Reisen durch Taiwan
Scooter Tour day one to four (3.-5.12.2010)
Just relaxing after 4 days of scooting around Taiwan's mountains!
And I always took the twistiest and turniest roads I could find :D
To everyone that is not speaking German, sorry for my German commentary in the videos. And for all German speaking people, sorry for my comments ^^
And I know the camera is choppy and is shaking a lot but please have mercy with my lack of professional equipment. I shot everything with camera in my hand while driving or with the camera dangling around my neck and kind of tied into a seemingly good position.

Here are all the routes:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&doflg=ptk&msa=0&msid=108570725219306999077.000496d275b8546dbf9c0&z=9

Starting out: Taichung to Sun Moon Lake




Lightshow at Sun Moon Lake

One time around the lake by bycicle with an awsome Giant mountainbike!


View from the Chiang Kai-Shek built pagoda


On the way from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan driving through the Yushan National Park area


Stunningly impressive views on Yushan Nationalpark mountains from below while driving!

And while standing still (maybe) watching Yushan.

It's getting late because I started out driving the scooter too late. But lucky for you it's a good thing so I can capture the sunset over some of the highest mountains in Taiwan while standing on one of the highest roads!

And then (a must do) watching the sun rise above Yushan at Alishan and driving to the observation point with the Alishan Railroad.
But the most beautiful moments are actually before the sun is coming up. As the sky looses it's wonderful reddish color when rising too high. This is at about 2500 meters.

Back to the Hotel area with the railway.


Driving downhill from Alishan.


And more downhill.


And through a small village at the Alishan railway line from Chiayi to Alishan on route number 169.


Riding through a tea growing area on route 149-East. Sorry, so sorry again for the choppy camera and the missing parts come from me making photos. I think the amazing scenery and road-winding is still recongnisable.


And then something amazing happened to me. I was just driving thtough another small village as I saw another tourist information street sign. And I thought: why not stop there and pick up a few leaflets of the area I'm just passing through. So I turned around and went there. But it looked closed so I was just about to go further down the road back to Taichung. Then I heard some music and decided to check it out. Turned out to be the annual meeting of the Tsou people, one of Taiwan's 14 officially recognised aboriginal tribes! Wonderful show they put on and later I was invited to stay and drink with them. Such an amazing time and such amazing luck!!! :)
South-American music group invited to perform there.


Awful playback music from this guy. But everyone seems to like it, folk-festival atmosphere makes it happen :D

Even Ricky Martin…


An example of Tsou language and sorry I do not know what he is talking about


Wonderful music by those children!


Softened down maturing ritual from the Tsou


Some wonderful short songs from the old girls of the Tsou. Sadly I do not know either what they are singing about :(




Traditional dance

Nobody, nobody - I cannot stand to hear this song anymore but thanks to this Korean girl band which makes it possible that there is no place in Taiwan where it isn't played! ^^ And everyone knows the dance!


"Afterparty" at one of the 5 original Tsou families from the original 5 villages from this valley


And some friends arrive with more rice-wine booze :)


Many many drinks later I film this guy (who is the Tsou anchor of Indigenous People TV of Taiwan and his uncle)


Going to church Sunday morning, listen to the choir (most aborginies are christians thanks to the Dutch and the Spanish)


Traditional fire making filmed by the TV crew


And then my way back to Taichung


Sorry for the lack of road in this one but I think the scenery should be more important anyway ^^

And the last cool lag before an endless dull traffic light ridden main street to "home" (meaning my cozy Hostel) following an unnumbered white google-maps street :)


Next day I was off the Hehuanshan which is the highest highway in Taiwas. It goes up to an astonishing 3275 meters! Videos for that follow shortly.

Here are all the routes:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&doflg=ptk&msa=0&msid=108570725219306999077.000496d275b8546dbf9c0&z=9
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