. Friday a new supply mission shall take place, but is later in doubt. We decide to return to Taipei - they can call us when they need people on Friday. The railway and high-sped rail offer free tickets for volunteers - we take the high speed train with out any problems - it's the first time for me. max speed 292 km/h.   
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1247543885/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1247543885/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1247543885/tpod.html Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:26:46 -0400 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Nantou County, Taiwan

Here we try again - 3 days in the hut run by National Forest Bureau on Nenggau trail. Last year we had tried earlier in the year and had to give up due to 2 days  of continued heavy rain. This time it shall be a walk in sunny weather with sitting outside the hut in the grass reading and in the night watching the countless stars. So far for the plan and dream. First day we plan to walk from the tea/flower farm we know from previous year to the hut run by the Forest Bureau ( 14 km entrance to hut - plus 3.5km from farm/altitude 2.000m to 2.800m ).Second day we plan to continue the trail as far as we can to the East direction Hualien and back to hut - is is not possible to cross all the way as the trail on the Hualien side is destroyed. Third day we intend to walk two mountains, including Chilai Nan ( South ) mountain. Fourth day back and home to Taipei. So far the plan and dream - until reality set in: After 2 weeks of beautiful weather it begins to rain, light at first, stronger then before turning into a downpour with strong wind gusts so that the rain is whipped horizontally. On our way up all hikers ( 8 ) and the man who runs the hut come down the mountain. At about km 9 we also decide to give up ( second time under very similar condition ) and also return. On the way back we catch up with the other groups. Close to the trail exit we suddenly hear a sound with canon thunder - we see a rock of about 50cm rolling and jumping down the slope, just after the group has past the respective spot and before we will have to pass it.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1242037500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1242037500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1242037500/tpod.html Tue, 19 May 2009 09:15:03 -0400 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Nantou County, Taiwan

From May 11 to May 15 I accompanied a Brasilian Samba Drummer for the Dream Community Foundation to Primary Junior High Schools Nantou County. Please see for yourself where we went, how the schools and the countryside look like by scolling through the enclosed photos.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1241274000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1241274000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/2/1241274000/tpod.html Wed, 06 May 2009 00:54:19 -0400 Life and Adventure in Taiwan

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Shang Baling/ Chiao Wulai, Taiwan

The result of the 2-day hike upfront: Beautiful wild and almost untouched nature, but the hike almost was killing me towards the end on the way down from Nan Cha Tien Shan and any movement today, two days later, is pure muscle pain. I have to confess, that the my camera battery gave up on the climb to Lala Shan, so photos of most of the trail will not be available.Saturday, May 2nd. is a beautiful day, sunny, but not yet too hot. I take the train from Taipei's main station to Chungli ( alternatively to Taoyuan ) at about 10:30am. In Chungli I meet up with Joe and his wife gives us a ride to Dasi. Here we catch a bus to Shang Baling at about 1:00pm ( only a few buses a day to Shang Baling, a few more to Baling ). At about 2:45pm we arrive in Shang Baling. We walk through the Lala Shan ancient tree park and exit at the remote end onto the FuBa trail. After about 2 km on a easy trail upwards we arrive at the camp spot - the highest point of FuBa trail, beside a weather station, grass. The weather now has changed and we are surrounded by fog, mist or clouds and it became pretty wet without actual rain. This has at least one problem for me: I only brought the inner tent and left the outer rain cover at home to cut down on weight, which for this kind of trail with about 18 kg ( including 5 liters water ) is already pretty heavy. I covered the tent some other plastic and luckily it held for most of the night. Once in the night two aboriginal hunters with strong headlamps walked by.Sunday, 5:00am we woke up. What a splendid day with sunrise at 5:15am about. Packing, breakfast and off we were at 6:15. The entrance to Lala Shan is 900m down to Fushan and cannot be missed. Lalashan is over 2000m, a partially steep trail. From Lala Shan to Lupin Shan it seems that we are the first hikers since quite a while. It is all wet from the fog, the trail overgrown and slippery - I fell perhaps 30 times on the whole trip. It goes up and down, over and under fallen trees - all with a heavy backpack, through thick undergrowth, getting all wet, scratched by grass and thorny bushes, the tree branches hanging low and pushing our backpack down when walking up. Trail, where is the trail? Often impossible to see the trail we look around and have to scout for some small old flags from hiking clubs to find the continuation of the trail. With many ups and downs we finally reach the lowest point at about 1.500m. Lupin Shan is over 1.900m in hight, but the trail only gains in hight very slowly and the peak seems to be far away. Then suddenly it's steep up and there we are - on Luping Shan at about 12:45. From here you have three options: - back to Lala, - to Bai Cha Tien Shan ( don't try it in one day!) and - Nan Cha Tien Shan, which we take. From here it is down 200m to the branch off to Nan Cha peak and down to Chiao Wulai. We have lunch and go down - that's when the trouble sets in: My upper leg muscles cramp up and they can't carry my weight anymore - I really want to give up as every step is pain and because my muscle has no more strength I fall continuously. In about self-set 200m steps I push myself down. I think Joe is not as bad, but also in quite some pain. On the way down we meet another group, which later gives us a lift from the trail end to Sanmin township. We reach the trail head at 5:30pm, still 5 km from Wulai village. From here bus to Dasi, bus to Taoyuan, train to Wanhua ( Taipei ), taxi home - hurray 9:30pm home! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/taiwan_2007/1180772100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/taiwan_2007/1180772100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kurtmult/taiwan_2007/1180772100/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:26:06 -0400 Kurt's close up Taiwan - Formosa by foot

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Donghe / Dulan, Taiwan

Route: Fuli - Road No. 23 - Donghe Farm - Tai Yuan village - Donghe village - Dulan ( by bus )Total Distance: 45 km + 5 Dulan = 50 km( my walk 38 km )Altitude up: 600mAltitude down: 800mThe handy alarm rings; it is 4:15am. Am I tired. Quick breakfast of cereal from can , some cookies and then final packing - off it goes. It is pitch dark outside. The first steps of 45 km, basically a too long way to walk, especially with the heat during most of the day.The first kilometers on road 23 are almost flat. The first light rays of light appear as diffuse light. It is so wonderful and peaceful at such early time. From minute to minute the light changes, soon turns into an orange-red and then more and more yellowish color with a play of light and shadow. All these colors refect in the lush green landscape with rice fields and palm trees, a valley set between the two mountain ranges. I meet the first people, mostly the older folks, going for their morning walk, some chatting with their neighbors, others attending to their vegetable gardens, picking fresh veggies for the day. After a while the road begins to wind up and reaches at km 16 the highest point at 660m. I pass through a small gorge called Small Tienchiang ( in reference to the famous Taroko Gorge ). The road goes from one plateau to the next higher one, always avoiding the the highest point of the mountain range of over 1000m. This is possible as the Coastal Mountain Range is here split by a smaller rift valley going from North-West to South-East. From km 17 the road winds slowly down in South-East direction to the ocean. Now after 8:00 am it already becomes quite hot.  From km 22 the valley opens more and a few houses become visible. An elder couple stops their car and I accept a ride from km 18 to 21 - I will need this saved time. I thank them for the ride and continue my walk, even it goes down it is quite cruel  with the heat, not the slightest breeze and few shadows because the mountains are not high and the valley wide - same experience as I had a few days ago. At km 25.5 I reach Donghe Veterans Farm, a copy of the Wuling Farm , but lacking most of  the fascination of Wuling. This place has a park, plantation, restaurant ( not open now ) and places to stay of different standard. I look a bit around and have my lunch on a bench, tuna in a can and cookies ( I am sure water is forming on your tongue imagining such culinary delights ).   After a few kilometers till 31 I cannot resist to take the bus which is coming so conviently for 7 km. Who knows if there will be another bus or car. It is also the option between melting/collapsing in the midday heat ( please do not think it is a joke - I can't take such heat of over 33C in the shadow and propably near 40C on the road asphalt ) or surving in aircon. What would you have chosen? Honestly! We pass by a prison complex - hopefully no beakout today. So I arrive in a small town called Tai Yuan, the end station of the bus. I walk on and close to the coast there are two options to get to Coastal Road No. 11- via an old one-way tunnel from 1923, which is still in use almost in its original state.- continue via road 23 passing an old bridge, the former coastal road bridge - on this section the mountains are closer again offering much needed shadow.  I try the tunnel ( c o o l ) first and then walk the final kilometers on road 23. At the bridge is a toilet with water fountain - it's so great to splash the water in my face and on my head.At 12:30 pm I arrive on No.11 and find a bus stop. I buy a cold drink and sit on the floor by the road under shadow. The bus is almost punctual at 1:00pm.  Ahhh - a nice cool and relaxing bus ride for 44 NTD to Dulan - so I thought, but I could not find real peace of mind. I am sitting in the first row, right behind the bus driver and so I can see how the driver is constantly rubbing his eyes and sometimes drifting dangerously over the middle line.  Once, I am not sure if he was really having a second long power-nap, at least the bus continued to drift to the left. I call " Hello Chien Sheng ( Mr. ) " and he pulls the bus back - I am not sure if I just saved mine and a few other passengers' life. Better do not think about it. The driver tells me that he has strong headaches. I feel pitty for him - but I am sorry and I know you may call me selfish, but I also feel pitty for myself. Damn, am I tense.Finally - Dulan and alife! I check the homestay place beside the old sugar factory, but it is all fully booked. So I walk back to the small camping place beside the police station. On the way I see a community center run by the church, or better one of the churches. Some elder people, mostly women, are weaving handbags and mats from natual materials under a big tree. I watch them a while and a lady from the church tells me that this is the best place under the large old tree. The church supports this activity and the products are for sale. I am the only guest on the camping place. I check in, set up my tent and wash my clothes. I am fighting with my tiredness, but I do not give in. A bit later I go to have a coffee at the sugar factory. The boss, whom I know meanwhile a bit, tells me that they have an Amei tribe singer - Great - I love the aboriginal music - finally I will hear the raw music, last time as you may remember I listened to Bob Marley  and other Reggae songs and another time to Nanguan music. I am so looking forward to it. At 3:30pm I kreep up the 250m to Moonlight Inn - tired like a dog and hot, hot ,hot ( this not in a dog sense ). I stay there and finally really relax for 2 hours, enjoying the great view and atmosphere, read and write. Walking down in the mild evening breeze is just pleasant. I buy a 7-11 lunch box and sit down at my tent.  At 8:00pm I go to the concert of Aboriginal music in the sugar factory bar. The concert has already started and big surprise - aboriginal singer yes - aboriginal music no; english and chinese oldies, goodies, but not what I had expected or wished for. The owner said it correct, but I had my wishful thinking directing my thinking ). I decide not to go in, just don't feel like it and I am also too tired, to the point of light dizzyness.At 9:00pm I am back at my tent, but here the same problem - no wind, very warm, especially in the tent. Then I have a bright idea - or so I thought. I go to the local grocery store and buy two sealed packs with ice cubes. I place the ice cubes in my tent and it rally works to some degree. My tent gets a bit cooler after a while and I sleep at 9:30 pm, after 16 hours almost continuously on my feet. My sleep is a bit restless, but basically good for a mini tent in which my feet touch one end and my head the other.                        
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