Kitesoul Magazine #4 English Edition

36TRIPMade in Taiwantook us past several bigger cities, yet Taiwan isgenerally a relatively small island - only 394 kmlong and 144km at its widest point. However itis not so easy to get from one side to the otherwith the Central Mountain Range forming asteep barrier running from north to south. Comprisingmore than one hundred peaks over 3.000meters, it divides the island unequally into twoparts. Reaching the very top of the mountainpass after a whole day driving, my little tired eyesnearly popped out of my head when I got the firstglimpse of coastline to the easts. Surrounded bysteep mountains that fell right into the sea, thePacific Ocean glowed in the brightest turquoiseon the horizon. Coming down from the pass anddriving through the little villages of the east coastfelt like we were in another world to those of thedays before. Rice fields, orchards and Japanesehouses in various states of use and disuse, justlike alleyways filled with single story Chinese stylehouses. Tony told me that Taitung is today knownas hub of Taiwan’s indigenous culture with manyof the neighborhoods largely aboriginal with theirown celebrations and unique attributes. Developedby the Japanese in the early part of the 20thcentury, it has emerged from the modernizationin Taiwan virtually unscathed due to its shortageof flat open space and “unfavorable” position facingaway from mainland China.Paddling out early the next morning on my surfboardand looking back towards this coast for thefirst time (this might sound cheesy but it’s true!)I felt like in Tahiti. The view of the tropical palmlinedmountains directly lining the Pacific Oceanshore was mind-blowing. Everything around mewas so different than I had imagined Taiwan. It