Hengchun’s last gate

I returned to Hengchun after a few days. That last gate, West Gate, that I’d missed niggled at me because it wasn’t every day I got to explore a walled town.

the ancient town of hengchun

When the bus rolled through Hengchun on the way to Kenting (pronounced Ken-ting), it appeared like the dingiest route, but I still wanted to explore its narrow streets. On my return, I headed to its most photographed site, Hengchun’s South Gate. 

Mobitou’s cat

Mobitou, situated on the far end of the Bashi Channel, was a rocky headland at the southern end of Taiwan’s western promontory. The shoreline that had eroded over time from wave action formed a wave-cut platform. 

Taitung’s peinan site park

Peinan Site covered an area from behind Taitung Train Station to the foothills of Beinan Mountain. It was once a large Perinan village.

The strange shapes of xiaoyeliu

I cycled north of Taitung to Xiaoyeliu, where sandstone formed strange shaped rocks near waves that lashed the coast.

Farmlands within taitung

I didn’t expect to find any crops growing as I made my way to my Taitung B & B. With scooters whizzing passed I was surprised to spot several fields of rice that looked like they were ready to harvest. I crossed a bridge and below in the grassy riverbed were wild cows. Another female and her calf meandered under the bridge while traffic groaned overhead.

Donghai Wetland park

Right on the coast in Taitung, Donghai Wetland was so close to where I was staying that I headed over the highway while almost gale force winds roared in off the Pacific Ocean. Waves crashed on to the pebbly beach by this small marshy region.

Taitung’s wetlands

Complementary bicycles were available at the place I stayed at in Taitung, so I took full advantage and cycled towards Taitung’s Forest Park. I passed the fifth person in Taiwan I’d seen peeing at the side of the road — two had been women!

Qingshui cliffs

I expected the seven kilometre hike from Chongde Station to be an up hill battle, but the train had already gently risen before reaching the village and the hike was relatively flat. What made it difficult, was the final tunnel. It was a hair-raising hike through a one and a half kilometre dark tunnel with no sidewalk where trucks roared past and their noisy engines echoed off the tunnel ceiling.

A hike by Cingshuei Cliffs

I was on my way to Qingshui Cliffs in Taroko National Park, but there was no public transport right to this site. Instead, I caught a train from Hualien to Chongde then had another seven kilometres to hike along coastal Suao-Hualien Highway.

Pages: 1 2