Taiwan Travel Stories (

Motorcycles and Madness in Taiwan - Taiwan - Taiwan Travel Stories :: BootsnAll Travel Network Visit other BootsnAll sites: BootBlog | Bali | London | Australia | Written Road | Travel News Daily Home | Ask an Insider | Members Forum Plane Tickets | Youth Hostels | RTW Guide About Us | Advertising | Contact | RSS | Staff First Time Visitor? By John Matthews Motorcycles and Madness in Taiwan Taiwan It was a beautiful clear morning, and the path to adventure lay before us. The plan was simple. Travel down the west coast of Taiwan, cut across a small mountain range up the east coast, across another mountain range, and home again. Our trusty steed In the area of equipment, economy was important. I had the biggest and most powerful motorbike the average person in Taiwan could buy - 150cc. To this was strapped a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, food and girlfriend. At a top speed of about 80 - 90 km per hour, we were not going to break any land speed records. Taiwan is best known for computers, but a little known wonder is the natural beauty of the place. Running up the middle of the island is a majestic mountain range. The range is truly spectacular. Leaving the east coast, and the majority of people and factories, also means leaving the thick smog filled air. When first arriving on the east coast, the scenery is spectacular. Mountains reach right down to the sea. The sea is an aqua blue, clean and clear. Without doubt one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Camping is no problem in Taiwan, especially if you have some trouble with the local language. First stop on the plan was Jrben (zurben). This area is famous for hot springs. A lot of people camp in Taiwan, but few of them venture far from the amenities. Once you find a river, not in flood, you are virtually left on your own to the tranquil sounds of the water and the wildlife. Jrben hot spring Taiwan is also well known for its earthquakes. Effects of this instability are the hot springs. There is nothing more soothing after a days ride on a motorbike, then to sit in the heavily mineralised waters of the hot springs. You can choose from the very commercial bathing areas or the natural settings, where the water bubbles up from the source itself. It's the perfect treat for the weary traveller. Part two of the journey saw us travel up the coast to meet the mountain range, and start the long journey home. Travelling anywhere in the region of China and some parts of Asia during the Chinese New Year is not a good idea. In Taiwan most of the country is on the move. Stopping for supplies on the way into the mountains, we spoke to the local shop owner. All he could say in his broken English was "careful, be careful". What could he mean? It wasn't long before we found out. In the centre of the mountain pass was a famous gorge, a nice place to set up and camp for the night and split the journey. Or so we thought. The road snaked its way up heading towards this gorge we had heard about. Arriving, we found just that, a gorge that you could see from a large bridge, but nowhere to camp. On the map it looked like we were about halfway through the mountains. The road continued to make its way up the mountains Two hours later there was still no end to the climb. The road conditions had taken a turn for the worse just in time for the traffic to increase. Being earthquake country, at times half the road was missing. This part of Taiwan was also famous for landslides and in some places the road had been devastated. This seemed of no consequence to the Taiwanese. They came in large numbers, and at great speeds, and on any part of the road that seemed to feel most comfortable. In Taiwan there is an unwritten hierarchy for traffic. It goes in size. Trucks and buses first, cars, and then of course the lowly motorcycles, scooters and bicycles. The consequences of this were that an approaching car would never move over for a motorcycle. Given that the road clings to the side of the mountain, it was a very dangerous dance. On one side was a two-foot wall with at least a drop of a kilometre and the other was the grand prix circuit for Taiwan. Stopping outside a roadside restaurant, searching the skyline and the impossible height of the mountains, we looked for the pass that would take us through to the other side. Upon leaving, the road climbed and climbed. There was no pass. We were going straight over the top. Mountain view Just when you thought that things could get no worse, they did. The temperature dropped about ten degrees. At the top the view was spectacular, not quite risking your life for, but very spectacular. Legend had it that many people died making the road. Local people said that before the weeklong holiday was finished there would be a few more. Riding for three hours and covering less than a hundred kilometres, all that lay ahead was a damp dark tunnel and the other side of the mountain. The road stayed in its normal condition, narrow and falling off the mountain. The traffic however increased significantly. On at least five occasions, a head on collision with a car or truck was only seconds away. If the tinge of fear had not set up camp in the pit of my stomach, then the smell of leaking brake fluid made the tent look like a house. Luck being on our side - it rained. The journey down the other side of the mountain range took another three to four hours. Dismounting at the first town, lips caressed the ground in heart-felt thanks. Chinese New Year brought out the celebrations in people. That meant firecrackers, and lots of them. There goes the restful nights sleep. Waking found us lying in the salted pools again, before making our way home in the driving rain. What could be the moral of the story? My recommendation is this. If you want to enjoy the beauty of Taiwan's mountains, run a bath throw in some salts and connect to the net. This article was added to BootsnAll on March 01, 2001 | Permanent Link Got an opinion? Share your thoughts on this article . More BootsnAll articles like this: Asia ( tag ) Asia Travel Stories ( tag ) China ( tag ) China Travel Stories ( tag ) John Matthews ( tag ) NE Asia ( tag ) NE Asia Travel Stories ( tag ) Taiwan ( tag ) Taiwan Travel Stories ( tag ) Book It! RTW Air Tickets (round-the-world) Plane Tickets (round-trip and one-way) Search for Hotels Rental Cars Youth Hostels Eurail Passes Travel Insurance Adventure Travel & Tours Travel Bookstore TEFL Courses Airport Parking GSM Phone Rental Travel Visas Newsletter Sign up for any or all of BootsnAll's newsletters. Why should you sign-up? Newsletter Sign-Up (enter your e-mail) Research It! 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Austria Travel: Deals and travel information for Austria, Europe Mobile site | Security | Your account | Help find - find.html -- Travel to Austria Home > World > Europe > Austria Travel lastminute.com offers a fantastic array of incredible Austria travel deals. Whetherbooking a hotel, flight, holiday or car hire, lastminute.com is your one stop travel shop. So, either check out our special Austria travel deals below,use our search box to find the perfect trip or browse through our vast list of destinations to see all we have to offer. Let lastminute.com help you plan the most rewarding journey you've ever had. Search Travel Flight+Hotel-SAVE £££ Holidays Flights Hotels Holidays search Destination: list destinations Departure area: Show me all Any London Airport / Station Any East Anglia Airport Any Midlands Airport Any North East / Yorkshire Airport Any North West Airport Any Scottish Airport Any South West / Wales Airport Northern Ireland Price: Show me all Under 100 Under 200 Under 300 Under 400 Under 500 Under 600 Under 700 Under 800 Under 900 Under 1000 More than 1000 Day: Month: Any 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 false Any December January February March April May June July August September October November Give or take: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ( days ) Board type: Show me all All Inclusive Bed And Breakfast Fly Drive Full-board Half-board Room Only Self Catering Length of stay: Show me all Short Break / Weekend (1-5 Nights) Week (6-9 Nights) Fortnight (10-16 Nights) Longer (17 Nights Or More) Hotel star rating: Show me all 1* 2* 3* 4* 5* Temperature: Show me all Warm (over 15c) Very warm (over 20c) Hot (over 25c) Very hot (over 30c) Travel time: Show me all Less than 3 hours 3 To 6 hours 6 To 9 hours 9 To 12 hours Over 12 hours Keywords (eg 'Pool'): Jump to... Austria Hotels (169) Austria Holidays (366) Austria Flights Austria Car rentals (21) Austria Short breaks Austria Guide Deals Area Info Attractions Events Deals Today's Top Deals Dorint Sofitel Vital Royal Spa Seefeld Short ski breaks in Igls - Austria from 229 Mercure Bregenz City 4* half board in snowy Kaprun, Austria - 7 nights from 299 Area Info Austria, at the geographical heart of Europe, is renowned for its ski resorts set on spectacular mountains, overlooking crystal-clear lakes and voluptuously green valleys. Throughout the country are glorious architectural reminders of the once-powerful Hapsburgs, who dominated central Europe for seven centuries. Nowhere is the legacy more evident than in the capital, Vienna, with its ornate Opera House and the former imperial residence of the Hofburg. 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The resort itself has only 50km of pistes, but you can have access to the pistes of Kirchberg as well with a combined regional lift pass. Belvedere Gallery Prince Eugene of Savoy's 18th-century summer palace is a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, surrounded by formal gardens. Now the Belvedere Gallery, it is crammed with art treasures dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. Raphael, Rubens and Rembrandt Collection One of the most important art collections in the world, the Liechtenstein Princely Collection makes its grand public debut at the unveiling of Vienna's majestic Liechtenstein Museum in March 2004. Vienna State Opera The Vienna State Opera is one of the great opera houses of the world. With such famous names attached to its history as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Bruno Walter, Clemens Kraus and Karl Bhm, there can be little wonder that it is so revered. Since the war Karajan, Maazel, Abbado and, since 2002, Seiji Ozawa have all had periods (however turbulent) as music director. Spanish Riding School - Lipizzaner Stallions A perfect pas de deux in one of the most wonderful ballroom-like buildings of Vienna? Before you try it yourself at one of the city's numerous balls, let the famed Lipizzaner stallions show you how it's done. Obertauern Resort Obertauern is one of Austria's most popular resorts, regularly attracting national and international celebrities. Salzburg Residenz This fine Baroque palace in the heart of Salzburg's Old Town is the historic home of the city's ruling prince-bishops. The magnificent State Rooms and the Gallery, which houses works by Rembrandt and Rubens, are open to the public. Vienna Running for Visitors This guided run through the beautiful gardens of Vienna is held every Tuesday and Thursday and lasts for about 1 1/2 hours. It is designed to meet the needs of beginners as well as more advanced runners, with plenty of rests in-between, attracting tourists as well locals. The runners leave from the Tourist Info office near the Albertina Museum. Events Walkable Advent Calendar 1 Dec 2005 - 6 Jan 2006 (annual) Kitzbühel Alice in Wonderland 4 Jan 2006 (various dates) Volksoper New Year's Eve Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic 31 Dec 2005 Vienna Musikverein New Year's Day Concert in Vienna 1 Jan 2006 (annual) Vienna Musikverein Kaiserball 31 Dec 2005 (annual) Hofburg ; Part of the lastminute.com group. lastminute.com , travel4less.com , travelselect.com , holidayautos.co.uk , medhotels.com , holidayhotels.com , onlinetravel.com , ifyouski.com , exhilaration.co.uk , gotofrance.com Holidays Hotels Citybreaks Gifts Experiences Entertainment Flights Site map Search site Skip navigation links Home Travel World Europe In Austria... 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