We left Kenting and headed north via Route 199, a hilly, twisting, fun road. We dropped off to the coast for a break on the beach.
Back up over the hills and back down along the coast to our accommodation which had its own hot springs 🙂 We soaked in the various temperature pools, the hot 1 too hot for Pete to stay in for longer than a few minutes but hopefully good for the old limbs.
Then pootled to town to try and find dinner. Most things were closed so settled on a dumpling place that was delicious and cheap.
Next morning, we had breakfast just down the road of egg pancake rolls and bbq chicken burgers !!! Again cheap and cheerful.
We drove on and explored the coast line the highlight being a weird “water uphill” exhibit. Think of Magnetic Hill but with water.
Then we were off inland again to try and find “the best hot springs in Taiwan” as billed by Lonely Planet. Google said 1h30, but with roadworks and the famous “some idiots false Google pin”, it took us much longer before we arrived at the real place.
Wulu gorge, that we drove around to get there, was a stunning drive but we took no pics as we were on the pipe – now worried about having to do some of the drive back in the dark. The track off the main road was the width of the car for about 2km downhill where we found a turning place and space for 3 cars and a scooter, we were the 3rd car !!! The walk began as easy and only after a few 100 metres we came to a signpost which offered free gloves! It said we’d need some for the hike so we both took a pair. Very soon, we had them on and were hanging onto the ropes on either side of the trail to help us down the now really steep trail. Next came some abseil down rock slabs. We passed a girl on her way back up and asked how it was “so beautiful, you just have to cross the river twice !!” Sold, at least it was beautiful.
The first river crossing was cold but only knee deep, then some more rock climbing. Janet decided it was easier to just swim upstream around that outcrop. And then more ropes before one last abseil and then a compulsory swim upstream to the other side…..
The hot springs had some beautiful colours down the rockfall to the pools we were sat in, worth the hot, sweaty hike down.
We chatted to the 2 American guys who were there and were van lifeing around Taiwan.
Then it was time to head back as Janet was very worried about climbing back up in the dark with her mole night vision. Hike back up was OK but it was totally dark when we arrived at the car !!!
We talked about how the moped was still there and our 2 cars but we’d seen 6 people on the trail, had they all got into 1 small car ??? As well as being dark, it was very misty which made the drive back up the narrow trail super spooky. We were Both happy when we joined the tarmac road again, only for someone to jump out in front of us !!! Pete thought it was a drunk local but we stopped to find it was the girl from earlier. Clara’s rented moped had broken down and so needed a lift, turns out for about 25km !! She’d waited by the moped for about an hour, given up walked up the track as it was going dark and had got herself a bit spooked with the animal noises and not too friendly dogs 👻 Not surprising really, brave lass.
Her and Janet chatted as Pete rallied down the hairpins. We dropped Clara off and drove into our accommodation, getting there at 8.40pm, greeted by our lovely host who’d stayed up past his bedtime for us.
Next morning the couple served us an amazing local breakfast with homemade bread, bacon, sausages, egg, veggies plus fruits and salad from the garden. Wow!
Drove to a bridge where we could stand with 1 foot on the Philippines tectonic plate and 1 on the Eurasian plate.
Shhh, don’t mention earthquake round here ……. we tried to go to a wetlands but the road had collapsed during the last earthquake – the diggers were busy.
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