Showing posts with label Danshui to Keelung. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Danshui to Keelung. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2008
Day 5
Day 5: Sun, Jan 21. Fetsuiwan to Keelung. 5 hrs.
This day was spent with my buddy Don. We bussed in and got started at about 12.30pm. Our first act was to cut through a cemetery on the way to the beach, arriving at the futuristic “bubble homes” which are part of the Howard Resort, but are now in a sorry state, looking quite neglected and moldy. We got onto the beach, followed it along for a bit, and then had to come back onto the road. We trudged past a few failed-looking beach recreation set-ups, a small fish port, and then a striking rock formation right next to the water. It was a black wave-cut platform, running along the coast. A wave-cut platform is when all the soil and sand is stripped off the land by wave action, exposing the underlying bedrock. They are of course usually right next to the sea and are often tidal. Along Taiwan’s coast they are fairly common, but this one had unusually straight ridges running from the shore out to sea. It almost looked as if the whole area had been sculpted by humans. Next, we noticed that the main road to Keelung went inland, so we nipped under a bridge to get to a smaller, sea-hugging road. Then, a sign announced that we had arrived in Keelung township. Shortly thereafter, we came across a cute, tidy little beach, tucked in right next to a fish port, which was quaintly named, “The Only Beach in Keelung.” Climbing up a hill just after the beach, there was an artistic representation of a boat made out beer bottles! The road carried on, and soon the scenery became more industrial. We were approaching the important port of Keelung. There were huge oil storage tanks on the hills, and the stacks of the power plant loomed impressively ahead. We came to a fish port in the middle of this, and then the road took us away from the sea. There was no way to go forward along the coast, as the power plant lands were off limits. The road took us into the dingy, mossy outskirts of Keelung, which looked even dingier on this gray day. It really seemed like a town that is always gray and wet. We kept going along through town, passing several tunnels into the hill that now separated us from the sea, unsure if we could or should follow them. Very near the harbor, we found a tunnel with walkways. We followed it to the main port area, which was lined with massive container terminals. And then we made an unexpected discovery. Walking up the west side of Keelung port, we came across the Siandong Temple, which is in a natural cave. Outside the temple is a large gold Buddha, and inside there are Buddhist and traditional Chinese idols. But the really interesting thing about the temple is its odd internal structure. It’s quite strange and beautiful inside, due to the curving, sea-carved walls. There is a side-cave that narrows until it seems almost impassable. My friend Don is smaller than me and he managed to shove himself through. I am a bit claustrophobic, so I went half way but then chickened out on my first attempt. Then, ashamed, I went back and did it. I had to crawl the last seven meters on my hands and knees. At the end, it opens up into an small, airless, incense filled room, with a small shrine to Buddha. [Near this cave-temple there is another place of interest, the Buddha Palm-print cave, but we didn’t notice it that time.]
Moving on, we followed the portside road to a hill, upon which is an old Ching dynasty battery. It offered a nice view of the way we had come earlier, which was great because I want to have continuity of vision of the coast as much as possible on this trip. Then, we walked through Keelung to the night market, and enjoyed the fine food. Getting back to Taipei was easy of course, and we headed off to enjoy the Tavern’s happy hour with friends.
This day was spent with my buddy Don. We bussed in and got started at about 12.30pm. Our first act was to cut through a cemetery on the way to the beach, arriving at the futuristic “bubble homes” which are part of the Howard Resort, but are now in a sorry state, looking quite neglected and moldy. We got onto the beach, followed it along for a bit, and then had to come back onto the road. We trudged past a few failed-looking beach recreation set-ups, a small fish port, and then a striking rock formation right next to the water. It was a black wave-cut platform, running along the coast. A wave-cut platform is when all the soil and sand is stripped off the land by wave action, exposing the underlying bedrock. They are of course usually right next to the sea and are often tidal. Along Taiwan’s coast they are fairly common, but this one had unusually straight ridges running from the shore out to sea. It almost looked as if the whole area had been sculpted by humans. Next, we noticed that the main road to Keelung went inland, so we nipped under a bridge to get to a smaller, sea-hugging road. Then, a sign announced that we had arrived in Keelung township. Shortly thereafter, we came across a cute, tidy little beach, tucked in right next to a fish port, which was quaintly named, “The Only Beach in Keelung.” Climbing up a hill just after the beach, there was an artistic representation of a boat made out beer bottles! The road carried on, and soon the scenery became more industrial. We were approaching the important port of Keelung. There were huge oil storage tanks on the hills, and the stacks of the power plant loomed impressively ahead. We came to a fish port in the middle of this, and then the road took us away from the sea. There was no way to go forward along the coast, as the power plant lands were off limits. The road took us into the dingy, mossy outskirts of Keelung, which looked even dingier on this gray day. It really seemed like a town that is always gray and wet. We kept going along through town, passing several tunnels into the hill that now separated us from the sea, unsure if we could or should follow them. Very near the harbor, we found a tunnel with walkways. We followed it to the main port area, which was lined with massive container terminals. And then we made an unexpected discovery. Walking up the west side of Keelung port, we came across the Siandong Temple, which is in a natural cave. Outside the temple is a large gold Buddha, and inside there are Buddhist and traditional Chinese idols. But the really interesting thing about the temple is its odd internal structure. It’s quite strange and beautiful inside, due to the curving, sea-carved walls. There is a side-cave that narrows until it seems almost impassable. My friend Don is smaller than me and he managed to shove himself through. I am a bit claustrophobic, so I went half way but then chickened out on my first attempt. Then, ashamed, I went back and did it. I had to crawl the last seven meters on my hands and knees. At the end, it opens up into an small, airless, incense filled room, with a small shrine to Buddha. [Near this cave-temple there is another place of interest, the Buddha Palm-print cave, but we didn’t notice it that time.]
Moving on, we followed the portside road to a hill, upon which is an old Ching dynasty battery. It offered a nice view of the way we had come earlier, which was great because I want to have continuity of vision of the coast as much as possible on this trip. Then, we walked through Keelung to the night market, and enjoyed the fine food. Getting back to Taipei was easy of course, and we headed off to enjoy the Tavern’s happy hour with friends.
Day 4 walk
Day 4: Sun Jan 4th. Chinsan to Fetsuiwan. 4.5hrs
I set off about noon, on a gray and windy day. Arriving in downtown Chinsan, I soon found my way to the Old Street, which I was interested to see is also a flourishing day market, with lots of hustle and bustle, food and traditional stuff. Behind the market, I found a road to the coast, which soon led to a scenic area, comprised of Huanggang fish port and a nearby park on a large hill overlooking the ocean. I first checked out the port, which had some rather good sights of big waves smashing on the breakwater. Then, it was a mild hike up the hill to where there was a fine view of the Candlestick Rocks, two large rocks jutting out of the waves about 300 meters out to sea.
After hiking around the area until I felt I had done it justice, I moved on, following roads through various small fishing villages until I found a bridge over a stream that took me to another beach. This was a garbage beach, or gar-beach! It was a sad example of environmental neglect, as the otherwise attractive beach was totally covered in trash. After a while, my path led nearer the roadside, but still there were many beach tracks or boardwalks that limited my exposure to the traffic. At times, however, on the road, there is no escape from the noisy rush of motorists. It becomes a blur of vehicles zooming by one meter away, and at every moment you have to be ready to leap out of the way in case a scooter tries to cut inside of a car, or some guy takes a corner too wide.
From Chinsan to Yeliou, the scenery was nice but not spectacular. There were a few small settlements. As I approached Yeliou, I could begin to see an interesting layering in the rocks of the cliffs and hills on the south side of the road. The entrance to Yeliou from the north side is a tunnel through a bit of a hill. It is interesting because it is just road, hill and rocky beach on one side of the tunnel, but when you come out the other side, “boom!” you’re in a crowded, thriving village. I chose, however, to go around the hill by the seashore, skirting around the (dogs-barking) edge of some kind of aquaculture facility to climb onto the main seawall protecting Yeliou harbor. From there, I was treated to a great view of the fishing boats, and some men very carefully packing a huge net. I made my way through the charming sea town, not bothering to stop for the rock park, which I’d seen several times before. Farther on, past the town and through a small gap in the lovely “butterscotch ripple” rocks, lay the road to Fetsuiwan. Right after the butterscotch gap, there were some beautiful rocks on the shore. There was also a small beach with some baby waves where some people were learning to surf. This position also provided me with my first view (on this trip) of Keelung Island, a small, mountainous island just a few kilometers off the coast, opposite Keelung harbor. I followed the road, getting a great view of the bay, until I got to Fetsuiwan, and its deserted looking beach at the Howard Hotel Resort. At this point, as it was getting a bit late, and I was a little uncertain of the road ahead, I opted to grab a bus homeward, and so ended the 4th day.
I set off about noon, on a gray and windy day. Arriving in downtown Chinsan, I soon found my way to the Old Street, which I was interested to see is also a flourishing day market, with lots of hustle and bustle, food and traditional stuff. Behind the market, I found a road to the coast, which soon led to a scenic area, comprised of Huanggang fish port and a nearby park on a large hill overlooking the ocean. I first checked out the port, which had some rather good sights of big waves smashing on the breakwater. Then, it was a mild hike up the hill to where there was a fine view of the Candlestick Rocks, two large rocks jutting out of the waves about 300 meters out to sea.
After hiking around the area until I felt I had done it justice, I moved on, following roads through various small fishing villages until I found a bridge over a stream that took me to another beach. This was a garbage beach, or gar-beach! It was a sad example of environmental neglect, as the otherwise attractive beach was totally covered in trash. After a while, my path led nearer the roadside, but still there were many beach tracks or boardwalks that limited my exposure to the traffic. At times, however, on the road, there is no escape from the noisy rush of motorists. It becomes a blur of vehicles zooming by one meter away, and at every moment you have to be ready to leap out of the way in case a scooter tries to cut inside of a car, or some guy takes a corner too wide.
From Chinsan to Yeliou, the scenery was nice but not spectacular. There were a few small settlements. As I approached Yeliou, I could begin to see an interesting layering in the rocks of the cliffs and hills on the south side of the road. The entrance to Yeliou from the north side is a tunnel through a bit of a hill. It is interesting because it is just road, hill and rocky beach on one side of the tunnel, but when you come out the other side, “boom!” you’re in a crowded, thriving village. I chose, however, to go around the hill by the seashore, skirting around the (dogs-barking) edge of some kind of aquaculture facility to climb onto the main seawall protecting Yeliou harbor. From there, I was treated to a great view of the fishing boats, and some men very carefully packing a huge net. I made my way through the charming sea town, not bothering to stop for the rock park, which I’d seen several times before. Farther on, past the town and through a small gap in the lovely “butterscotch ripple” rocks, lay the road to Fetsuiwan. Right after the butterscotch gap, there were some beautiful rocks on the shore. There was also a small beach with some baby waves where some people were learning to surf. This position also provided me with my first view (on this trip) of Keelung Island, a small, mountainous island just a few kilometers off the coast, opposite Keelung harbor. I followed the road, getting a great view of the bay, until I got to Fetsuiwan, and its deserted looking beach at the Howard Hotel Resort. At this point, as it was getting a bit late, and I was a little uncertain of the road ahead, I opted to grab a bus homeward, and so ended the 4th day.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Day 3 walk
Day 3: Dec 10. Fuji to Chinsan: 6 hrs
This was my first day walking with companions, who were in this case Jerry (Taiwanese) and Noel, (Australian). We started at Fuji fish port for a seafood lunch, went to the lighthouse, where there is a plaque saying that it’s the most northerly point in Taiwan. Then, past the point the lighthouse was on, there was a new bay with a big beach, undeveloped. As always, making progress along the sand was bit of a trudge. Then, we came across a water hazard – a small river flowing into the sea with a deep channel in it. After checking it out for a while, I tried it. I just barely managed to make it across, but the others declined. Noel is shorter than me, so it would have meant a crotch soaking for him. Jerry didn’t want to do it as he was wearing long pants! So, they went around, and I met them at the main road 20 minutes later. Back at the main road, we endured zooming cars, with occasional relief along beach trails. There were some picturesque areas of rocky coast, including one area that had a rock arch on the shore, and some rocky islets in the water with footbridges connecting them. A bit farther on, we passed a county wedding with some drunken teenagers staggering about. Then, we were on a long boring stretch of highway approaching Chinsan. There were lots of little cafes and restos along the way, obviously for Taipei tourists out on a scenic drive. A few hours of highway trudging later and we finally approached the beach. Just before the beach, though, we came across a madness of fishing boats converged on one area, although to a landlubber it wasn’t clear what they were after. Chinsan beach itself is quite a famous one for surfers and beach parties, and the water near the shore was dotted with guys in wetsuits, either surfing or waiting for the next good wave. There was a hill near the shore past the beach, and a great view of Yangmingshan’s north side, with a large valley running inland between steep hills for quite a distance, which looked grand in the orange sunlight at the end of the day. Beyond, in the distance down the coast, we could see rock formations and the jutting peninsula at Yeliou. We took a small road behind the beach, which connected to a bicycle path that led through some old farmland. The sun went down, and in the growing dark our route was beautifully peaceful, especially after the noisy road. This farm area was well irrigated, and water swooshed and blooped by in small channels. We got into the town proper, and found our way to the Old Street. It was the usual lively night market, but with one difference: people were walking down the street holding steaming plates of food! It was something that would have been totally normal at a banquet or restaurant, but this was neither. Of different ages and styles of dress, the people didn’t seem to waiters. There were only about four or five different kinds of dish, steaming hot and heaped like a restaurant platter. What was the deal? Soon we found out. They had a weird system there, where you buy one kind of dish at a stall that only does that dish, and then you have to find a seat in one of many restaurants! Tired and hungry, we did so ourselves, and enjoyed the excellent duck, which is rightly famous! Then, we took the bus home. Another good day!
This was my first day walking with companions, who were in this case Jerry (Taiwanese) and Noel, (Australian). We started at Fuji fish port for a seafood lunch, went to the lighthouse, where there is a plaque saying that it’s the most northerly point in Taiwan. Then, past the point the lighthouse was on, there was a new bay with a big beach, undeveloped. As always, making progress along the sand was bit of a trudge. Then, we came across a water hazard – a small river flowing into the sea with a deep channel in it. After checking it out for a while, I tried it. I just barely managed to make it across, but the others declined. Noel is shorter than me, so it would have meant a crotch soaking for him. Jerry didn’t want to do it as he was wearing long pants! So, they went around, and I met them at the main road 20 minutes later. Back at the main road, we endured zooming cars, with occasional relief along beach trails. There were some picturesque areas of rocky coast, including one area that had a rock arch on the shore, and some rocky islets in the water with footbridges connecting them. A bit farther on, we passed a county wedding with some drunken teenagers staggering about. Then, we were on a long boring stretch of highway approaching Chinsan. There were lots of little cafes and restos along the way, obviously for Taipei tourists out on a scenic drive. A few hours of highway trudging later and we finally approached the beach. Just before the beach, though, we came across a madness of fishing boats converged on one area, although to a landlubber it wasn’t clear what they were after. Chinsan beach itself is quite a famous one for surfers and beach parties, and the water near the shore was dotted with guys in wetsuits, either surfing or waiting for the next good wave. There was a hill near the shore past the beach, and a great view of Yangmingshan’s north side, with a large valley running inland between steep hills for quite a distance, which looked grand in the orange sunlight at the end of the day. Beyond, in the distance down the coast, we could see rock formations and the jutting peninsula at Yeliou. We took a small road behind the beach, which connected to a bicycle path that led through some old farmland. The sun went down, and in the growing dark our route was beautifully peaceful, especially after the noisy road. This farm area was well irrigated, and water swooshed and blooped by in small channels. We got into the town proper, and found our way to the Old Street. It was the usual lively night market, but with one difference: people were walking down the street holding steaming plates of food! It was something that would have been totally normal at a banquet or restaurant, but this was neither. Of different ages and styles of dress, the people didn’t seem to waiters. There were only about four or five different kinds of dish, steaming hot and heaped like a restaurant platter. What was the deal? Soon we found out. They had a weird system there, where you buy one kind of dish at a stall that only does that dish, and then you have to find a seat in one of many restaurants! Tired and hungry, we did so ourselves, and enjoyed the excellent duck, which is rightly famous! Then, we took the bus home. Another good day!
Day 2 walk
Day 2: Nov. 26: Sanzhih to Fuji fishport: 4hrs
As usual for this entire Danshui to Keelung route, I took the MRT to Danshui and got a bus along the main road. I found my last ending point no problem. I started walking at around 2pm this time, still a tad later than I had hoped, though it was a fine day. Along the highway I plodded, occasionally bursting into a slow jog, coming into the a little town after less than an hour. The waterfront of the town was surprisingly nice, touristy but tasteful. The beach, Cienshuiwan, was nice but unfortunately, swimming was prohibited. [I believe it is allowed now.] Soon I made a pleasant discovery: a proper bicycle path! The path led down past a working aquaculture area: a couple of ponds separated from the sea by concrete walls, a few corrugated aluminum buildings from which machine noises emerged, and some purposeful but vaguely mysterious human activity. Past the blue truck and some snarling dogs [chained, but at other times I’ve passed by there and they weren’t] was a nice boardwalk path by a rocky beach. A few guys were fishing in the ocean. The path wasn’t too long though, and soon it wound back through a small group of farm and residential buildings. Coming out of that, I was suddenly on a beautiful little country road, running past fields and old farmhouses. The road was crossed occasionally by others like it, but luckily my route onwards was marked by a big white stripe denoting the bike path. This bike route guided me throughout the day, occasionally turning down side streets that seemed like dead-ends but were actually the optimal onward route. For hours I wandered through lovely countryside, until I came once more to the seaside. There was a sandy beach, but the ocean there was full of flat slabs of rock, sometimes with sharp edges, and the water was shallow and full of seaweed. This is the area right next to the Baishawan Sailing Cooperative (PSC) and the property where the Canada D’eh party is usually held. Along this little stretch of coastline there was another excellent boardwalk trail leading to a small fish port. On the other side of this was the western end of the trail that led around Linsanbi Cape to Baishawan beach. It’s a cute little trail, with some interesting rock formations. Soon I was at Baishawan, which is a fine-looking kilometer long arc of white sand, just as the sun was starting to approach the horizon. I crossed the beach, admiring the big waves, and watching groups of teenagers fooling around and having fun. I could see a point of land past the beach, with a radar station on it, and a lighthouse at the tip. After the beach, there was a bit of a stretch where I had to walk along the road. I took an overpass and ended up at Fuji fish port, which was near the lighthouse. I grabbed a beer and found the path to the lighthouse, which is past all the seafood restaurants. I got there just in time to enjoy my beer in the sunset, watching small fishing boats setting out along the coast. Ahhh!
[As with Day 1, I missed some of the coast, but I did make up for it. See Related rambles]
As usual for this entire Danshui to Keelung route, I took the MRT to Danshui and got a bus along the main road. I found my last ending point no problem. I started walking at around 2pm this time, still a tad later than I had hoped, though it was a fine day. Along the highway I plodded, occasionally bursting into a slow jog, coming into the a little town after less than an hour. The waterfront of the town was surprisingly nice, touristy but tasteful. The beach, Cienshuiwan, was nice but unfortunately, swimming was prohibited. [I believe it is allowed now.] Soon I made a pleasant discovery: a proper bicycle path! The path led down past a working aquaculture area: a couple of ponds separated from the sea by concrete walls, a few corrugated aluminum buildings from which machine noises emerged, and some purposeful but vaguely mysterious human activity. Past the blue truck and some snarling dogs [chained, but at other times I’ve passed by there and they weren’t] was a nice boardwalk path by a rocky beach. A few guys were fishing in the ocean. The path wasn’t too long though, and soon it wound back through a small group of farm and residential buildings. Coming out of that, I was suddenly on a beautiful little country road, running past fields and old farmhouses. The road was crossed occasionally by others like it, but luckily my route onwards was marked by a big white stripe denoting the bike path. This bike route guided me throughout the day, occasionally turning down side streets that seemed like dead-ends but were actually the optimal onward route. For hours I wandered through lovely countryside, until I came once more to the seaside. There was a sandy beach, but the ocean there was full of flat slabs of rock, sometimes with sharp edges, and the water was shallow and full of seaweed. This is the area right next to the Baishawan Sailing Cooperative (PSC) and the property where the Canada D’eh party is usually held. Along this little stretch of coastline there was another excellent boardwalk trail leading to a small fish port. On the other side of this was the western end of the trail that led around Linsanbi Cape to Baishawan beach. It’s a cute little trail, with some interesting rock formations. Soon I was at Baishawan, which is a fine-looking kilometer long arc of white sand, just as the sun was starting to approach the horizon. I crossed the beach, admiring the big waves, and watching groups of teenagers fooling around and having fun. I could see a point of land past the beach, with a radar station on it, and a lighthouse at the tip. After the beach, there was a bit of a stretch where I had to walk along the road. I took an overpass and ended up at Fuji fish port, which was near the lighthouse. I grabbed a beer and found the path to the lighthouse, which is past all the seafood restaurants. I got there just in time to enjoy my beer in the sunset, watching small fishing boats setting out along the coast. Ahhh!
[As with Day 1, I missed some of the coast, but I did make up for it. See Related rambles]
Day 1 walk
Day 1: Nov 19 /06: Tanshui to Sanzhih; 3.25 hrsDun-ta-dun-ta-daaa! Charge! My crazy (but not too crazy) quest had begun. A few weeks later than expected, at the crack of 3 PM on a lovely autumn day, on Tanshui Fisherman’s Wharf, I started walking. It was weird but good. Onwards to the horizon and all that! I was very excited, but soon settled down to the simple business of, well, walking! It didn’t take me long to get out of the wharf and beach area. I took the roadway east. It took only 45 minutes to clear town, and on the eastern edge I found a weird grid of large roads, most of then closed off, dicing up a large, flattish area. Obviously, the huge vacant squares will sprout high-rise apartment blocks at some point in the future. Past this, I found an offshoot part of Highway 2, a small, winding country road. It was a pleasant place to walk. After meandering about for an hour, the road led me back to the highway. Traffic was fairly heavy, and the shoulder of the road was a bit narrow. If I had needed to light a safety match off the side of a passing car I probably could have. Facing into the traffic, I plodded along towards San Zhih in the fading light. Soon it was dark, and the traffic became more irritating, with scooters buzzing by a few centimeters from my shoulder, and oncoming headlights dazzling me. At six I called it quits, the first day of my island trek. On the bus back to the MRT, hanging on with grim determination, as the driver veered and bounced along the road, I felt great.
Only later - much later - did I realize that I had missed the coast by kilometers! But not to worry, I made up for it later. See: Related rambles.
Only later - much later - did I realize that I had missed the coast by kilometers! But not to worry, I made up for it later. See: Related rambles.
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