Taiwan Adventure Volume 5 - Kenting

What happened here? I posted this earlier but...well it didn't post. Without further ado, here is the wrap up of the Taiwan Adventure.

After a less than spectacular time in Taitung, I was excited to make my first appearance ever in Kenting. Kenting is billed as one of the most beautiful places in Taiwan, and certainly one of the best beaches. Unfortunately, the weather continued to be awful during my stay in Kenting. On Thursday, for a few hours around noon, the sun came out. Other than that, the weather was only cloudy and rainy. Despite this, I had a great time.

I first arrived in Kenting around 4 in the afternoon and met up with my friend Tim. We went to a campsite that had a "music festival" I use quotations because there were a maximum of 50 people at the concert. I had a great time though and met some cool people. The music was good trance and house all night long.

The Campsite



Two Taiwanese girls selling homemade bags

The next day we got a fresh start and headed down to the southern most point in Taiwan (最南點). The campsite we stayed at was a great location. My friends Lucas and Iain, along with his family, came down as well. Other than exploring around a bit, we didn't do too much on Wednesday. We all went to a Thai restaurant, which I wasn't impressed with, and then I rented a scooter. Renting a scooter is essential when in Kenting. I thought I could get by using cabs or buses, but they just can't be found outside of the town of Kenting, and when you can find one, they aren't cheap.

After a long night of sitting in front of the campfire, I woke up early and headed to town to get some coffee, gas and some breakfast. When I came back, everyone was up and watned to head into town for breakfast. I took this chance to explore the beach. At this part of the coast, there is no sound. It's all rock that has been weathered away by the waves . What is left is a long stretch of crags and valleys. I took some great pictures and had a great time exploring.

Once everyone came back, we all decided to take a drive along the coast. The drive is beautiful, and would only have been better if the weather was nicer, and I didn't have to drive. Because the road twists and turns along with the coast, I didn't have much time to take in the scenery while driving. We stopped at a few places along the way, but halfway through our drive, it started to drizzle so we didn't get to do all we wanted. I did get to stop at a really interesting bluff, overlooking the coast. The winds were so strong that you could stand at the edge of the bluff and lean out over the ocean with the winds keeping you from falling off. The landscape was so amazing, I just can't wait to go back.

After all that I decided it was time to head back to Taipei. I left with Tim and Lucas and went to Taichung. I took the HSR...I really love that train. It's so fast and you don't have to deal with any of the annoyances of air travel. Although I don't mind buses and slower trains, when you want to get somewhere quickly, nothing beats the HSR. I didn't do much in Taichung except rest.

Overall the trip was a wash...entirely because of the weather. I did get to practice speaking Chinese, and even throwing out a few Taiwanese phrases. I met some interesting people, and had some experiences that I will remember forever, so it wasn't all a loss. This was the first time, though, that I've ever had a vacation ruined by weather.

While in Kenting, I only had 2 people compliment my Chinese ability, I can only the reason for this being that they see plenty of foreigners coming in and out. So, the final tally is

Keelung - 7
Hualien - 6
Taitung - 4
Kenting - 2

Taiwan Adventure Volume 4 - Taitung

Wheeew, after a long few days I'm finally back at the keyboard. With a dead phone, and limited access to a computer, it's been tough to stay connected to civilization.

First, after a great time in Hualien, I headed to Taitung 台東. I don't have much to say about Taitung, other than that it is a dirty and ugly city filled with dirty and ugly people. Unless you plan on heading to Green Island or Orchid Island, or you are using the city as a staging point for seeing the rest of the countryside, don't go.s

With that being said, the countryside between Hualien and Taitung is impressive. It was the only place I've ever been in Taiwan where it really looked like farmland. Large fields, and sparse population really had me feeling nostalgic for home. One thing I noticed about the farmers in this area was that they seem to be much more well off than farmers elsewhere in Taiwan. I saw plenty of large, new houses, and nice new cars.

I only had 4 people compliment my Chinese ability so that brings the tally to

Keelung - 7
Hualien - 6
Taitung - 4

Taiwan Adventure Volume 3 - Hualien

Following yesterday's disastrous weather I was less than optimistic about my chances for a great visit on my first trip to Hualien. So when I opened the window this morning to find the sun shining brightly...let's just say it was a great start to the day. On the way to Ba Du八都 train station the Taxi driver told me I spoke Chinese very well, so that brings the tally in Keelung to 7.

The train ride was decidedly less breathtaking then I had expected, although I was able to take in a few impressive views of the ocean. In some places the strip of land separating the ocean from the mountains can't be more than 200m and yet the Taiwanese were able to build multiple train tracks and a highway along the coast.

I'm staying at the Formosa Backpacker's Hostel & Bar. It's a nice enough place with friendly staff.

During the afternoon I mostly walked around the city and along the coast. There is construction taking place along the beach, so the view in some places was little more than a corrugated metal panel. Needless to say I decided not to rent a bike and ride along the metal walled bike path. After what was a fairly uneventful afternoon I headed back to the hostel for a quick nap, after which I headed for a night at the night market.

The Night Market was great fun, albeit a bit packed. The only problem was that there wasn't a large variety of food choices. And it was all the same stuff I can eat in Taipei. Luckily I was able to find a niu pai 牛排 place. A niu pai is essentially a grade C quality beef steak served on a hot iron skillet with noodles, an egg, and a generous helping of black pepper sauce. While niu pais can be found all over Taiwan, they are suspiciously lacking in Taipei. They are also delicious and this place didn't let me down. I ended up talking to the boss, Mr. Chen 陳先生, who was a really friendly man.

He told me about his grandfather who came from Japan to work in the gold mines at Jiu Fen and ended up staying because he met a local Taiwanese woman. He also told me about his travels to South Africa, which sounded like a great memory for him. I wasn't able to understand everything he said, but I understood enough and it felt really gratifying that I am able to now have these experiences with everyday Taiwanese people that would never have been possible if I couldn't speak Chinese.

I finished the night by sitting on a bluff overlooking the city and ocean, watching fireworks blasting from all sounds. Someone was preiodically releasing chinese lanterns into the sky, which I would watch as they floated off into the foggy night sky. Overall, Hualien was great and I can't wait to come back.

Tomorrow I head to Taitung at 10AM. I'm not sure what I'll find, but I'd like to check out a farm. Who knows...

And before I forget, I received a total of 6 Chinese compliments in Hualien, but two people also told me they thought I learned to speak in Beijing...I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or an insult.

Keelung - 7

Taitung - 6

Taiwan Adventure Volume 2 - Keelung

Well, the first day of my grand vacation has been mixed. Everything went smoothly, which is a plus. My hotel was easy to find. I was able to get a seat on a train, so I won't have to stand all the way to Hualien. But, it rained the entire day. I wanted to hike up a mountain to get a view of the vity, and I would have if the rain was a bit lighter. But I just couldn't take the risk.

My hotel is right next to a famous night market in Keelung. I figured that since Keelung is a port city, I should eat some of the local seafood specialties. I ordered some Pang Xie Geng 螃蟹羹, a thick soup made with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and crab. The soup was ok but the crab was delicious...succulent even. I also had some oil rice 油飯, basically rice cooked with special oils, and mushrooms.

Also, while eating my food, my friend suggested I count how many times I am told that I speak Chinese so well. As of now, Keelungians have told me six times. We'll see how the other cities stack up. Tomorrow I depart for Hualien at 10AM. I'm hoping that once I get further down the coast, the weather starts being a bit more friendly.

Taiwan Adventure, Volume 1

It's time for my big adventure to start. I'll be leaving shortly for the train station and will head to Keelung. After Keelung, I'll continue down the coast until I reach the very southern tip of Taiwan, Kenting. After Kenting, I'll turn north and head back up to Taipei on the west coast. I'm excited and optimistic, although the weather could certainly make the trip worse. I'll be posting a blog update every evening, so check back.

Hotel Party

Being one of the most densely populated places on the planet, space is at a premium in Taiwan, particularly in the cities. Because of this, some of the things that I always took for granted in Minnesota are done much differently here. One of these is the way in which any sort of get together is done.

Most people live in relatively small apartments. While they generally aren't dingy or run down, and can comfortably fit a family, homes just aren't equipped for large gatherings. So, Taiwan is filled with places that cater to people who just want to hang out with their friends or family. KTVs are hugely popular. At restaurants it is common to sit at the table for hours and hours.

Of course, this presents a big problem for young people. Most people live with their parents until they are married. And if they do get their own apartment, it's generally not a place conducive to large gatherings. So, there are many hotels that cater to young people who want to party with their friends. I went to just such a place last weekend in a suburb of Taipei called Zhong He, 中和. It was a birthday party, and the hotel was very nice. It was more like a townhome than a traditional hotel room. Inside there was a huge TV, equipped with karaoke of course. We had a great time and the other foreigners I was with are already planning our own party. Now if we could only find a place with a decent selection of American songs!





Also, I came across this place while looking for some pancakes the other day. A pretty funny building.