Day 12: Donggang 東港 > Lambai Island 小琉球 > Kaohsiung 高雄
Stay: Father and Stepmother's home
"Just go," I told myself. Many people asked me why I wanted to do this trip. I still don't know. I just wanted to try something new. I wanted to do it before I turned 30. I don't have the rest of my life to do it. I was starting my Ph.D. in the fall. So I told myself, "Just go."
The last part of my trip was to do a day trip to a small island off the coast of Donggang called Lambai Island (in Chinese, 小琉球). I would take my bike to the ferry dock, load my bike onto the ferry, and start riding around the island once I got off. After that, I would slowly ride into Kaohsiung where my parents lived. That would be the end of this journey, since there was a typhoon to come to Taiwan, and I had to return my bike.
I bid farewell to the man and his son from the night before in Donggang. They are both up to see me out and wish me good luck on my journey. The kid does one more check on my tires to make sure they're OK, and he gives me the O-K to take off. I bike towards the ferry terminal. When I arrive, I load my stuff onto the ferry. Many people took their scooters, as was evident from the number of them loaded onto the ship, but I took my bike. That thing got me through the toughest parts of the trip. All those kilometers on the road alone, it was the only thing that was there for it all.
Lambai, being an island, is quick to bike around but rather hilly. Three are three major destinations to see, and, in the true spirit of Taiwanese tourism, it was all rock formations. One was shaped like a flower vase, one was a small, tight cave that you could walk through for good luck (it was really claustrophobic), and the last one was some other caves that you could walk through. A few pictures are below.
After a few hours on the island, I reach the opposite side to the ferry terminal, and see that there is a mini beach that is tucked off the main road. There are no scooters passing by at this time, as it's 35 degrees outside, bright sun, and no shade. I decide to park my bike and go for a dip into the small beach. As I walk in further, three is a small cart that is set up there, and an older auntie who is sitting in the shade. She is sitting under a propped up umbrella and, upon seeing me, stands up and greets me. She asks me if I want anything to drink, and I ask if she has anything to eat. There are a few snacks here and there, nothing substantial, but I opt for a Taiwan sausage, and some green tea. The heat is really tiring today.
As I sit there waiting, she strikes up a conversation with me. She is a native to the island, and so were her parents, so she is the second generation. She lives just inland a bit (she points in the general direction) and says she tried to set up this cart to get some small business. She sees that I am wearing my biking outfit so she asks how I got there, and I told her about my plan to cycle around the island. I end up talking to her for about an hour about all the things I've seen on the trip, and all the people who I've met along the way. I told her today is the last day, and Lambai would be the last place I go before going to my parents in Kaohsiung. She tells me a bit about the island and how it has changed since she's been there.
She says she has a son, who was also born and raised on the island, who would be coming back soon. She wanted me to meet him so that I could chat with him. For what reason, I'm not sure, but since the shade was a nice break, I stayed longer. I end up seeing him, and we end up chatting for a while, too, as he asks about my life in the U.S. and why I decided to go on this trip. I still don't know.
That experience was what I needed to finish the trip. It wasn't some great conclusion. It was just one more ordinary family along the road, one who was kind enough to take the time in their day for a chat on that sunny day. It was perfect. I am reminded of all the great people I met along the way. All the ones who rooted for me while biking, and all the ones I met in the hostels. I look out into the sea. The water was a shallow blue and the waves were calm. So different from the 七星潭 waves on the East Coast, the black sand beaches from Wai'ao in Yilan County, and the barren seafront of Taiwan 26 in Xuhai. I'd come a long way.
I get on the ferry, and head towards Kaohsiung. Not far now. The entire bike back was a reflection on the trip. I casually bike as the weather begins to cool down. As I near Kaohsiung, the traffic gets heavier. There are more stop-and-gos from the traffic, and more cars start appearing. I notice that I can't bike for over 1 km without needing to stop at a busy intersection, only to have to pick up pace again. The quietness of the east coast was gone, and I was back in the city.
I approach my parents home. Just one final left turn. It's a nice, rebuilt area that looks nothing like the Kaohsiung from where I came. I am full of sweat. And, when I finally get there, I take off my helmet and the security guard greets me. He knows who I am, and says that my parents have been waiting for me. I go up to their floor and ring the doorbell.
"I'm home".