Chiayi is how I first imagined Taipei to be, but Taipei in comparison is much more western. It also does seem to be true that the further south you go, the crazier people drive. Taipei is probably an ideal version of New York, safer, full of things to do, great resteraunts and a thriving art community. I am sure Chiayi has a lot to offer below the surface, though Kevin and I are constantly saying how glad we are to have been placed for work near Taipei.
Before our trip to Chiayi, we went to a little island called Liochu. We took a boat to the island. The boat was a rather rickety old thing and the staff didn't seem very happy. It was cheaper than the other boat company and the ride wasn't so bad, though I really wanted to go outside and feel the ocean sprays.
When we got to the island I was complaning, thank god for Kevin's good humour. I was mostly annoyed by the fact that the moment we got off the boat, we had people trying to get us to take a taxi or bus and rent a scooter. We barely had time to look around. I was further grumpied by the fact that the boat dropped us off at the other side of the island from were our campsite was. The other boat we could have taken was much closer and was the original port we thought we would land in.
As we were walking up the hill, (we had no hats as we had forgotten them in our old appartment in ChiDu) we also realized we had no water. We also had not eaten lunch and it did not seem that there were any places we could get water or eat. As we were about to give up and give in to taking a taxi, we met two backpackers walking down the road. They were Taiwanesse, very tanned, and wearing flip flops. They had things like socks and other things dangling from their backpacks. One man, his name was Hue Wha, was wearing a hat, and Samuel a very cool bandana.
When we approached them, we first asked if there was anywhere to eat and if they could point out the correct road to take to the camprground. Hue Wha, (I love that he kept his Chinese name) irronically spoke English and Samuel didn't. He looked at our map, commented on how it was not a very good one, and took out one of the two maps that he had. He gave it to us, which we used for the rest of our time on the island. We asked them how long they had been traveling, they said they were walking across Taiwan. They seemed so cool and had so much endurance and optimism. As we were walking with them, people honked there horns, cheered and said hello. I think they knew what they were doing and were giving them their support.
We asked them if they knew were to get water. They said they could give us theirs, but Kevin and I felt bad about taking their water. They said to follow them, we could get water from the temple. On our way we ended up near the port again and near the coast guard building. Wen Hua asked them if they could fill up our empty bottles. The coast guards came back with one of our water bottles and two full big bottles. We were so happy and surprised by their kindness. It was very encouraging.
Anyways Kevin and I said farewell to the two travellers and thanked them. They gave us a new strength and determination. We can walk across the island too. If we want to be backpackers we need to act like backpackers! So we walked, for about two hours, with our water and salty crackers. We stopped in a pavillion allong the coast and looked out at the turquiose blue sea patched with dark coral and sea forests. As we were relaxing, we waved hello to Wen Hua and Samuel one more time as they walked and passed us by. We continued to our campsite and said how it was lucky that we ended up at this port, that we originally dreaded, and felt grateful for the new courage these two backpackers gave us.
So we camped, and slept rather badly, as we shared a very narrow mat and kept pocking each other or feeling our arms fall asleep. The site itself was beautiful. It was next to the ocean and had lounge chairs all along the ridge line looking out to sea and Pingdun, the industiral city on the big island. The place we were seemed in such contrast to the big island that is Taiwan.
I will leave our time on the island for Kevin to write about, as I seem to have written more than anticepated. But I do want to talk about leaving and our boat ride back. Well we took the small boat at 9:30 in the morning, it was an old rusty thing as we remembered. We sat outside, and an older man that worker on the boat made swimming gestures, and I shook my head and laughed. He was very friendly, compared to the other staff on board. While Kevin and I were waiting we saw a big old boat arriving in port, in front stood about five men. Some sitting, others standing withs arms crossed. They all had a same stern look on their faces that showed toughness and I almost though one of them would say arrrg. One man wore a tuque and kept the same look on his face. He stared hard, and I new I would not want to great these men at sea. They left as soon as they came, the back of their boat showed clothes handging and flapping behing it. I told Kevin excitedly that they were pirates. Though I am certain they were fisher men (the kind environmentalists would despise). Later we passed them on our ferry boat. I saw them in the distance rising and falling into the big waves that sent white sprays crashing, drying clothes streaming behind them.
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