All shook up

Before I came to Taiwan, I'd never experienced an earthquake. I must admit that i've become a bit blase about them...but Tuesday's powerful quake, 6.7 on the richter scale, and several aftershocks, did shake me.

The epicentres were off Taiwan's southern coast - and 2 people were killed. But they could be felt across the island; in Taipei, my apartment shook and I almost headed outside with my doorkeys after the second jolt.

Its severely affected phone and internet connections - not just in Taiwan, but across Asia. A reminder of how dependent we've become on high-tech communications; on Wednesday I couldnt make any phone calls to the US or UK; and noone could contact me from overseas by phone here [some would say a good thing! but a mixed blessing when you are trying to file news]. Things are getting better...but my mobile connections overseas are still dodgy.

Atayal aboriginal village

I spent the weekend before Xmas in Jienshih township, home to many people from the Atayal aboriginal tribe in the beautiful mountains of Hsinchu county, northern Taiwan.

Locals are trying to develop ecotourism. And the area is already becoming a magnet for tourists.

One key attraction is a forest of giant Taiwanese red cedar trees - said to be between two and three thousand years old. Years ago, tribal elders believed the trees protected the area: like a guardian.

These days, the villagers - who are Christian - remain in awe of the size and age of the magnificent trees; but few regard them as having any mystical or sacred qualities.

Its a hike of about 2 hours to reach the area - and I was surprised how many tourists had already begun to discover this site.

The two trees receving the most attraction are called the Tree of Adam and the Tree of Eve: because their bases and roots are shaped like male and female body parts...as you can see!

I stayed in the settlement of Hsin-kuang, where we got some insights into local culture: including how traditionally people would hunt; and a class in Atayal dancing.

We also took part in a Xmas Eve party outside a local church: gathering around 2 giant bonfires for warmth and watching young teenagers doing breakdancing and singing.

An ecotourism experiment in the nearby settlement of Smangus is seen as a model; and the people of Hsin-kuang are hoping to emulate it: so that it can create new jobs and bring other positive benefits to the village which, like many remote aboriginal areas, has developed more slowly than other parts of Taiwan and has struggled to keep the younger generations from drifting away to the cities

Starting this blog

The year is almost over: and I've finally got time to do something I've thought about for a while: creating a blog.
Its not going to be a diary of my daily life - but a record of things I love about my job and travels. So, enjoy reading!