Huānyíng huílái! Welcome back! Nǐ hǎo ma? How are you? Wǒ hěn hǎo! I'm good! I feel blessed you've chosen to check in on my adventures over the past week.
The universe continued to be extremely benevolent in the past week with bringing several interesting people - more details in the blog. My desire to 'linger' to learn and experience life and living through these amazing individuals resurfaced. I'm wondering if I need to rethink future travel. Perhaps establishing a base in one location that allows more 'lingering' maybe an alternative.
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Your expectations determine
the world you live in. |
Things I noticed (part 2):
- Absence of trash cans in public areas. Toilets seem to be a reliable place to dispose your trash.
- Avoid damaging your EasyCard like I did (means the money on the card is inaccessible). The only place in all of Taiwan you can get help is the EasyCard Customer Service Center located in the Taipei City Hall area. BTW - it's closed on Sundays and Mondays.
- Hotel check-in is 3 pm and not a minute earlier. Once the rule is clearly stated, you may get earlier than 3 pm access to your room like I've had in most instances. The larger hotels seem to be less flexible.
- Train tickets can be refunded, less a fee of up to 20% of the original purchase price. I received 80% of my original purchase price on the Fangshan to Taitung train ticket that was unnecessary when I changed my travel plans.
- Quiet please when traveling on the train. Every carriage is a quiet carriage!
- Taiwan Rail (TRA) sells Bento boxes (pork, chicken and vegetarian choices) in train stations, at a reasonable price, for passengers on the go.
- Press the 'door close' button on elevators or you'll be waiting for a long time well after everyone is on the elevator safely.
- Taiwan Rail personnel on station platforms use a real whistle or an electronic whistle (that sounds exactly like a real whistle) to warn passengers of approaching trains.
The weather was warm with overcast skies. I'm very fortunate the rain has remained in the clouds, for most days.
Travel plans update: The decision is made. I'm flying to Helsinki, Finland from Seoul, Korea on or about August 5, 2025. The tentative plan is to spend a week in each of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. If my heart has its way, I'll spend a few days in Galway, Ireland prior to returning to Canada sometime early to mid-September.
May the universe bring endless blessings and moments of magic 🦄 to you and your loved ones in the week ahead. 🙏
Travel Administration
Let's discuss the in room safes that many hotels to help protect your valuables.
Travel Maps
My week started in Tainan, the former capital, and I wound up in a hotel in Hongchaikeng overlooking the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan: May 25 to May 31, 2025
Hengchun to Taitung
Bus Trip to Fangliao
Getting to Taitung involved taking a bus from Hengchun to Fangliao and taking a train from Fangliao to Taitung. The universe was incredibly benevolent with its blessings for my travels. I had help at the bus station from a Taiwanese man I had met at the bus station while waiting for the bus AND the bus station agent who I (and Camie) had spoken with the previous day about my intended Sunday travels. Both ensured I had a seat on the 11 am bus.
The blessing continued on the bus when I met Ling. When she learned I was on my way to Taitung, her Taiwanese hospitality ignited immediately. By a stroke of good fortune, she lived in Taitung so she graciously shared a number of potential destinations for my three night stay. I have the screenshots she shared except for the Liyu Mountain destination.
Ling is in the construction business. She was traveling from her project in the Hengchun area, through Taichung, to her construction project in the Hehuan Mountain. Unfortunately, I was unable to take advantage of her kind offer to join her in exploring the Hehuan Mountain area. The 2024 earthquake in the Hualien area has made travel to her location from Hualien almost impossible, definitely a non-starter without a private vehicle. More about the earthquake later in this post.
We parted company at the Fangliao train station after exchanging WhatsApp contact information. She was off to a separate destination to retrieve her car for the drive to Hehuan Mountain. I had the gift of sharing my experiences at her suggested destinations during the week.
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Ling's destination #4 - seafood restaurant
serving fresh sashimi |
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| Ling's destination #3 |
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Ling's destination #3
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Ling's destination #2
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| Ling's project site |
The two hour (or so) train ride to Taitung was uneventful by comparison.
Taitung is an east coast city of about 103,000. It has a laid back vibe that I enjoyed. I also felt that the number of new, bright and shiny buildings I saw on the west coast were fewer throughout the east coast. I'm thinking if you wanted to kick back and avoid the west coast's 'busyness' you might find yourself on the east coast. Out of sight of the central government, out of mind. Another big difference I experienced on the east coast was the ongoing presence of fighter jets in the air. I noticed the jets to a lesser extent in Tainan on the west coast.
Welcome to Taitung's 75 meter (246 ft.) hill with panoramic views of the city, ocean and surrounding mountains. My first destination after checking in. A twenty-five minute walk from my hotel. The park's name translated to 'carp' as the mountain is believed be be shaped like a carp. Nicely developed park with several lookouts in different locations providing a 'wide angle' view of the area. The mountain top used to be used by the military in past.
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Ling's instructions - turn right at this gate to climb
the mountain |
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| View looking right |
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| Steps to one of many lookouts |
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| Read all about it |
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| More info |
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| More steps |
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| Have a rest and enjoy the view |
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Steps down - always seems like a
long ways down |
Nestled between my hotel and the park was the TTwilight (that's how it's spelt) Bazaar. It was home to several local vendors selling food, handicrafts and jewelry from Thursday to Sunday evenings. I prefer this type of market over the traditional night market cuz it has a more laid back vibe. There was a guy playing his guitar and singing periodically. He did spend a disportioncate amount of time talking. Great place to sit down (missing in a night market), eat some food/sweets and enjoy the space.
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| Paper lanterns made by school children |
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Local dish served up by these two young men.
Has eggs, green onions wrapped in a pancake.
Delicious! |
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| Action shot 😉 |
A fifteen minute walk east from my hotel brought me to the Seaside Park. Comfortable place to sit down to enjoy the sound of the surf; overcast skies and all.
Visiting Ling's Favourite Destinations (#2 - 4)
Lucky me - there was a bus I could take that stopped near the three destinations (separate from Liyu Mountain Park) that Ling shared. My game plan was to get off the bus at Jialulan, the farthest destination, and make my way back towards the other two destinations that were nearby.
There are several interesting art installations at this location. There was also a large section of the park facing the ocean that was blocked off for repairs. Hopefully the info plaques in the photos below provide sufficient background on the art installations.
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| Rugged shoreline |
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Looking north towards the Coastal Mountain
Range |
My next stop was Xiaoyeliu which was about 3 km (2 mi.) south of Jialulan. I decided to walk on the highway instead of waiting an hour for the bus. My saving grace was the light highway traffic. I guess the universe intervened on my behalf during my highway sojourn. A most gracious scooter rider stopped to offer me a ride to my next location. I hopped on the scooter and was delivered safely to the park.
This park is known for its coastal rock formations. I may have missed some of the formations as I headed in a southerly direction toward the massive concrete wall in the photos below. I'm thinking there might have been more rock formations in the opposite direction. I mistakenly thought the trail left the shoreline as the signs indicated the path led to the visitor center.
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| Rock formations |
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| Manmade formation - backend of harbour sea wall |
I discovered the fishing port, my third destination, on the opposite side of the concrete wall. I was saved from more adventure walking along the highway. My objective was to eat at one of Ling's favourite seafood restaurant which served the best fresh sashimi. If you are interested in visiting small islands, this would be the harbour to take a ferry to two
offshore islands that are local tourism hotspots - Green Island and Orchid Island.
It's now time for you to meet Joe, my newest Taitung friend. Once I located the restaurant, I was motioned to enter the restaurant by a woman sitting outside. I found a table with the expectation that someone was going to take my order. This is when Joe saves the day. He was sitting with his mother and grandmother across from where I was sitting. He approached my table, asking me if I needed his help with ordering my food. Thank goodness for Joe's initiative. I might have been waiting a long time for someone to serve me. As Joe explained (and led the way), I needed to go outside the restaurant to where the fresh fish was to order. With his help, I ordered my sashimi, fresh vegetables (have to keep my mom happy) and a monster bowl of soup. What an incredible experience overall.
After lunch was over, Joe and spend time talking about his new project management role with a car parts manufacturer in Shanghai that he was starting the following week (week of June 1). I mentioned I was a project manager so he was keenly interested in learning more. To supplement our discussion, I also shared a
separate blog that I created to capture my project management and consulting experiences. My thinking is that there may be a few nuggets of information to assist Joe in his new role.
Wait, there's more! The universe's benevolence was on steroids at this moment in time. Joe offered me a ride to my hotel. Walking on the highway or waiting for a bus now disappeared from my travel. As we were waiting for Joe's mom to bring the car, Joe shared that his grandmother had done traveling to South Africa with his grandfather who worked in the government's horticultural department. Apparently Taiwan has a program to share its expertise with other nations to support their local development. Joe's grandfather was a manifestation of that program for South Africa.
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| Front side of massive concrete wall |
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| More concrete |
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| The wall goes for quite a distance. |
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| Where you order your meal |
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| Where your meal is prepared |
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| Joe's mom looking straight in front of me |
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That's Joe (black shirt - back to camera) speaking
with restaurant employee. His grandma is sitting
at the table to his right |
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| Shrimp that Joe shared - they had too much |
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| My vegies and sashimi. Divine!!! |
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| My bowl of fish soup |
Final Thoughts for Taitung
Taitung was a great city to visit. I had one of the best cinnamon buns ever, courtesy of Joe's cafe recommendation. Great food, at a good price, was easily found throughout the city.
The one unsettling aspect of being in this city was the sounds of fighter jets flying over the city every morning around 8 am and most evenings between 5 and 6 pm. There was up to fourteen jets in total, flying in sets of two aircraft at a time. I suppose you get accustomed to the sound over time. I know I am more grateful than ever for living in a country without the constant threat of military action from a larger neighbour.
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| Tim's cinnamon bun - comes in two parts |
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| Noodles with shrimp rolls |
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| Fighter jet from hotel window |
Next Stop - Taitung Train Station
I was the grateful recipient of two acts of kindness in my short trip to the train station. The first act was from the woman who ran this lottery shop next to the bus stop. When she saw me waiting for the bus, she motioned me to sit on a stool in the front section of her store, out of the morning sun, while I waited for the bus. She also provided the adhesive tape I used in an attempt to repair my broken EasyCard. God bless her. The second act of kindness was from a fellow passenger on the bus to the train station. I discovered my broken EasyCard was inoperable when I tried to pay for my trip. I was also short on the $25 cash trip fee. This is when a fellow passenger motioned he was willing to pay for my trip, using his EasyCard to make the payment. He also refused any compensation. He smiled and wished me a safe journey.
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Store where I was invited to sit a spell while I
waited for my bus |
Hualien is the gateway to the Taroko Gorge, a stunningly beautiful destination in the Central Mountain Range. Unfortunately, there is limited access to the gorge due to the devastation caused during the
2024 earthquake in the Hualien area. The road through the gorge is restricted to prescribed hours as the government works to build a safer road. The hiking trails in the gorge remain closed. I booked myself on the only trip of any type (day trip) that is currently operating in the gorge. I wanted to have first-hand gorge experience, irrespective of how limited that experience might be. I think my day trip was a good decision.
I made the obligatory trek, on an overcast and rainy evening, to the city's night market. The weather influenced the number of visitors and vendors at the market.
Nanbin Road Seaside
The beach was a short walk from the night market. Hard to resist as I love the sound of the surf. I noticed a number of large triangular concrete structures on the beach that I believe are used to slow/prevent any foreign country trying an amphibious invasion.
Ready for a day trip into the Taroko Gorge? I was. While I'm always reticent to go on tours, I had limited options if I wanted to have a first-hand experience. My research suggested that Island Life Taiwan, the tour operator, would deliver a quality trip. Happy to report their guide, Allen, did a good job keeping us on time and safe.
Allen shared the three images below to help orient his guests to where we were going and the logistics related to the road openings throughout the day. We had to be at the Park gates for 10 am and be ready to return from Tianxiang, our destination in the middle of the park, at noon.
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| Taroko Gorge - relative location in Taiwan |
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| In depth Taroko Gorge road map |
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| Road access info |
First stop was Qixingtan Beach. Yes, it was a beach, with stones instead of sand. Unswimmable waters as there was sudden and deep drop off about 50 meters from shore. People who try to swim at this beach are prone to drowning. The beach runs alongside a 'secret' Taiwan Air Force base (at least that is what Allen kept telling us) that does double duty as the local airport. There are anti-aircraft gun placements that are visible from the road.
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| Reinforcing Taiwan's sovereignty |
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Beach, lone outpost and Central
Mountain Range in background |
Xincheng Old Street
Next stop was Xincheng to visit the local Catholic church. Lots of history that dates back to the 1940's that I choose to omit. I took a tourist bus on the previous day so I had more time at this location than what the tour had allocated. BTW - most Taiwan communities have an 'old street' as a tourist attraction.
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| Old street - looking south |
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| Old street - looking north |
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| Mary, Mother of God Shrine |
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| Mary Shrine upclose |
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| Church - notice the boat shape |
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| Gate entrance to church grounds |
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| Profile with bell tower |
We stopped on the left hand side of the river prior to reaching the park entrance to take photos. The view and energy were breathtaking. What was equally engaging was the roadside stall playing opera music with a guy, wearing a leather bowtie, serving coffee and food. I had the most brief conversation with him - here's a place and time I would have loved to linger. He was committed to living life large!
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| Park Headquarters |
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| Park's East Gate |
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| Bridge to Park entrance |
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| Flock of egrets |
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Living life large!
Imagine opera music being played with this
young man serving coffee and food on the
roadside |
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Wish I had had more time to talk with this man.
He had the most amazing energy! |
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| Park HQ building |
The Drive
Did you know that the Hualien area has had over 2000 earthquakes so far this year? Yup. We are learning this tidbit of information as we are driving through the gorge. Unsure if we really benefited from learning this news as we come across a few fallen rocks on the road. We also witnessed sections of the road that were now abandoned, covered in rocks from landslides. The Taiwanese decided to build more tunnels instead of the constant road repairs and accompanying danger that landslides bring to traveling in the gorge. I also noticed how Allen sped up our vehicle in certain sections of the road. Or was that my imagination? I did have a few reflective moments about my decision to have a first-hand gorge experience (like 'What the hell am I doing here?'). Breathtaking experience in sooo many different and unexpected ways!
We had one 'unauthorized' stop on the drive through the gorge to take photos. We were parked within the edge of a tunnel for our own protection. There are strict rules to prevent vehicles from stopping. Yeah, people take interesting risks for that Instagrammable photo.
The photos below share a hint of the area's magnificence.
Leaving you with background info (italicized text below) about this recreational area courtesy of the Taiwanese government.
'Dasha River and Taci Jili River converge at Tianxiang to become Liwu River. The Sakuma Samata Shrine was erected here during the Japanese Era (1895-1945). At one end it has a tall White Robed Guanyin Statue. The 7-story high Tianfeng Pagoda, Giant Statute of the Bodhisattva, Xiangde Temple, and, in 1968, Daxiong Baodian temple, have been built on the terrace.'
This is a great time to introduce you to Yvonna and Ralph, a most wonderful couple from Switzerland who I met on the tour. Yvonna is a senior HR leader who recently resigned from her corporate HR job and is about to start her new HR role supporting the International Red Cross in Iraq. Oh yeah, here is a woman who takes her personal and professional development seriously. She had just finished a two month Japanese language course in Sapporo (I hope I remembered this correctly) and was now traveling in Taiwan, then Hong Kong prior to returning to Switzerland before starting her new career adventure. Ralph, her partner, had recently joined Yvonna in Taiwan. Ralph is a self-employed leadership consultant who works domestically and internationally for the last Swiss bank standing. He's been in business for the last twelve years. He's passionate about what he does. Not really work in his mind when he's doing what he loves to do. We had the most amazing series of conversations throughout the day. I continue to be so grateful to the universe for enriching my life with these two individuals. I am a better person.
I was so busy chatting with them that I ended up following them up seemingly endless steps to visit the temples and pagoda up close. My thanks to them for the unexpected gift! 😉
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Warm welcome to the temples. A lotus
flower was on each side of the bridge
leading to the temples |
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7-story high Tianfeng Pagoda that I
unintentionally ascended to - courtesy of
following Yvonna and Ralph |
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| Read all about the temple and pagoda |
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| River confluence details |
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Whose idea was this to build a temple
here? |
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| Take time to give thanks! |
After lunch, Allen made sure we had our exercise to ward off any thoughts of having a post lunch nap. In summary, more steps going up to a small waterfall and a viewing platform to see the city from a different angle and see the runway at another air force base.
And I quote from the information provided in the link above: 'Hualien Gangtian Temple is the largest shrine in Hualien and a classic Taoist temple dedicated to Matsu, the deity of the seas and fishing.'
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Delighted to introduce Ralph,
my newest BFF |
Hualien to Yilan
I opted to travel to include Yilan on my itinerary instead of traveling directly to Taipei. I had limited expectations in my Yilan stop as this was another destination where a private vehicle is necessary to explore the area.
I sampled my first Taiwan Rail Bento Box on my 90 minute train journey to Yilan. Fresh and delicious. So, if you are traveling on the train in Taiwan and want a convenient meal, look for the Bento boxes being sold in stores/kiosks near the ticket gate.
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| Taiwan Rail Map |
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| Coastal view from train |
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| Coastal view |
Yilan Zhongshan Park
I was checking out the Performing Arts Center located in this city park when I encountered this man feeding a turtle. My inquiring mind discovered this turtle, which is from Africa (Wood turtle, I conjecture), is the man in the red polo shirt's pet. He brings the turtle to the park for the enjoyment of people who pass by. He also brings food for anyone interested in the experience of feeding a turtle. I'm deliberately staying away from the potential controversy associated with having an African turtle as a pet.
Yilan Market
I found this treasure across from the train station, about a ten minute walk from my hotel. These are my favourite types of markets to wander through. They usually have an unique vibe that I enjoy being immersed in. Local musicians sharing their passion! I'm enthralled by vendors' creativity. There are usually home baked goods available as well which this market did have (and I bravely just walked by without purchasing). This market was in a park that offered an innovative covering to protect everyone from the sun.
A Touch of North America
There I was, walking through Luna Plaza, when I spotted this 'Roots' store. The store was like a magnet as they sell my favourite type of sweater/jumper. Sadly, I had to ditch my Roots sweater, in favour for my Columbia jumper, for this trip. The Columbia jumper is lighter, warmer and dries quickly. Coldstone Creamery is another touch of home.
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| Canadiana |
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I resisted the temptation to indulge! My Hualien
hotel offered six types of ice cream, for free, every
day! |
Travel Administration
Traveler beware when it comes to in-room safes. While many hotels offer this convenient service for your peace of mind, there are a few considerations to have in mind before you decide to use the safe. For example, check to see if the safe has been bolted or securely affixed to where it is placed. I found many safes are just sitting on a closet shelf. Hotels have a master code or a master key that allows the hotel staff to open up a locked safe. Hotels also fail to change the default override code, information that is easily accessible on the web. I've made the choice to use the safe to store my laptop, if the laptop fits in the safe. I carry everything else of value (passport, wallet, credit cards) with me. The other option you may have is checking with reception to see if they offer safety deposit box services.
Next Week
I'm bound for Taipei on Sunday for three nights. My plans include a day trip to Juifen, enjoying noodles at Taiwan Beef Noodles, and attending a second baseball game, weather permitting. I fly to Tokyo, through Narita airport on Wednesday afternoon. I'll end the week in Hakodate on the island of Hokkaido. My thanks to Samuel for his guidance and insights to help me prepare for my Japan adventure!
'See you' next week! Stay happy and healthy!
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