Paul and Queenie's World

22.11.05

China Travelogue 4: Lijiang to Chengdu

This Post: Lijiang --> Chengdu

Dear All,

We are now in Chengdu where we have spent a delightful few days. We flew into Chengdu on Friday night and will leave tomorrow when we got to the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve in Northern Sichuan.

Lijiang was okay I guess but the number of tourists in the old town made it feel so cramped that it wasn't very enjoyable. The family inn we stayed in was quite good. The family that ran the place were especially helpful in arranging trips for us and giving us excellent travel advice.

The highlight of the whole Lijiang part was the ascent to 4680m. What a breathtaking cable car ride. It only takes you to 4600m and you have to walk the rest of the way. What a tiring walk. I have never been in anything like it. It was a bit freaky when the cable car stopped because of high winds but that is just part of the deal. The top of the mountain was freezing (about -5) there was snow on the ground and yes I nearly landed on my butt when I slipped on the ice. At the highest point there was some crazy girl wearing only a t-shirt for some pictures.....I thought she was nuts. We were wearing four layers of clothes and still cold because of the wind.

At the top of the mountain is a beautiful glacier. It is the first glacier I have seen and it was a special sight. The thing about glaciers though is that they move very slowly so you have spend a while (a few thousand years I guess) to see it go about 1mm.

Before we went up the mountain we were taken to a local Naxi worship site. Set in the plains beneath the mountains on a dead, windswept landscape, it was certainly something unique. On the ground the ancient Naxi people had carved their interpretation of the cycle of life onto a slate on the ground. According to their beliefs, if one is a bad person when you die you die. Thats it! If you are not bad but not good you land up in hell where you have to climb nine mountains after which you are gruesomely tortured (according to your sins) and then reborn. There are six cycles of life. Once you finally have a righteous life you become a buddha in Heaven where you do not really do much except meditate. I told the guide that I thought that there were more activities in hell (mountain climbing and torture) but she thought I was nuts, had a good laugh and agreed. She was an excellent guide. She also said to me that the Naxi people do not eat lamb or beef. I asked her if she does and she said "Of course." The video below shows a small part of the burial grounds.

Our driver on the day was also quite interesting. She had travelled to many countries as a representative of the Naxi minority group. As a representative she was obliged to sing and dance and show her culture off. The only disappointing thing was that on the way back she hit some farmers dog and evidently broke its leg. I wanted her to stop the car so we could take the dog to a vet but she refused. Poor dog, I hope its okay. She told us that in China you only get fined if you kill a consumable animal (e.g. chicken, cow, or sheep). I guess in Guangdong you would also get fined for knocking over dogs and cats and mice and rats and.......(in Guangdong they eat everything)

The next day was pretty mellow. We hung in Lijiang and ran into the Dutch couple we had previously met in Dali. We went to a beautiful park in the afternoon. The entrance fee was RMB60 but when we arrived there was no one in the gate so we managed to get in for free. That was brilliant. The park itself was stunning with beautiful lakes where you can see the mountains, trees and pagodas reflected in the lake. Late that evening we flew into Chengdu where we met Michael who was to be our driver and guide that night and two days later.

The first day in Chengdu we met up with one of our Chinese Teacher's (Jenny) friends Sun Yi Yi. What a delightful person. She does research in a Chinese medicine company and her whole family are Chinese Medicine Doctors. That day we hung out in the people's park in Chengdu, we went to Du Fu's (a famous Chinese poets) house and then went to eat in the most disgusting yet most vibrant and alive restaurant I have eaten in in a long time. The food and the beer was good too. It was a hot pot but the way it was done (Chengdu style) was fantastic.

On Saturday we also met an American girl who was working on an interesting wild life project as a volunteer helping to save endangered species on the Tibetan plateau. It is the first convservation project I have heard of in China and it seems like a fantastic endeavour. It seems that with the rapid economic growth of China roads have been built all over the show and many of these roads in Western Tibet have slice through the migration paths of many of the antelope that live there. The long distance truck drivers have been filmed driving over these endangered species so this group of people, when the animals are crossing the road, stand in the middle of the road to stop the trucks. They are also trying to raise awareness and get more people involved on the ground. It is an excellent project and I do hope they succeed and are successful.

Day two in Chengdu saw us meeting Michael again as he took us to the Panda research base. Michael is an interesting character who studied Chinese literature at College. He asked many questions about the Taiwan issue and Taiwanese people's perception of the situation. After explaining it to him best we could I asked him what he thought of the Chinese occupation of Tibet. His response was that the situation was peaceful and that he did not understand why foreigners spent so much time and attention on this issue. I then told him the same is true for Taiwan: in terms of reality it very much acts as an independent country and that not so much time and attention should be spent on this issue. He thought that was a strange viewpoint and still insisted that Taiwan was a part of China.....heh heh heh.......

The Panda Base was AMAZING. We donated USD100 to the center and I could get to hold a panda....it was one of the best experiences I have had in China. If any of you come to Chengdu, you need to got there. The entrance fee is only RMB30 (less than USD4.00) but what a worthwhile experience. I honestly wish I could be that happy eating bamboo. The zoo's in China are generally very inhuman but this place was a wonderful place for these special creatures to live. And the work done there is amazing. I really have to say that on this the Chinese government has got it right.

While we were at the Panda Base a TV crew from the local station decided to interview me when they found out I knew a little Chinese. Of course, me being the cluts I am I forgot how to speak Chinese.

We also got to see red pandas. I had never heard of them before but they are also interesting little creatures that are much smaller than the giant panda and are far more lively.

At the Panda base we met Shan, a Taiwnese guy who lived in Johannesburg for 16-years and is now moving back to Taiwan. I am sure to hook up with him in Taipei.

After the Panda base we went to watch "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." It is the best one so far but the movies are becoming darker and scarier. I do recommend it though as it was a good film in its own right and the adaptation is excellent. After Harry Potter we had dinner, a foot massage and then bed.

Today has been fairly mellow. We went to the Sichuan University Museum. Aparently it is the best Museum in West and South China with 40,000 artifacts. The museum was really interesting but the National Palace Museum in Taipei is still the best for Chinese artifacts. The cultural revolution resulted in the destruction of much of China's past and so sadly, on the mainland it is hard to find excellent Museums. But once again, at least they are trying.

Well anyway, today is going to be the last hot day (8C) for a while. Tomorrow we will arrive in Jiuzhaigou after a 10 hour bus raid and the weather will be a fair to mild -8C - 4C....sounds like swimming weather to me. After that I have absolutely NO idea where to go. We are getting to the end of the route we had planned so if anyone has any brilliant ideas of where to go then let us know. We could go east to Xian and then work our way up to Beijing along the old silk road or go down the Yangtze river to Nanjing. Or we could head North East into Gansu province and make for the Hexi corridor and head for Dun Huang (if you have seen th Michelle Yeoh movie the Medallion you will know all about Dun Huang) and the Mogoa caves....Decisions, decisions....

Anyway, until I am thawed out and able to write again stay well and stay safe everyone....

17.11.05

China Travelogue 3: Kunming to Lijiang

This Post: Kunming --> Dali --> Lijiang

So here I am behind a computer screen in the middle of a backpacker haven in Lijiang. We arrived in Dali on Sunday after spending three nights in Kunming and came to Lijiang today.

Kunming, as Chinese cities go, is a rather nice place and, given a choice, I would choose to live there as opposed to Shenzhen. The weather is moderate, the people nice and the air clean. The roads are big and all the motorcycles are electric. True, there does not seem to be much to do in Kunming, but there are some interesting sites nearby.

On Saturday we went to the big lake just outside Kunming, but it was a little cold so we went back into town, Queenie had a massage and I just had a nap. We then had lunch, a rest and didn't do much more. That evening we went to an outdoor shop to buy some warmer clothes for the colder climates of northern Yunan. At the store we met a most interesting person, Kathy, from Australia. We later had the opportunity to have coffee with her.

Kathy has travelled the whole world and told us many interesting stories. She worked as a tour guide in Africa and knows my hometown of Durban fairly well. It was a really interesting conversation. Perhaps the most amazing story was how she was told to leave Norway on a days notice and get to Uganda to lead a tour group during the Ebola outbreak a few years ago. Kathy being Kathy jumped to it and went to lead the tour.

Sunday saw us get on a bus for Dali. At the first tollbridge we saw a dead guy lying on the ground a family trying to lynch the driver who had killed their family member. There were five policeman trying to prevent the lynching and they were getting quite a hiding too. The whole affair was very sad.

Dali is in North West of Yunan, South East of Tibet. The landscapes on the road were magnificent. The sky seems so close to earth. Sometimes you feel you can reach out and touch the clouds. It is just so beautiful. As usual, on the way we saw many small villages with dispossesed people. Many of these villages did not even have roads going into them. One wonders how the people survive.

After arriving in Dali we needed to take another bus from the old town to the new town. Of course the bus nearly had a crash and killed the lot of us...heh heh heh....well it wasn't that funny but we survived. The locals told us that it happens a lot but the drivers never learn and change. It sounds a lot like the taxi drivers in South Africa.

Dali is a quaint little town that still has an old city wall with city gates. Unfortunately, once you enter the town all the shops are tourist shops and you are surrounded by hordes of tour groups. But walking through the old town is still quite quaint and the view of Erhai Lake from our hotel room was stunning.

Monday saw us take up with a dutch couple. We went on a boat ride on Erhai lake to a small island in the middle. The boat ride was relaxing and we all had a really good time. The dutch couple told us a lot about the social strife that currently exists in Europe between the families of migrant laborers and the Europeans. Their is a lot of angst between the lot of them and the solutions are not apparent.

Monday night, after dinner, Queenie and I had a pleasant conversation with the host of the guesthouse we were staying in. John comes from the minority Bai group. His parents are peasant farmers and he explained to me the daily challenges they face. He also described how he had to start cooking meals for the family at age 8 and how during the harvest season he and his siblings have to return to the fields to help bring in the harvest. John explained that although the situation had improved dramatically over the last 10-years, most of China was still poor.

John described how some of the Lisu minority group in Lijung prefecture do not even have money for clothes and how they make their clothes out of tree bark and leaves. He was also deeply saddened at the death of the minority cultures describing how the girls in the villages were now refusing to wear traditional outfits.

On Tuesday Queenie and I went up the mountain at the back of old Dali town. We bought chairlift tickets at the hotel but our driver took us to the cable car (we couldn't use our tickets). We bought new tickets and once we reached the top of the cable car we went for a "short" walk. One kilometer became two, two became, three, three became ten. YES, we walked 10-km. The walk had spectacular views of the basin in which Erhai lake and Dali are situated and the path took us deep in the gulleys that ran down the mountains. No picture or words can describe the beauty of that place. At the end of 10-km we found the chairlift and could use the original tickets.

We had lunch under a waterfall where we met an Irishman name Martin who is trying to get back home from East Timor without taking an airplane (an interesting concept). He is trying to make it home before Christmas so he needs our prayers. In the evening I had a beer and a long chat with him. He explained a lot about contemporary Irish politics: Another interesting and detailed conversation.

Today we came to Lijiang. A famous 800 year old town with cobbled streets and canals running through the village. Unfortunately, all the old houses have now been converted in restaurants, shops or guesthouses and the town is filled with thousands of tourists. It is very disappointing but the town is still quaint.

Lijiang's elevation is 2400m (Johannesburg is 1700m) so we are quite high up. Tomorrow we are going to the top of a mountain that is over 4000m high. It will be cold as the temperature in Lijiang is about 5C.

I leave you with a final thought: This afternoon we were looking into the canals that go through Lijiang and watching the fish trying to swim upstream. If they stopped swimming they would be swept all the way downstream and start againg. Queenie looked at me and said that is what life is, swimming upstream....so all of you keep on swimming....

12.11.05

China Travelogue 2: Yangshuo to Kunming

This post:-- Yangshuo --> Longji --> Kunming

(The picture is one of the woman from the Yao tribe)

I think the last time I wrote was on Monday after we had finished a brutal bicycle ride through the farms of Yangshuo. We are now in Kunming, the capital of Yuannan province.

On Tuesday we were still in Yangshou and we went down a river on a bamboo raft. It was a lot of fun, I managed to drink a beer doing it too. The price of the trip for Queenie and I, for a 2-hour ride, was RMB150 (about USD19). The poor boatman only earned RMB20 ( USD2.5). He still had to fork out another RMB5 for the truck to take his boat back upriver. The poor guy, he does all the work and the gatekeepers (whoever runs it) gets to keep all the money. If I were him I would be pissed.

Wednesday was an early morning for us. We had to wake up at 6:00am and be on a bus by 7:00am. We were going to the rice terrace fields of Longji. What a spectacular scene. The bus ride itself became a little brutal on the dirt road up the mountain, but after an hour of that (and then carrying our luggage up the mountain for 20-minutes) we were treated to a spectacular aerial view of the terraces, and a brilliant lunch. After the lunch I hiked to the top of the mountain to see the view. The local Yao Tribe ladies were our guides (and also hawkers) as they chased us up the mountain trying to sell their wares.

The women of the Yao tribe were particularly funny. After completing the hike up the mountain I was guided back to our hotel where Queenie and I were the only guests. We bought a table cloth from the guide who persistently begged me to buy something up and down the mountain. A little while later we were swamped by three other ladies all trying to hawk their wares on us. It was really jovial. The one woman was trying to sell me postcards. I had already bought a set and we set off on a half an hour conversation on comparing the postcards (whose had snow and whose had houses). It was hysterical. At any rate after an hour of no success three of the ladies returned home. The original guide remained to talk with us.

She told us that she had hardly ever left the village. She had not even gone to Guiling (a three hour bus ride). She said that the terraced fields had been divided up amongst the families and they are able to grow about 3000 jin (catties, a Chinese measure) of rice a year. This would feed the whole family and they mostly stored it at home. According to her someone had only recently built a road to the terraces and this had increased tourism to the area enabling them to sell homemade wares and guide tourists up the mountain. A single guide earned about RMB5 for every group they guided on a 2-hour trip. Not much money! Once again, someone is making a killing. The ticket of going to the place was about RMB130 per person. All the government did was build a road and put up a gate. In the summer vacations the lady told us that they may receive up to 1000 guests a day. The gate ticket is RMB50 per person so someone in summer makes about RMB50,000 per day. That's a lot of cash, and apart from the road, and nothing has been done to improve the lives of the people.

She also told us about some of their culture and habits. She showed us her hair which they never cut, and she also sang a song for us on the hill next to our restaurant. See the videos below:

At any rate, after this interesting conversation she asked me if I would teach at the local school the following morning. Of course I agreed. That evening we had one of the most romantic dinners Queenie I had ever had but it was then that the hotel seemed to conspire against me (heh heh heh). I found a stone in my apple pie (nearly broke a tooth), stood on a nail that went all the way into my foot (and had it brutally pulled out by a very embarrassed hotel assistant) and then got scorched in the shower when someone turned up the gas....ahhh....In the morning we were woken up at 5:00am by military music blasting out of the local school loudspeakers. I am not sure who was meant to be marching but I sure wasn't going to do it (I had my days).

On Thursday morning we went down to the school where I had the pleasure of teaching English for an hour to a bunch of eager to learn 15 year olds. All of them were eager to learn. I remember when I taught English in high school in Taiwan, the students were not enthusiastic at all. What a difference this was. They really got into the lesson.

After the English lesson most of the day was spent on the road to Kunming. The bus back to Guiling was about 2.5 hours. After arriving in Guiling we tool an taxi to the airport. The airport road is a toll road and the charge for a normal sedan is about RMB10. We were in the taxi and as we were about to hit the toll road the driver turned right and we found ourselves crossing makeshift bridge across some rice paddies. As we crossed the rice paddies we approached a small community. There was a guy sitting in a chair. The driver stopped the taxi and paid RMB2 to the man. We then went back onto the toll road. The community had built their own detour around the toll gate and offered bargain prices. That was really funny.

Well, we go into Kunming last night (after a 2-hour flight delay) and went for a foot massage. This morning we decided to change hotels and as we were walking down the road we saw a picture of an old colleagues daughter on the side of a shop advertising clothes. Prior to going back to Canada, Rob and Michelle's daughter Michaela did some fashion shoots for kids clothes. We never expected to see her on an advert in Kunming.

Today was a slow day. We had a hair wash, went to park and walked through a market. It was a pretty mellow time. The pace will pick up over the next few days. We are currently considering going into Chengdu through the backdoor (depending on weather and temperature). We will see.

Take care all of you and we will see you soon.

8.11.05

China Travelogue 1: Shenzhen to Yangshuo

This post: Shenzhen --> Guiling --> Yangshuo

We left Shenzhen last week Friday (November 4) after much drama. As one of our friends said it seemed as if Shenzhen never wanted to let us go. The last hours in that crazy city were as crazy as to be expected. One hopes if we ever are to return, it will be a little more normal.

After leaving Shenzhen we arrived at the airport and had an uneventful flight to Guiling in Guanxi province. Guiling is a small but beautiful town surrounded by unique mountain landscapes. The first day was fairly uneventful. We went for a walk through the city and discovered two parks in the middle of the town that in the evening are beautifully lit up. The Golden Pagoda all light up at night is a spectacular scene, something that is difficult to describe.

We spent an extra day in Guiling looking at some sights: Seven Star Park, Reed Flute Cave and the Solitary Mountain park. In the evening we went to see a Chinese circus ballet. The Reed Flute Cave was impressive but the rest were, compared to the lakes, not too interesting.

Day three of our trip saw us travelling down the Li River (Li Jiang) to Yangshuo. Li Jiang is the river that is depicted by Chinese painters in pictures showing a river and mountains (Shan Shui Hua). We took a bus to the absolutely insane port where we were to board our boat.

The bus trip was a revelation as we passed through some farming communities and got a really good view (although it was a mere snapshot) of Chinese peasantry and the way they live. The scarcity of their belongings and the absolute poverty in which they still live is the truth of the modern China. Despite all we read about the growth of the economy, this is still only a developing economy in which a majority of the population earn less that USD100 per month.

The river port was also an interesting exprerience. After arriving at the port the tour guide never had our tickets. She had tickets for everyone else except us. She said they were coming. After waiting half an hour (and all the boats starting to leave) I went over to some policeman at the side of the river monitoring the crowd and explained my dilemma. The tickets arrived in less than a minute. The police in China still have authority.

The journey down the river itself was spectacular but the journey reveals the artistic lie in the pictures of Li Jiang. The pictures always show tranquil, romantic scenes that give off the illusion of people living in contentment and harmony. The truth is different. At certain points in the river there were young boys running next to the boat asking for money. Another mad scene in strange country. When you throw money to the kids they nearly kill each other trying to get it.

The other interesting thing was the bamboo rafts (Zhu Pai) that attached themselves to the side of the river boats trying to hawk everything from fruit to precious gemstones.

Arriving at the port to get off the boat was another crazy scene. It took us an hour an half to disembark. There were about 50 river boats all in a line waiting for their passengers to leave. Really funny. The good thing was that the scenery at the port (as well as down the river) was stunning. Mountains reflected in a surprisingly clean river.

After an eternity we disembarked and went to a few tourist spots (part of the package). The best was the dragon cave, the most boring (for anyone who has lived in Taiwan) was the Buddhist Temple. The interesting part of the temple was the way in which the tour guides were teaching the Chinese how to pray. The cultural revolution destroyed everything from the past so most Chinese people, when they go into a temple, have no idea what to do (as opposed to Taiwan where everyone does).

Today, day 4, we spent cycling around Yangshuo. A one hour ride to a small town called Fuli, which according to the Lonely Planet is picturesque (yeah right). The ride was meant to be an hour. We took four. We stopped quite a few times along the way. We found two small restaurants next to the river and learned a little about the fishing trade in Yangshuo.

The second restaurant was great, we sat next to a lake, drank some beer and had a conversation with a duck that was swimming past.I am now back in Yangshuo waiting to have dinner with a London police officer that Queenie and I met yesterday. Tomorrow we will go rafting on a bamboo raft and hopefully have some more adventures. On Wednesday we will (hopefully) be off to Kunming in Yunan province and then upto Lijiang. I will keep you posted about where we are. We miss you all and look forward to seeing you all and hearing from you all soon.

1.7.05

Taipei and Taiwan Travel Guide

This will be updated regularly to keep you posted on things to do and see when you visit Taipei.

Cycle Trips

Riding is becoming very popular in Taiwan and there are many outlets along the rivers that rent out bikes. They can be seen easily and I don't think the rental is too expensive. I know there is a bike rental place near Bitan in Hsin Tien and another close to Fu-He bridge. Riding next to the rivers in Taipei is a great way to get outdoors and away from the traffic.

Rain Riding to Fulong and Back
I went off for another long ride from my home in Taipei to Fulong, up to Keelung and back to Taipei. The day looked a bit grey when I started but I thought it would be ok. It wasn't. As soon as I had ridden 20km it started to rain hard. I got drenched. But what the heck. I rode on anyway and had an awesome ride and met many awesome and wonderful people alomg the way. It was a long ride (around 130km) and I was exhausted by the end but it was just awesome and I am glad I did it. Not sure if I can do it again any time soon but it was well worth the effort. Even though I was drenched by the end of the ride, it was an awesome trip and I am glad I did it. It ended better than my last ride and I was able to finish. A ride I will never forget.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2010/11/rain-riding-to-fulong-and-back.html

Cycle Trip to Tamsui, Via Keelung
I am starting to ride more and more around the greater Taipei area and really starting to enjoy the scenery Taiwan has to offer. I recently tried to ride in a big circle from home, to Keelung, then to Tamsui and then back along the river home. Unfortunately fate conspired against me and I had to stop in Tamsui after my gear assembly broke off. Added to that the weather was against me for a good part of the way. Despite that, the ride itself was fantastic. I think it was really great just getting out there on the bike and the route was fairly easy to follow and pretty difficult to get lost. There was only one moment when I wasn't quite sure of where to go but apart from that I was fine. For those who don't want to do the whole stretch from Taipei to Keelung, I would recommend the ride from Keelung to Tamsui. That is a really beautiful part of the world. And if you have enough legs, back along the river to Taipei. All in all, great views, and some easy riding if the weather is with you and the bike mechanics don't fail you.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2010/05/cycle-trip-to-tamsui-via-keelung.html

Towards Tamsui - The Other Side of the River
This is another very beautiful cycle ride. We started at the bottom of (off Keelung Road) Fu-He bridge on the Taipei side of the river and rode towards Tamsui. There are clearly delineated cycle paths and there are many activities on the side of the river. We saw remote control planes, tennis courts, basketball courts and array of other sporting activities. If you don't feel like riding all the way up to Tamsui, pack a small picnic and head out as far as you are able or willing to cycle. Find a nice spot under a tree and bask in the sun enjoying your picnic. We did that. We packed cold meats and bread and made great sandwiches. Our friend Peter also brought his daughter and she had a great time running around in the extra long grass.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/04/other-side-of-river.html

Cycle Trip to Bitan (Hsin Tien)
Ride along Keelung Road, cross the Fu-He bridge towards Yong-He and come off on the other side of the bridge. Then head South. This cycle trip is a wonderful adventure. The first part is a little rustic and you will have to cross the river a few kilometers up the river. Once across though you will find well manicured lawns, baseball diamonds and interesting farms along the side of the cycle path. This road is a little long but it is a great ride. Once you get into Hsin-Tien you can find a restaurant, get some refreshments and walk around the town for a while. We found a great little breakfast shop and had a great ride there and back. On the way back we stopped to roll around in the grass. Note that you can hire bicycles in Hsin-Tien and ride in the opposite direction to what we rode.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/04/cycle-trip-to-bitan-hsin-tien.html

Day Trips Outside Taipei

Sometimes Taipei becomes too much for some people. The congestion, the crowds, the traffic, the constant hum of the city. Take a day trip to one of the locations near Taipei! There are many natural areas near Taipei and places to relax and get back to nature. Be warned however, that on weekends and public holidays most of these places are crowded too.

A Riverside Walk in Pinglin (坪林)

Pinglin (坪林) is a small town south of Taipei that is most famous for its tea production. The town itself has a Tea Museum. Pinglin (坪林) is nestled in the mountains and the tourist department there have initiated a tourist promotion scheme by providing free shuttle buses to take people to places of interest. A really beautiful and wonderful place. As soon as we arrived in Pinglin (坪林) we were bundled onto a bus and taken to the Jingualiao River (金瓜寮溪). There is also a shuttle bus that takes people to the mountains. We will have to try that out. Anyway, we were taken to the Fish Watching Fern Walk that ran next to the river and was truly picturesque and beautiful. Despite the hot weather, the shade beneath the trees was cool and the river water refreshing. If you do go, go there with a picnic and be ready to swim. The water is clean enough to swim in and there were a few people doing that.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2011/06/riverside-walk-in-pinglin.html

Jing Shan Beach (金山海灘) and Dented Shins
Jing Shan Beach (金山海灘) is a beautiful beach on the North coast of Taiwan. Our friend Mark invited us to go boogie boarding with him. one Saturday morning. He has a car so decided to drive us there. We had a great time. The boogie boardds were cheap and the weather was amazing. There were also a lot of waves and driftwood (yes driftwood) bashing into our shins, but it was fun. If you don't have a car you can always get there by taking a train to Keelung and then getting a bus. Either that or you can head off to Tamsui on the MRT and then take another bus from there. It will take a while to get there but if you are going to swim for a couple of hours, its not too bad. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and decided the time was well spent and we really are looking forward to going back again soon. If you are tired of the humdrum of Taipei, its not a bad place to go. There were also a lot of cyclists up there and one of our friends told us they had taken there bikes on the train to Keelung and then cycled from there, along the coast, to Tamsui and back to Taipei. It sounds like a great ride too.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2009/09/jing-shan-beach-and-dented-shins.html

Formosa Fun Park - Japanese Hot Springs
Taiwan is famous for hot-springs. Wulai and Hsin-Peitou are two of the more popular destinations close to Taipei however, I never knew there were hot springs next to the Formosa Fun park in Bali, opposite Tamsui. Well, I don't know if they are natural hot springs but it is a themed hotel/entertainment place where guests get to wear kimonos and walk around an old Japanese styled village. They also have a hotel rooms where you can stay for the night. We went there with the family and had such a great time. If you feel like getting out an relaxing, this might be the place however, it may get crowded at times due to its easy access so may not always be ideal. We did think it was a great place to take kids as they had a lot of things for the kids to do in the evening, more so than other hot spring resorts we have visited. There are also restaurants and the like available in the hotel (although the food is not the best) but, just down the road is the Bali night market where you get great views of Tamsui by night.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2009/04/formosa-fun-park-japanese-hot-springs.html

A Day in Keelung (Hoping Island Park)
Wanting to get out of Taipei. How about taking the bus or train to Keelung and heading out to the Hoping (Peace) Island park on the northern part of the island. Tremendous opportunity to see some interesting rock structures and also a great place to view the ocean. Be warned there is some trash lying around and do remember to take your own food and refreshments. The restaurants there could be cleaner. But the trip is worth it. Finish the day with a short tour of the Yangming Maritime Museum. If you don't have a pressing need to get back to Taipei, you can always enjoy some of the many famous nightmarkets in Keelung or enjoy a Starbucks cofee with a view of the bay.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-in-keelung.html

Ilan for a Day - Queenie's Ilan Trip
If you can rent a car and drive down to Ilan for a day, it is worth the trip. The new highway cuts out much of the driving time and the road is safer than before. It is best to go to Ilan by car. It provides more flexibility. However, if you don't want to drive, try and rent a taxi for a day (I assume its possible although never tried it). Queenie spent a day in Ilan county, going to some beaches and spending time in her friend's rice paddy. They also went to one of the famous night markets in Ilan and had a wonderful time. The beaches are beautiful and the county quiet. Check in a tourist guide to see some of the spots in Ilan you can visit. The trip will be worth it. If you do have time, drive there along the North-East highway, the mountains and seaviews are spectacular.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/02/queenies-ilan-trip.html

Wulai - A Day in the Clouds
Wulai is to the South of Taipei. Great opportunity to see the mountains and the river gorges that define so much of Taiwan's topography. If you have time there are plenty of hot-springs and many luxury hotels that you can stay in for the night boiling in spring water directly from the mountain. You can also travel on the cable car to the top of the mountain and enjoy a proper Chinese lunch. Also enjoy the swimming pool and enjoy the quiet of nature. For those who are more physical there is always the obstacle course at the top of the mountain to get your blood going. My dad (65 years old) and I did it together. I was impressed with his stamina.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2007/10/dad-in-east-2-day-in-clouds.html

Regular Events

As in most cities, there are some events that come around annually. Some of the more famous ones are cultural events like the dragon boat festival and the lantern festival after Chinese New Year. Others are less famous, for example the Chirstmas Tree lighting ceremony outside the Far East Hotel. Here we share some of the regular events that we have attended in the past.

Christmas Tree Ceremony - Christmas has Started in Taipei

The Far Eastern Hotel on Tunhwa South Road always lights up a huge Christmas tree every year. The event is usually a festive occasion that goes on for about an hour with performances from schools and colleges. The Chairman of the Far Eastern Group usually gives a welcome speech to everyone and there is always a father Christmas on hand to throw candy to the kids. Sometimes the Father Christmas is lame, but the event makes it feel the festive season has started in Taipei. The Far Eastern Hotel usually lights up many of the trees in the middle of Tunhwa South Road and during the festive season the lights are a beautiful addition to the Taipei cityscape. The ceremony usually takes place on the first Friday night in December, but check your hotel or tourist advisor for details. Or just phone the Far Eastern Hotel.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-has-started-in-taipei.html

Restaurants

Eating is a very important part of most cultures and taken very seriously in Taipei. There are a myriad of restaurants ranging from NTD60 (US$2.00) bowls of noodles to NTD2000 (US$90) steaks. Taipei has cuisine from all over the world and the food is really great. Here is a smattering of some of the restaurants we have visited.

Saturday Morning Donuts
Taipei has many foreign foreign fast food chain stores. McDonald's is on nearly every corner and there are a few Burger Kings around. It shouldn't be too great a surprise to see another American fast food chain Mister Donut out here. Well apparently there are a few Mister Donuts in Taipei. One branch is fairly close to my office. I have taken a few donuts home before for my wife, niece and other members of the family. Everyone liked the donuts so one Saturday morning, while we were babysitting our niece, we took her too Mister Donut. They do have a great selection of donuts and it is a great place to take a child, although we wouldn't recommend you do it very often.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/12/saturday-morning-donuts.html

Mykonos - A Taste of Greece in Taipei

Greek food is awesome. We used to visit Mykonos on a regular basis a few years ago but they moved without leaving any notices and so we were really pleased to find their new location (even if it is after a few years). Mykonos serves traditional Greek fare. Of course the cheese platters are great, the Greek salad a must and the meat dishes are also awesome. The decor in the restaurant is also very Greek and they have made a great effort to make the restaurant look as it should. The staff are super friendly and always very helpful. Indoor and outdoor seating is available and this restaurant is highly recommended.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/07/mykonos-taste-of-greece-in-taipei.html

A Barbecue on the Silk Road in Taipei
Xinjiang is the Western-most province of China and they are famed for their BBQ lamb. The Silk Road is a Xinjiang style, all-you-can-eat BBQ. At the time of writing the per person cost was around NTD500 (excluding drinks). This restaurant is worth the visit. The decor is all traditional Uighar decor, the staff do know a little about the culture of Xinjiang, the spices on the food are delicious and the atmosphere in the restaurant with the traditional music playing is very special indeed. We have been there a couple of times and really enjoyed the ambiance, food and fellowship with our friends. It is certainly not a venue for a romantic date with your wife or girlfriend but a tremendous place for a group dinner or lunch.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/03/barbecue-on-silk-road-in-taipei.html

Pies in Taipei
Want a home cooked meat-pie, the Pot-Pie Cafe on Fuhsing South Road offers a wonderful array of meat pies including Cottage Pie, Shepherds Pie and Chicken and Mushroom pie. The also serve a great fish and chips and have a wonderful English breakfast. There deserts are also fantastic I would recommend the apple crumble but the brownies are not bad either. If you are English you will feel right at home! The decor is very English with pictures of famous British personalities and a picture of the Houses of Parliament. The owner Simon is also friendly, speaks English and enjoys meeting people from all over the world.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/01/restaurants-pies-in-taipei.html

The Red Kitchen - A Great Steak House
A family run, family oriented Steak House near the corner of Fuhsing South Road and Hoping East Road provides excellent service, excellent steaks and a fairly decent salad bar thrown in. All in all a great place to eat, chat, and while away a few hours. Note that beer is served in a traditional Taiwanese style, small glasses with blocks of ice. We think the best food on the menu is the roasted chicken leg. This usually comes perfectly done. The chicken is really tender and fall off the bone. The miniature steaks aren't bad and the T-bone steak is a big mouthful. You will not leave this restaurant hungry, I assure you. At the end of the meal enjoy the fruit and the deserts that come with the salad bar. There are also free non-alcoholic drinks.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-kitchen-great-steak-house.html

Weekends Away

There are many great places in Taiwan where people can escape. These include the other cities like Kaohsiung, Hualien or Taichung or the outlying Islands like Green Island and Penghu. We have been fortunate to have been to many of the cities and towns outside of Taipei and hope to spend more weekends away in the countryside. Here are some of the places we have been.

Weekend in Luo Dong (羅東), Ilan
Ilan is a short distance from Taipei and the new tunnel through the mountain makes it an easy place to get to for a weekend getaway. We haven't been there for a while and we just needed a weekend to decompress so Queenie organized a weekend away for the both of us. She booked a wonderful hotel called The Shangri La on the mountains above the town of Luo Dong. Although on the first day we ventured to Suao and Luo Dong, we spent most of the weekend just milling around the hotel and walking in the forests and trees on the mountain. It was a wonderful getaway and something we really needed. We had a great walk up the mountain on the Sunday morning and deeply regret we didn't do that walk earlier so we could have had some time to relax. Ah well, we still had fun and promised each other we would return in 40 years time to celebrate what would be close to our 0ur 50th anniversary.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2009/09/weeken-in-luo-dong-ilan.html

Kaohsiung December 08
Kaohsiung is Taiwan's second city. We have been there a couple of times now and always enjoy getting away to the south. The new High Speed Rail makes getting there a simple affair. I actually went all the way from my office in Taipei to my hotel in Kaohsiung on the Taipei MRT, the High Speed Rail and then the Kaohsiung MRT. Not a single taxi or bus was needed. The trip itself was interesting and fun. We spent some time on a small island in the Kaohsiung bay, went for a walk through the city and along Love River, had dinner in Fisherman's wharf. Visited the Birtish Consulate, went to a beautiful tea shop on the side of the rugged coast and then visited the Lotus Lake. We really had a wonderful time. We were kind of disappointed with the hotel but it was in a great location and close to the MRT. We will probably go to Kaohsiung once a year as we really do enjoy visiting the city and it is now very accessible. Anyway, if you do have sometime, Kaohsiung is recommended. From there it is also easy to get to other great places in Taiwan like Kenting and Taidong. So it is worth the trip.
Story Link: http://www.durbanbay.blogspot.com/2008/12/kaohsiung-december-08.html

7.7.04

1.7.04

Archive by Date

List of all blog articles listed by date.

26.4.04

Taiwan Links

Here are some places you may consider visiting when you come to Taiwan

Art Galleries

Asia Art Center (Taipei)
Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Taipei)

Memorials

Chiang Kai Shek Memorial (Taipei)
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall (Taipei)

Museums

Parks

Other Sights

British Consulate at Takao (Kaohsiung)
Taipei 101 (Taipei)