Apparently, our new car must be named, so I’ve reluctantly agreed to the moniker “Ziggy” which alludes to its “ZG” number plates. In many ways, it is now worthy of a naming ceremony after making its first trip over the mountain and round the coast without missing a beat. We were cocooned in the luxurious feeling beast all the way, climate control keeping the humidity at bay and all the other bells and whistles passing their test runs. We were most impressed with the leather upholstery, superior sound system, electric sunroof and other gadgets as well as the large interior space. My Mum and also my Aunt and Uncle will not be surprised at this news as they have both owned the same vintage Honda Accord at various times (and still have it I believe). It was also the last type of car that Dad drove, and I thought of him a few times as I drove over the mountain for the first time, especially when I “opened her up” to pass a sluggish car in front: he was certainly known for some high speed escapades while driving around home base in Newcastle!
The day was glorious, but the far side of Yangminshan was draped in a sea mist that clung to the ground and didn’t stir. There was no wind and the conditions outside were very uncomfortable. The two boards I had stashed in the back didn’t get any use as we decided not to surf and also not to swim. Instead, we thought we’d give the car a real test ands take it around in search of the huge dog rumoured to be guarding the hinterland of the 18 Lords temple on the north coast. We found the 18 Lords temple, but not the dog…perhaps another time.
While there however, we decided to explore further up the hill, up and up to where the giant wind generated turbines stood. They dwarfed the lone turbine on Kooragang island in Newcastle and we actually had a touch of vertigo staring up at the one at the top of the peak. In typical Taiwanese fashion, these turbines (all 6 of them) have been transformed into a minor tourist attraction, with a boardwalk leading to the base of one and plenty of vantage points designed for photo taking. We missed a tour bus by seconds, so enjoyed a look pretty much to ourselves.
We stopped on the scenic coastal highway and photographed the car while admiring the skills of a lone scuba diver with a net…he seemed to be engaged in a hybrid of ancient aboriginal fish catching practices and modern diving, using a small net to cast towards fish and trying to scoop them up: we didn’t stick around long enough to see if he procured his dinner!
We’d also gone out without any money! We scraped the bottom of the surf bag and found just enough to get a tiny pack of pork dumplings (for me) and some yoghurt (for Cass) and washed our feast down with some water from the free water we get when we fill up the car with petrol.
Suitably recharged, we then investigated down the entrance road from Baishawan to the Cape Fugei lighthouse, where we turned left to re-discover a tiny concrete harbour sheltering a few bobbing fishing boats and some languid fishermen onshore. What was most interesting was a coastal boardwalk heading south-west towards a possible “new” point break. Ever since our horrendous experience of an inexperienced crowd at Greenball a few weeks back, the urgency has grown to find an even more secluded spot, away from the prying eyes of surfers trawling the highway in search of waves. Cass and I investigated further by tracking the road in from the other end, near the ill fated former “Jetson” house of the Sanjih shoreline. After following some signs to the coastal walkway and negotiating a bike path, where we risked precipitous drops into rice paddies on either side, we eventually abandoned the car to progress on foot. After a few hundred metres of very pleasant walking past tiny temples and shaded lanes, we emerged at the coast, devoid of any dwellings and within sight of the other side of the point…this place will definitely be checked again when the swell rises.
We were completely exhausted yesterday for some reason and had a huge sleep-in and couldn’t rouse ourselves to do anything other than vegetate in front of the one day cricket, beaming via internet from India. The Aussies won in the time I would normally be writing the blog, hence the late entry: apologies to those who have a Sunday night routine to read…Ildi?
Photos: car on the coast road, diver catching fish, up at the wind turbines and at the secluded possible future surf break on the boardwalk.