September 21, 1999, a 7.3 earthquake struck Taiwan and left a path of devastation behind. It was an unusually strong earthquake in usually earthquake free region of the Country. In the end, after more than 12 000 aftershocks within the next month, there were 2,415 dead, 11,305 severely wounded, with 51,711 buildings completely destroyed and there are still 29 bodies unaccounted for. More than a decade later, this earthquake that maimed the landscape and the people still shows its scar. A line of disjointed land runs from north to south along the fault, and not only can you see a line of destruction along its path, but the path of the physically displaced tectonic plate is plainly visible, too. You can actually stand beside a 3m high wall of broken rock, shot up from the innards of our planet. How...freaking....crazy.
The people and the government decided to establish a permanent memorial for the people lost and to recognize the power of nature. One school that was hit particularly hard was chosen to be the site of the museum - a destroyed edifice to learning left as a permanent teaching tool.
This weekend we did took the trek to the west coast (yuck!) and visited TaiZhong City (yuck!) to see this memorial. Along trip to the west coast is always a little depressing as it reminds us of the garbage, the consumerism and the pollution that is the western side of this half-gorgeous country. But, if we want to see all that there is to see in Taiwan we must go everywhere....
The museum is totally worth a visit - half of it outdoor, where you can walk along the old track that was displaced, walk through old classrooms and see the damage. The indoor sections are well done also, with pictures, exhibits explaining earthquakes, simulations and explanations of tectonics and geology. Really well done.
To look at pictures and hear stories is well and good, but to actually touch the place, to see what used to be a school with kids, teachers, books, computers all turned into compacted rubble is astoundingly moving. The government has done a really good job of both preserving this for us to see, but also using it as a learning tool so that we don't forget and so that we are prepared. Building codes changed in Taiwan because of this.
After a long trek to get here, a healthy chunk of time spent poking around the earthquake memorial/museum, we headed back for TaiZhong City, remembered how utterly sickening it is in the west coast cities and got a cheap hotel and crashed. The Museum rocked - literally I suppose - but the city, the place, the west.....well, it sucks.
A few days earlier I went with my school to Taroko National Park - scratch that - my school, true to Taiwanese tourist style, went to the visitor centre at Taroko National Park and we sat in the snack bar for 5 hours. That is their escape to nature - sitting in a f***ing snack bar at the foot of the most beautiful place in Taiwan. I still don't get the Taiwanese after all these years..... .
Regardless, during this time I poked around outside and found this curious critter. It is actually a pure yellow insect (this is the nymph stage) but it camouflages itself with....with....with....poop! Yup, it poops on its back and keeps it there to hide its gloriously bright yellow colour. When they turn into flying insets, they drop the poop-game, but while they are slow, leaf eating sluggies they slather their bodies in wet, sticky poop. Nature.....what else have you got up your sleeve?
