Asia Trip - Day 6

Friday, 10/10 -

Today was my excursion to Jiufen (or Chiufen). I had a late start due to the temperamental washing machine I had issues with in the morning. Or rather, the washing machine had issues. Considering everything had to be air dried, and it was awfully humid outside, I wanted to get my wash out to dry in case it needed extra time. That said, I finally got out and questioned whether I had both the time, courage, and the stamina to attempt such a journey to this town.

Getting the tickets for the train to Keelung was pain free. Everyone was helpful despite the language barrier. Thankfully, thumbs up, winks, and plenty of smiles were the norm here, so I wasn't causing any cultural misunderstandings. The moment the train arrived in Keelung, it began to pour buckets of rain. I'm talking tropical storm kind of downpour. I managed to find my way to the bus to Jiufen, which was a bit of a lip biting experience, but I managed. I also had a really good book from the tourism board that showed the destination and directions in both English and Mandarin. That way, I could point to the page and people would know where I wanted to be.

Frightened that I would not know which stop to get off on, I turned around and was so happy to see a fellow Westerner named Steve. We engaged in conversation and I discovered he was living in Taiwan as an English language teacher. First off, it was nice to talk to someone from the US, second it was nice to talk to someone who was incredibly friendly and helpful, and it didn't hurt that we were going to the same location. So, if we didn't reach the correct stop, I knew I had a sympathetic shoulder to cry on! That wasn't needed however, because Jiufen was a major stop on the route and someone reminded us when to get off.

Jiufen was once a thriving Japanese mining town. Perched up in the hills, like my experience with the Peak in Hong Kong, the bus twists and turns skyward to reach it. The main draws are the stunning views and the tea houses that dot the area. These aren't quick stop in places to refresh yourself, but establishments where you sit and relax for hours on end while taking in the magnificent views. I'm antsy by nature, so I ended up walking around and stopping in a few tea houses along the way. Jiufen will also be the place where I became acquainted with squat toilets. These are not third world dirt holes, but well kept toilets that happen to be in the ground. Let's just say, it was an experience that I wasn't used to, and not going miss anytime soon.

One of the tea houses I visited, Old Town, was the most English friendly. I kept wondering why every place I stopped into questioned first whether I wanted milky tea. That is, until I remembered M telling me that this type is more preferred by Westerners. I did end up indulging in some at Babka, another tea house, and M was right; I did prefer this to the other teas I previously tried. I also tried the Taiwanese version of an Americanized pizza, which I picked at. When I wasn't in tea houses, I walked up and down the old streets, permitting myself to get lost in the maze. Jiufen is small enough to allow this. Wufan tunnel, an old mine, was cool and I didn't realize I was in front of the most iconic spot in town until I turned to see tons of people snapping photos. Apparently, this spot, the narrow stairs festooned with several red lanterns, was featured prominently in a famous movie, and the image is used in all tourism promotions.

Night was falling and I knew I had to get back to Taipei. I seem to have decided to leave around the same time as almost everyone else and since it was Taiwan National Day, a holiday, there were tons of people waiting for the bus. The line to get back to Keelung was unbelievably long. There were few buses, so it had to pick up and then drop off at the bottom before coming back up to accept more passengers. Of course, as in these situations, it began to pour buckets again. I stood out there about an hour, moving at a snails pace, before it was my turn to board the bus back to Keelung and catch my train for Taipei.