By MOOK Scenic Spots / Mofei Photos / Charlie & Mark
The South-Link Highway seemed endless, and the weather changed unpredictably—sunny one moment, rainy the next—making the hike quite tough for them. They even met another pair of brothers who were also hiking around the island, but in the opposite direction. The brothers planned to spend a few days in Taitung. After meeting fellow travelers, they generously bought supplies to help Charlie and Mark recharge.
The two were exhausted but still smiled happily for the photos.
PART8Taitung City - Taitung Duli - Taitung Changbin
They scrambled, crawled, and even slid their way into Taitung City, where they found a cozy, high-quality guesthouse to stay at. After freshening up, they couldn’t wait to hit the streets to treat their tired bodies. They also visited the Iron Flower Art Village to experience the art and culture of the East Coast. At the guesthouse, they met a woman named Xiaobai who had just started her own island-hiking journey. They had breakfast together in the morning, hugged goodbye, and continued on their way. Along the breathtaking Qilan Road, they took a break and noticed that most of the visitors were foreign tourists. As Taiwanese, they felt it was such a shame not to have visited such a beautiful spot before.
The brother duo hiking around the island met another brother duo doing the same.
By a twist of fate, they even stumbled upon a juice and brunch shop run by Mark’s junior high school senior. They didn’t know the place was so popular. Luckily, they got to enjoy some ice-cold fresh juice, instantly replenishing their energy. Along the way, they also met a couple hiking around the island by car, who fed them again. With all the encouragement and supplies from everyone, they easily reached the Duli Tribe. However, since they had only just looked for accommodation, they struggled to find a seaside homestay that embraced nature and the ocean.
They met the girl they saw on the second day of their island hike at the other end of Taiwan, but she was having a much better time than they were.
When they arrived at the northeastern part of Taitung—Changbin—they were greeted by the northeast monsoon winds blowing in from the sea. Hiking against the wind took nearly twice the effort. Along the way, they passed by sites like Sanxiantai and the Wushi Nose seawall, but bad weather forced them to give up on both, and they didn’t even get a single nice photo. But no matter what, that’s just how life is—things don’t always go as planned, right? Preparing to leave Taitung, they headed to Hualien for some braised pork rice.
Walking along one of the most beautiful coastlines in Taiwan, they felt tired but deeply satisfied.
Q&A
Did you ever think about giving up during the island hike?
No, because my expectation for myself was to never look back.
Charlie C
No, because my expectation for myself was to never look back.
Mark M
No, since I started, I was determined to finish it.
The wound from the fall when we started has almost healed.
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