(Pictures taken 2011 summer)

The terrain of Taiwan is divided by the Central Mountain Range into two parts: the west and the east coast. While in the west, the majority of the terrains are flat plains; in the east, the scene are more of mountains and coastlines. The industrial development of Taiwan began from the west, where more than 80% of the entire populations residing there, and that made Taiwan to be one of the most crowded countries in the world.

I live in Taipei, the northern part of Taiwan, and I began the trip from there. It took me three days finishing east coast. There, I saw more pure scenes, such as seas and undeveloped places. In the west, the scene were replaced by buildings, people, vehicles, and things you can find in modern cities.

Riding motorcycle to travel seem relaxing, but it is not totally my case. Everyday I needed to sit for more than eight hours riding my bike (If you are curious about the model, it is Kymco KTR 150) between 150 to 200 km. It was definitely painful to maintain the posture. At times dehydration happened. But once I arrived at a new place, I could see, listen, and feel the flow of the place, and that inspired me to keep on moving. One time I purposely did not follow tour-book map, and immediately after I found myself stuck in somewhere that didn’t allow motorcycle to enter.

I consider this trip to be the best one in my 28-year-old life so far. It took me tear, sweet, and bloods, but it was all worthy. The pictures that I have taken, the views that I have seen, and the people that I have met, change my perceptions about my mother land. People always joke that city kid do not know the beauty of countryside. After this trip, I could proudly say I was no longer one of them. (Hey I traveled around the entire island!)

So, for those of you who are reading this blog but have never been to Taiwan. If you ask me what’s the best way to travel here? Well, you already know the answer, don’t you!