The Mountains of Taiwan

We recently took a trip to the mountains of Taiwan to a small picnic area above the city of Sanxia.  We got lucky, in terms of the weather , which is pretty unpredictable this time of year.  The Plum Rains have started and we are seeing thunderstorms on an almost daily basis.  But last Saturday was just about as perfect as weather can be.  Temperatures were cool, but not cold.  There was no rain, just a slight refreshing breeze.  As an added bonus, because of the terrible weather for the last week, everyone stayed home, expecting the weather to repeat, so we had the place virtually to our selves.  Only lifeguards were milling around.  That doesn't happen often on a weekend in the Taiwanese mountains.

Other posts you may be interested in:

Taiwan Travelogue: Lala Shan la拉拉山
Taiwan Travelogue:  The North Coast
Taiwan Travelogue:  Driving to Hawaii

Photos:  Elizabeth and Emily Banducci

Another Shameless Plug: Book Excerpt

Our book, The Taiwan Adventure:  An Expat's Observations of Life in Taiwan is on sale at Amazon.com and other bookstores throughout the World.  It's now out in the Kindle Version, so it has become quite accessible.  You can purchase the book at this link.  Today in a shameless plug I want to present and excerpt from the book:  The Number 7 Cross Island Highway.

7.1 The Number 7 Cross Island Highway

A Poppy Field in Daxi

One interesting thing I've discovered is that the meaning of certain words is different in Taiwanese English than it is in English-English. Huh? What does that mean? Take the word Highway, for instance. We've driven the #7 Cross-Island Highway from Daxi Township all the way to Yilan. It starts out

as a beautiful highway. It’s wide with double yellow lines down the middle

and moves along easily at 60 km/h (38 mph). In essence it lives up to the

name highway. 

One minute we’re zipping along in beautiful mountain scenery. We 

passed a huge field of orange poppies: Then the immaculately manicured

Chiang Kai Shek mausoleum. Then something happened to the road. The

highway was like a road with dual personalities…and suddenly the evil

personality showed up.

The complexion of the road changed. It narrowed a little, then a little

more. Then it began to snake through the forest and up the side of the

mountain; twisting and turning; even the switchbacks had switchbacks. Until

the Cross-Island Highway looked more like the Cross Island Goat track: And

then I’m sure I saw a goat refusing to get on the road.

A remote temple in the mountains

At times it felt like I was driving the car in the cartoons where the tires

on one side of the car stayed on the road and the others hung out over a

yawning abyss. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating here, but not much. Then the

road got really narrow and the sun began to set.

Then it got darker and darker. The conversation turned darker as well. It

was like driving through a horror movie. It got so dark that we couldn't see to

the trees on the side of the road. And then it got really dark. I thought it would

never end.

A waterfall near the road before it went all Twilight Zone/Zombie Apocalypse on us.

We had decided to drive over to Yilan. People have been telling me what

a wonderful place it was, so we thought we’d make it a day and drive the 7.

Because I hadn't been there before, I was watching the mileage signs; just

before dark we saw a sign that said 28 kilometers to Yilan. So we drove in the

same direction for at least 10 kilometers then we saw the next sign. Yilan 32

kilometers…wait…we were traveling in the right direction how did it get

farther away. Then I’m sure I saw him…In fact, I’m positive I saw Rod

Serling hitchhiking with a sign that said “The Twilight Zone.” Then it got

really, really dark; it got so dark that the boogieman had a night-light.

Eventually about an eon later we came out of the mountains and into a good-sized city.

We stopped for gas and a man gave us a road map so that we could find

an alternate route home. One of our friends had commented to us that we

shouldn't stop for anyone walking on the road. He said that many people had

reported seeing ghosts on the side of the highway waving to people. I just

passed it off as a legend. You know where I grew up we lived with the legend of

the “White Witch of Nortonville.”

This woman was apparently a nurse in the 1800s during an epidemic of

small pox in Northern California. Legend has it that she overturned her wagon

while trying to reach some sick child in a remote cabin in the hills near the

Somersville mines in Nortonville. Now she supposedly wanders the roads

around the cemetery she’s buried in. We would go out and visit Nortonville

looking for her but didn't really expect to find her.

Then, I saw a guy, standing there, I couldn't help but stare he was

completely pale, like he hadn't been outside in years. He had dark circles

around his eyes and walked with a shuffling gate, sort of dragging one leg

along. He had a double-bitted axe in one hand and chainsaw in the other. He

was headed for the mountains… on the road we just came down.

When he heard we’d just come out of the mountains he looked a little

peeved. He just muttered something that sounded like, “I knew I was late.” I

wonder what he meant by that…

Hey it Works: Public Transportation in Taiwan

Buses at the Banciao train station

One glaring difference between California and Taiwan is seen in the use of public transportation.  In California, you see lots of empty buses, trains and rapid transit trains.  The Amtrak commuter system is rarely used.  Bus after bus passes by empty or with just a few seats being used.  Californians rarely travel by train. 

Of course, one reason that people rarely travel by train may be something like I experienced.  I was traveling to Northern California from Riverside in Southern California.  Because of the mountains near Bakersfield, there was a need to travel for a while by Amtrak bus.  So as I went to board the bus with my luggage the driver told me I wasn’t allowed to travel with luggage.  Yeah that works, if you have to stay the night somewhere, or are planning a stay for a while, I guess you have to wear all the clothes you might need.   

In Taiwan however, buses are full to overflowing, the MRT stations are crowded, and the trains are a popular way to get around.  It might be because the train system seamlessly connects with bus and MRT routes.  There are two types of trains; local and express.  They’re inexpensive, clean and pretty comfortable.  A trip from Taoyuan to Taipei takes approximately 30 minutes.  There are bus stops and MRT connections (In the MRT Service area) at every train station.

The Easy Card:  It is aptly named

Because the buses and MRT are so frequent there is rarely more than a ten-minute wait, except during peak commute hours where buses are full.  In those cases you may have wait for a while to get on a bus. 

The other nice thing about the system is that it can all be accessed with one card:  The Easy Card.  You can put an amount of money on the card at kiosks in the train station, 7-11 and other locations throughout the city.  In fact, the easy card can be used at a variety of shops and places in addition to transportation system.  Here is a look at a small part of the system between Taoyuan City and Banciao.

Trains:

Passengers waiting for the train at the Taoyuan City station.  There are many different types of users for the train:  People commuting to work, high school and college students commuting to class, shoppers and tourists. People commuting to work into Taipei, can make a trip to the main train station in Taipei in about thirty minutes.

All of the train stations have a safe "waiting zone for female passengers at night."  These are well-lighted areas with camera surveillance.  The trains run until late at night and sitting in a poorly lit, nearly empty train station isn't particularly comfortable. The waiting area adds safety and comfort for female passengers.














Crowded trains mean that many people have to ride the train standing up in the aisle, so  handy grab rings hang from the ceiling.

The photo above is the Banciao Train Station.  In addition, to transportation services, there are shops, and restaurants in many of the large train stations.  There is an entire shopping mall underneath the Taipei Main Station.

MRT:

The MRT station is also clean and well lighted.  You can see the red lights in the platform at the center of the picture.  When the train is approaching the station the lights flash off and on, then remain on as the train gets closer to warn passengers to stand clear of the oncoming train.  Note the "rough tile" next to the waiting line in the center of the photo.  This is to notify blind people that they're too close to the track.

Buses:

People line up at Banciao train station to catch the bus to almost anywhere they need to go.  Buses run from here to almost every point in the city of Taipei.

Every bus is equipped with an Easy card reader, which automatically deducts the NT$ 18 (US$ 0.57) fare.

Disability Access:














This sign on the bus shows the different levels of accesibility available on the buses.  All the trains station make some provision for access.  There are elevators for going above or below the tracks to access different platforms.  There are even people who will lift wheelchair bound people in and out of the train.  One time a man wanted to carry me on his back out of the train, I declined however, for reasons of dignity.














The turnstiles at the Banciao MRT station are equipped for easy card access and you can see the turnstile at the far right accommodates wheelchairs.  All MRT trains are designed to have the floors level with the platform for easy wheelchair access.

All Photos by Emily Banducci

Taoyuan City Confucius Temple

The Confucius Temple in Taoyuan City, located at No 40 Gongyuan Lu is built on the outskirts of Hutou Shan park.  The grounds are beautiful and have trail-heads for hiking in this "wilderness" area.

In the typical Taiwanese fashion the trails are beautifully kept and easy to walk on. However, for a disabled person these trails present a problem because they are made with stairs and so are inaccessible to wheelchairs.

It is worth a visit, especially if you're into hiking and walking in a beautiful and tranquil environment.  I would recommend that you do these walks on a weekday as the trail become very full on the weekends especially with the Winter turning into Spring.

I have embedded a Google map to make it easier to find.



View Larger Map

The Taiwan Adventure: Now Available on Kindle

The Taiwan Adventure Blog is pleased to announce that our book, The Taiwan Adventure: An Expat's Observations of Life in Taiwan, is now available on Kindle. The book is a number of the posts from this blog updated and rewritten as an informative book for anyone considering a move to Taiwan.

There are a number of posts about traditions, history, food and even a section on living in Taiwan with disabilities.  The book is full of lots of full-color pictures depicting Taiwan and it's people, culture and natural beauty. I've been living here about four an and half years, now and have adjusted to the differences between   American Culture and Taiwanese Culture.  I would encourage you to go to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of The Taiwan Adventure: An Expat's Observations of life in Taiwan. (The title is a link to Amazon.com's Chris Banducci page)  If you're planning a move to Taiwan grab a copy of this book to give you a "heads up" about what to expect.


Look at some of the reviews the book has received:

I really enjoyed reading this book.  It's informative, funny and very easy to read.  I learned a lot about Taiwan, its complex history, customs and what it's like to be an American expat living in that country.  I loved the section about food and the author's willingness to try different kinds of foods which may not always appeal to American tastes.
Taiwanese traditions such as the selling and brewing of tea, ghost month, the lunar calendar and other traditions are explained.  There is a chapter on Disability in Taiwan which would be very helpful to anyone who wants to travel and has mobility issues.  The author needs to use a wheelchair most of the time but it has not kept him from doing a lot of sightseeing in the country.  
There are lots of tips on how to adjust to this particular culture and it seems the author and his family have done that very well.  
I hope there is a sequel to this book.  I'd be interested in how the author's teenage daughters adjusted to living in the country and how they perceive Taiwanese teen-agers. (sic)
(Taken from the Amazon.com website)

I will post some excerpts from the book over the next few weeks.

5.7 The Stink of Adventure

Stinky Tofu at arm's length, which I think is safest.

I debated what to call this article. I toyed around with the idea of calling it, Eating Around. But there was more to it than just eating in a lot of different places. It was kind of a culinary adventure, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t really all that adventurous, well not for me anyway. I’ll try eating just about anything once, maybe twice depending on whether or not I got the full gastronomical sensation the first time. I’m not like my children who consider mushrooms on their Pizza to be the worst possible hardship. I don’t even want to think about their reaction to Anchovies.

But on to the adventure…My family left for a visit to America, I was to follow a week later. So, I was on my own. When living in the same house and sharing space with my wife, I am required to follow certain rules and

regulations, which are enforced for the good of my marriage. Aside from the

obvious marriage breakers, my wife enforces some fairly strict culinary

requirements. You may think that she’s thinking of my health, not allowing

me to eat high cholesterol or fatty foods, ensuring that I don’t become a

casualty to heart disease, cancer or diabetes. You might think that, but if you

did you would be wrong. Her concern revolves around something much more sensitive than those things, her concerns are olfactory.

Taiwanese people occasionally engage in what I like to call “Xtreme

Cooking.” This kitchen-based sport revolves around liberal uses of odoriferous

spices, herbs and other things. It may even make use of foods that in

themselves, have a high stench coefficient. These types of foods have been

included in the “illicit foods” list in our household. I have been told, on more

than one occasion, that if I come home with the scent of any of these

contraband food substances on my breath, in my skin or on my clothing that I will be sleeping folded into my desk chair, if I’m allowed into the house at all.

But for the moment, the storm troopers, er, uh…enforcement team was gone.  So I did the only thing I could do, I immediately checked the “Summary of Forbidden Foods.” What should I do first…More Garlic snake? No, that’s too mundane. Do I need to make a trip through the night market, allowing my nose to guide me to the Xtreme Cooking experts? Completely unnecessary. A friend who had heard me speak wistfully of a food, which was at the top of that list, a sensitive person, who obviously cares for the real essence of manhood, solved the dilemma with two questions. 

Two questions which speak directly to the core of mankind’s need of

adventure. Two questions which were shockingly simple. They weren’t

complex and requiring great thought. They weren’t like the question that

caused Charles Mallory, an early pioneer of Mt Everest, to hesitate and shyly answer, “Because it’s there.” No these were direct, to the point, there could only be one answer for each of these questions. The first, was a call to

adventure, it was framed, on the idea that the time was now…that opportunity may knock only once and then drift off to find someone who would answer more promptly. In other words there was an urgency to this question that could not be denied, “Did your wife leave for America, today.” I was tingling with expectation. The question that followed was so obvious that I was embarrassed not to have thought of it myself, “Do you want to try Stinky Tofu.” It was brilliant, I almost wept at the elegance of the idea.

Chris Banducci, and his copy of The Taiwan Adventure

Of course, I wanted to try it. Every time, my wife smelled it and wrinkled her nose and complained that the odor was the worst thing she had ever smelled, I had to wonder how something like that would taste. The smell was like a siren call to me. It tantalized, no less than the mermaids of old tantalized the men of the sea. Although, I will admit that as food it is entirely appropriate in its name. But perhaps, to an adventurer that was the allure. 

After all, what caused men to climb the highest peaks in the world? No one, who has ever climbed a mountain, has ever been heard to exclaim, “I want to do it because it will be easy and I just love a nice, cozy tent.” No! The cold, the danger, the difficulty, those were the things that drew men to death zone of Everest. The danger and the discomfort were the draw. This is what makes an adventure, an adventure.

I was ready to throw aside the comfort foods, I cared not for the

delicately flavored tasty combinations; I had a hunger for adventure. There are two ways to prepare Stinky Tofu, I had only to choose one, and my friend like a trusty Sherpa guide, would get me there. What is Stinky Tofu? It’s Tofu with a twist. They take the soy bean curd, (that’s what Tofu is) and they ferment it.  People in Asia do this with a number of foods. Kimchi is fermented cabbage. Thousand-year-old eggs are fermented eggs. Stinky Tofu is fermented soy bean curd. 

They prepare it in two ways; they either steam it or deep-fry it. I have

heard, from more than one source, some of them were even Taiwanese, that,

steamed Stinky Tofu, tastes exactly like it smells. I’ve seen it, and it looks like it smells, as well. Hey, in food, even for me, presentation is important. So I opted for the deep fried type. The lust for adventure runs deep in my

family…but not that deep. 

I found it to be surprisingly tasty. It was covered with a garlic sauce and topped with cabbage. I have spoken to a number of Taiwanese people about food. In fact, I talk to everyone about food. Most of the Taiwanese people I speak to name Stinky Tofu among their favorite foods. I met a bunch of seventh graders who claimed they liked Stinky Tofu better than ice cream.

This adventure didn’t end with just Stinky Tofu. It was an adventure of

monumental scope. We traveled throughout Taoyuan City stopping at a

number of food carts. These are little carts where people prepare food, right on the side of the road. These are the places where you can really get the taste of Taiwan.

I enjoyed Stinky Tofu, the forbidden fruit of Taiwan; well, forbidden in my house, anyway, but I think it’ll be a while before I eat it again. My wife isn’t planning on traveling again anytime soon.

Merry Christmas from the Taiwan Adventure Blog.  We hope you all have a wonderful 2014.

Holidays and the Lunar Calendar, The Year of the Horse

One of the things I've done every year is list all of the Taiwanese holidays.  2014 is the Year of the Horse.  Most of Taiwan’s traditional holidays are marked through the use of the Lunar Calendar.  Modern Holidays are marked through the Solar Calendar.  Let’s take a look at the Taiwanese Holidays:

Chinese NewYear:  春節Lunar Date is January 1.  (January 31, 2014)  This is the most important holiday of the year.  It is celebrated much the same way that Christmas is celebrated in the west.  Families gather for 3-15 days.  Traditional meals are served on Chinese New Year’s Eve.  People are given gifts of  “Hong Bao” 紅包　These are gifts of money in a red envelope that are a wish of prosperity for the recipient.

The LanternFestival:  元宵節　Lunar date is January 15.  (February 14, 2014) This is the first day that a full moon can be seen in the New Year.  People celebrate by lighting and launching sky lanterns.  There are also huge venues where people go to see artistically made lanterns and watch them launched.  People often write prayers and wishes on the side of the lanterns before they are released.   The traditional food for the Lantern festival is the tangyuan 湯圓 (soup circle.)  These are balls of gooey, sweet rice gluten.

Qingming Festival: 清明節 Solar Holiday: April 5, 2014.  During the Qingming Festival families gather to sweep the tombs of departed ancestors.  It is a day to honor the dead.  Many people use this day to burn incense and worship their ancestors.

Dragon BoatFestival: 端午節　Lunar date is May 5.  (June 2, 2014)  This festival honors Chinese Poet Qu Yuan.  It is celebrated with the racing of the dragon boats.  People eat a special sticky rice pyramid called a zongzi. 

Night of Sevens: 七夕 Lunar date is July 7.  (August 2, 2014)  This holiday celebrates the legendary love of  Niulang and Zhinu.  According to legend they are forever separated, but are allowed to unite on July 7.  The Taiwanese view this as a romantic night celebrated much like Valentine’s Day in the west.  It is sometimes called Double Seven.

Ghost Festival: 中元節　Lunar date is July 15. (August 10, 2014)  The festival honors the departed ancestors.  People commemorate this day by placing offerings of incense, food and beverages outside their homes and the burning of spirit money for the family members who have departed the world.  This is the most important date of Ghost Month (The whole month of July on the lunar calendar.  July 27 – August 24, 2014) 

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival:  中秋節　Lunar date is August 15.  (September 8, 2014)  This is the day when most people get together with friends and family and barbeque.  Look for an in-depth post on the Moon Festival in September.  A gift is given to friends and family of moon cakes.  Circular cakes made with egg yolks and other things inside.  The shape represents the moon and the cakes themselves are good wishes for the recipient.

Double Ninth Festival:  重陽節　Lunar Date is September 9.  (October 2, 2014)  People usually celebrate this holiday by climbing mountains or visiting flower shows.

Xia Yuan Festival:  下元節　Lunar date is October 15.  (November 17, 2014)  During this festival people pray to the water god for a peaceful year.

Winter Solstice:  冬至　Solar Holiday (December 21, 2014).  This corresponds to the Winter Solstice in Western Countries.  Families gather to celebrate on this day.

Kitchen God Festival:  謝灶Lunar date is December 23.  (January 23, 2014)  This is the day to thank the kitchen god.  It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang). The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on Zao Jun's yearly report.

One final note is that the Chinese Zodiac is broken down into 12 years.  Each year corresponds to a particular animal.  It is believed that people born in a particular year will share the traits of the animal mentioned.  The following is a breakdown of the Zodiac and the corresponding years from 1924 through 2031.  See if you can find yours.

Rat                   1924  1936  1948  1960  1972  1984  1996  2008  2020

Ox                   1925  1937  1949  1961  1973  1985  1997  2009  2021

Tiger                1926  1938  1950  1962  1974  1986  1998  2010  2022

Rabbit              1927  1939  1951  1963  1975  1987  1999  2011  2023

Dragon             1928  1940  1952  1964  1976  1988  2000  2012  2024

Snake               1929  1941  1953  1965  1977  1989  2001  2013  2025

Horse               1930  1942  1954  1966  1978  1990  2002  2014  2026

Sheep               1931  1943  1955  1967  1979  1991  2003  2015  2027

Monkey           1932  1944  1956  1968  1980  1992  2004  2016  2028

Rooster            1933  1945  1957  1969  1981  1993  2005  2017  2029

Dog                 1934  1946  1958  1970  1982  1994  2006  2018  2030

Boar                1935  1947  1959  1971  1983  1995  2007  2019  2031

Other posts you may be interested in:

Holiday names in yellow are links to in depth posts.

Photo Credit:  http://www.chinesenewyearin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/yearOfTheHorse2.jpg