Around 3 main islands and Chibei
Trip Start
Nov 06, 2006
1
78
99
Trip End
Dec 31, 2008
Chibei, Penghu,
Taiwan
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Altitude: 300 m
At 8:00am I go to rent a 50cc scooter - as I only have a car driver's licence that's as big a scooter I can get. I go alone without Katherine whom I will pick up later as I am not sure they will give me the small scooter if they see two heavy Westerners renting their mini-baby.
The plan for the day is to visit another small island and the three main islands connected by bridges. All goes well and already at 9:00 am we arrive in Chinkan village. We still have 2 hours before the boat to Chinkan will leave. So we discover this part of the island, including an ocean park/aquarium and the famous banyan tree, which is really impressive, stretching over many, many sqm, supported by pillars
Drying seaweed
. An old temple is nearby. The boat ride to Chibei island is even more stormy and shaky then the one the previous day; the boat creeps up to the crest of a big wave and then crashes down into a wave valley before repeating the move. The island at this time of the year is really deserted in a double sense, by people and coved in sand. We walk to a famous stretch of sand bank, perhaps a few hundret meters long, reaching out into the ocean - its like a desert in the ocean, a bit bizzar. All tourist structures are closed, but we get a feeling how it may be in summer. We are totally alone. The wind whips the sand over the dune and the fine sand feels like needles stinging into the skin. Then I have the 'bright' idea to look for a more wind protected area - I throw my hat into the wind - that was the last time I had this hat. The wind picks it up and carries it a long distance. I sprint to get it back, but always when I get close the wind picks up my hat and carries it further away, until it is blows far out into the sea. I still see it, quickly change clothes and jump into the ocean, but the hat has disappeared. We swim for half an hour and then walk back to the village, harbor and take the return boat at 2:00pm.
The afternoon brings us to a famous basalt bridge, a geological museum, an old Ching dynasty fort ( very interesting - they have two forts) on the most south-western tip, take a hike up the coastal hills to the stone shrines and then vistit a fully restored old village, which is really great and highly recommendet.
The ride back is windy, especially as the wind blows most of the time against us. I am sitting in front and take the blunt of the now already cold wind. When we arrive back in Makung city I am frozen stiff. We have a hot Korean dinner in Panda coffee shop/restaurant. That is good - I am slowly defrosting. Katherine will leave by plane tomorrow morning and I by ship in the afternoon. We say good-by and wish us well.
