Day 17 - Walking The Rest Of The Way From Taichung To Changhua In Typhoon Winds, The Long Walk South In Taiwan
Day 17 - Walking The Rest Of The Way From Taichung To Changhua In Typhoon Winds, The Long Walk South In Taiwan
The first thing that I did after I woke up this morning was to check the weather forecast, to see the path of the approaching typhoon.
Overnight, it had changed its path, and instead of heading west towards China, it was curving up towards the west coast of Taiwan, exactly into our walking path.
It was scheduled to reach southern Taiwan by midday today.
The rain in our area of Taichung was scheduled to start in the late afternoon, so we decided to start walking early, right after breakfast, with the hope that we would be done before the rain started.
After breakfast, we walked to the train station and took the train to the station where we had stopped walking yesterday, in order to complete our walk to the city of Changhua.
Just like yesterday, most stores and businesses were closed.
All banks, schools, museums and government agencies were closed down as a safety measure.
Strong winds were blowing and it was hard to walk in a straight line.
Just like yesterday, the roads had much less traffic than usual, and many of the businesses were boarded up with shutters.
The streets felt deserted.
An hour into our walk, we bought roasted sweet potatoes from a local lady who runs a small stall, and stopped in a Starbucks cafe to have tea and eat the potatoes.
We didn’t really want to leave the safety of the cafe, in order to walk in the howling winds.
But we did leave and slowly walked through the empty streets.
It wasn’t easy or enjoyable.
I couldn’t even wear my sunglasses in order to protect my eyes from the dust, because the wind tore them off my face when I turned my head to the side.
We talked about the fact that Taiwan is a wealthy country.
We see more people driving luxury cars here than anywhere in the world.
Yet, the wealth doesn’t appear to spill into the streets.
Some of the Taiwanese city streets are grimy, poorly designed and almost uncomfortable to walk through.
We were comparing them to wealthy neighborhoods in other places in the world, where people living there would insist on having beautiful streets around their homes, maybe with planters, benches, pretty sculptures and plants.
They definitely wouldn’t allow the messy clusters of cars parked on the sidewalks, and businesses burning fake money and even trash in the middle of the streets.
The last part of our walk was on a long, two kilometer stretch of bridge.
The strong typhoon winds almost blew us off the bridge.
At times, I had to stop walking and spread my legs wide, in order to regain my balance.
I was happy to see Jules walking ahead with a more steady step.
I knew that we were near the end of our walk for the day.
At the end of the exposed bridge, we would be only a few kilometers from the train station where we would catch the train that will take us back to Taichung.
But I still felt some fear creeping into my stomach.
Were we safe walking on the empty streets in a typhoon?
Are we in danger here?
An inner Voice of guidance seemed to be answering my questions, by reminding me that the purpose of a pilgrimage is to reach higher ground.
This wasn’t a fun stroll in the park before dinner.
We were doing this to reach answers for the mysteries of life, not to gain physical strength.
If we desire to enter higher realities, I must be willing to walk on the narrow bridge above the abyss.
The inner Voice was asking me:
Do you think that you are ready?
I will ask you again,
Are you ready?
Is your soul strong?
Is your heart pure?
Is your mind great?
Yes! I answered inwardly.
My soul is strong!
My heart is pure!
My mind is great and open!
I can withstand the storm!
I know that all the signs are saying: Do not go any farther!
Do not risk your safety and life!
This is no joke, Here mortals must stop!
But I have come for immortality….
Are the signs meant for me?
We finished walking the bridge and turned into the train station.
We returned to the city and were safe,
There were no more winds and no rain.
We decided to go see the Vietnamese part of Taichung, near the Asean Square.
This area of the city is a hub of migrants from Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.
There are many Vietnamese eateries and stores, selling fresh produce and groceries from Vietnam.
We decided to stay in the area, sit in the Starbucks and then eat our dinner in one of the Vietnamese eateries.
We walked along the Shin Sei Green Waterway, a canal planted with greenery, illuminated with lights and with atmospheric bridges.
The Vietnamese dinner was delicious and later, we walked to a famous stand to try a Bhan Mi, a Vietnamese street food that is a small, fresh baguette filled with your choice of yummy ingredients.
Back in the hotel, I saw on TV that the typhoon did hit southern Taiwan, some people died, many were injured, some are still missing and roofs were torn off buildings.
The streets were flooded and the typhoon lost power and is now just a tropical depression.
The worst part is behind us.
My eternal blessings go out to everyone who lost loved ones….
With love and compassion,
Tali
Today’s Stats:
Steps - 21,037
Daily Distance - 15 km.
Total Distance To Date - 270 km
