Nanfang'ao and fish...

This saturday we took a train from Hualien to Nanfang'ao, a fishing harbour about an hour north of us, to see some sights, watch the catch come in (and check out the buckets of illegally caught reef fish and sharks) and have some fresh seafood.

We got to the harbour in time to see four or five boats come in, unload and to watch the hordes of buyers sometimes scramble and bustle, sometimes stare, at the fish. Interesting to see what the ocean hides beneath its glistening surface....

The south harbour, boats serenely waiting; the ocean not so serenely waiting for the boats.

Fresh eyeballs.... ;Crystal peering down at the shark waiting to be brought in.

Gonads (apparently really good on a bed of raw cabbage...) and buyers fighting for their fish at the market.

Yue Mei Trail

First, a test. Try to wink with both eyes. Crystal cant. I can. I think she is weird.....you be the judge...come on.....who cant wink? I picked a ripe one.....

Anyway, back to the basics. Us, hiking boots, ground, sweat, glory.

A walk we have walked before...that never fails us. It starts with the beauty of bananas and ends with a rising moon...enjoy.

...followed by an experimental but delicious homemade tortilla dinner. More like pancakes with salsa....apparently.

:(

Wuliaojian Hike

It has taken us two years....two full years of failed attempts to make it to this place. A wandering mind could not imagine such grotesque beauty of Wu Liao Jian, a trail that urges the climber quickly uphill to poke out on a naked ridgeline, following fixed ropes, through bamboo forests to the openness of sandstone peaking out from the jungle.

We assumed that it would be a three day jaunt for us humble Hualien folk...but when a perfect weekend came upon us - perfect time and perfect weather - we hit the train and made our way to the trailhead. Two years of waiting....accomplished. And we were left astounded.


One of the many ropes that lead up technical oddities and cliffs. On the right an early dip into the bamboo forest of the lower section.

Crystal managing her way up two sections...the picture on the left is the first exit from lush brush to open air. Then....a tramp along a linear peak.

Peak ridge, with the accompanying (and often necessary...) roped section. Left, Crystal makes her way along the ridge while I, on the right, make my way through (yet another) roped section.

The map....I think, by the information on this map, that we walked at least 8 or 9 kilograms that day. Some maps had scratched out "g"'s and a nicely etched "m" in their place. Kind hikers, we are.

....Hawkmoth in action. So bloody cool.

As we exited the trail, as the sun was dipping low and the hike was setting into our legs, we came upon this nice, perfectly Asian, scene. There is beauty in them thar hills.....

The trailhead...often weird and not-obvious trailheads mark the Taiwanese landscape. Unless, of course, you can read the Chinese in which case you are set and it is obvious. After a full two minutes of passing this place, utter solitude in the bush. The little shop was though, at the end of the day, a perfect place for a nice conversation and a beer as we waited for the (we hoped there was one at least...) bus that would take us back to town.

After the hike, and a sleep, we made our way back to the train station, then home. The government's train exhibition - marking the historical journey that Taiwan's trains have made - caught our attention. A nice exhibit, full of interest......and horrid, weird, English. See below.