How wild is hiking around the island!? From one end of the earth to the other until you're flying

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots’ Mofei | Photos by Charlie & Mark
 
That afternoon, under the brilliant sunshine, we walked into the café where we had agreed to meet them, and spotted them right away; they—the ones with sunlit smiles—though nearly two weeks had passed since their island-hiking journey ended, you could still feel from them the afterglow of that drive, making you even more eager to hear the stories they were about to share.

Self-introductions Charlie
 
Hi everyone, I’m Uncle Li—aka the Surprise Maker—and creating surprises is my life. I love doing crazy things, but skydiving isn’t one of them (‘cause I can’t tread water), and I’m also a bit afraid of heights, anyway. I’ve got plenty of quirks. You might ask, then where’s the surprise? Maybe it’s in the fact that in my otherwise smooth life, I’ve done a lot of things others wouldn’t dare. You might think I’m some rich guy who doesn’t need to work—but that’s not true. I just live a somewhat frugal life (okay, I do lose control with spending sometimes), but all of it I’m really grateful to my parents and grandmother for. Within what they could afford, they supported my decisions and helped me when needed. (Though, let me tell you secretly, grandma always pours cold water on my plans and sneers at them—she was actually totally against all my choices). But Uncle Li’s enthusiasm isn’t so easily doused. I’m willing to try anything, except turning back—that’s the one thing I refuse to compromise on. I’ll never look back, and I’ll sing of it forever with my life.

Self-introduction Mark
 
Hi everyone, I’m Mark. I’m 25 years old. Aside from mom, dad, and my two older brothers, our home also has two cats and a dog called “Qian Mang.” This trip came after a time when I was struggling at work—I was stuck in a job I didn’t like and feeling super lost. Then I decided to go on this island-hiking trip. When I came back, I really hoped someone would stick with me, and I truly found that here. There were lots of touching moments along the way. I won’t go on about them too much—you’ll get to know me better through the story below.

Prologue
 
Charlie and Mark—one graduated from architecture, the other from industrial management. After fulfilling their national duties, they made the bold decision to leave Taiwan and see the other side of the world. Charlie chose to go work-traveling in Ireland with friends, while Mark, after brushing up on his English in the Philippines, bravely ventured alone to Australia.

After working hard abroad, earning money, and traveling all over to broaden their horizons, they returned home enriched. Charlie, who came back to Taiwan nearly three months earlier than Mark, hit a wall in his job search—the unfriendly environment made it hard for him to find work he liked. It wasn’t a huge issue for someone who had adventured overseas, but it definitely bothered him.