Meet with friend Neal and walk to Heping
Trip Start
Nov 06, 2006
1
46
99
Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
Chenggong, Taiwan
Friday, May 4, 2007
Total Distance: 25 km
Altitude up: 200m
Altitude down: 200m
For three days Neal will join me in my walk. Here he writes his view of this day.
"THE FAR EAST" by Neal Moore
We've just arrived along the Eastern coast of Taiwan, with a breathtaking view of the sea, this carriage I'm traveling in, surrounded by quite affable nuns. Loads of Christians in the south
Leaving Yiwan - rush hour on coastal road
. All locals. Jibbering and jabbering, all smiles and hugs. The paper says rain for today, but I swear I just don't see it - the sky is crisp and clear at 8am and the air is cool (for now). Summer is taking shape on the odd day of our Eastern Spring, and I do believe this will be one of those fine days. This is a the start of a self-imposed three-day holiday to be to comprise trains, buses, and my Timberland hiking boots - scheduled for a 60km hike along the obscure coastal road between the towns of Hualien and Taitung, on the South-Eastern coast of the island.Now approaching 9am, I've got that excitable feeling of starting out on a journey, having left the city behind in trade for a glimpse of adventure - the views and the life and the memories that she brings. Ilan to Hualien along the rails and our journey has diverted for a spell from the coast, meaning my next view of the sea will be via bus, to be followed shortly thereafter by boot.
My German friend, Kurt, an inhabitant of the island now for 16 years, has recently retired from his Taiwan post at a major German company. He would sit in his office up on the 54th floor of the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, and on the odd occasion, find himself dreaming about taking a round-the-island hike
Farm for 9 hole mussels - a seafood delicacy
. No schedule, no timetable. So I told him many moons back that I wanted to join him for this stretch, having seen a glimpse of it about five years ago by train, what I'd consider the most beautiful part of the island.So back to today, I caught a bus from Hualien down the little utilized coastal road, watching for Kurt, a backpack with a yellow rain cover and a blue umbrella, which he opened when I was within 5ks. Amazing. There he was, having been on the road now for at least a month. We crossed over to the sand of the sea and hiked to a village quay where we ordered seafood and vegetables. Can you imagine? I was sorely tempted to order a flying fish, deep fried in batter with its wings outstretched, but I thought better and did not. The sea is all different shades of blue - bright, bright blue in some places, like the way the color aqua should be. From there, by foot, we traveled down the less traveled roads of the less traveled highway, stopping at another town harbor Chenggong to watch the barter over the latest catch. Huge fish with strange heads I have never before seen, a man dragging the bill of a marlin away on his scooter, sharks with fins still attached, already bought and marked, resting on a bed of ice.
More k's down the road, we inquired at a couple of churches, which may accommodate travelers (for a donation) but these churches would have nothing to do with us
Coconut trees
. So, more k's and with sore feet, I sit now at a luxury villa, just on the sea, with palm trees draped in yellow lights, at a wonderfully wooden coffee bar where they brew really good fruit drinks. That's the funny thing about the road. One never knows what's just around the bend. But everyone's friendly; children, police, truck drivers, Aborigines and the Chinese here. Full of smiles, full of encouragement. Absolutely amazed to see two foreigners on foot in such a remote place. "Where could they be walking so late in the day," a sister asks her brother in Chinese, while the older folks understand, finding it a compliment to the immense beauty of this part of the island. Sitting now in the coffee bar, lorded over by palm fronds meets the stars and the clouds, and off to the sea, the full moon, now swirling around the fragments of clouds, now completely blocked out. Below are fishing vessels a plenty, bobbing up and down with their lights, their spotlights calling out to the fish. It's heavenly, guys. Such a place anywhere else would be bustling with people, whereas it is completely deserted here, and it's a Friday night!Who could describe this better than Neal? I will give you a short account of the time until Neal and I meet:
Already at 6:45 am I sit on the church terrace under the old tree and the phantastic view, read a bit more in my newspaper and have breakfast
Betelnut tree with young nuts
. Neal will not be at the meeting point before 11:00am. I go to the priest and show him some pictures from Germany I brought with me for such occasions and because most people have no idea about Germany. The small grave yard behind the church has several foreigner graves, one De Boers from Holland and a Steiner from Switzerland, both former priests in this church. When I go back to my room the place in front is filling up with mostly senior aboriginal ladies and a Christian sister. I estimate that there are about 40 to 50 participants, quite a significant number for this small village. It is the twice weekly gathering of the elderly of the village organized by the church. While I pack my backpack the gathering is in full swing and the participants hold discussions in their Ami language, listen to lectures by the sister and another visitor, I think its an official talking about pension. Then they stand up and sing religious songs in their own language and rhythm ( Haluluja-ja ha ) and dance their traditional dances. So I get my own morning concert, it really sounds wonderful. They also hold some physical exercises. When they have a short break ( I have waited a bit for such opportunity ) I leave my room and wave good bye to the group, which many of then return. This is one social aspect of the churches' activities in the mountains, which I had described before.At 9:45am I begin my short 6 km walk to km 106 where I will meet up with Neal in Shihyusan. On the way Neal calls that he has missed the correct bus and after some back and forth he is on his right way on the 10:30am bus of Hualien bus company.He shall call me at about kilometer 100, so that I can stand beside the road with my yellow covered backpack and opened blue umbrella - so he can easily recognize me among the many other foreigers standing along the ( lonely ) road ( just a joke )
Drying what ? Who can tell me?
. At 10:45 I am at Shihyusan beach park. Having quite some time to kill I look for a nice place to rest under a tree on the grass. Two busses with tourists from Mainland China are there - no word, no hello, just the same experience as in Taroko Gorge. They leave soon. During my further stay only three moving sales cars ( one selling shoes, one sweets and ice ceam ) stop here. I buy some chocolate cookies and get into talk with the moving shop shop owner. Here is what he tells me: He is an Ami aboriginy who grew up in this area. He drives his small blue truck from Taitung up the Inner Rift Valley ( No. 9 ) to Hualien and then back along the coastal road ( No. 11 ) to Taitung. He tells how as young kids they had all to help their parents in the fields on the mountain slopes and points in the direction marking with his finger the line with bamboo growth. They grew Taro, Sweet Potatoes and Bamboo and raised chicken and the wealthier families buffaloes. Now most young people leave the hardship of the small villages for better chances in the bigger cities and many of the fields are no longer cultivated. He himself had worked as an excavator operator in Taipei for 10 years before returning here starting his moving car business. It has been very interesting talking with him. He then leaves.At 12:45pm, later than I had hopedfor, Neal arrives after calling me. I stand as described - alone - beside the road. Please see his report now.
Comments
In Search of Kurt Out on the Open Road...
THE FAR EAST:
We've just arrived along the Eastern coast of Taiwan, with a breathtaking view of the sea, this carriage I'm traveling in, surrounded by quite affable nuns. Loads of Christians in the south. All locals. Jibbering and jabbering, all smiles and hugs. The paper says rain for today, but I swear I just don't see it - the sky is crisp and clear at 8am and the air is cool (for now). Summer is taking shape on the odd day of our Eastern Spring, and I do believe this will be one of those fine days. This is a the start of a self-imposed three-day holiday to be to comprise trains, buses, and my Timberland hiking boots - scheduled for a 60km hike along the obscure coastal road between the towns of Hualien and Taitung, on the South-Eastern coast of the island.
Now approaching 9am, I've got that excitable feeling of starting out on a journey, having left the city behind in trade for a glimpse of adventure - the views and the life and the memories that she brings. Ilan to Hualien and our journey has diverted for a spell from the coast, meaning my next view of the sea will be via bus, to be followed shortly thereafter by boot.
THE SEA
My German friend, Kurt, an inhabitant of the island now for 16 years, has recently retired from his Taiwan post at a major international German company. He would sit in his office up on the 54th floor of the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, and on the odd occasion, find himself dreaming about taking a round-the-island hike. No schedule, no timetable. So I told him many moons back that I wanted to join him for this stretch, having seen a glimpse of it about five years ago by train, what I'd consider the most beautiful part of the island. From the train, I caught a bus from Hualien down the little utilized coastal road, watching for Kurt, a yellow backpack and a blue umbrella, which he opened when I was within 5ks. Amazing. There he was, having been on the road now for at least a month. The bus stopped and I put boot to pavement, ready and willing to join in the fun!