In April,
2002, on the Tomb Sweeping weekend one year after my trip to Kenting, I accompanied a mismatched group of
people on a motorcycle ride. The plan
was to go into and then over the mountains. You see, the island of Taiwan is largely taken
up by a massive mountain range (considered by geologists to be three ranges, though
they flow uninterrupted one into the other) that runs from north to south,
called Chungyang Shanmai. For most
citizens, getting across this barrier is more comfortably done in a loop around
the mountains, either in a car or by train. The tracks, laid during Japanese rule,
encircle the island, running mostly near the coast, or at any rate, on the flat
plains, which are very narrow. There was,
however, a cross-island highway that went over the mountains from Taichung to
Hualien. As it approached Hualien, it
passed through Toroko Gorge, a spectacular marble canyon in eastern Taiwan.
Four or five
of us set out together, starting our slow ascent along curvy route 136 via Toubiankeng.
We then turned onto route 14.
I got to Hehuan Mountain, the highest
point along this road. From here it
would be downhill. And that’s when the
trouble started. Just after starting the
descent, a mist rolled in. I stopped to rest, and then the bike
wouldn’t start. A dazzled panic set
in. I rested some more and then tried the
bike again. Just as I got it started, a Taiwanese couple
stopped to ask if I needed help. They’d
in fact passed me earlier and had seen I was in trouble, so they turned and
came back. They let me follow their tail
lights all the way through the mist (which also meant that I had no time to enjoy the roadside
scenery). As soon as the fog lifted,
they dashed off and left me in their wake. By now my nerves were shot and I decided it was best to just keep
going.
It must have
been just before sundown when I reached Toroko Gorge. It was magnificent, but there was no
energy left today, and I went right through it, stopping at the first accommodation I saw. There was always tomorrow. Until I woke the next day.........! There was something very wrong with the bike. It had no power and I was unable to get it beyond first
gear. My mate who’d lent it to me had
said everything had been checked and there was nothing I needed to do for the ride. Well, his mechanic had forgotten to refill the
oil!!! All I could do was edge it slowly towards
Hualien Train Station, where the vehicle was put on a train back to Taichung. The deflated rider put himself on a bus to
Taipei and then a train to Taichung. A
promising weekend ruined. But it makes
one hell of a story. I got no pictures of the gorge, and as
of 2019, I’ve never
gone there again. One day, perhaps.Because I was no longer taking notes, I am bound to forget most of what happened, but for Christmas 2002, I decided to meet Kathy and James (yes, of Charterhouse and Southampton). James' brother William had been living in Tokyo and had gotten married there. James and Kathy were off to meet him, and they asked me to join. I took a week off work and flew to Narita Airport, arriving on 21 Dec, 2002. The flight lasts only 3 hours and 15 minutes, but after including the commute from Taichung, the wait before departure, customs procedures after landing and getting the metro (if that's what it's called) into Tokyo, the journey lasted 16 hours. Kathy had grown worried.......... What a happy reunion! I had not planned anything for this trip since we had a host, and I followed Will and the others. We took in sights around the city and also got a train to a nearby village.
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I was thoroughly impressed with how clean and organized this country was. We ate out a lot, each person taking turns to cover the cost. When it was my turn, they kindly took us to a cheap restaurant, where the prices nevertheless left me breathless. I asked James to cover it with the promise of wiring the money later. In the end, James wouldn't take it back. Thank heavens! For this one reason, I decided that I would never return to Japan. In hindsight, that was a silly decision as I was spending time with people of means. If I'd been there on my own, I'm sure I would have found all the affordable options. Anyhoo. One memorable restaurant we dined in had a jail theme. We were handcuffed upon arrival and led to our cell, which was locked after we had ordered. If memory serves, the lights also went out for a while, preventing us from taking another bite. Quirky and fun. Another meal was taken on a boat as we drifted on a river. I returned to Taiwan on 27 Dec, 2002.
Shortly after
this, in early 2003, long-suffering Louis took a trip to Taiwan, "to come
and bring me home" as it were. (In
my account Relatives in Asia, I said that my brother and his family were
my first international guests. This was
an oversight, as I'd forgotten about Louis' visit.) In truth, Louis wanted to see the
island and also to be led to some koi farms.
When I had met
him two years earlier, he had been working in a pet store. One of his responsibilities was taking care
of clients' koi fish. He was obsessed
with the fish, and he was pretty good with them. Not only did he care for the fish, but he also
built and maintained the ponds. He soon
went out on his own and built a successful business managing ponds throughout
the Western Cape. Perhaps this is why he
never joined me. He was happy to be out
in the sun, barefooted and doing physical work. Perhaps now you understand why I liked him.
We'd stayed
in touch throughout my two years away and I was always going to return to him
after the East. Now he was here, like I said, to bring me home.
We flitted around the island. We saw some koi ponds, but I'd been unsuccessful in finding companies with whom he could do business.
He met all my friends,
and we also drove south one day to visit another South African friend of his who had come here after I had, Brenda Barnby.
We visited Lukang
and Sun Moon Lake.
I also took him north to the National Palace Museum in Taipei,
and we visited the Lantern Festival, which that year had its main exhibit in Taichung.
My Chinese friend Kevin, the gas man, had said he wanted to meet Louis, and so I called him also during Louis’ visit. However, Kevin ignored my calls. This slight cut deep. In hindsight, it’s obvious that he was not truly comfortable with my sexuality and that as long as my other half was at a safe distance, our friendship had worked. The thought of seeing me touch or kiss in front of him, was clearly a different matter. Needless to say, that was the end of that friendship.
We flitted around the island. We saw some koi ponds, but I'd been unsuccessful in finding companies with whom he could do business.
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He met all my friends,
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and we also drove south one day to visit another South African friend of his who had come here after I had, Brenda Barnby.
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We visited Lukang
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and Sun Moon Lake.
I also took him north to the National Palace Museum in Taipei,
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and we visited the Lantern Festival, which that year had its main exhibit in Taichung.
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My Chinese friend Kevin, the gas man, had said he wanted to meet Louis, and so I called him also during Louis’ visit. However, Kevin ignored my calls. This slight cut deep. In hindsight, it’s obvious that he was not truly comfortable with my sexuality and that as long as my other half was at a safe distance, our friendship had worked. The thought of seeing me touch or kiss in front of him, was clearly a different matter. Needless to say, that was the end of that friendship.
When it was
time to depart, my final farewell over,
we flew to Malaysia where we spent a couple of days. Since I'd been to Kuala Lumpur, we headed to a beach town whose name I have forgotten, where we got to see a Hindu Thaipusam Festival in full swing.
Upon arrival back in Gordon's Bay, I moved in with Louis. Truthfully, though, our relationship had always been built on sand, and within days, he called the whole thing off. I was taken aback, confused and sad, but I can't say it was a shock. In truth, we'd "been together" for about 27 months, 24 of which I was abroad. Best to acknowledge it and move on.
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we flew to Malaysia where we spent a couple of days. Since I'd been to Kuala Lumpur, we headed to a beach town whose name I have forgotten, where we got to see a Hindu Thaipusam Festival in full swing.
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Upon arrival back in Gordon's Bay, I moved in with Louis. Truthfully, though, our relationship had always been built on sand, and within days, he called the whole thing off. I was taken aback, confused and sad, but I can't say it was a shock. In truth, we'd "been together" for about 27 months, 24 of which I was abroad. Best to acknowledge it and move on.
Thus ends the
tale of Malcolm the Fledgling Traveler.
The first travelogue I ever wrote, Primates, fits in immediately after
this......... (Within a few short months,
I returned to Taiwan. I bumped into Kevin months later in a
supermarket, and he gave me his phone number. Those digits were never dialled.)