Wulai

March 1st, 2022

We’re over the worst of the cold weather now – at least I hope so. Now the sun is shining in my room in the late afternoon; the tree outside my window, bare in winter, now has buds. The morning of my trip it was bright sunshine and a forecast temperature of 27 degrees.

I’m going to Wulai. In the map of Taipei above, Wulai is in the bottom centre. The distance from Xindian District to Wulai is 18 kilometers, about 32 minutes – about the distance from Sydney city to Lidcome.

Here is a webpage about Wulai, written by Nick Kembel. It’s long, so feel free to skip it.

I forgot to unlock my smartphone before coming to Taiwan, so it’s useless as a phone. Recently, I wondered if the camera was working – and it did! So I arrived in Wulai the previous day… and the smartphone promptly stopped working. The next day I made the trip again using my dumb phone.

On the bus to Wulai. A day earlier, I had to stand all the way from the Xindian District offices to Wulai – not very pleasant. This time the bus was nearly empty.

Spectacular outlook on the plains and mountains.

Nice views of the countryside.

The road followed the Nanshi River. Quite agreeable views.

Wulai, taken at the bus interchange. The cable bridge is behind me. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

This photo is of the lesser river as it flowed into the Nanshi River. It was taken on Lansheng Bridge at the entrance to Wulai Old Street.

Another image of Wulai, a bit farther south, looking north. It was taken on the bridge; Wulai Old Street is just visible on the right.

Wulai Old Street, taken south, about half-way along. The day before, Wulai Old Street was crowded and bustling. This day, things seemed much quieter.

There are many “Old Street”‘s, for example Pingxi Old Street in Pingxi, due to the tourists. From what I can gather they’re pretty much the same: shops selling regional delicacies, clothing, and restaurants. The stall outside the shop (above) was selling Atayal cuisine.

There was also a museum on Atayal culture. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in downtown Sydney, it was seriously good. It was also free!

The museum occupies three stories and goes into the history and culture of the Atayal – which and only one of many indigenous cultures in Taiwan. The indigenous population of Taiwan and Australia is about the same, approximately 2%, yet I feel the indigenous Taiwanese population is more prominent.

I walked to the Wulai Log Cart railway, intending to ride it. Alas, the railway was shut! In the above photo you can just see some yellow tape stretching across the stairs. That explains the quiet!

I found a YouTube clip in which the presenter does ride on the Wulai Log Cart, and goes by cable-car to a resort.

While walking back to the bus interchange I saw a bus just pulling out. I waved my cane and hastened forward. Next thing I knew I was on the ground, stunned. There was a commotion; the bus driver left his bus and helped me to stand upright. I was bleeding, but not seriously, and I refused advice to go to a hospital and got on that bus. A very nice man put some Band-Aids on me. Fortunately, the damage was limited to scrapes and bruising mostly around the left side of my face.