PART THREE OF MY 2-WEEK TAIWAN TRIP

So as if you've heard. We hitched a ride from a young taiwanese couple, both 25, and went to Taitung and Kaohsiung with them. :) Kaohsiung was a last minute plan but since they were going there. HAHAHAHA. Anyways Kaohsiung was one place I planned to visit then but my sister was not so keen somehow. Oh! And we heard so much about the place from this taiwanese-turned-new zealand-retirees so I guess it's a must-go. So from Hualien, we drove down to Taitung and along the way, we listened to Chinese Indie music with a little Jay Chou and visited the sites that we planned. Sorry but I really cant remember the names of the visited places so I went to the Taiwan Tourism Board website and extracted some information. Hopefully, I got the right ones.



#1



#2



#3 Mr Driver



#4



#5



#6



#7 Mrs Driver



#8



#9



#10



#11

Pictures #1 to #11 were taken at this place closer to Hualien. The wooden "tent" you see in picture #1 is made for camping. People are allowed to camp there as long as they made bookings. I went online to check, these pictures should belong to the East Coast National Scenic Area.

So there's a little information about it.
The East Coast National Scenic Area, known as "Taiwan's last unspoiled land", stretches 170 kilometers down the east coast of the island from the mouth of the Hualien River in the north to Shiauyeliou (Little Yeliou) in the south. To the east it is bounded by the Pacific Ocean; to the west rises the Coastal Mountain Range. The land here consists of volcanic rock, classic rock from deep beneath the sea, and shale that has been pushed upward- and is still being pushed upward- by tectonic action. Weathering, erosion, and accumulation have produced a wide range of landforms here, including coastal terraces, sand and pebble beaches, shoreline reefs, inshore islands, and capes along with sea-eroded platforms, trenches, and caves. This varied topography provides habitat for a rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The East Coast is the primary homeland of the Amis aboriginal tribe. Amis villages' dot the coastline, and the harvest festivals that they hold in July and August every year offer visitors an opportunity to gain insights into the culture of this unique people. Before the Amis settled here there were prehistoric peoples who came and went, leaving a rich store of artifacts and ancient sites that can still be seen today. Among the more modern cultural features of the coastline are enchanting temples, churches, and quaint fishing villages. This rich store of natural and cultural assets prompted the Tourism Bureau to establish the East Coast National Scenic Area in 1988, and to engage in the active development of the leisure resources here.




here's a glimpse of the 2 nice souls. :)



#a



#b



#c



#d



#e

#a to #e were taken around one of the must see in Taitung and that's Basian Cave (Basiandong). I couldnt capture the entire landscape with my camera. But nonetheless, you can also read up on it. Here you go.

Basian Cave is located in the north of Hua Tung Mountain by the coast of Changbin Township. "Basian" (eight deities) are famous Chinese deities. Fogs drift perpetually around the caves and the interior is damp and misty. As the environment resembles that in the folklore when the eight deities cross the ocean, the caves were named Basian. In the caves, Taiwan's first prehistoric site was discovered. As the earth's crusts elevated, the mountains were constantly eroded by the sea and 16 caves of different sizes were formed along the cliff as high as 100 meters.
Wooden tour tracks and stone tour tracks lead to all the caves, including Ling Yen Cave, Chao Yin Cave, Yung An Cave, Hai Lei Cave, Chao Yang Cave, Chien Yuan Cave, Kung Chen Cave and Kun Lun Cave. A prehistoric site was discovered in the highest cave, which is a first grade historic site now. There is an exhibition center showing the objects found in the site, including bone-made objects, stone objects, etc.



#i



#ii



#iii



#iv

Pictures #i to #iv are taken at Sansiantai (Terrace of the Three Immortals). AHHAHA. I actually went down to touch the water and my sister kept scolding me afer that. She insisted that I am being irresponsible and selfish. Well, according to her, should something happen to me, she would be responsible. So she thinks I was thinking for her at all. Oh god!!! That girl ar...
I tell you the water was so salty. My hands got really dry as the temperature dropped there, so the skin around my hands were peeling really badly. When my hands came in touch with the salt water, I wanted to scream in pain. HAHAHAA! Foolish me. However, I didnt even make a sound. Wait I think I squealed a little, in joy that was.

Oh there were like a thousand tour groups made up of retired or old locals!!! And they were so so so uncivilised. Exactly like those unwanted Chinese tourists we see in Singapore.

Information on Sansiantai:
Situated at the 112-kilometer mark on the coastal highway, Sansiantai consists of a headland facing a small island in the sea. The three huge rocks that make up the island's most prominent feature have given rise to a local legend that three of China's Eight Immortals once landed there; hence the name of the island, which means "terrace of the three immortals. " The island was once connected to the headland by a neck of land which has been eroded away; it is now connected by a red, scalloped footbridge, and the island has a network of footpaths for viewing its geological features such as potholes and sea-eroded caves and trenches, as well as rare coastal vegetation. The island is surrounded by coral reefs and a multitude of tropical fish, making this an ideal spot for skin diving.

DAY TWO IN TAITUNG

We headed down to Jhihben where all hot springs can be found. :)
Let me just share my horrible bus experience with you guys. There are only 3 service lines/routes in Taitung and the frequency of the buses is like 60 minutes! WTF! We missed the earlier bus by two minutes and had to wait 60 minutes for the next bus to depart. OMG!!! Seriously, I was busy cursing and swearing! After waiting for like half an hour, I got hungry but none of the shops nearby were opened yet. 7-11 was too far away like a ten minutes walk. At the point, I was still very grumpy and actually argued with my sister so there was no way of getting her help. ARGH!!! That's one reason why I hated Taitung so much. We actually spent our first day or rather half day in Taitung quarrelling on the streets! HAHAHA! I know! I know! It's embarrassing but it happens, huh?

As usual, you can read about Jhihben here:

Jhihben Hot Springs have the reputation of being "the greatest scene in eastern Taiwan". In the early years, hot springs emerged from riverbeds. There are carbonic acid springs (with the nature of base). There are colorless, odorless and their temperature reaches more than 100 degrees (Celsius). The springs are of high quality.Jhihben is divided into the inner hot spring area and the outer hot spring area by the Jhihben Creek . Inner hot spring area was developed late. However, due to presence of five-star resorts, the area has become the largest business district. It attracts many foreign tourists who demand services of higher quality.The "Jhihben Hot Springs" generally known by the public is located in outer hot spring area. There are many middle-size and small hot spring inns. It is convenient to get accommodation or enjoy hot spring spa. Now the inner hot spring area and the outer hot spring area have expanded and joined together. However, the inner hot spring area is close to Jhihben Forestry Park and its scenery is even better.Jhihben Hot Springs are the gathering place of aboriginal people. It provides the delicious dishes of aboriginal people and country dishes. Other than stores of country dishes, there are venders selling fruits like Shihgia, pineapple and Loshenhua. It has the flavor of eastern Taiwan.


ASS, can you smile? We were okay with each other already.
This was taken after our hot spring session. HAHAHA. We walked over to a nearby hotel and sit on one of the swings with a shelter in the garden. :)





And she smiled! HAHAHA. We were waiting for Mr & Mrs Driver to come pick us. :)
They were behaving more like daddy and mummy la!

I dont wish to elaborate more about Taitung. The hotel, yes we stayed in a hotel since there wasnt any hostels there. About the hotel, well, the service desk people were crapping and the phone in my inital room was spoilt. WTH! Because of the phone, I was upgraded to a HUGE room with 2 queen-sized beds. So...FORGIVEN.
The place...think Malaysia. That's it.

Part 4 will be posted next week. :)

Labels: vacation:taiwan

top