Text by MOOK Scenic Home’s Mofei Photos by Charlie and Mark
The light rain in the sky gradually stopped after leaving Chiayi Shuishang. Charlie and Mark had a 60-kilometer journey from Chiayi to Tainan today, which was honestly an almost impossible mission for them. Not long after reaching Madou, it got dark, and vehicles sped past them. Their hearts grew more worried as it got darker, unsure of what to do next—until a cute little car driven by an adorable young girl stopped to check on them.
The super generous boss lady, upon hearing they were doing an island hike, immediately treated them to a meal.
PART4Downtown Tainan - Downtown Kaohsiung
The adorable young girl was named Yu-Shan. She drove them through the countryside of Madou and found a random noodle shop in the city to fill their stomachs. The boss lady, upon learning they were hiking around the island on foot, without hesitation treated them generously, even giving them two pomelos. After eating, they continued on their way. Along the journey, they met another man who stopped them—he was a beverage shop owner. The boss said he loved helping island hikers, so they received even more blessings. That night, thanks to the care of a friend of a friend, they were able to sleep soundly without having to spend the night on the streets.
Cyclists who passed by saw them on the roadside and even went out of their way to buy drinks and bring them back to cheer them on.
After arriving in Tainan, they quickly flashed through the city, checking off everything they needed to see and eat. In the afternoon, they went to Yuguang Island, watching all kinds of couples enjoying the sunset. The two felt a bit awkward and emotional, and with feelings of envy, jealousy, and hate, they vented their emotions by eating at the Garden Night Market. They even rushed out at midnight to have Tainan’s must-eat beef soup, which made them oversleep the next day. Dragging their tired bodies and minds, they set off again. The sunlight along the way was relentless, and the friction in their crotch area got worse. Fortunately, they received all kinds of enthusiastic encouragement along the way, which helped them rely on willpower and a skateboard to walk and scoot all the way to Kaohsiung Railway Station.
A young boss who, upon learning they were doing the island hike, immediately offered them his own brand of drinks.
Out in the world, you rely on friends. In Kaohsiung, they stayed at their university friend’s place and spent two days sightseeing in Kaohsiung to let their bodies recover. They biked on Qijin, watched the sunset at Sizihwan, visited exhibitions at Pier-2 Art Center, and took time to calm their recent intense emotions and reflect on themselves. After all, they were about to leave the comfortable and friendly west and head toward the southernmost part of the country. The island hiking trip was also nearing its halfway point.
A friend doing alternative military service in Tainan even specially rode his bike to meet them at noon.
Q&A
During your island hike in Taiwan, where did you feel the warmest?
Charlie C
Tainan. When we were in Tainan, we encountered so many warm-hearted shop owners and passersby. We’re truly very grateful.
Mark M
On the road from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, that day over ten groups of people told us to keep going. We could really feel the warmth of southern Taiwan—it gave us so much energy.
Charlie, watching the sunset at Sizihwan.
- 1
- 2
- 3