Taiwan

Yehliu Geopark in Nothern Taiwan - hoodoo stones and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits

Yehliu (野柳) is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan in the town of Wanli between Taipei and Keelung.
View Larger Map It's another yet choice for a visit, while you are in northern Taiwan. Most interesting here of course is so called hoodoo stones - all of them are formed by nature, and as a brand, or if you want - front symbol of this park is a stone called The Queen's Head (女王頭). It's a central element of the park, and if you come at weekend, you will need stand in a row (!) just to take a picture of it.



But let's start with "A" (Sesame street comes in mind, with cookie monster and others). Here is how the area looms looks like when you arrive:



Left side then is an entrance to stone park, and the blue building is a place where some guys (I was told that they are from Belorussia), performs some water show elements, dolphin shows take place and downstairs there is a live sea world exposition. Well, and of course there is a lot of restaurant's for sea food. Eating is important in Taiwan, remember it.





As you can see mostly all are restaurants.



My suggestion is to visit this one.



Host will quickly come to accept your order, but will not like to take a pictures. As I already said in post about rules for choosing a places to eat in Taiwan, do not look at interior of restaurants in Taiwan - never. Quality of food does not relates to that at all. Instead, look at how many people are inside.



Start with a appetizers. (do you want beer already?)





Sashimi (how to spell it correct?) is especially fresh and tasty here. It's reall a one you can say - you can swallow your tongue while eating it.



Also fresh shrimps





Kind of fish soup, I can't name it, but also have tofu inside



Octopus



Lobster



shi ban yu fish (石斑魚)

Now, once you are full (tzi ba la - remember say it in chinese), you can move forward to sea underground sea world and Belorussian ladies in swimsuits.



Of course admission is paid. Here's a price list. Synchronized Swimming Show is a ladies about I told before.

Show will start with a guy's climbing up the pole to perform a jump in the water





Taiwan flag vs Russian jumper

Later on, the swimsuits show:





... and then dolphins finally









...after the show, you can go downstairs to see all the live sea world. There are English annotations for each fish, so it can be interesting experience.

Catfish, lives in Nile river in Africa.







Dragon King Scorpionfish. Body color can be changed according circumstances.











Now, you are really ready to go to see stones



If you come here at weekend, you will not have a chance to make stones photos only. Humans on them will come in set.



The cape, known by geologists as the Yehliu Promontory, forms part of the Taliao Miocene Formation. It stretches approximately 1,700 meters into the ocean and was formed as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain (大屯山) out of the sea



A distinctive feature of the cape is the hoodoo stones that dot its surface.



These shapes can be viewed at the Yeliu Geopark operated by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration.



Shame on me, but I was so busy to try make this monument along with sunset, that I forgot to check who's monument it is :(.



A number of rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes.



The most well-known is the "The Queen's Head" (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli.



Other formations include "The Fairy Shoe", "The Bee Hive", "The Ginger Rocks" and "The Sea Candles."





Evening mood in Yehliu - soon it's going to be dark already.

Dapu - rural township in Chiayi county and Siraya National Scenic Area

Dapu (大埔鄉) is a rural township in Chiayi county. Mostly it's famous for nearby located Siraya National Scenic Area (西拉雅國家風景區), and Zhengwun reservoir. And - what's not mentioned in tourist guides - in this area specific flower can be found which according to traditional chinese medicine can be used in case of cancer. Our friends decided go there just because of this flower, and we joined the trip.
  

View Larger Map



Dapu in fact looks like any other small sleepy rural township in southern taiwan, except the fish restaurants densely scattered over small streets. You can see such fish signs everywhere in Dapu, it's a close proximity of reservoirs, which allows local people to do this business. Before going Siraya Scenic area, you can stop by and have a lunch in one of the restaurants.



Notice the elections advertisement right side on a pole. At the time I took the photo campaigns are heating up, and such photos are sticked at every possible places - even a smallest mountainous roads will have some face sticked to anything where it is possible to stick. Note also, how this guy keeps the hands - it's a traditional gesture for almost everyone on those advertisements. It means bai tuo bai tuo - please please.



Abandoned old house is a good place to park motorbikes.



Taiwan sometimes really is contrast country. You will and always meet those terrible driving style blue trucks along the island, but such a painting?



One of those restaurants are cooking fish just on a road:





Interior also is pretty common for small rural restaurants - round tables, easy chairs and big painting on a wall.



When you go to Siraya Scenic area, go check in at visitor center - entrance fee should be paid.



Small exhibition here - painted rocks.



Ask host to offer you their special Taiwan coffee - it's really fresh and good, and they are really proud of it and will be happy to offer it to try.



Zhengwun reservoir.



The Siraya National Scenic Area is located at the crossroads of Tainan County's Jianan Plain and the western mountains.



Because this extensive area connects high mountains with a plain, there are many intersecting streams and rivers. These result in great varieties of different landforms, creating a landscape that includes natural waterfalls and cliff-side springs.



The Siraya National Scenic Area is a major farm produce area. A large variety of fruits and other products grow year-round, making the Siraya National Scenic Area true to its name of "A Land of Abundance".



In recent years, under governmental direction, the agricultural products of all counties and towns have been integrated, promoting local special products in each area, "one specialty for each village or town".



Mountainous and lonely roads are also interesting to explore - it gives a feeling of how this remote area looks like besides traditional tourist routes.





That's the flower I talked before. It is said that it can cure cancer.



Closer look on 薑黃 - or, possible english translation may be turmeric (according to yahoo translator).



薑黃 can be found everywhere in this area, just park somewhere on a road, and you will sooner or later see it.



Careful driving is necessary on those mountainous roads, that's truth.



Interestingly enough, that Dapu outskirts have also such atypical to southern taiwan community of houses - mostly those are summer houses and owners come here to stay at weekends and holidays.



This house is on sell now - in USD about 30,000 as local man told us. Big advantage of this house of course is a beautiful view, clean mountain air and SILENCE! Yes, SILENCE what's absolutely is a deficit thing in Taiwan. If you plan to stay in Taiwan for a long time, remember that if you live in more or less big township (i am even not talking about Kaoshiung, Taichung or Tapei) you will never have silence. Never. Motorbikes are always awake, someone is talking loud, small blue spam-trucks are advertising something at 9 a.m at saturday morning and so on. Dapu is silent. But then again, be so kind and drive miles to closest 7ELEVEN.



but again - how about SILENCE, and such a view from your bedroom at morning?



However, surprise surprise! Blue trucks along with motorbikes like mosquitoes are also here. Everywhere in fact. Just not in cloud alike capacities like in a cities.



one more house from this community.



Sunset at Dapu outskirts are calm and warm. I would be happy to live here.

Yuan-Wuang-Keng Riverside park - Northern Taiwan, near Gongliao Township

Fulong beach and all Northern Taiwan areas are not for everyone - well, at least for me - a big lover of western and southern parts of Taiwan. However Fulong beach is a place you will sooner or later visit, and then what I want to suggest you - it's a brief rest in Yuan-Wuang-Keng park, also known as Butterfly Ginger Park.
What's really interesting here, and as you will see below in photos - designers tried to use a natural materials to build the park, and also did not touched anything - even the rice fields and houses are left untouched.
The riverbank, the trails, even the park benches were all built with stones of different sizes and shapes. The water pond was brought in directly from the Yuankeng River with a specially designed pavilion and an arched bridge that elegantly arcs above the pond. The wild ginger flowers along the riverbank and the parking lot's greenery blossom from summer to October.
The Yuanwangkeng Water Park is also an ideal place for those who enjoy hiking, as it is located near the grass track. In November, the park is awash in white due to the blooming wild sugarcane.



It's really not big at all, and if you come at weekdays, I suppose it will be silence there as well.

\

Old living house are here and park stretches just in front of it. It's interesting, what those people think - you live and live, and then one day you wake up and find your self in a park.







Small river here





Kids having fun at water pumps





Evening mood in Yuan-Wuang-Keng Riverside park

Southern pearl of Formosa - Kenting

When I was thinking about how to write about Kenting in few words - just to start this blog entry with a short and exact description of this beautiful in any meanings place -I finally came to conclusion that it's not possible. Few words, even few paragraphs is not enough.
Turning to Wikipedia for help gives us this:

Kenting National Park is a national park located in the Hengchun Peninsular of Pingtung County, Taiwan, covering Hengchun, Checheng and Manjhou Townships. Established on January 1, 1984, it is Taiwan's oldest and southernmost national park, covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior, this national park is well-known for its tropical climate and sunshine, scenic mountain and beach, the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March^[1], and has long been one of the most favorite resort places in Taiwan.

.. and when you read this - you just can not grasp all the beauty what lays behind this dry wiki text. What Kenting is anyway, and what's there? Why it's a one of must visit places when someone comes to Taiwan for short or no so stay?

First of all Kenting is not a city or town in regular meaning of this - with a houses, schools and hospitals. That's why road signs shows it in a brown color - like a cultural object or scenic area, rather than township:

Kenting belongs to Pingtung county, and that's a south of Taiwan:

In short - it's place to enjoy a beach recreational activities - diving, swimming, catching the waves, surfing, laying in sun - something that reminds Hawai maybe. I personally incredibly enjoy to wear Haiwai, or if you want Thailand style colorful shirts with palms, sea and other elements usually present on such shirts - so, if you also like them - Kenting nightmarket sells them a lot, and choice are very good. During my last trip to Kenting, I bought more such shirts for my collection. One of interesting things, that you will for sure notice when you arrive to Kenting - a lot of Ling Jiao - water chestnut sellers. One buy one they stand on a road selling same product:

Typical view in Southern Taiwan - different, than you would see for example in Northern areas of Taiwan.

Road back usually will be overcrowded with onion sellers - besides Ling Jiao, onions seems is a second most popular "sell on the road" product in Pingtung county.

If onion or Ling Jiao is not what you desperately want right now, mango and other fruit are available at every moment.

Just a few meters from fresh fruit, they keep such a view. When we saw this, we did not bought anything. I wonder, why in Southern part of Taiwan such views are much more common that in Western or Northern part?

One more. And this one can be found just behind this extremely crowded restaurant:

let's go in:

Lunch boxes, what those guys are enjoying - are the food you can get in this restaurant. if you feel desperate to sing, there is a KTV terminal in far front of this place. During our stay, some man were singing twice. No. Not singing. "singing", need write like this. I do not know, why in Taiwan everyone think, that he can sing, forcing for example me - who listens Antonio Vivaldi in car, listen those waves of inarticulated sounds. By the way, wondering who are those guys with fashion hear cut? Again - they are very religious persons,those who are usually organizing such religion performances like Matsu in Taichung, what I presented recently.

Another "pearl" of southern Taiwan. Toilets which I call "big brother is watching you". You do the job, and local souvenir shop woman eyes you. If you go in this toilet - one more "surprise" there is a window to woman's part of facility. That's what i could not understand the real reason - this window is for what? No picture sorry, i am reporter not pervert.

OK, enough about wrinkles of southern taiwan, let's get to aesthetics! i need to tell, that not all Southern Taiwan coastal area has nice sand for beach activities. While you drive to Kenting, most of coastal area has such outlook:

Enjoy the volleyball but wear shoes, please!

Few words about the hotel, and how to choose it. All the Kenting is nothing else than a collection of hotels, bars, restaurants and shops. Just google for Kenting hotel, or press any add here near my post and you will get a selection of them. Cheap home stay or expensive 5 star sea view hotel - just 1 click away. We trusted Lonely Planet, and decided to try Chateau Beach Resort. It is important to note, that not all the hotel you will reserve in internet will give you sea view from a window. Morever - most of the hotels are located at right side of the road, and for sure have no sea view - at least not a close up one. Of course price is much cheaper if you do not need a sea view. But... you come here maybe once a year.. and we could not resist to have this view from our window, even if it was more expensive:

Now, let's go to the beach - it's just few steps from a Chateau:

Good news are that those chairs were at least always free - one ore two were available, because seems this part of beach in some way are protected to those who stay in hotel.

Hotel really looks nice...

All this complex is Chateau - just be sure to get beach side room. By the way - first floor is more expensive, because you can just go out from a room and here is a sea - but, let me tell you that there are drawbacks as well. You feel like living on street - everyone walks around so, best choice i think is second floor.

When waves are big, and they were at the time we was there - they will not allow you swim without safety vests - those are free. As a rebellion in heart of course I felt shameful to wear it, and told that I no need it. In next moment next big wave swallowed me, and kicked over the rocky ground under the water. After few moments I was up and everyone looked at me and and my knee, little bloody. Are you OK (yeah, just like in US made films, where Bruce Willis all in blood comes out from a factory, where he just killed 50 enemies - this is question he get's from his girlfriend (same tone - are you ok?). Lesson - if those waves are really big and you are cityboy like me - don't go too deep.

Shadows becoming big... evening is coming.

Fiji? Tahiti? Hawai? West Waikiki? No! it's Taiwan!

After the sunset, it just becomes more beautiful. That's the view I got fro our hotel balcony!

What to do after sunset? Well, depends who you are and you came with whom.

For sure Kenting night market is worth to visit - although prices are terrible - if compare for example with Fengchia night market, :

BBQ - at least 3 times more expensive than in Taichung - because this night market is 100 % for tourists - there are no locals at all.

That's street what I writing before -no living houses in Kenting - just bars, hotels and restaurants - and left side is cheaper, but then no sea view.

Want some relax? Massage for you right on the street.

Besides those regular things you will find in any market in Taiwan - here in Kenting are much disco bars, just bars and bars with showgirls and beyond. Get relaxed in Kenting, things to enjoy for everyone!

West Coast of Taiwan - Tongxiao township outskirts and villages

Tongxiao (通霄鎮) is an urban township in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan. It is surrounded by the Taiwan Strait on the east and mountains on the west.

• Area: 107.8486 km²
• Population: 39,962 people (April,2006)

We decided to explore west coast of Taiwan due to several reasons. One of them - very less coverage in all Taiwan guides - usually the east coast are considered as gorgeous and beautiful, also south - where the resorts of Kenting are located. Lonely Planet even suggests to stay away from it as nothing interesting there.

Road to the west coast will bring you through numerous rice fields and villages.



West coast has less mountains, and the coastal area has much more plains. Above is typical village in Tongxiao outskirts. They all will look similar there.



You will need cross railroad which goes just along the coastal line in order to get access to the coast directly.



Older houses slowly disappears in western coastal area giving up their land for newer style housing . West coast villages have a mix of new and older houses.



Typical small farm road in Tongxiao. 3 main things you will see there - temples, small houses and rice fields.



Local woman works in a rice field in windy march Saturday.



Those typical to Taiwan mirrors are generously installed for your safe driving even in those rice fields. I am saying and always will say, that Taiwan is very convenient place to live.



Besides the human - also those birds are claiming their share.









West Coast as seen in early March in 2009. If not impressive now, wait till around 6 at evening (in march) - to see the sunset:









Closer to Tongxiao township we saw some boats. In early march no one was here, but I assume, that in summer you can rent them for joyride.



I am not boats expert at all. Are those for fishing?





It's 5 p.m...



Mild evening in Tongxiao outskirts.



You can get picturesque views everywhere you go there.



Sunset in rice farm in Western Coastal area in Taiwan.