Bonne Année

Happy New Year  2010

新年快樂

We went back to Alangyi for welcoming the New Year!

Winter perfume even if the weather was not so cold. We enjoyed our first morning of the year on the windy beach and after the breakfast we biked the back of our previous journey ending at Hengchun four our fist sunset of the year.

Album: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/Alangyi2010

Taiwan ”The Best Trip in the World” Contest

Video of our journey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IrCoW1Jk44&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etaiwanbesttrip%2Enet%2Fgroup%2Findiamis%2Ffinal%2F%25e3%2580%258c%25e5%258d%25b0%25e5%259c%25b0%25e9%2598%25bf%25e7%25be%258e%25e3%2580%258d%25e5%259c%25a8%25e5%258f%25b0%25e6&feature=player_embedded

兩位女子

四個輪影

百年傳說

無盡海洋

連結難忘的旅程

阿朗壹古道

Two women

Four wheels

Hundred years legend

An untrammeled ocean

Link together for an endless journey

Alangyi ancien trail

台灣，一個充滿故事的地方。關於古老，關於現代。

我們沿著這條先民探索太平洋的路徑，自高雄啟程，

從北至南，由西至東，探索最後一片原始海岸。

單車成為我們最佳的交通工具。

離開繁華的港都，頂著自南方來的狂風，踏進「思想起」的恆春。

墾丁熱情的青春，與海岸林爭相嬌妍。

島嶼最南端的鵝鑾鼻燈塔，指引著巴士海峽與太平洋上航行的船帆。

道路暫時離開海洋，滿洲古厝、綠田、落山風與沙丘，豐富了我的感覺。

是傍晚，太平洋已成深藍色，我們抵達旭海，深入東部公路唯一的缺口。

礫石灘，深色海洋，海浪，星空，旭日；原始，呼喚著我們。

重返阿朗壹，這一路，我看見好山、好水與好人。

文/林乙華

Our journey only took us five days but in my memories it stays as an unforgettable expedition. Starting from Gaoxiong and riding south to the beaches of Kending reaching then the extreme south of the island. We experienced the atmosphere on the west coast that is animations, shops, restaurants, and people all over the place. Then turning back East, facing the Pacific Ocean, everything changes, less traffic, less commercials. Greens and blues are more vivid, the sounds of the cricket and waves predominate. Going deeper in the coast throughout the last untouched place where no road leads anymore, we spend our day pushing and carrying our bike along the magnificent stony beach. This day stays as the most impressive not only because of the effort we expended but also because of the majesty of the ocean and the sensation to come back to an essential place. The magic shower in the Dawa waterfall under the light of the stars and a night rocked by the back waves are deeply loved into my heart.

The beauty of the Nature, the powerful ecstasy of the wind, the sun on our bare skins and sweats on our shirts. Water for the sea, the rain and the river; wind for the typhoon; fire for the sun, earth for the road and metal for our bicycle, we experienced all the forces of the nature.

Riding bicycle definitely let us the space and the time to penetrate the diversity of the island landscapes but also to came closer to his inhabitants. The greatness of mountains, rivers and sea came along with the warm heartiness of the people we meet on the road. This is the magic of Taiwan!

Text: Pascale Schmied 鐵雲

公路的缺口 生命的出口 重返阿朗壹古道的好山好水好難忘 之旅

旅程的初端

台灣並不大，但多數人對台灣的自然景象都重複在日月潭、阿里山、太魯閣或是台北101、故宮的城市景致、、。

台灣一直有非常豐富的自然生態景觀，但只要機動交通工具到的了的地方，這地方很快就改觀了！地圖上阿朗壹古道位於台灣環島公路銜接的虛線，也因如此，她保有台灣東海岸最原始的海岸生態與景觀。於是我們決定整個旅程用最不干擾生態的交通工具－自行車去接觸這塊土地空氣、陽光、和和善的人群且學習先民一步步到達一個深藏在島嶼，環島公路缺口的阿朗壹古道。

島嶼南方的魅力

我們搭著火車來到南台灣最熱鬧的城市－高雄，恰巧世界運動會的到來，整個城市像辦喜事般熱鬧非凡！高雄這個城市也因台灣許多重工業座落在此，所以過去會給人有種剛硬無趣的刻板印象。夜裡，我們兩個聞著海洋的氣息散步在碼頭旁，突然感覺到這個城市因為海洋而廣闊，因為愛河而溫柔。

隔天離開城市，踩著踏板從熙攘的人群車潮慢慢轉而靜詣；一幅一幅寫實的生活照慢慢呈現在眼前。有時我們可以緩慢接近，有時又可無聲離席。偶爾把手轉進不起眼的巷弄，發現旅遊手冊從來不會記載的驚奇，也讓我們更貼近台灣的真實生活。

從高雄到恆春從恆春到旭海，開車也只要五、六小時的旅程，我們踩著自行車，兩天體驗鵝鑾鼻的風、墾丁的陽光和記憶每一張微笑的臉。途中雖曾經歷風雨的阻擾，但路人熱情的加油瞬時溫暖我們的身軀；感覺我們的旅程是和大家一起經歷與共享的。

世界的感覺

阿朗壹古道一直是活的，她並沒有因失去現代的道路，而被後代子孫所遺忘。到達旭海村，你可聆聽斯卡道族後裔清清楚楚叮嚀古道中每一顆石頭的模樣、每一條小溪甚至海水何時漲潮？何時退潮？古道記憶數百年來走過的足跡，也開闊每一個人眺望太平洋的視野。當我們扛著行李，一步步往上踩在觀音鼻山巔，我們彷彿穿越時空來到世界的原初，是辛苦也是欣喜；一片無盡的視野驚異所有的感官。

離開塵囂，我們不是逃避而是生命原該如此！在黑衢的深夜未曾寂寞，你可以敏銳感受到四周的生機在陪伴你；海浪拍打在鵝卵石的聲響是不用插電的音響，數著銀河，數著叛逆的流星、、、直到雙眼看到了夢境。

在世界甦醒的那一道光芒，我們很自然緩緩舞動身軀迎接世界的到來、、、

就像無聲的密碼傳達至海的另一端。

這不是很多人願意嘗試的旅程，但只要你願意走過，一定會將此旅程記憶一輩子、、、重返阿朗壹古道旅程的種種，讓我們重新感覺了台灣這塊土地，也讓世界感受到不一樣的台灣！

最終，將旅程的感動獻給此次遭受風災的南台灣朋友們，因為您們的熱情鼓勵，我們才能完成此次旅程！僅以此次旅程紀錄影片感謝你們，陪伴你們從傷痛中站起來！

文／王洪川

Alangyi Expedition 阿朗壹古道

Official website of Taiwan Tourism Office, take a look!

http://www.taiwanbesttrip.net/group/indiamis/intro/「印地阿美」的團隊介紹?lang=en

DAY 00 Gaoxiong

Weather: 32-34° stormy

Distance: 15km

Arrival at Gaoxiong at noon, we have our lunch near the train station and then ride down to Zhongshan road to our guesthouse. The atmosphere of the World Games was all over the place. After a nap we visited the Liuhe night market and took a walk along the Love River. Multicoloured lights reflected in the dark water and the night.

DAY 01 Gaoxiong-Hengchun

Weather: 32-34°. Announcement of the typhoon coming for the end of the afternoon

Start: 6:00 – Arrival 18:55

Distance: 110km

We left Gaoxiong in the moisture of the morning and took the national highway 17 heading south. Car, tracks and motorbikes passed by us bringing dust and noise. Passing through the industrial park, we finally arrived in Donggang (literally the port of the East) where we ate our breakfast and paid a visit to the Donglong temple. This temple has more than 300 years history and was built in honour of Lord Wen, who is worshipped as the protector of the fishermen. Leaving Donggang, we took the cycling road at Dapeng Pond. It is a beautiful 9km route passing between the sea and the fishponds. Then we stopped in Fangliao for lunch.

We didn’t rest too much as the sky was getting darker with the typhoon fast approaching. We continued cycling down the #17 towards the sea when it started to rain lightly. It was comfortable after the heat of our morning ride. The alternating intervals of rain showers and sunshine accompanied us along the way. By the end of the afternoon the wind of the typhoon was at our backs literally pushing us down the road. What amazing scenery it was! The rush of rain, wind, and clouds with ever changing light gave us a wild sense and heightened expectation of the approaching typhoon.

We ended our day riding in the countryside between Checheng and Hengchun under iridescent clouds of a typhoon sunset. We finally arrived at our guesthouse just in time, as the rain was getting stronger. Happy to be there we took a night of rest.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/AlangyiDay01#

Video: http://blog.xuite.net/linyihua/aboutmt/25722887

DAY 02 Hengchun- Xuhai

Weather: 32-34° overcast, showers

Start: 12:00 – Arrival 19:20

Distance: 74km

After a night of heavy rain, we woke up and decided to take a look at Hengchun. Hengchun is a small charming city with four old gates and many old houses. The recent Taiwanese movie “Cape 7” permeates the town. It was pleasant to walk through and enjoy its peaceful atmosphere. At noon the rain had stopped and the typhoon had left Taiwan so we packed our stuff and followed the last leg of our road down south. We left Hengchun by the East gate where the Alangyi ancient road formally starts. Heading south, we passed Kending. Kending is an animated, lively area where people like to enjoy holidays on the sea. Shops, restaurant, music and young students were everywhere. After our meal we continued down and reached the most southeastern part of the island, Eluanbi. When we changed to a more easterly direction the landscape noticeably changed. There were no more shops, fewer cars on the road, and only trees and green grass faced the Pacific Ocean.

Arriving at Gangkou we rode County Road 200 to the mountains. After many ups and downs we finally arrived at the coast at the end of the day. There were still some kilometres yet to cover. The sound of the lapping waves and the blanketing darkness of the night welcomed us as we rode towards the guesthouse. The rain started again while we were eating our dinner. Happy and tired, we were pleased to again be able to enjoy another peaceful night of deserved rest.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/AlangyiDay02#

Video: http://blog.xuite.net/linyihua/aboutmt/25722909

DAY 03 Xuhai- Tawa river

Weather: 32-34° morning showers, sunny afternoon

Start: 12:00 – Arrival 21:00

Distance: 10km

It rained all night and we woke up with some doubts as to whether or not we could continue our trip to Alangyi. After breakfast we took advantage of the clearing skies and left to visit Xiao. We first bought some food for our dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. Then we discovered a tiny coffee shop owned by Ms. Panpan, an aboriginal of The Plains. She told us the story of her remarkable grandmother who helped to trace the Alangyi trail and was also a key communicator and liaison between the Chinese, Japanese and aboriginal people.

At noon a final shower cleaned the road for us before magically the clouds dispersed revealing a beautiful clear blue sky, as if welcoming us to the heart of our travel adventure. Finally, we left the pavement and started on the small path of the Alangyi Trail. Untouched shoreline with a stone-filled beach greeted us. We rode until the stones turned into big rocks, and we had to push our bicycles. The rhythm f the waves and the smell of the ocean cheered us along. We reached our first real challenge at the cliff of the “Nose of Guanyin”. In order to continue along the coastal trail we had to climb up the steep trail. The traverse covered only a distance of 2km, but the steep and slippery path made the journey quite physically demanding. We realized that we would have to make many trips to get our gear and ourselves across the cliff. At four o’clock we started to climb with our bags. It took us nearly two hours to reach the coast. After resting a bit we decided to go back and get our bikes. We wanted to carry them over the traverse before nightfall. At first we hesitated to use fixed ropes, but the difficulty of the terrain made it clear that we would need to use them to be safe. We carried our bicycles on our backs half of the way and then used the ropes to pull them up. The night came quickly. Soaked with sweat and exhausted we were forced to leave our bikes on the slope for the night.

We turned back and passing by the river Tawa we took an integral shower under the starlight. The clear water of the waterfall washed away our fatigue from the day’s demanding activities. After our natural shower we continued walking until we found a place to camp. It was already 21:00 when we set up the tent and started to cook our evening meal. It was so peaceful and quiet! We finished setting up camp and were sweetly rocked to sleep by the sound of the waves.

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/AlangyiDay03#

Video: http://blog.xuite.net/linyihua/aboutmt/25722918

DAY 04 Tawa river- Dawu

Weather: 32-34° cloudy, sunny afternoon

Start 6:00 – Arrival 12:00

Distance: 16km

We woke up to admire the magical sunrise over the Pacific Ocean. We did some Taijiquan with the rising sun and enjoyed a frugal breakfast. For the fourth time we traversed the ”Nose of Guanyin” in order to carry our bikes down the slope. We used a rope system to lower our bicycles down the cliff. Three hours later, we finally and successfully had all of our gear off the cliff and back on the coast. We took a refreshing shower at the Tawa waterfall and then packed away our tent and other gear. Riding out of the last part of Alangyi ancient trail, we felt a pang of sadness about leaving this beautiful view and nearing the end of our adventure. Reaching the concrete road, we road slowly back to civilization as if trying to slow down time. On the way, we passed by the small village of Nantian.

Unfortunately, we heard that the Taiwanese government is planning to put some radioactive garbage in this village. We sincerely hope that will never happen for Alangyi is the last untouched place along Taiwan’s coast. Let it be always as it is… wild, magic and magnificent!

We rode the final kilometres near the coast until we reached Dawu. The magic of Alangyi still nestled in our hearts, our journey ended there.

Ending

Riding bicycles definitely provided us the space and the time to penetrate the diversity of the island’s landscape, as well as encouraging closer connections with its inhabitants. Four days of this impressive journey gave us a wonderful and deep sense of satisfaction. The wildness of the ocean, the heat of the sun, the comforting push of the wind, the sound of the waves, the freshness of the flowing rivers and the kisses of rain on our skins accompanied us on our journey and brought our senses alive. The greatness of the mountains, rivers and sea came along with the warm heartiness of the people that we met on the road. This is the magic of Taiwan!

Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/AlangyiDay04#

Video: http://blog.xuite.net/linyihua/aboutmt/25574880

Back stage

We have to say a warm-hearted tanks to our companion Jack 洪川 who accompanied us during our journey. He was the guy who instigator of the entire project and gave Yihua and me the opportunity to become the Indiamis team. He was filming us all a while riding bicycle and took in charge all the film montage and diffusion. He also enthusiastically promoted our team before during and after our journey. Even if Jack does not appear on the screen is an integral part of the Indiamis team.

To see the picture of our making off:

http://picasaweb.google.com/nuagedefer/AlangyiBackstage#

Please support our team and vote for INDIAMIS 印地阿美 on this weblink

http://www.taiwanbesttrip.net/group/indiamis/intro/「印地阿美」的團隊介紹?lang=en

You are welcome to post some words and encouragement

Rediscover Alangyi Ancient Trail 重返阿朗壹古道

「印地」與「阿美」分別代表著西方與東方兩個同屬於太平洋的民族，就有如我們兩位熱愛大自然的西方與東方女性，因台灣島上這條先民探索太平洋的古道而有了交點，南台灣的遷徙路徑究竟蘊含著什麼樣的海洋魅力？單車成為我們的最佳工具，可以深入東部公路唯一的缺口，探索太平洋最後一片原始海岸。重返阿朗壹古道，屬於我們的台灣探險故事。

« Indians » and « Amis » are representative of two tribes living respectively on the West and East part of the Pacific Ocean. Like them, we are two young women, one coming from the West and one from the East. We are fond of Nature and Adventure and want to rediscover the Alangyi Ancient Trail and taste the mysterious and magical part of this road. Using the bicycle as a vehicle we will follow the trail starting from Gaoxiong and cycle toward the East. We will gradually be leaving the civilisation of the West coast to ride to the wild part. Discovering aboriginal culture and cycling through the last remaining part of the East coast to be untouched.

About Alangyi Ancient Trail 阿朗壹古道

The Alangyi Ancient Trail begins in Hengchun on the south part of Taiwan and goes though Manzhou before ending up at the Pacific Coast. The Alangyi trail has a long history. It was first made and used by Aboriginal tribes when travelling or moving to Eastern Taiwan. The name of Alangyi “阿朗壹”was first used when Official of the Qing dynasty started to build cross-island trails around 1880.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/12/18/2003340954

About us

Yihua 乙華 35 Taiwanese

She’s a professional high mountain guide. She has climbed many high mountains principally in North and South America as well as Asia. She enjoys also climbing and cycling. Besides guiding groups climbing and hiking into Taiwan mountains she also write articles and is the co-author of the book  南美攀登記  (Climbing expedition in South America chronicle ).

Pascale 鐵雲 33 Swiss

Acupuncturist and sinologist, I’m actually doing my master degree research in acupuncture in China Medical University. During my free time I enjoy hiking and cycling all around Taiwan.

We like :

together…….

Our project:

Rediscover Alangy ancient trail riding bicycle. Alangy trail was first made and used by Aboriginal tribes when travelling or moving to Eastern Taiwan.

們的計畫: 以單車為交通工具，重返阿朗壹–這條南台灣最早的東西連貫路

http://maps.google.com.tw/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=zh-TW&vps=9&jsv=166d&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100843850995944979421.00046d67b82610dc68fe8

First day: We will start from Gaoxiong the most bustling city of south Taiwan and ride alongside the coast to Henchun, a charming small city made famous by the film Cape7. The fist stage of our journey is approximately 80km.

第一天　自南台灣最繁華的都市高雄啟程，今晚停留於恆春。本日騎程約80公里

Second day: From Henchun we will go on until we reach Erluanbi the most south part of the island. From this on, we will ride alongside the east coast taking the number 200 district road. First climbing up into the south mountains, we will end our day descending to the sea and reaching Xuhai, a Paiwan aborigines’ village. The second stage of our journey is approximately 68km.

第二天　沿屏鵝公路繼續單車南行，經墾丁國家公園，抵達台灣島最南端鵝鑾鼻。從此開始沿太平洋北騎佳鵝公路接台200線進滿洲鄉。接著一路上坡至分水嶺後開始下坡滑至九棚大沙漠。今晚落腳於排灣故鄉旭海。本日騎程約68km。

Third day: We will enter the most wild and untouched place of Taiwan east coast, the only part of the island where you will find nothing but a path: Alangyi ancient trail. For this part of our journey we will have to carry our bicycle in some part of the trail. We will camp at Tawasiko, where the river join the sea, and enjoy a peaceful night facing the mystery and beauty of the Pacific Ocean.

第三天　進入台灣環島公路唯一的缺口-阿朗壹古道，於原始海岸上馳騁。還必需扛車翻越觀音鼻，今晚將在塔瓦溪口附近的海岸露營，體驗太平洋的夏夜星光。

Fourth day: Following the trail we will reach the Paiwan aborigines’ village of Nantian, this place has a special meaning for us as Taiwanese government plan to put radioactive waste on this location. Leaving Nantian, we will join the road number 9 and ride to Dawu. Four our last day we will cover 25km, then take the train back to Gaoxiong.

第四天　一路上騎前往排灣族故鄉的南田村，若此做為核廢存放場預定地成真，這將是原始東海岸的告別之旅。自南田村接回台26線公路，再接上台9線回至大武。本日騎約25km。從大武人車搭上南迴鐵路，返回高雄。