They are really convenient, if you ever have a flat or loose brake cable or any problem really, one of these stations is usually not very far away.
12.20.2010
Bike Stations
I told my brother Graham a long time ago I would post some pictures of the bike fixing stations that they have around the city; here is the one on campus.
They are really convenient, if you ever have a flat or loose brake cable or any problem really, one of these stations is usually not very far away.
They are really convenient, if you ever have a flat or loose brake cable or any problem really, one of these stations is usually not very far away.
Atayal Grounds
Last weekend I went on a solo bike-trip to WuLai.
This is XinDian, almost the halfway point of my journey, as soon as you leave here it is all mountainous terrain.
Ended up in the valley about two hours later.
This river is actually a natural hot spring, people come from all around to bathe in it.
Set up my tent in a clearing just beside a hiking trail.
Went back to the hot springs at night to soak.
Ate some steak, then went to bed.
If by reading this blog, it seems that I am just lollygagging and camping my days away, you would be a very astute observer. That is in fact exactly what I am doing, and I do not wish for it to stop. Unfortunately it has to stop.
This is XinDian, almost the halfway point of my journey, as soon as you leave here it is all mountainous terrain.
Ended up in the valley about two hours later.
This river is actually a natural hot spring, people come from all around to bathe in it.
Set up my tent in a clearing just beside a hiking trail.
Went back to the hot springs at night to soak.
Ate some steak, then went to bed.
If by reading this blog, it seems that I am just lollygagging and camping my days away, you would be a very astute observer. That is in fact exactly what I am doing, and I do not wish for it to stop. Unfortunately it has to stop.
12.13.2010
Day 6／7: JiaLeShui to JinLun to Taipei
This is the infamous surf beach, you can kind of see surfers near the top right getting tubular.
On our way back to return the scooters we stumbled across 'White Sand Beach'.
Enough time for a five minute dip
Wreck
When we were done with our scooters, we hitch-hiked to a nearby town to catch a bus. This here was our 'worst' hitch-hiking experience as the crusty coot, 'unfamiliar' with the principles of hitch-hiking, tried grifting us a cool 200NT just before he dropped us off. We gave him a few coins.
Our next pick-up was fully legit though, a 'FrogMan' in the Taiwanese Marines, straight business. He took us to his home in JinLun where a hot meal was waiting for us (including Rat soup...), and he found for us a place to camp out.
The spread!
He also took us to some hot springs.
Our hideout
This was our last hitch-hike, to TaiDong, where we got on a train back to Taipei. A note about hitch-hiking in Taiwan, it is remarkably easy. Of the total eight or so pick-ups we had, we never had to wait more than ten minutes, it's great.
I found out when I returned home that I actually had strep throat for most of the trip. Near the end it was interrupting my sleep, but I had so much fun on the trip that I was able to disregard it most of the time.
On our way back to return the scooters we stumbled across 'White Sand Beach'.
Enough time for a five minute dip
Wreck
When we were done with our scooters, we hitch-hiked to a nearby town to catch a bus. This here was our 'worst' hitch-hiking experience as the crusty coot, 'unfamiliar' with the principles of hitch-hiking, tried grifting us a cool 200NT just before he dropped us off. We gave him a few coins.
Our next pick-up was fully legit though, a 'FrogMan' in the Taiwanese Marines, straight business. He took us to his home in JinLun where a hot meal was waiting for us (including Rat soup...), and he found for us a place to camp out.
The spread!
He also took us to some hot springs.
Our hideout
This was our last hitch-hike, to TaiDong, where we got on a train back to Taipei. A note about hitch-hiking in Taiwan, it is remarkably easy. Of the total eight or so pick-ups we had, we never had to wait more than ten minutes, it's great.
I found out when I returned home that I actually had strep throat for most of the trip. Near the end it was interrupting my sleep, but I had so much fun on the trip that I was able to disregard it most of the time.
12.12.2010
Day 5: KenTing to JiaLeShui
Our campsite in the morning.
Traveling with these two jokers is no joke.
Yes, this is easy to get used to.
Kensuke took a dip with his non-waterproof cameroon, big mistake. Luckily the memory card still works.
We rented scooters to explore the national park, about $10.00 a day per scooter.
The rock near the top left of this picture is called 'Nixon's Head', for reasons that have stumped geologists for millennia.
It was windy as all get out near the Southern tip.
Can't complain about the view though.
This grassy clearing is right next to the most popular surf spot in Taiwan, JiaLeShui.
We chatted with some of the locals, asking where to get food. They all told us that we were too far removed, everything was closed. After fifteen minutes passed, one of them came back and surprised us with three chicken steaks and boxed lunches, thanks dudes! Mega tubular.
There is dry driftwood on the beach at all times, fires going at all times, a good spot to have some eats.
You could see the stars so clearly (not pictured), something that is not possible in Taipei city.
Traveling with these two jokers is no joke.
Yes, this is easy to get used to.
Kensuke took a dip with his non-waterproof cameroon, big mistake. Luckily the memory card still works.
We rented scooters to explore the national park, about $10.00 a day per scooter.
The rock near the top left of this picture is called 'Nixon's Head', for reasons that have stumped geologists for millennia.
It was windy as all get out near the Southern tip.
Can't complain about the view though.
This grassy clearing is right next to the most popular surf spot in Taiwan, JiaLeShui.
We chatted with some of the locals, asking where to get food. They all told us that we were too far removed, everything was closed. After fifteen minutes passed, one of them came back and surprised us with three chicken steaks and boxed lunches, thanks dudes! Mega tubular.
There is dry driftwood on the beach at all times, fires going at all times, a good spot to have some eats.
You could see the stars so clearly (not pictured), something that is not possible in Taipei city.
Day 4: ZhiBen to KenTing
The next morning we woke up to our neighbors cackling like geese. About ten of them in total, five couples who are mostly retired and travel around Taiwan together. They had the most energy of any old people I have seen, and made old(ish) age look delightfully adolescent. They also made an abundance of food, we ate together and laughed until our bellies near split. It felt quite like the Kroeker-Friesen epics we had as kids.
Then actual geese showed up, territorial geese.
It was tough to distinguish.
The spread! Fresh catch, fresh Taro congee
Valley living
Apparently Devon has been to Taiwan.
A small town main street.
Tawdriness is wildly popular here
Train Station in ZhiBen
Skip scene. We arrived in Kenting, a national park at the very Southern tip of Taiwan. The main drag is tourist-trap central, so we grabbed a quick bowl of noodles, some rations, and hitch-hiked farther East to get away from it. The man who picked us up was kind enough take us a fair distance out of his way to drop us off at this site.
Then actual geese showed up, territorial geese.
It was tough to distinguish.
The spread! Fresh catch, fresh Taro congee
Valley living
Apparently Devon has been to Taiwan.
A small town main street.
Tawdriness is wildly popular here
Train Station in ZhiBen
Skip scene. We arrived in Kenting, a national park at the very Southern tip of Taiwan. The main drag is tourist-trap central, so we grabbed a quick bowl of noodles, some rations, and hitch-hiked farther East to get away from it. The man who picked us up was kind enough take us a fair distance out of his way to drop us off at this site.
12.09.2010
Day 3: JiQi To TaiDong To ZhiBien
This is in Jiqi, a one-stop Betel Nut town, after nightfall. We arrived at the campsite only to find it out of operation, so we did the most sensible thing and jumped the fence, skibbed into our skinny's, and body surfed the ocean waves.
This is what the beach looked like the next morning.
The fence behind us in this picture is where we trespassed, about which the owner was not amused.
He found us eating what turned out to be a daily breakfast: a banana, peanut butter, and peanut sandwich. It turns out the reason the campsite was closed was because of a Richter scaled 5.4 earth quake set to hit few hundred meters offshore. In case you don't know, 5.4 is considered massive. We were actually walking on the beach when it happened, but because of the soft sand and distance away from us, we did not feel it.
After we paid the entrance fee and chatted with the owner for awhile, he calmed down and let us stay until noon that day, he even welcomed us to come back! Only East Coast hospitality extends beyond trespassing (Picture taken by/from Dayton).
This is the portion of the trip where we switched to hitch-hiking as our main means of transportation. This is our first pick-up in JiQi, an indigenous family riding a van already far too full without three men and their bags, but the children and grandmother huddled up front to give us room. They dropped us off in a town called ChengGong, renowned for it's seafood, which we ate lots and lots of.
This landmark indicates the Tropic of Cancer.
Our second pick-up (a Mercedez Benz no less!) was this business shark who took us all the way to TaiDong.
Rest stop
TaiDong offers surprisingly little for it's size, except for a free on-the-minute air show as there is a military base near by that test flies jets. We spent the afternoon drinking tea and deciding where to go next.
Because we were in the city we decided to find a bus station and head to the nearest hot-spring town (of which there are tons) to set up camp.
I asked the bus driver to drop us off at a place where we can camp. He told me he knew of three, so I told him we would get off at the one closest to the terminus. It turns out that the one we choose more closely resembles a five-star resort, equipped with a giant pool, warming pool, hot springs, and steam rooms.
This is where we "camped". ZhiBen, Taiwan.
I really like this picture of Kensuke, he's extremely quiet, and always happy.
The facilities were outstanding, we soaked for hours.
Beer and card games
'We are getting close to paradise' - Patrick Watson
This is what the beach looked like the next morning.
The fence behind us in this picture is where we trespassed, about which the owner was not amused.
He found us eating what turned out to be a daily breakfast: a banana, peanut butter, and peanut sandwich. It turns out the reason the campsite was closed was because of a Richter scaled 5.4 earth quake set to hit few hundred meters offshore. In case you don't know, 5.4 is considered massive. We were actually walking on the beach when it happened, but because of the soft sand and distance away from us, we did not feel it.
After we paid the entrance fee and chatted with the owner for awhile, he calmed down and let us stay until noon that day, he even welcomed us to come back! Only East Coast hospitality extends beyond trespassing (Picture taken by/from Dayton).
This is the portion of the trip where we switched to hitch-hiking as our main means of transportation. This is our first pick-up in JiQi, an indigenous family riding a van already far too full without three men and their bags, but the children and grandmother huddled up front to give us room. They dropped us off in a town called ChengGong, renowned for it's seafood, which we ate lots and lots of.
This landmark indicates the Tropic of Cancer.
Our second pick-up (a Mercedez Benz no less!) was this business shark who took us all the way to TaiDong.
Rest stop
TaiDong offers surprisingly little for it's size, except for a free on-the-minute air show as there is a military base near by that test flies jets. We spent the afternoon drinking tea and deciding where to go next.
Because we were in the city we decided to find a bus station and head to the nearest hot-spring town (of which there are tons) to set up camp.
I asked the bus driver to drop us off at a place where we can camp. He told me he knew of three, so I told him we would get off at the one closest to the terminus. It turns out that the one we choose more closely resembles a five-star resort, equipped with a giant pool, warming pool, hot springs, and steam rooms.
This is where we "camped". ZhiBen, Taiwan.
I really like this picture of Kensuke, he's extremely quiet, and always happy.
The facilities were outstanding, we soaked for hours.
Beer and card games
'We are getting close to paradise' - Patrick Watson
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