Well this is it, I fly home tonight and this whole trip will soon be a distant memory. But there's a lot to remember!
Taiwan has been the perfect destination for me. The landscapes are mindblowingly stunning, there's good food everywhere, the people are friendly, costs are far lower than in Japan, and it's very easy to get everywhere because there's a good transport network and distances are small.
So to make things a bit harder for myself, I decided to go to the most distant place there is in Taiwan: Orchid Island, a tiny Pacific island home to the Thao tribe, with just 2 roads, fantastic reefs, semi-underground houses, and an untouched feeling, except that is for the nuclear waste stored at its southern tip. After a 5 hour train journey from Taipei to Taitung, I was hoping to get the ferry, but learned that the next boat was in 3 days time. So instead I took a 19-seater Cessna for the 25 minute flight. At the airport I was met by the hostel owner, a very warm man who thought me and the guys I was with at the time couldn't possibly swim without a guide for safety, and got very worried when we got back late one night because he thought we might not have eaten dinner.
The next stop was Taroko National Park, near Hualien. Shin Yi calls Hualien paradise, and I can see why. Taroko Gorge is made of marble, several hundred metres high and totally stunning. Then there's the Cingshuei cliffs, where the mountains meet the sea, which the single road heading north from Hualien has to make its way across (although mostly in new tunnels now). Further inland are 3500m peaks stretching in all directions.
There's a hot spring deep in the gorge, where scorching sulphurous water flows into little pools on the river's edge. The police have closed it because of rockfall risk, but the locals still get in and the police seem to turn a blind eye. To get there you have to climb over a couple of barriers, open a locked gate in a tunnel, cross a suspension bridge, and use a rope to make your way down some steep, worn steps built in the side of the gorge. But it's definitely worth it!
I've certainly had my share of problems too in Taiwan. I managed to pick up fleas a few days ago, probably from some cat I stroked. By the time I realised I was infested, they were in all my clothes, and I was in Taroko without even any insect repellent (I left most of my stuff in Hualien). With little opportunity to wash my clothes it was hard to get rid of them. Finally I washed nearly all my clothes in the hostel in Hualien, but the washing machine broke down, there was no dryer, and it was raining. So after getting the train the next morning I ended up wearing wet clothes, carrying a big bag full of wet clothes, walking round Taipei desperately looking for nonexistent hostels.
I'd better go now, I'll put up some photos on Facebook soon.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
The land of cute
Sorry it`s been so long since my last post! I`ve been in Japan for about 10 days now. The country is very different to China, or to anywhere else I`ve been through for that matter. Of course there`s the whole politeness thing. Whenever I walked into the 7-11 convenience store near Akinobu`s house, any staff within earshot would say "aregato gotsaimas" (thank you very much), every minute or so. And after I bought something and was about to leave, all the staff would say it in unison, bowing slightly. I was also surprised when I came across a line of people queueing for the bus. In China, it`s always a mad scramble to the doors, to try to get a seat, or at least a decent place to stand. So when I saw people queueing patiently it seemed a bit ridiculous, and I was sorely tempted to just push my way to the front, until I realised with a shock that I would naturally have joined the queue in Britain.
Meals in restaurants are always presented beautifully, with several dishes in a selection of small bowls, which are sometimes handmade. But one of the first things I noticed was how unbelievably cute the automated train and bus announcements were, when they were in a female voice. It has to be heard to be believed! Another thing about Japan is how fashionable everyone is. They were fashionable in Russia and China, but the Japanese really have style. I`ve heard fashions here change every couple of months. At moment it`s all the rage for girls to wear their hair in a ponytail which is towards the side of their head, instead of being directly at the back.
I spent a week in Kyoto. It`s a beautiful city, surrounded by forested mountains on three sides. Wherever the mountains meet the city there are temples and shrines galore. Kyoto is said to have a 1000 temples, and I can well believe it. Most of them have lovely gardens, as well as many Buddhist and Shinto gateways and huge wooden halls. I found my favourite shrine on my last day in Kyoto. A small shrine up in a wooded stream valley in the hills, it doesn`t have the grandeur of other places, but feels much more intimate and close to nature. The bunches of freshly cut flowers show it`s still cared for. And what really drew me in was the waterfall clearly meant for bathing in. Of course, I had to strip off and give it a go.
Meals in restaurants are always presented beautifully, with several dishes in a selection of small bowls, which are sometimes handmade. But one of the first things I noticed was how unbelievably cute the automated train and bus announcements were, when they were in a female voice. It has to be heard to be believed! Another thing about Japan is how fashionable everyone is. They were fashionable in Russia and China, but the Japanese really have style. I`ve heard fashions here change every couple of months. At moment it`s all the rage for girls to wear their hair in a ponytail which is towards the side of their head, instead of being directly at the back.
I spent a week in Kyoto. It`s a beautiful city, surrounded by forested mountains on three sides. Wherever the mountains meet the city there are temples and shrines galore. Kyoto is said to have a 1000 temples, and I can well believe it. Most of them have lovely gardens, as well as many Buddhist and Shinto gateways and huge wooden halls. I found my favourite shrine on my last day in Kyoto. A small shrine up in a wooded stream valley in the hills, it doesn`t have the grandeur of other places, but feels much more intimate and close to nature. The bunches of freshly cut flowers show it`s still cared for. And what really drew me in was the waterfall clearly meant for bathing in. Of course, I had to strip off and give it a go.
Friday, August 7, 2009
On the nomads' trail
This will be the last post for a couple of weeks because I've been told that blogspot and Facebook are blocked in China. I've also had problems accessing hotmail recently, so I may be totally incommunicado!
For the last 5 days we've been on a trip to a nomadic family with Ger to Ger, a really good community based tour company. We met the founder of the company and he was so enthusiastic about their work, he couldn't stop talking about it! We started off by getting the bus to Darkhan, a town a few hours north of Ulan Bator. When we got to the Indian restaurant, all we could see out the window was empty plains, and we thought we were on the edge of town. Later we found out that we were in the main shopping centre of the new district of Mongolia's second city! Darkhan is a 'Peace City,' built in the 60s with assistance from various Communist nations. It mainly consists of Soviet-style blocks and factories, but also has Mongolia's first suspension bridge (rather pointlessly going over the main road between 2 statues) and what used to be Mongolia's tallest building (a dilapidated but more architecturally unusual block). A German Buddhist couple was also starting a tour at the same time as us, and we were together on the first day in Darkhan. The woman was very keen to see what the local nightclub was like, and she turned out to be a fantastic dancer!
The next morning we set out for the ger where we would spend the next 3 days, with a nomadic family of horse and cattle herders in the beautiful Orkhon Valley. It was such a privilege to able to stay with the family and experience the traditional culture. They were very friendly and welcoming, and the kids were so happy and mature, and great fun to play with! We swam in the river, rode by horse to a ruined monastery (my horse knew exactly where to go and I was so happy when it finally broke into a canter on the way home), climbed a mountain, and played games with ankle bones and geometric puzzles. We milked cows, and tried and failed to milk a mare. These people are not poor, as shown by the brand new, top of the range jeep parked outside the ger. They live this way because this is the way they want to live (although when we asked what the children would do when they grew up, the father proudly said that they would work in the city).
There are all sorts of cultural rules you have to follow, which could be very difficult at times! For a start it is rude not to eat the food you are offered. The first afternoon I was still feeling the after effects of the vodka from the night before, and couldn't eat much. But it was much worse for Maria. The diet is totally dominated by meat. The night we arrived, a goat was slaughtered and dinner consisted of a big bowl full of assorted offal. This would be hard to stomach for any Westerner, let alone someone who is normally a vegetarian! Later they made an effort to give us vegetables, but their 'vegetable soup' still contained large quantities of meat. Apart from meat, the other main type of food is dairy products, including endless milk tea, cheese, dried curds, and an alcoholic drink made from fermented mare's milk.
It seems that often, the only thing you can do is submit. Firstly to the flies, that only multiply when you try to shake them off. But mainly to the hospitality, which doesn't just consist of constant force-feeding. When we were riding back from the monastery, Maria was finding the saddle very uncomfortable and wanted to walk for a bit. They refused to let her, and in the end made her get in the jeep and drove her back to the ger.
But despite all the hardships, or maybe because of them, this has certainly been the highlight of the trip so far for me.
For the last 5 days we've been on a trip to a nomadic family with Ger to Ger, a really good community based tour company. We met the founder of the company and he was so enthusiastic about their work, he couldn't stop talking about it! We started off by getting the bus to Darkhan, a town a few hours north of Ulan Bator. When we got to the Indian restaurant, all we could see out the window was empty plains, and we thought we were on the edge of town. Later we found out that we were in the main shopping centre of the new district of Mongolia's second city! Darkhan is a 'Peace City,' built in the 60s with assistance from various Communist nations. It mainly consists of Soviet-style blocks and factories, but also has Mongolia's first suspension bridge (rather pointlessly going over the main road between 2 statues) and what used to be Mongolia's tallest building (a dilapidated but more architecturally unusual block). A German Buddhist couple was also starting a tour at the same time as us, and we were together on the first day in Darkhan. The woman was very keen to see what the local nightclub was like, and she turned out to be a fantastic dancer!
The next morning we set out for the ger where we would spend the next 3 days, with a nomadic family of horse and cattle herders in the beautiful Orkhon Valley. It was such a privilege to able to stay with the family and experience the traditional culture. They were very friendly and welcoming, and the kids were so happy and mature, and great fun to play with! We swam in the river, rode by horse to a ruined monastery (my horse knew exactly where to go and I was so happy when it finally broke into a canter on the way home), climbed a mountain, and played games with ankle bones and geometric puzzles. We milked cows, and tried and failed to milk a mare. These people are not poor, as shown by the brand new, top of the range jeep parked outside the ger. They live this way because this is the way they want to live (although when we asked what the children would do when they grew up, the father proudly said that they would work in the city).
There are all sorts of cultural rules you have to follow, which could be very difficult at times! For a start it is rude not to eat the food you are offered. The first afternoon I was still feeling the after effects of the vodka from the night before, and couldn't eat much. But it was much worse for Maria. The diet is totally dominated by meat. The night we arrived, a goat was slaughtered and dinner consisted of a big bowl full of assorted offal. This would be hard to stomach for any Westerner, let alone someone who is normally a vegetarian! Later they made an effort to give us vegetables, but their 'vegetable soup' still contained large quantities of meat. Apart from meat, the other main type of food is dairy products, including endless milk tea, cheese, dried curds, and an alcoholic drink made from fermented mare's milk.
It seems that often, the only thing you can do is submit. Firstly to the flies, that only multiply when you try to shake them off. But mainly to the hospitality, which doesn't just consist of constant force-feeding. When we were riding back from the monastery, Maria was finding the saddle very uncomfortable and wanted to walk for a bit. They refused to let her, and in the end made her get in the jeep and drove her back to the ger.
But despite all the hardships, or maybe because of them, this has certainly been the highlight of the trip so far for me.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Mutton mania!
Well, here we are in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Earlier I said the train journeys had been surprisingly easy, so this time I got my comeupance. Our train stopped at the Russian border post for 6 hours, while the toilets were locked, the cabin got more and more hot and sweaty, and we didn't dare leave the train for much of the time in case it left without us or border officials turned up. Eventually the officials came and we could move on. After trundling a few miles and stopping briefly at the border itself, we had another 3 hour wait on the Mongolian side. At least there weren't any problems with our visas or customs forms. And having said that, this wait was all in the timetable. Russian trains are notoriously punctual, and even on a 6 day journey they always seem to arrive at the scheduled time - to the minute! It's just that the scheduled times can be very slow...
There's obviously a quicker way across the border, because, in the single carriage that actually crossed the border (all the rest steadily left us), there were only a couple of Russians. Everyone else was a Westerner. It couldn't have been more different to our Moscow-Irkutsk train where no-one else in the carriage spoke English!
Irkutsk was a lot more relaxed than Moscow, but it was Lake Baikal that was the real draw. The lake is so vast it contains 20% of the world's fresh water, and this water is so pure you can drink it straight from the lake, because of unique endemic sponges that filter the water. There was no way the icy temperature could stop me from having a long swim. The scenery around the lake was beautiful too, with the steep slopes covered in untouched taiga forest. We even managed to do a round walk, by getting slightly lost!
In Russia, several people had come up to us on the street and started talking in Russian, before we had to tell them we didn't have a clue what they were saying. But in Mongolia we are very clearly tourists and foreigners. And one of the most foreign aspects is the food (at least for a foodaholic for me!). Mongolian cuisine is based on mutton, more mutton, and some fermented mare's milk. Vegetables are very rare, and sadly there aren't the mounds of strawberries and blackcurrants that were everywhere in Russia. Maria can find vegetarian food here in the capital, but when we get out into the countryside it really will be hard! But still, we can't wait to get out and stay in some gers, see the mountains or desert and get to know the nomadic culture. Are there any other countries in the world where 25% of the population is nomadic and another 25% is semi-nomadic?
There's obviously a quicker way across the border, because, in the single carriage that actually crossed the border (all the rest steadily left us), there were only a couple of Russians. Everyone else was a Westerner. It couldn't have been more different to our Moscow-Irkutsk train where no-one else in the carriage spoke English!
Irkutsk was a lot more relaxed than Moscow, but it was Lake Baikal that was the real draw. The lake is so vast it contains 20% of the world's fresh water, and this water is so pure you can drink it straight from the lake, because of unique endemic sponges that filter the water. There was no way the icy temperature could stop me from having a long swim. The scenery around the lake was beautiful too, with the steep slopes covered in untouched taiga forest. We even managed to do a round walk, by getting slightly lost!
In Russia, several people had come up to us on the street and started talking in Russian, before we had to tell them we didn't have a clue what they were saying. But in Mongolia we are very clearly tourists and foreigners. And one of the most foreign aspects is the food (at least for a foodaholic for me!). Mongolian cuisine is based on mutton, more mutton, and some fermented mare's milk. Vegetables are very rare, and sadly there aren't the mounds of strawberries and blackcurrants that were everywhere in Russia. Maria can find vegetarian food here in the capital, but when we get out into the countryside it really will be hard! But still, we can't wait to get out and stay in some gers, see the mountains or desert and get to know the nomadic culture. Are there any other countries in the world where 25% of the population is nomadic and another 25% is semi-nomadic?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Siberia calling
Well, after 4 nights on a train, we've finally made it to Irkutsk. The journey was surprisingly easy really, the beds were comfortable and the rocking motion worked a treat at sending us to sleep. Of course it got pretty boring at times, but when else do you get the chance to spend hours and days just reading and lazing around, without feeling the slightest bit guilty about all the other things you should be doing? Luckily Maria had a very good book, which she lent to me when she had finished it, in a day and a half. It was the story of a pair of Aussie nutters who did roughly the same journey as us except with one vital difference - they were riding recumbent bikes.
Our abysmal lack of Russian made it hard to communicate with anyone else in our carriage, but we still had great fun with some kids, racing up and down station platforms, doing gymnastics in the corridor and translating long lists of not-so-useful words (if I see a Siberian Tiger I'll know what to shout out). We even made our own chess set out of folded scraps of paper, with pieces that were both recognisable and stood up most of the time.
Roughly twice a day the train stopped at a station for half an hour or so, long enough for us to buy soft fruit and pastries from platform traders. Which was lucky considering that we only managed to get one meal from the restaurant car. Its opening hours were totally incomprehensible and the scary woman in charge did nothing to ease our understanding - we got off to a bad start when we forgot (for less than 30 seconds) to pay for a meal, but she really didn't need to be so aggressive!
Of the long hours spent looking out the window, the most exciting times were when we crossed rivers. There must have been at least five that were each close to a kilometre wide, far bigger than anything in Western Europe. The taiga forest was pretty, interspersed with flowery meadows and swamps, especially Krasnoyarsk when the landscape got hilly. The wooden village houses were nice too, with their well-tended gardens.
But still I'm very glad to be back on solid ground, where I can stretch my legs and see Lake Baikal without a pane of glass blocking my way.
Our abysmal lack of Russian made it hard to communicate with anyone else in our carriage, but we still had great fun with some kids, racing up and down station platforms, doing gymnastics in the corridor and translating long lists of not-so-useful words (if I see a Siberian Tiger I'll know what to shout out). We even made our own chess set out of folded scraps of paper, with pieces that were both recognisable and stood up most of the time.
Roughly twice a day the train stopped at a station for half an hour or so, long enough for us to buy soft fruit and pastries from platform traders. Which was lucky considering that we only managed to get one meal from the restaurant car. Its opening hours were totally incomprehensible and the scary woman in charge did nothing to ease our understanding - we got off to a bad start when we forgot (for less than 30 seconds) to pay for a meal, but she really didn't need to be so aggressive!
Of the long hours spent looking out the window, the most exciting times were when we crossed rivers. There must have been at least five that were each close to a kilometre wide, far bigger than anything in Western Europe. The taiga forest was pretty, interspersed with flowery meadows and swamps, especially Krasnoyarsk when the landscape got hilly. The wooden village houses were nice too, with their well-tended gardens.
But still I'm very glad to be back on solid ground, where I can stretch my legs and see Lake Baikal without a pane of glass blocking my way.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Today we set off on (part of) the world's longest train journey. After four nights on the train, we'll reach Irkutsk, in the heart of Siberia. I hope those couchette beds are comfortable!
We met a friend of Maria's who lives in Moscow, she gave us a fantastic meal, with a huge spread including Russian salad, Greek salad, chicken, cheese, ham and every sweet you can think of, despite saying she couldn't cook. Then yesterday we went round the Kremlin. In one of the cathedrals I noticed an old woman crossing herself at one of images of Jesus, then moments later beautiful singing appeared as if from nowhere. It was a 5-part cathedral choir, but the magic was lost somewhat when I noticed their stall selling a range of CDs.
As well as the many cathedrals, Moscow also has palatial metro stations swathed in marble (these carried on being built in WWII, to act as bunkers), many 10 lane highways and far too much traffic. Maria's friend says the drivers have recently become much more courteous to pedestrians, because of higher fines - I wouldn't like to have tried to a cross a road here a few years ago then!
We met a friend of Maria's who lives in Moscow, she gave us a fantastic meal, with a huge spread including Russian salad, Greek salad, chicken, cheese, ham and every sweet you can think of, despite saying she couldn't cook. Then yesterday we went round the Kremlin. In one of the cathedrals I noticed an old woman crossing herself at one of images of Jesus, then moments later beautiful singing appeared as if from nowhere. It was a 5-part cathedral choir, but the magic was lost somewhat when I noticed their stall selling a range of CDs.
As well as the many cathedrals, Moscow also has palatial metro stations swathed in marble (these carried on being built in WWII, to act as bunkers), many 10 lane highways and far too much traffic. Maria's friend says the drivers have recently become much more courteous to pedestrians, because of higher fines - I wouldn't like to have tried to a cross a road here a few years ago then!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Back in the US, back in the US, back in the USSR
Well since I told everyone I was doing this blog I can't back out now!!
Moscow has certainly changed a lot since the days of threatened nuclear apocalypse, as is only to be expected. Right now many things actually seem more expensive than in the UK, what with exchange rates as they are. But something that hasn't changed is the grandeur of the city, where every building is built to be noticed. The best example is the fantastically colourful and whacky spires of St Basil's Cathedral, which was described by a Russian girl I met on the train as 'barbaric.'
The train ride here was suprisingly easy. The bunks were just about long enough and folded up very cleverly in the tiny compartment. We got to talk to lots of lovely people, with varying degrees of mutual understanding. For hours after we got off the train me and Maria still felt like we were rocking from side to side. But right now it's good to be staying in the same place for 3 nights, and to have access to a shower!
We stopped for a few hours in Warsaw, which seemed like a nice place (see Ewa people who aren't from Warsaw can still like the city!). What really caught my attention was a old terrace of crumbling, extremely dilapidated, abandoned tall brick buildings, with pictures of dark haired girls, bearded men and sorrowful children hanging on the walls. I realised this must be the old Warsaw Ghetto, where 1000s of Jew lived and died in WWII. It really hit home to think this could easily have been my family.
Moscow has certainly changed a lot since the days of threatened nuclear apocalypse, as is only to be expected. Right now many things actually seem more expensive than in the UK, what with exchange rates as they are. But something that hasn't changed is the grandeur of the city, where every building is built to be noticed. The best example is the fantastically colourful and whacky spires of St Basil's Cathedral, which was described by a Russian girl I met on the train as 'barbaric.'
The train ride here was suprisingly easy. The bunks were just about long enough and folded up very cleverly in the tiny compartment. We got to talk to lots of lovely people, with varying degrees of mutual understanding. For hours after we got off the train me and Maria still felt like we were rocking from side to side. But right now it's good to be staying in the same place for 3 nights, and to have access to a shower!
We stopped for a few hours in Warsaw, which seemed like a nice place (see Ewa people who aren't from Warsaw can still like the city!). What really caught my attention was a old terrace of crumbling, extremely dilapidated, abandoned tall brick buildings, with pictures of dark haired girls, bearded men and sorrowful children hanging on the walls. I realised this must be the old Warsaw Ghetto, where 1000s of Jew lived and died in WWII. It really hit home to think this could easily have been my family.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
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