One Short Day

After just a few days here, I seem to already be operating on Taiwan time – having arrived in Taipei, the capital, six hours after I planned to.  After spending 3 days in the hospitable city Taichung, I became a little more confident in my ventures. As I carried on through Taiwan to Taipei, I got off the bus wherever I pleased. I stopped by temples, forests, local food streets and villages. The food I’ve sampled over the past few days makes my stint at the Feng Chia Night Market look safe at best. Living, eating and travelling with the locals has given me a deeper understanding of living in Taiwan. It’s far less populated than its neighbour, China, which makes leisurely travel and time outdoors nicer. Taiwan is one of the less populated Asian countries, so the people are considerably nicer and time runs similar to that of island resorts.

This morning, I visited the Yehliu Geo Park – the first of many stops in this exciting region. Essentially, it’s a large rock formation a couple hundred metres off the shoreline. It’s strange shape is the result of sea erosion and the ever changing landscape of Taiwan - due to it’s Asian location, subject to movement and weathering. The park, nicknamed the “Yehliu Turtle” by locals,  is constituted by limestone and wave-cut rock. I spent time exploring the island, if you like - similar to Australia’s long and ranging sandbars at low tide. Towards the end of my experience, I learnt of an old game that was once played underneath a footbridge, imaginatively titled the Sea Groove Bridge, somewhat similar to the Three Billy Goats Gruff fairy tale. In this area, the “naughty kid cave”, tourists would play with local children by throwing coins into the shallow water under the bridge. The kids became so engrossed in finding hidden treasure under the water that their parents had to roam the park yelling; “You naughty boys! How dare you play around and forget the time to come home for dinner!”. Another legend of the island dictates that a small turtle-shaped rock at the furthest point of the park would spit out white smoke whenever the weather was about to change. Stories like these prove the cultural significance of areas in Taiwan. 

In each of the destinations I’ve visited, I’ve heard personal stories and had authentic experiences. Unlike other Asian countries complete with manmade structures and glossy malls, each region of Taiwan has originality. Despite spending only one week here, I feel very close to Taiwan. The locals have opened up and shared their experiences with me, and I can now ally myself with Asia. My time in the richest quarters to the poorest parts of this country have put me well on my way to becoming a global citizen. I wish to travel more, and consider that my status transcends political and geographical divides. 

*photos not working, will upload 4/9