Yehliu GeoPark & a few other stops

October 23, 2008

There is an excellent resource for expats here in Taipei called the Community Services Center. I found it a couple of weeks ago and marveled at all the things they have for us to do as well as all the things they've figured out...they've even written a book that they update every 2 years that I now swear by. Its my bible for living here and I consult it daily! I love sightseeing with Matt and Caitlin, but there is so much to do here that if I wait for the weekends alone I'd be missing so much. Besides, I need to get to all these places so I know where to bring our guests. So I signed Caitlin and I up for a trip to the northern coast of Taiwan, about an hour from here, to see the Pacific Ocean from this side of the world, the beaches of northern Taiwan and trek around the Yehliu GeoPark.

Yehliu GeoPark is a long cape in northern Taiwan formed by the Datum Mountain. It is surrounded by a very prosperous fishing village. Squid fishing to be exact. The cape itself reaches far into the sea. With the help of sea erosion and more recently weathering the rocks formed in this area 10-25 million years ago have turned into fantastic geological works of nature. The rocks themselves are rather intriguing taking on the shapes of candles, Cinderella's slipper, mushrooms, whales and the Queen of England herself!

So Caitlin and I packed our lunches and supplies into a backpack built to hold both toddler and "stuff" and we boared the bus to Yehliu at 9am. For those who know me well, you understand that getting us both out the door by 9am was a feat within itself! Caitlin had her own seat on the bus which made the commute extremely comfortable for both of us. I hate that car seats are not the norm here in Taiwan, but felt some assurance in knowing that size rules the roads in this country and we'd be a little safer on the bus (than in a cab). This bus also had seat belts so we were both strapped in for a change. She sat still on the bus with the help of some stickers and paper and snacks and songs...

The town of Yehliu boasts fish the way Taipei does dumplings. There are fish markets and stands every few steps. There are prepared-to-eat fish and fresh cut fish (should I say fillet?) and then the super fresh ones that are still swimming around. Y'all know me and fish - it really gave me the heebie geebies. Luckily, (and rather miraculously) it didn't smell like fish. After a short trek through the village we arrived at the geopark. The park was picturesque with the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean sporting the most crystal/mystical blue I've ever seen. The sandstone structures took center stage, but if you took a moment to look away you'd notice that they enveloped in rolling hills of lush greenery. Deep inside the green someone carved trails to hike or stone tables and chairs just sit and enjoy the view.

Being with a group has it's advantages and disadvantages. I think the disadvantage here was the agenda and time limitation. There was so much more to take in and I would have loved to take a ton of pictures of Caitlin, but I just didn't have enough hands or time. Speaking of hands, I have to mention that I was with the kindest group of strangers you'd ever meet. Our group spanned the globe and all were eager to help out in some way. They made me feel much more comfortable with my decision to "strike it out on my own."

Here's that beautiful Pacific Ocean

This is supposed to be Cinderella's slipper. I have a hard time with this one...

This is the Portrait of the Queen. Posing next to it is a British lady on our tour.

Girls on a hike!

From the geopark we moved onto another national park, but I didn't get to see any of it. Personal choice. Caitlin and I, as well as a few other travelers, found a shady spot and sprawled out for lunch. It was a well timed idea, but not an easy execution. As mentioned in previous blogs, Caitlin tends to attract a lot of attention. We seemed to do okay at the geopark because she was hard to spot on my back with the sun canopy over her. When we arrived at the next park she was no longer in the backpack AND there was a tour bus full of Taiwanese senior citizens who just wanted EVERYTHING to do with her. Thankfully, no cameras. However, the interest level grew too aggressive and she just couldn't eat (and neither could I) so we moved to another, more secluded, spot. I would absolutely hate to be a celebrity!

The last stop we made was at the most creepy, disgusting, run down, dirty, ghetto-ish place I have ever been in my life. However, it is home to the most popular and sacred temple in Taiwan (or so I'm told) and has a happening night life if you're in the market for a hooker or a bowl of snails. Yeah, nice place. I'll be sure to bring all my guests here! Seriously. We were here to see the sacred Temple of the Dog. As the story goes, zillions of years ago some fishermen went out to sea and never returned. One of the fisherman's had a dog that stayed behind. He waited and waited for his master to return and after days of waiting, the dog jumped into the ocean and died so that he could be reunited with his master in another life. So, they built a temple for him. It is common for worshipers to rub gold paper on the dogs nose. I'm not sure if this is for good luck or just a sign of worship. Either way, I rubbed my gold sheet of paper on the dog's nose. I felt lucky enough to get out of there unscathed.

Aside from seeing awesome wonders of nature, it was an empowering day. Empowering because I now know that both Caitlin and I are able to get through a little adventure together alone and won't have any hesitation about doing it again (which is a good thing because we're signed up for a few more trips already!). Oddly, it was also a day of reflection for me. Caitlin fell asleep in my arms on the bus ride home (it was naptime). As I gazed at her sweet, sleepy face I was so thankful to have these arms to hold her, a body capable enough to haul her around on my back, for people to open their hearts and help us and as always, the opportunity to be here to begin with. Creation, whether it be human or nature is a marvelous thing. I am blessed to be witness to it all.

Here is a link to all of my photos from our travels. Enjoy! http://picasaweb.google.com/taralheller/20081023TripToYehliuGeopark?authkey=IgnKW1xik2Q#