The Queen’s Head (Yehliu)
Yesterday was the Queen’s
summer birthday, so in her honour I’ve decided to reminisce about the visit the
Queen’s head in Taiwan!
Yehliu is quite simple
to get to. It is an hours bus (well,
coach) journey from Taipei. I got up
relatively early, not too early, I was on holiday, but early enough and got the
bus from City Hall Station. As I say, it
took about an hour and was a fairly pleasant journey, did not cause much motion
sickness, which is very good for a bus in Taiwan. The bus drops you off by a small fishing
village close to the National Park. It
is very pleasant stroll from the bus through this little village to the
National Park. As with many small
villages around the world, it seems to have been passed by, by technology and
is very scenic with small old style fishing boats in the harbour, tree covered
green hills in the background, and classic Taiwanese buildings which you can’t
tell are shops, homes or both. If you
like fish, it is a brilliant place to stop of lunch, I didn’t or find a place
which didn’t sell fish. Unfortunately,
fish makes me nervous, actually unknown fish makes nervous and at this point in
time I was even less equipped than I am now to find out what is what. I am ashamed to say I wimped out of eating
mystery fish and had a snack at the park café (and later topped up at 7-eleven;
the shame!), which is not really an eating café, I think I had waffles.
Unlike many natural
attractions in the western world you are not forced to view the formations from
a viewing platform, you can walk down and get up close and personal with the
rocks. The only safety precaution to
stop people going where they shouldn’t is red line painted onto the rocks; surprisingly
the parameters seem to be well respected.
There are huge throngs of people that you have to fight through to see
you want and whose sole purpose on this planet is ruin your photos and try and
push you down ditches and crevices. If
you want to get a good view and/or photo of the Queen’s Head you will need
queue up a long boardwalk and you’ll have to throw your British-ness out of the
window. Given the opportunity people
will sneak in front of you and try to get they before you and try to hurry you
up and make you feel awkward when it is your photo opportunity (and then take
twice as long themselves); remember their photo is much more important than
yours. I had to take my photos in two
separate takes because I was alone and needed help, as soon as moved from my
first photo a family pushed right in without a second hesitation. Luckily, there is a security guard there and
he helped defend my honour and get my photo; he was the hero I was holding out
for. Who knows how long I could have
been there without him. After wander
around in these sand stone spectacles, I moved onto to some more exploration.
I had seen not too far
away a green mound of trees, so I decided to investigate. Upon getting to the
bottom, I found there were steps I could climb to go into further up the
hill. I had not seen anyone else go up
these steps, so I thought I could have a nice tranquil stroll and as I say ‘if
it’s up a hill it must be good!’ So I
head into the over growth. It has the
feel of a mini rainforest; with bright colours, a myriad of greens and birds
and other things in the overgrown trees.
It was a particularly hot day, so I had to ration my water and not go
crazy, but I was determined to make it to summit. The only other people I saw on the walk
through the jungle were photographers and some quite large salamanders. After wandering for a while I eventually
popped out of the overgrowth and back into the sun. I went off the path up another set of stairs
and found viewing platform with a table and chairs; time for a snack I
thought. After a nice rest with stunning
views of the ocean, it was time to move; I had seen the highest peak I would be
able to reach and that was my mission.
After another hike I made it to a deck, almost overhand hanging the
ocean. It was not a comfortable as the
other viewing platform, but with 270 degree panorama of the ocean and with mini
jungle in the background, who’s complaining?
While recuperating and taking in the views I stopped that there were
people down below. As it stood, I was at
one of the most northerly points in Taiwan, but I could get several more metres
northerly and closer to the ocean. On
the way back down to find my most northerly point, I found my trails to
investigate. Along the way I noticed a concealed
crack in the rock face and clambered through it. I found a monument to some Buddhas hidden
away in this little crevis; I wasn’t sure how to pay respect, so I gave them my
regards. Finally at the bottom, back
where I started, I now had to walk around the mole hill. I had to walk over rocks right by the sea; I
felt like at the beach again. On my
ramble they were locals doing some fishing; they had the largest rods I had
ever seen, so I assumed they must be catching some fish to sell in town. I saw a few fishermen fishing in small
rowboats, but it was mainly people chilling on the rocks casting out huge
lines. On my way I decided to
investigate a couple of caves and at the back of particularly dark cave I found
a few more Buddhas hiding there. As
reached a little bridge crossing a little, not far from my final destination, I
stopped a pack of dogs. This is not
uncommon in Taiwan, I had seen wild dogs many times before and many times
since, so I continued on. I am a little
nervous of dogs, especially when in a pack, so I moved slowly. As I crept forward, they crept back. This continued for a few dozen yards. Then, one dog charged growling and snarling
and suddenly I was surrounded by a pack of six angry barking wild dogs. I was completely alone, no other tourists had
ventured this far or were close on my tail, there was a fisherman off in the
distance, but no hero to save this time.
I made myself as big as possible, made sure they could see my hands, and
tried to keep eye contact with as many as possible. Each time I took my off one, it would sneak
closer. I came to conclusion I would not
complete my goal today and instead would make slow and tactical retreat. So, I walked backwards, from rock to rock,
trying the best I could to fall down a gully, while eye balling each of these
animals. Slowly, but surely I made it
back to the safety of the bridge and the dogs retreated back from whence they came. With my heart thumping and adrenaline going
throw the roof, I had a nice refreshing ration of water.
As a proud Brit living
in Taipei, I felt it my duty to visit the Queen’s. I don’t think the real one will visit anytime
soon, and as my Nan always said waste not want not, so I decided to make the
best of what I had. The Queen’s head is
located at YehLiu, in the very North of the country, where a Queen should be.
Yehliu is quite simple
to get to. It is an hours bus (well,
coach) journey from Taipei. I got up
relatively early, not too early, I was on holiday, but early enough and got the
bus from City Hall Station. As I say, it
took about an hour and was a fairly pleasant journey, did not cause much motion
sickness, which is very good for a bus in Taiwan. The bus drops you off by a small fishing
village close to the National Park. It
is very pleasant stroll from the bus through this little village to the
National Park. As with many small
villages around the world, it seems to have been passed by, by technology and
is very scenic with small old style fishing boats in the harbour, tree covered
green hills in the background, and classic Taiwanese buildings which you can’t
tell are shops, homes or both. If you
like fish, it is a brilliant place to stop of lunch, I didn’t or find a place
which didn’t sell fish. Unfortunately,
fish makes me nervous, actually unknown fish makes nervous and at this point in
time I was even less equipped than I am now to find out what is what. I am ashamed to say I wimped out of eating
mystery fish and had a snack at the park café (and later topped up at 7-eleven;
the shame!), which is not really an eating café, I think I had waffles.
Yehliu National Park
is across a car park from the village.
Yes, the village has a boarder with a car park. So, I crossed the great car park of Yehliu,
battled through the sea of tourists, purchased a reasonably priced ticket (had
my shameful snack) and headed into the National Park. As with anything even remotely touristy in
Taiwan, there were swarms of people at Yeihu and I didn’t even visit at a
weekend. When you get through the main
gate you will walk through a fairly pleasant landscape garden. In the garden you will find landscaping and
monuments depicting the famous sites from Yehliu and Taiwan, along with a fair
few stray dogs. There are large amount
of wild dogs in Taiwan, as they do not have dog pounds or homes for stray dogs,
but they were quite a lot even for Taiwan.
Yehliu is a point of
geological significance. The wind and
sea currents have formed the sand stone landscape to create hoodoo stones in
the shapes of interesting figures and characters in the rocks. Hoodoo stones are tall, thin rock formations
that protrude from the surface upwards and made from soft rock with harder rock
on the top. They are similar to
stalagmites in the sense that they rise up from the surface, but are created
very differently; through erosion from wind and sea. There is a large group of hoodoo stones which
have been named based on what they look like.
Most of these stones need to be stared at from several different angles
in several different lights to see what they are named after. The most famous one of these stones is, as
already mentioned, the Queen’s Head, but other noteworthy names include: Camel
Rock, Dragonstone (well, it has something to with Dragon and I like my name
better), Mushroom Rocks, Fairy Shoe, Ginger Rocks, the Elephant, Candles and
many more.
Unlike many natural
attractions in the western world you are not forced to view the formations from
a viewing platform, you can walk down and get up close and personal with the
rocks. The only safety precaution to
stop people going where they shouldn’t is red line painted onto the rocks; surprisingly
the parameters seem to be well respected.
There are huge throngs of people that you have to fight through to see
you want and whose sole purpose on this planet is ruin your photos and try and
push you down ditches and crevices. If
you want to get a good view and/or photo of the Queen’s Head you will need
queue up a long boardwalk and you’ll have to throw your British-ness out of the
window. Given the opportunity people
will sneak in front of you and try to get they before you and try to hurry you
up and make you feel awkward when it is your photo opportunity (and then take
twice as long themselves); remember their photo is much more important than
yours. I had to take my photos in two
separate takes because I was alone and needed help, as soon as moved from my
first photo a family pushed right in without a second hesitation. Luckily, there is a security guard there and
he helped defend my honour and get my photo; he was the hero I was holding out
for. Who knows how long I could have
been there without him. After wander
around in these sand stone spectacles, I moved onto to some more exploration.I had seen not too far
away a green mound of trees, so I decided to investigate. Upon getting to the
bottom, I found there were steps I could climb to go into further up the
hill. I had not seen anyone else go up
these steps, so I thought I could have a nice tranquil stroll and as I say ‘if
it’s up a hill it must be good!’ So I
head into the over growth. It has the
feel of a mini rainforest; with bright colours, a myriad of greens and birds
and other things in the overgrown trees.
It was a particularly hot day, so I had to ration my water and not go
crazy, but I was determined to make it to summit. The only other people I saw on the walk
through the jungle were photographers and some quite large salamanders. After wandering for a while I eventually
popped out of the overgrowth and back into the sun. I went off the path up another set of stairs
and found viewing platform with a table and chairs; time for a snack I
thought. After a nice rest with stunning
views of the ocean, it was time to move; I had seen the highest peak I would be
able to reach and that was my mission.
After another hike I made it to a deck, almost overhand hanging the
ocean. It was not a comfortable as the
other viewing platform, but with 270 degree panorama of the ocean and with mini
jungle in the background, who’s complaining?
While recuperating and taking in the views I stopped that there were
people down below. As it stood, I was at
one of the most northerly points in Taiwan, but I could get several more metres
northerly and closer to the ocean. On
the way back down to find my most northerly point, I found my trails to
investigate. Along the way I noticed a concealed
crack in the rock face and clambered through it. I found a monument to some Buddhas hidden
away in this little crevis; I wasn’t sure how to pay respect, so I gave them my
regards. Finally at the bottom, back
where I started, I now had to walk around the mole hill. I had to walk over rocks right by the sea; I
felt like at the beach again. On my
ramble they were locals doing some fishing; they had the largest rods I had
ever seen, so I assumed they must be catching some fish to sell in town. I saw a few fishermen fishing in small
rowboats, but it was mainly people chilling on the rocks casting out huge
lines. On my way I decided to
investigate a couple of caves and at the back of particularly dark cave I found
a few more Buddhas hiding there. As
reached a little bridge crossing a little, not far from my final destination, I
stopped a pack of dogs. This is not
uncommon in Taiwan, I had seen wild dogs many times before and many times
since, so I continued on. I am a little
nervous of dogs, especially when in a pack, so I moved slowly. As I crept forward, they crept back. This continued for a few dozen yards. Then, one dog charged growling and snarling
and suddenly I was surrounded by a pack of six angry barking wild dogs. I was completely alone, no other tourists had
ventured this far or were close on my tail, there was a fisherman off in the
distance, but no hero to save this time.
I made myself as big as possible, made sure they could see my hands, and
tried to keep eye contact with as many as possible. Each time I took my off one, it would sneak
closer. I came to conclusion I would not
complete my goal today and instead would make slow and tactical retreat. So, I walked backwards, from rock to rock,
trying the best I could to fall down a gully, while eye balling each of these
animals. Slowly, but surely I made it
back to the safety of the bridge and the dogs retreated back from whence they came. With my heart thumping and adrenaline going
throw the roof, I had a nice refreshing ration of water.
I decided I had had enough
excitement for one day and it was time to head home. I had short stroll through the field of
hoodoo rocks, said good bye to the Queen and quickly tested the boundaries of
paint. I then wandered through the
landscape garden, where I saw a dog that look surprising like the pack leader
of my assailants, so I quickened my exit.
I purchased myself a well-earned milk tea, mooched through town and
waited for my bus home.
Despite the large
throngs of pushy people and being attacked by dogs I would recommend visiting
Yehliu. Getting up close and personal to
geography is something you cannot often do and there is much beauty to be seen
if you go beyond the sandstone and on to the greenery and the ocean. Just remember, if you see pack of dogs maybe
let them have their territory. Most
stray dogs in Taiwan just roam around harmlessly, but they are normally alone.
Happy (summer)
Birthday Queen,
Hot Tea
No comments:
Post a Comment