Well, it’s great if it is a trip for a trip’s sake, but when you’re racing the dawn to Taidung from Taipei then it is a bit of a hassle. I’ve done it on several occasions through the night and the novelty wears off after a while. You do see a crate load of animals though.
Well, it’s great if it is a trip for a trip’s sake, but when you’re racing the dawn to Taidong from Taipei then it is a bit of a hassle. I’ve done it on several occasions through the night and the novelty wears off after a while. You do see a crate load of animals though.[/quote]
Yeah and there’s always that crap part going through Ilan trying to get on-off the 5 onto the 7.
It could possibly be open earlier (or later). To find out, you need to call this no.
Su Hwa Highway Info: 039 982 161
Another interesting thing about the no. 3 highway, were those barren, dirt hills that kind of add to the surrealness of the landscape (around nantou?). The first time i saw them i thought they were landslide scars, but there is something about the soil that prevents anything from growing in it. (info anyone? i don’t think i even know how to google that) There are some in Taidong as well - but supposedly that’s the only two locations in Taiwan.
I’ve seen a crate load of animals in the back of a few blue trucks. But i’m assuming you meant that like ‘a lot of’. What kinds are you seeing?
Yeah, the badlands or moonworld. Google Moonworld, Yanshui mud volcano and so on. A few articles out there. Richard Saunders has written about them.
The soil is very alkaline so only a tenacious bamboo grows. Very cool areas especially the mud volcanoes.
Yeah - that bit from Loudong up through to CiLan is a drag, but after that it gets more interesting.
Ha - yeah - ‘a lot of.’
I’m seeing a lot of deer at the moment. I’ve already seen a fantastic array of snakes on those roads this year, civet cats and badgers, owls, flying foxes, boar - you name it, I’ve probably seen it or at least caught a glimpse of it’s hind legs as it vanishes into the undergrowth. The only thing I haven’t seen this year, oddly enough, is a pangolin. I’ve usually seen 4 or 5 by now.
Perhaps I’ll witness a nice, plump, but rather unlucky chicken next time I am down near Taidung?
Anytime - let me know and I’ll start fattening one up!
That’s an impressive array of animals that you are seeing - great to hear some kinds of deer are making a comeback.
[quote=“Mucha Man”]Yeah, the badlands or moonworld. Google Moonworld, Yanshui mud volcano and so on. A few articles out there. Richard Saunders has written about them.
The soil is very alkaline so only a tenacious bamboo grows. Very cool areas especially the mud volcanoes.[/quote]
Not surprsingly, i suppose, when i googled those words you suggested, i came up with your post. It was top of the pops.
A guy i know down here has got a site up that we’re using, amongst other things, as a place to document nature observations, with a particular emphasis on weather. This is a famously boring pursuit and not suitable for polite company, i am aware of that, but it does afflict a small percentage of the population, and for them, there’s now this site in Taiwan: formosahut.com/
In particular, there is a wiki diary to record any nature observations that you may have made in your neck of the woods.
I noticed those on Google Earth a while ago. I wondered what they were - I originally thought it must have been caused by clearcutting. I’d love to try growing something on them just to see if it can be done.
Just drove back along the Su Hwa Highway (June 10-11) and got through fine, though i did notice the flashing lights were on at the gates. My only complaint from the trip was that 7-11’s these days seemed to be way understocked. Try buying a loaf of bread at midnight. I stopped at four stores - how is that a convenience store when you have to stop four times? I abused a clerk at the last place, but naturally he just thought i was some kind of late night foreign nutter. Eventually found some non-sweet bread at Family Mart - but it defies explanation how long they have peristed with that inedible hotdog they produce there.
Back on the road, if those massive downpours that happened in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today (600+ ml and counting) make their way up the east coast then there’s a high likelihood that it will be closed, so would be good to check before leaving home - the gatekeepers seem to be on their marks this time.
Buy one of the German sausages together with a hot dog bun. Costs only slightly more and is actually pretty good.
Buy one of the German sausages together with a hot dog bun. Costs only slightly more and is actually pretty good.[/quote]
Ok, thanks, good tip. I’ll look out for it and give it a go.
Not that i would ever endorse speeding, but using the logic that speed cameras would be placed in the most dangerous areas, here’s a list of where they are so you will know to be extra careful in those particular areas. Have written the km that comes just before the camera, so ‘13’ means somewhere between 13-14km
Taipei to Dulan:
No. 5: 13, 33 (?), 52
No.9: 130, 134.6 (police), 157, 162, 173, 179, 188, 193
No. 11: 10, 44, 113, 124, 142
Dulan to Taipei:
No.11: 99, 79, 24, 12
No.9: 195, 187, 163, 159, 132
No.5: 34.9, 5.5 (?)
Heard a bunch of roads are being closed in Taiwan in readiness for the apporoaching typhoon and assume the Su Hwa Highway is one of them. If you need to get some where, then you better get going tonight - but check if their still open first. (Disclaimer: That action may lead to you getting swept over a cliff in a landslide and dying). This is the first time i can recall so many roads being closed in anticipation of a storm. Indeed, it could turn out to be a massive disaster given the rain we already had with the big mei yu event, and now a typhoon coming up from the south that’s feeding heavy rain into the island even before it gets here.
[quote]Highways are getting closed already. It was announced yesterday that Rt. 9 is already closed in anticipation of Talim. Rt. 9 is a main highway. It’s the main southern cross island route, merging with 11 on the east coast before splitting again in Taitung and going up the valley.
The article linked below says they are preparing to close 12 routes around the island, and that’s before the landslides start!
udn.com/NEWS/NATIONAL/NATS1/7168921.shtml (this article is in Chinese)
Although northern Taitung County didn’t get hit terribly hard by the rains last week, Dawu and Taimali got hit quite hard and there was significant flooding and landslides, resulting in the closure of Rt. 11 in that area. They seem to be more prone to flooding because they are on the central mountain range. Any rain hitting the central mountains runs straight into the rivers south of Zhiben, starting with Taimali, whereas north of Zhiben we have the central valley acting as a buffer of sorts.[/quote]
http://formosahut.com/forum/index.php?id=378
TW govt being proactive for once
Somewhere there must be a huge logjam of Chinese tour buses. Possibly at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall - better there than at the bottom of a cliff on the Su Hwa.
Raining sporadically in Taidong county, but when it does, it’s that full typhoon rain-dump style. Admitedly, i’ve got a tin roof, but you can hear this unnerving power in the rain. Anywhere that gets that for a prolonged period is going down.
Just called the info no. and not surprisingly, the Su Hwa Highway is closed for a week, at least. Read in the paper that there were 24 major landslides on the road.
Dulan, off topic but are you going to give us the lowdown on last weekend’s concert?
Actually, i am just about to post a vid. But will do it on the Miramar Protest Concert 2012 thread.
In short, i’d say it was a roaring success and possibly the biggest environmental protest in Taiwan’s history, which is a nice piece of infamy for the Miramar Resort to have chalked up.
Actually, I am just about to post a vid. But will do it on the Miramar Protest Concert 2012 thread.
In short, I’d say it was a roaring success and possibly the biggest environmental protest in Taiwan’s history, which is a nice piece of infamy for the Miramar Resort to have chalked up.[/quote]
Fantastic.
Su Hwa Highway is supposed to re-open on Friday afternoon, Aug 10.
Yeah, 24 hours after I need to to be open.