The third day of my little scooter adventure was a great grab-bag of places and activities. My hotel was nice enough to have a 12:00 noon checkout time, so I was able to relax in the morning. I left all my stuff in my room and hopped on my scooter to head south from Fulong. My first stop was a little fishing village called Maoao. On the way there, I couldn’t help remarking on the wonderful bikeway that had been built along the coast. I’m not sure how far it goes, but it continued at least as far as Sandiao Cape. It runs along the ocean side of the highway and would be a great thing to check out for anyone staying in Fulong. There are hundreds of bicycles for rent in Fulong at various shops, so renting a bike shouldn’t be a problem.

[slickr-flickr tag=”TCC Maoao” border=”on” flickr_link=”on”]

 

Maoao didn’t look much different from any of the other villages along the coast, but its charm became apparent when I got off my scooter and started strolling around. It’s a very quiet place with an attractive and well-situated temple along with several centuries-old stone houses. Most of these houses were empty and the roofs had long since caved in. The stone walls and open window frames were left offering interesting possibilities for photographers. A pleasant stream runs through the middle of the village, and it’s possible to stroll along the waterfront and take in the sights. People were friendly and waved to me as I walked around.

Back on my scooter, I headed down the coast to the lighthouse at Sandiao Cape (named Cape San Diego by Spanish sailors in the 17th century). A steep and winding road leads you up to the lighthouse complex, where you get wonderful views of the ocean and the coast in all directions. I read that this was the easternmost point in Taiwan, and if you face north, no one can be on your right. The buildings here were all painted bright white and there was lots of open space to walk around in. A trail leads down to a lookout point, and there is a small museum with items from the lighthouse’s long history.

[slickr-flickr tag=”TCC Sandiao Lighthouse” border=”on” flickr_link=”on”]

 

After checking out the lighthouse, I coasted down the access road and hopped across the highway to the little fishing village there. I drove through the interesting lanes until I reached the fishing harbor. It was possible to drive my scooter right out to the ocean’s edge along a cement ramp for boats. From there, I was clearly as far east as it was possible to go. Anyone standing on my right would have been flopping around in the water and waves.

By then, it was getting close to my checkout time at the hotel, and I turned back north and returned to Fulong. A quick shower and another application of sunscreen had me ready to start my longish journey back to Taipei with a stop at Bitou to hike along the Bitou Cape trail. It’s one of my favorite spots in Taiwan. The fishing village itself is wrapped around a beautiful harbor filled with interesting fishing boats. The trail, at about one hour, is relatively short and brings you in a perfect loop around the cape and then back to the village, and it offers some of the best views in this part of Taiwan. The trail goes along the cliff edge, but it’s possible to go down long staircases to the rocky coast. It’s extremely beautiful down there with large ocean waves crashing over interesting rock formations. You just have to remember to bring a towel to wipe off all the sweat pouring down your face when you begin the long climb back up to the main trail. There is a wonderful little coffee shop sitting at one end of the trail – the end with the elementary school – and I stopped there for the best cup of coffee of my life before I started the hike. The man offered to make me a “really strong” cup of coffee, and I said no problem. He brought out coffee that was so strong he felt compelled to offer me a small pot of boiling hot water as well in case I needed to dilute it.

[slickr-flickr tag=”TCC Bitou July 2012″ border=”on” flickr_link=”on”]

 

Once I’d completed the hike and totally filled up the memory card in my camera, it was time to hop on my scooter for the 2-hour-plus drive back to Taipei. I could probably do that drive more quickly if I was willing to follow the larger roads and highways. However, I always prefer to take smaller secondary roads, and I turned up the very steep road that climbs up from the coast to Jinguashi and Jioufen. Once again, I passed by the old Shuinandong Smelter (a massive structure that looks like a prison from a science fiction movie), the golden waterfalls, and the amazing flues that still run up the mountainside like giant snakes. This narrow valley where Jinguashi sits is one of the most picturesque spots in Taiwan, and it’s great fun to drive up and down the twisty roads on your scooter.

I passed through the weekend traffic jam at Jioufen easily and then raced back down the mountain, drove through Ruefang, and turned onto 106 for the classic drive through Shihfen, Pingxi and Jintong. I was a little bit ahead of the end-of-the-weekend late afternoon rush back to Taipei, so I had practically the whole road to myself and zipped along easily all the way back to Taipei. I think I was a little bit carried away with the whole “road trip” thing, and I wasn’t driving quite as safely as I could have. There were a couple of close calls that were actually kind of silly – things I wouldn’t normally do – like hitting the accelerator hard to pass by a bus on the right – zipping past a row of parked cars and trying to get to the front of the bus and cut back in again before the gap closed and I end up smashing into the back of a blue truck of death. Stuff like that. After that particular stunt, I got myself back under control and reminded myself that arriving in Taipei ten minutes earlier because I risked my life fifteen times just wasn’t worth it. What would I do with those extra ten minutes?

 

Tags: Bitou Cape, Fulong, lighthouse, Maoao, Northern Coast 3-Day Trip, Sandiao Cape, scooter, Taipei, Taiwan