Eluanbi

I had picked a private room at Kenting to be able to relax after a long flight. A shared room is more stressful, having to be mindful of others' space. Also I was waking up early due to the 3 hour timezone difference. Breakfast was simple at this place though, just a ham and egg sandwich with sweetened tea.

I went to the rental shop next to the hostel and got a electric scooter for 600NTD for the day. Due to licensing regulations, an International Driving License is required even for a low capacity scooter. Electric scooters are exempt. So are pushbikes of course, but they are infeasible due to the slopes, and even more so due to the strong winds. My scooter didn't go fast, but I didn't want it to. You see it in this photo.

This is the first bay heading south. It is across the road from several hotels. It may not be much but it's actually a pretty good beach by Taiwan standards. Kenting is where the locals head for a weekend if they want warmer weather and beaches.

This is Chuanfanshih (Ship Sail Stone) because that's how it looks from sea. However as it looks like him in profile, the locals also call it President Nixon's Head.

Next is Sadao (Sand Island) which is a misnomer as it's not an island at all but a stretch of beach formed from microscopic shells. Because of its unique nature, it's off limits.

Finally I arrived at the tip of the island with Eluanbi lighthouse. Eluan derives from an aboriginal word meaning yacht, and the Chinese added bi (nose). It was built as a fortified lighthouse, not just because of possible attack from sea, but also because of attack from land. Towards the end of the 19th century several shipwrecks happened near the tip of Taiwan. Survivors of a US shipwreck were massacred by aborigines when they reached shore. The USans and Japanese petitioned China to build a lighthouse, and so it was done. During WWII when Taiwan was still under Japanese rule, it was heavily bombed. It was restored and put back into service after the war. Today it is one of the most powerful lighthouses in the region.

But in fact I saw the lighthouse last in my tour due to the direction I had picked; I elected to see the shoreline first. This is a hazy view looking back on the coastline. The weather in Taiwan was humid and I suspect it often is. Air conditioners are needed not just to cool on hot days but also to dry the air. Taiwan's location, around the Tropic of Cancer, means that it doesn't get cold for long, maybe damp and miserable up north in the depth of winter. Evenings in Kenting were pleasant due to the cool breezes.

The southernmost point of Taiwan is just a bit to the east of Eluanbi and there is a walking path to this tasteful concrete marker that they have installed there. Naturally there isn't much but sea to the south.

I headed up the coastal road where I got a glimpse of Taiwan's rugged east coast and encountered some of the stiffest winds on my excursion. I thought I might be blown off the cliff if I didn't take care. But one hardy cyclist had ridden up the steep hill on pushbike, and his wife and kid had come by scooter.

Taiwan's population is concentrated on the west coast where the land is flatter.

So I called it a day and whirred, not puttered, my way back to Kenting. But first a stopover for lunch of udon in tomato gravy. The Japanese influence from the years of rule between 1895 and 1945 can be seen in the cuisine.

I didn't return the scooter right away; I had it until 2200, but took one more ride in the evening to the back beach of Kenting.

Afterwards I got dinner at the night market. This time I had grilled squid, followed by grilled xiaolongbao (juicy dumplings), takoyaki (the Japanese influence again), banana pancake, iced plum drink, and a red bean cake.