Tropicamino in Taiwan

[Deleted member 73526]

For the last week, I’ve been with fellow forum member @TysonQiu on the east coast of Taiwan. It’s not an established “through hike“ but thanks to the exis culture of round-island cycle-touring, many of the elements exist for an excellent, warm-weather hike at this time of year.
- A choice of routes including coastal road or valley between coastal and central mountain ranges
- Communities at frequent intervals along the coastal road or central valley
- Reasonably priced hostels and guest houses (but not all are “official” so you sometimes need to ask around)
- Extremely friendly and welcoming people
- Great, cheap, food with plenty of vegetarian options, thanks to a high percentage of vegetarians in this area
- Terrific scenery and fascinating blend of cultures (Aboriginal, Hakka, Han Chinese, etc)
- Very comfortable temperature range at this time of year (the daily temperatures during the last week have ranged from 17 to 23 ℃). My backpack weighs less than 5Kg and Tyson’s is about half that.
- Foot massages
- Low crime & high personal safety
- Possibilities for short duration or longer duration hikes from a weekend up to a month
- Good public transport infrastructure

Downsides ...
1) Limited English spoken.
2) Much walking on hard surfaces (although Tyson and his collaborators are trying to map routes that will avoid some of the roadside walking.
3) No guidebook. It’s not an established route. Tyson is thinking of creating an English language guide one day.

I’ve been blogging about my experiences in a “most accurate but least factual,“ sort of way:
jonagrams.com

Tyson runs a Facebook page in Chinese:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2312204592411967/?ref=share

If you’re interested in this, please let me or Tyson know.

 

[Bradypus]

Thank you. Interesting stuff. Last year @davebugg posted about the Matsu pilgrimage which was new to me. So I have thought a bit about Taiwan over the past year. How would you say that your recent journey compares with walking in Japan?

 

[Deleted member 73526]

How would you say that your recent journey compares with walking in Japan?

Apologies for the slow response. Today was my final day on this walk - It ended with an absolutely amazing festival in Taitung, so I’ve been pretty busy. I’ll come back to this question later because it’s a good one. The things that come immediately to mind are:

1. Costs - Once you’re here, Taiwan is very doable on a pilgrim budget I’ve been staying in private rooms for 700 to 1,000 NT$ per night (€21 to 30) but there are many dormitory style places for cyclists at half that price. Sheets, duvet, towel, and use of washing machine is typically included. That’s comparable to the price of dorm accommodation at privately run albergues in Spain. In Japan you might find a cheap hostel in the old day-labourer neighbourhoods of Tokyo and Osaka but not at 20km intervals on a long distance trail.

2. Landscape and routes - Here I feel japan has the upper hand. Taiwan doesn’t yet have a marked thru hike like the Japanese pilgrimage routes on the Kii peninsula or Shikoku. The people who are interested in establishing a thru hike here are keen to find better paths but that’s a work in progress.
Taiwan has a pretty big pollution problem I think - whereas some Japanese routes feel idyllic.

3. Climate - This part of Taiwan (East Coast) is ideal for a winter Camino (any time between November and March. Temperatures this week have been in a narrow range (18 to 24 ℃)

I’ll come back to this - I need some time to think about it myself.

 

[Bradypus]

I’ll come back to this - I need some time to think about it myself.

Thanks - I look forward to hearing more.

 

[henro-on-trail]

Thanks - I look forward to hearing more.

I’m the original poster. I wanted to wait until I had started the Shikoku 88 Temples pilgrimage before putting making some comparisons since I think that’s a route that many people in this community are likely to follow in japan. Well, I’m on my second long weekend on the island of Shikoku now - my second visit since the 1980s (!) so I feel in a position to say something. Since japan and Taiwan are likely to open up to tourists and other temporary visitors again soon I think the timing may be about right.

Price, climate/ environment, food, and existing culture around walking are the main differences that I think are relevant to most members of this forum.

Similarities are amount of road walking, man-made environment, hospitality, exciting and unfamiliar experience.

Price - Taiwan is a clear winner. The hostels for cyclists basic but comfortable, clean, newer than the inns in japan, and cheap. In addition, you’ll often get free use of the washing machine, compared with costs of $10 or so per load at a laundromat in japan. I would guess your costs are at least 60% lower in Taiwan compared with Japan.

Climate/ environment- Taiwan is a great winter destination for people who hate to be cold. Want to walk in a t shirt in January? This is the place. Compared to japan, I would say it’s less gentle. Mountains are young and steep and pretty impenetrable except in national parks like hualien and the one at the south of the island (I haven’t been yet). The sea around east coast of Taiwan is mostly unsafe to swim. Sadly. There are some surfer areas but I don’t surf.

Food - Hard for me to make an impartial comparison because I am not familiar with Taiwanese food. My meals in Taiwan have been mostly delicious. I find it occasionally challenging because I didn’t know what I was eating. Taiwan has a real street food tradition that japan lacks. Stalls and markets will give you a stool and you can choose different dishes that are being cooked in the open. You find various regional mainland Chinese cuisines, as well as Thai food everywhere. On the east coast there are some cafes and restaurants that offer the dishes of the indigenous tribes who make up a significant part of the population in the east. Indigenous food culture was a revelation to me. Really sophisticated fish and veg dishes. Japanese food is a delight to me. I am familiar with most dishes. I admire the very great attention to detail, the variety of different tastes and textures in a typical meal. I enjoy the regional variations … I am spoiled to be here. So if I had to make a choice between which food I would eat for the rest of my life, it would be Japanese but it’s going to be different if you grew up with Chinese regional cuisine.

Existing culture of walking and pilgrimage is obviously very strong in Shikoku. Over a thousand years of tradition. A clear “purpose” to the pilgrimage. Signage all over. Pilgrim rest facilities. Maps. Established routes. Etc. Taiwan is all about bicycling. When you walk around the east coast you are ploughing a new furrow. You need to make your own rationale and goals. There’s no book to fill with stamps.
On a more pragmatic point, many of the accommodations in Taiwan appear to be off the books. You can identify them from signs on the buildings that say “inn” or you can make inquiries at local stores (if you speak Chinese) but they’re not in a guidebook or online booking site. I think that’s because the tax man would take an interest. Not sure if that counts as culture but I mention it here anyway.
I enjoyed foot massage at the end of a long walk in Taiwan. In japan I like to go to hot springs for the same effect. So, not the same culture but I can’t say which is best.

The amount of Road (asphalt) is a bit too
Much in both places. And the ugliness of the concrete - coastal defences, river banks, ghost buildings. It’s a shame. The national parks in both countries offer more pleasant / unspoiled vistas. So if it’s about the “hike” rather than the “thru” for you, then stick to the national parks. In hyaline you can find indigenous guides who can prepare food at shelters in the mountains. So you could enjoy nature for a few days if that floats your boat .

Hospitality is outstanding in both countries. I’ve been given maps and chocolates by folks here in Shikoku. In Taiwan I had a guy bring me oranges as I walked through one town and three people offered me a ride. (One was a granny on a moped). People are kind and helpful in so many ways. i put japan and Taiwan at the top of the hospitality ranking for places I’ve been. People in Taiwan have been willing to speak very openly with me about all subjects - including political things. You don’t get that in japan. People are more reserved. But I feel that it’s the same level of hospitality in a different way.

Unusual experience - For me, Japan is familiar and easy to get around. Taiwan is more exciting. For most people on this forum I guess that both places are exciting in different ways
Language might be challenging in Taiwan but I’ve always had someone who could interpret for me when I’ve been there. In taipei you will meet English speakers. In the rural areas not at all. But then again that’s kind of true in japan too.

So … Those are my thoughts. I hope that they encourage people to walk in japan and Taiwan.