DAY 15 Tuesday December 15, 2021.
The one with a lot of Lamborghinis.
As we get further away from Taipei, the logistics of getting to and from our destinations are getting increasingly challenging. For today’s adventure we could have chosen public transport but that would have meant two very long journeys; instead, we agreed that I would drive my car out and Elaine, as the designated driver, would take us home. We left Taipei in the pouring rain and fully expected a wet day ahead, so we’d all brought along raincoats. Even in the car, it took us nearly 90 minutes to get to Su’Ao but we were encouraged by the rain easing off as we arrived. We first stopped at Tofu Cape to take a few pictures and then drove over to the nearby Neipi Beach, where we posed for our customary starting photo before walking up and down the picturesque, but practically deserted, beach. At the far end were a few cafes, all closed in midwinter, but no doubt bustling during a summer weekend. During our car journey, Tim had amused us by reciting Tang Dynasty poems and telling us he was aiming to memorise fifty for charity, although it wasn’t clear exactly how this would work. “Donate generously to charity and Tim will come round to your house and reel off fifty of the Tang’s Dynasty’s finest poems in Mandarin.” With this fresh in our thoughts, we had to take a picture outside the Tang Tang Café before getting in the car and driving into Su’Ao, where we parked outside the restaurant, we’d eaten at on Day 14. Elaine now called A-Tai, the friendly taxi driver who’d taken us home on Day 14 and he agreed to collect us in 30 minutes and drive us to Fenniaolin Harbour. This gave us just enough time to wander past the souvenir shops selling dried fish and have a scalding hot coffee, while making a start on the large collection of snacks Tim had brought with him.
A-Tai arrived as promised but just as we got to Fenniaolin it started to rain; A-Tai insisted on giving us his umbrella and telling us to return it to his friend’s restaurant in Su’Ao. As it turned out, it only rained for a few minutes and then we had to carry the umbrella for the next six hours but it was still very kind of him. FenNiao (粉鳥) literally means pink bird and depending on who you believe, it refers either to the doves or pigeons that reside in the nearby woods. At the far end is a beach and we took a quick photo at the rocky entrance before starting on our walk past the small harbour and round the wide sweeping bay. It soon stopped raining and we saw a lone fisherman by the shore and, slightly further down the road, a cave, which Tim just had to explore. As Tim entered the cave, a magnificent pink bird flew out, circled around his head and in a clear ringing tone, granted him three wishes. Or perhaps, as he entered the cave, several non-pink birds that could have been pigeons or doves, flew out. The legend of the Pink Bird Cave (粉鳥洞) forbids us from divulging any further details.
When we reached the end of the bay, we wanted to get on the old coastal road, a much quieter and safer option than the busy new road we’d driven in on. After getting directions from some obliging locals, we crossed the river on a road bridge and started the slow climb up the hill. The new road has taken away most of the traffic so we were able to stroll along undisturbed, apart from the occasional car or scooter, although we were in for a noisy surprise later in the day. For the most part though, we were able to enjoy the tranquility and the quite spectacular scenery on either side. To our left we had verdant hillsides interspersed with streams and waterfalls tumbling down, while to our right we had phenomenal views of the ocean. Right below us we could see huge boulders that had crashed into the sea and further out boats would intermittently hove into view. Looking back, we could see the fishing harbour and Dong’Ao Bay glittering in contrasting shades of blue. Halfway up the hill we came to a small roadside temple and encountered a shabbily dressed couple, who seemed to be mooching around to no good. They had two old bicycles with a handful of possessions strapped to them and after we’d rebuffed their requests for cigarettes and money, we learned they’d set out from Hualien three days earlier and were heading for Taipei. In many countries meeting two ne’er-do-wells on a lonely road would have been rather disconcerting but here in Taiwan, encounters like this just raise curiosity rather than concern. We pushed on, expecting them to quickly pass us but it was at least three hours later when they finally cycled by; quick progress certainly wasn’t one of their concerns.
Given the beauty of our surroundings, we were equally happy to amble along but eventually we reached the road’s apex and paused for a snack break. Shortly afterwards, the silence was shattered by the roar of approaching engines and a Lamborghini came into sight, followed by another and another and another. There must have been around 10 in total, all with the same logo on the bonnet and accompanied by a couple of support vehicles. Five minutes later we went through the same performance again and then again so that, en masse, there were five or six groups, comprising 50 to 60 Lamborghinis. In Taiwan there are lots of young men from wealthy families with over-indulgent parents, who spend their time racing expensive sports cars round the back roads of the nation. Hmm………how should we describe them? Crazy Rich Asians. Idle Rich. Spoiled Brats. There are plenty of other epithets we could use but they certainly made a sharp contrast to the penniless cyclists who were trudging up the hill behind us.
We went through a short tunnel and could hear rustling and screeching above us. Glancing up we could see a group of monkeys glaring at us in a threatening manner but we moved on unhindered and, shortly after passing some odd fish sculptures, we got our first glimpses of Su’Ao. In due course we came to the Nafang’ao Observation Deck, a great vantage point for looking down on the town and Neipi Beach. We asked a young lad to take our photo and he told us he was riding round Taiwan on his scooter and was now on day seven of his journey. Despite our proximity to Su’ao, the winding nature of the road meant we still had another hour of walking and with December 21st being the shortest day of the year, darkness soon descended upon us. Fortunately, this close to Su’ao we had a pavement to walk on, so we wended our weary way down the hill, until at 6:30pm, we eventually reached the restaurant A-Tai had recommended. We quickly selected some delicious seafood and moments later we were seated inside with the first cold beverages of the night open. Ah, what bliss that first beer is after 20km of walking; or at least it was for Tim and I. Elaine, as the driver, was sadly unable to indulge but we had an amazing array of food to work our way through, so a pleasant time was had by all. We chatted away with the owners and at one point, for some unknown reason, we even started singing the Emil Chou (周華健) song “Friends (朋友) together. With bursting stomachs, we finally bade the staff a fond farewell and drove safely back to Taipei. All in all, another wonderful day of walking, talking, eating and drinking.
End of Day 15. Richie Rich.