Articles in Taiwan
Alishan 002 – The Giant Trees
Saturday July 3, 2010
After my rejection of the Fancylake breakfast, I got a biendang and then went for a stroll through the trails up above Fenqihu. I marveled again at all the work that went into building them. They really were beautiful trails. Each one was only a kilometer or two long, but they took me through quiet forests of bamboo, past giant trees, and …
Alishan 001 – Snap Decision to Go to Alishan
Friday July 2, 2010 7:00
Snap decision to go to Alishan. It’s seven in the morning, and the train has just left from the platform. I’ve had so much experience taking these trains and it is so easy that I’m taking it almost too casually. I stroll out of Rooftop in Taipei fifteen minutes before my train is scheduled to leave. I hop on the MRT …
Rock-Climbing Cliffs at Longdongwan
June 21, 2010
Longdongwan means Dragon’s Cave Bay and some of the best rock climbing cliffs in the world are located there. Every weekend sees a selection of daring spider-people clinging to the rocks and expertly making their way to the top.
The rock climbing cliffs at Longdongwan are easy to find once you know where to look, and they’re a great place to hang out whether …
Bitou Cape – Taiwan
June 19, 2010
Looking for a day trip or a weekend trip out of Taipei? You could do a lot worse than head to Bitou Cape.
This beautiful and easily accessible cape (apparently shaped like a nose, hence the name – “Nose Tip” cape) is located on the northeast coast of Taiwan about 50 kilometers from downtown Taipei – if you follow the main routes to Keelung …
Happy Dragon Boat Festival
It’s Dragon Boat Festival over here in Taiwan. This festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. That is June 16 this year on the Gregorian calendar. Last year, it fell on June 27. In 2011, it will take place on June 6. These are important facts here in Taiwan, as depending on when the festival takes place we may or may …
Fixing my 150cc Attila Scooter
One of the best things about living in Taiwan is owning and driving a scooter. They’re inexpensive. They’re reliable. They are cheap to maintain. And they are a lot of fun to drive, whether you’re navigating crowded city streets or zooming through the mountains.
I bought a 150cc Attila from another foreigner that was leaving the country. It was a legal scooter, and I had the …
Receipt Lottery Day in Taiwan
It’s my favorite day in Taiwan – the 25th day of an odd-numbered month.
On this day (which come around six times a year), the Ministry of Finance in Taiwan releases the Uniform Invoice Winning Numbers for the previous two months. That’s just a fancy way of saying it’s receipt lottery day.
In Taiwan, there is an 8-digit number printed at the top of every receipt that …
Lanyu 005 – Practical Info for Visiting Lanyu
The Many Names of Lanyu
Lanyu has been known by many names. While the Ching Dynasty controlled Taiwan (1683-1895) it was known as Hongtou, which means Redhead Island. (This refers, by the way, to a mountain which turns red during sunsets, not to redheaded people.) During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895-1945), it was called Kotosho, which also means Redhead Island but in Japanese. The Puyuma …