Sheipa National Park to Luodong via Sansing.

Driving back one could see mountain upon mountain as if looking into a mirror reflecting itself. What treasures aren’t hidden in these dense areas!


Going through the watermelon basket of Taiwan we had to stop at a road stall to munch on sticky juicy watermelon slices.

As a child I obstinately refused to put my mouth to watermelon but instead dedicated myself to remove all the seeds from the offerings with a knife. So I understood the reluctance of the kids to stuff themselves with the sticky stuff.

In Sansing (三星), being the green onion town we visited a green onion store where they even sold green onion ice-cream.

I opted for strawberry and as it was out of this world went for a second helping of chocolate flavor.

In Luódōng (羅東) we went to their famous sports park, and the whole of Luódōng (羅東) had the same idea. But this park is REALLY beautiful.

And practical. It offered tennis, basketball and baseball facilities to the sports enthusiast; cafés to the hungry and weary; a swimming pool; and children could feed Koi in the ponds.

We had a cappuccino and tiramisu.

While the cappuccino was great, the tiramisu was everything but, which proves that not all things Japanese are better. We’ll stick to the original Italian, thank you.

But overall, it was just a place where one could relax if so inclined. We even had the luxury of a saxophone player!

This park beat the Forest Park in Taipei by far.

But unfortunately we had to leave, and the traffic….

Taoshan Waterfall (桃山瀑布) in the Sheipa National Park

Not far from the camp grounds of Wuling Farm one finds Taoshan waterfall (桃山瀑布)which is in the Sheipa National Park! The foot path to the waterfall begins at the Wuling Farm hostel.
Within walking distance of my parents’ home we had three waterfalls and five more close by, so waterfalls don’t really pose an attraction unless they are really spectacular or one can swim in the pools. Here is a partial picture of the Lisbon Falls.

Lisbon Falls. Mpumalanga.
Originally uploaded by crashcalloway

The foot path is 3.4km long which didn’t sound too bad although we were told that it takes two hours to reach the waterfall. We debated whether we should go and asked some returning tourists whether it was worth our while. We were urged to go as it is a most splendid sight and a wondrous experience. So off we went.

The walk was tiring, especially for the kids whom I had to carry on my shoulders every now and then.

The path zigzagged up the mountain surrounded by the forest that kept sunshine to a minimum which made it easier for the older members of our party. Erosion seemed to be a big problem and was corrected or halted using sand bags and also by erecting barriers to stop people from taking short cuts through the forest.

Not everyone stuck to the path though, as the shortcuts really were shorter even though they were steeper.

Hours later we reached the fall and was greeted by this view.

It is a beautiful waterfall and as the water cascades down it reminds of a veil.

A recent land slide was evident and a yellow plastic ribbon barred a person from going too close, which was ignored by everyone.

A religious ceremony was underway in front of the waterfall and women were kneeling and wailing.

We had to carefully maneuver ourselves in order to take a picture in front of the fall without including the mourners.

Some tourists ignored the railing to get to the water, filling water bottles and praying at the edge of the pool.

The view down the mountain was mostly obscured by the forest but right at the waterfall one could get an indication of how high we actually were.

We were starving by the time we got back to the car, but my companions could not find the restaurant. The tea shop only sold tea and instant noodles – at tourist prices. In Taiwan where one can find streets of restaurants, food stalls and 7-11’s at every turn, this was just weird. A longer stay at Wuling Farm in order to really experience the ambience and the hidden treasures would have been worthwhile, but for a one-day trip I would not recommend it.

A short time at Wuling Farm

We arrived at Wuling Farm (武陵農場) rather late and set up camp. Most people were already having a barbecue going – using gas, as fires were not allowed. My companions were excellent cooks and we had a delicious meal.

In one tent four of our male companions played Mahjong. I am not a skilled player and still play too slowly to join the seasoned gents. The temperature dropped to freezing and I slept in jeans and a jacket, and still the sleeping bag was proving inadequate.

Breakfast consisted of congee, a watery rice meal, but for me a traditional Western breakfast of toast and fried egg was made. After breakfast we set off to look at the nearby flower garden and herbal garden. The flowers were all dead and the herbal garden so neglected that it was difficult to distinguish between herb and weed.

Several campers headed in the same direction, and we learned that there was an ablution block which was less used and thus noticeable cleaner. A raised wooded walk path took us back to our camp past Hydrangeas being pollinated by giant bees. Even early in the morning one could see workers tending the tea plantations further up the mountain slopes.

Many early travelers had trouble navigating the grassy cover that was our camping floor as it was wet and wheels could not get a grip on the slippery growth. We avoided the wet, and now mushy areas when we drove out of the camping grounds.

On the way to Wuling Farm

I was invited to go to Wuling Farm (武陵農場) on Friday. http://www.wuling-farm.com.tw/english/index.php As it was a public holiday for some it turned the weekend into a loooooong one. The idea was to meet the rest of our party just outside Taipei on Freeway 5 and it was clear as we got closer that everyone had the same idea. Not only was the traffic moving at a snail’s pace, the gas station that served as our meeting point was as busy as a night market. Because of the congested traffic, everyone was late and we got on our way hours later than planned. The gas station was just off the freeway but it took an hour to get back on Freeway 5 and the road was not any better until we got to Luódōng (羅東). Taiwan has proved itself to be an excellent tunnel constructor as it is so mountainous and I experienced a drive through a 13km tunnel.

It was a bright and sunny day and I felt a pang of regret to have to spend the day in a car. In Yuanshan (員山鄉) we headed for a famous restaurant. In Taiwan restaurants can become instantaneously famous by being featured on TV. A long line of people waited to be seated. Next door the same dish was sold so we went there. The restaurant which was nothing more than a hall with tables served fish balls in a soup. Not something we would call up market back home. As I am not a big fish fan, I declined eating the dish and instead had a vegetarian lunch box.

We drove for hours along a valley that looked more like a dry riverbed at times. I am told that during a typhoon the valley can turn into a river flooding farms and destroying crops. Crops mainly consisted of watermelon which were sold everywhere next to the road.

Higher into the mountains we encountered crops of cabbage. The cabbage patches made a pretty sight but often the smell of fertilizer was overwhelming.

We stopped in a village to buy some vegetables and use the bathroom. Some locals came out to introduce their children to me and as Caucasians are obviously not frequently seen I had my five minutes of fame.

The village seems to be of aboriginal or Atayal origin as seen in the art crafted to beautify the village. A church as opposed to a temple was also evident.

Dragonboat races in Longtan, Taiwan

This week saw the Dragon boat festival in Asia (called Duānwǔ Jié (端午節) in Taiwan) and I went to Longtan to witness this event. An artificial lake in the center of town served as the host of the festivities. A platform on the one side of the lake offered some dragon dances performed by young children.

Around the lake stalls offering a variety of Taiwanese cuisine and miscellaneous products for entertainment to spectators.

But the main attraction were the races.
The origin of the festival is said to be the commemoration of the death of the poet Qū Yuán (屈原) who drowned himself. Admirers threw rice in the river to keep the fish from eating his body and paddled boats to scare away the fish. This started the annual eating of zòngzi (糭子), a sticky rice item wrapped in bamboo leaves and somehow the boat races.

Although some other locations allowed several boats to race at once only two boats here raced against each other. Competitors didn’t bring their own boats but instead had to use the given boats. To ensure a fair chance was given each team got to race twice, once with each boat, so that performance could not be pinned on a specific boat. Seventy-two teams entered and racing started at ten o’clock. Entering the race was open to anyone who dared. Elementary school teams to University teams entered. Sports teams and companies sent their entrants. Towns, villages and suburbs entered their teams. Some teams were limited to a certain age or sex, while others had a range of both on a single team.
Participants were mostly in high spirits and seemed to enjoy being there, even when they lost.

From the side spectators sang songs and chanted to encourage their team. As this is in the countryside I was surprised by some bystanders starting conversations with me in English. Taipei is known for being an International City and maybe the rest of Taiwan is catching up.

Sunny day next to the Wulai river.

I love getting out of the city and frequent the rivers and streams. And without fail I am amazed by the contrast between the almost untouched nature scenes and the highly-polluted cities of especially the west in Taiwan. We had some sunny hours and next to the river was a good place to be.

Even close to Taipei one can find streams and ponds with fish.

Taiwan has its own huntsman which can be found among the rocks next to rivers.

A ravishing fellow ...

There were beautiful dragonflies in many different colors but I only managed to capture this blue one.