Two lifts in one day

Today we were offered and accepted two lifts. Last night our nice Guanshan homestay offered to give us a lift to the train station. I declined, a trifle 15-minute walk with our backpacks, our normal routine. As it was still raining this morning, when they offered again at breakfast, we accepted.

After a slow three-hour train ride we arrived at Xincheng, the station for Taroko Gorge National Park, a top destination for Taiwan. From my research online I knew we had over two hours to kill before a bus can take us to Tiensiang inside the gorge, where we will be based. We had lunch, bought some provisions, and caught a bus for the 5km to the park headquarters. At the headquarters we got a map, inquired about various trails, and sat down to wait for our bus. A young woman walked up to us saying that they are going to Tiensiang -- would we like a lift in their car? We immediately accepted. The young couple is from Kaohsiung. They are on their honeymoon. Their English was so good that we were surprised that neither uses English for work. Since we learned that the turnout rate for last Saturday's election was expected to be 80%, John asked what they did about the election -- they waited for the polls to open at 8AM and then started driving on their honeymoon. What exemplary citizens! Along the drive, the three passenger were uh-wowing over the passing scenery, the poor driver had to really concentrate on all the twists and turns. In Tiensiang, we bid farewell to our benefactors at the visitor center and got a cozy room at our chosen hotel -- we did not choose to squander our money at the five-star hotel.

We travel simply and independently, refrain from paying for obsequiousness. Just so, we are always braced for the kindness of strangers.

View from our balcony at the Tianxiang Youth Activity Center in Taroko Gorge National Park.


With the honeymooners who gave us a ride to Tianxiang.

Chachapoyas is about epic journeys

1. It took an epic journey to come to Chacha (see previous entry).
   
2. From Chachapoyas, we took a day tour to Kuelap, a major pre-Incan ruin. The site is 1200m above the main road, but our van had to take a 360 degree counterclockwise 60km ramp along the side of the mountain. It took over an hour of driving while we could see the site the whole time!
3. One day we took a shared taxi to see the Sonche Canyon at Huancas; then walked back to Chacha. At the canyon mirador Sun-Ling was befriended by the very polite and sweet local children.
   
4. Another day we took a shared taxi to a village, Levanto, which is probably 10km as the crow flies. Again it took us almost an hour going up and down ramps on dirt roads. We walked back on the Inca Road. Because of poor directions, we went up and down the network of Inca Roads in a futile search for Yalape, a minor pre-Incan ruin. We walked for six hours non-stop and barely made it back before dark.
   
5. Leaving Chacha was yet another epic journey. We got up at 4am in order to catch the 5am bus for an 11-hour journey. For the first seven hours we zippered back and forth on long mountain ramps and switch backs, from high Andes mountains to low Amazonian oasis and back up again.
   

The walls of Kuelap tower above the valley.


The approach to Kuelap.

John and Sun-Ling pose at the narrow main entrance.


Inside the walls there are ruins of 500 circular dwellings. You can see some ruins in front and a reconstructed house in back.


View from Kuelap.


Sun-Ling and friends at Sonche Canyon.


Sonche Canyon.


Sun-Ling on the Inca Road between Levanto and Chachapoyas.


In the Andes between Chachapoyas and Celendin, Peru as seen from the bus window.


Another shot from the bus window. The deep green in the valley is a mango oasis.

Days 11 & 12 - January 16 &17, 2008 - Mandalay to Bagan

Down the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Bagan

To make a long story short, the slow boat from Mandalay to Bagan took 36 hours instead of 15. We slept on the boat and made new friends among our fellow passengers and the crew.

Here is some video.



All the photos from the river trip are here.

Almost at Bagan, we look like we're having fun even though we spent 36 hrs on the boat and slept on the deck.