Day 4: January 4th, 2021.
The one with all the Dogs.
Our biggest challenge so far seems to be finding a day when we’re all free to walk together but after a gap of a few weeks, we managed to get going again and met up at TamSui MRT. We then took a taxi to QianSuiWan and from the exact same spot we’d started our day two walk, we turned in the opposite direction and headed towards BaiShaWan, this time with Freya for company. The weather was nice and sunny and for the first few minutes the walking was easy on the coastal path but that soon gave way to a rock strewn field and then an ungainly (for me) scramble over a wall. Progress was very slow at this point, as there was no obvious route but it was quite exhilarating to see the waves smashing into the sea walls. We slowly picked our way along a rocky beach before reaching a slightly baffling sign pointing directly at the ocean a few metres away and indicating that this was the end of the bike path.
Shortly after this we approached a compound for stray and abandoned dogs and were met by some of the resident dogs, who insisted on fiercely defending their territory by racing at us and barking aggressively. At this point we were all grateful we’d brought along our hiking sticks to fend off some of the more pugnacious dogs, as they were quite literally snapping at our heels. We skirted round the compound and breathed a sigh of relief until we realised that we’d come to a wide inlet, which forced us to turn at right angles and hug the narrow path beside the compound fence. Inside were dozens more dogs, including a Tibetan mastiff, and I for one was happy that there was a fence separating us. As we reached the end of the fenced-in part of the compound we were met by the previous pack of dogs, who’d cunningly raced round and blocked our path. Fortunately, while we were contemplating what to do next, the owners of the compound appeared, calmed the dogs down and pointed the way to the other side of the inlet.
We were now able to get back on the beach, which like so many, was full of plastic waste washed in from the ocean. We even saw a dead turtle, with plastic wrapped round its head, a distressing reminder of how polluting our ocean is killing the wildlife. Eventually, another deep inlet forced us off the beach but now we were on to a nice coastal path that made for much pleasanter walking and sheltered us from the wind, that had suddenly arrived. In the not too distant past, large sections of the coast were off limits and controlled by the military and we were reminded of this by an artwork installation next to an old bunker. The boardwalk continued and took us past the BaiShaWan Sailing Club, now sadly closed. One of the quirks of Taiwan is that despite being an island nation, where almost everyone lives close to the coast and there are numerous yacht building companies, there are very few recreational sailors. This is in part due to the older generation growing up in an era when recreational sailing was prohibited; hopefully this will change as younger people start to enjoy surfing and hanging out at the beaches. It would be nice to see the bike paths and coastal walkways being properly linked together and less clambering across fields full of rubbish and rocks.
Onwards we went, past a few hardy fishermen and then after a newly erected glamping campground, tramped round the scenic LinShan Cape on to BaiShaWan beach. On a sunny weekend the beach would be crowded, but with a chilly wind and rain in the air, there were only a handful of people out and about. Hats off to whoever is in charge of the cleaning here though as it was great to see a plastic free seashore. Half-way down the beach we reached Dazzler’s Fish & Chips and had to decide whether to continue on to Cape FuGuiJiao Lighthouse or stop and eat. With rain clouds overhead and none of us having eaten lunch it was Dazzler’s 4 Lighthouse 0 and in we went. Five minutes later, as we waited for our chips, pies and burgers to arrive, the rain started to pelt down and we were content to call it a day. Due to the difficult walking conditions for parts of the route we only managed 11.2km today but Dazzler’s is a comfortable place to spend a late afternoon and we can save the Lighthouse for our next walk.
End of Day Four. Richie Rich.