A Taitung Holiday Part 4

By the time we finished cycling and dinner, the sky had already turned dark. I sort of underestimated the distance between Chishang (池上) and the next destination Dulan (都兰). We made it to the homestay (都兰草堂) just before 9pm. Everywhere was pitch dark but on this full moon evening, the Pacific Ocean beckoned to us like a pretty lady with silver hair. It was only early next morning that her full beauty was revealed to us.......

As scenic as the place is, we didn't spend much time loitering there because I knew we would be out and about the rest of the day.......but where exactly.....we left it to "fate". I have always had this thing with fresh seafood and fishing port. I had to make a pilgrimage to one of Taitung's biggest and famous fishing ports Chenggong Port (成功渔港). Having said that, "big" is relative. Taitung is afterall a small city compared to Tokyo's Tsukiji Market or even our local Jurong Fishing Port. Not wanting to tire my family out, I didn't insist visiting the port early in the morning, when the activity is at its busiest. By the time we reached there at around 930am, we felt like latecomers to a bachelor's party.

Near the port was another famous landmark in Taitung. It's called "Three Deities Platform" (pardon my inadequate translation) or 三仙台, so named because on an islet separated by a narrow strip of water are three tiny hills (picture below in the background). The islet is linked by a multi-parabolic bridge (which is closed currently). However, what set the kids excited were of course more mundane stuff like flower-shaped ice-cream that came in less common flavours (roselle, cranberries etc).

My wife and I consider ourselves lucky because our children are easily fascinated by little things: strange pebbles and shells, fish that hop and skate on the water, tidal waves, naturally-formed pools between rocks and rotting carcass of a metre-long fish.

Just a kilometre away is a sleepy village （比西里海岸） that's remodeling itself as an "showcase" for Aborigine's art. I think it's still a work in progress, but the potential is definitely there. It boasts sloping narrow streets that face the Pacific Ocean, quaint and old little houses full of character, colourful and interesting wall murals and sculpture. What's lacking are maybe one or two "anchor" themed homestays and a couple of authentic and innovative cafes/restaurants.