Day 61: Anping to Cigu (October 1st, 2011)

This walk was another one away from the city into the countryside, which always feels a tiny bit insecure. I left Tainan City proper behind. I love Tainan and would seriously consider living there if there was money to be made there for me. 

After Tainan it was the beginning of the flat, swampy, and marshy Southwest Coast. This was really challenging for a coast walker, it was actually difficult to find a line on one side of which was sea and the other was land. The actual coast came in layers: barrier islands, no more than sand dunes really. Inland of these were shallow water, often filled with oyster frames. Then there would be a protective sea wall, with giant water gates. These usually had roads or trails on them but sometimes there was no through route. You would walk 3 km only to have to turn around and walk out the same way! Inland of the sea wall there were lagoons, fish farms and flooded fields, with occasional ponds and numerous rivers. So overall, the coastline became more of a coastal zone.

This was difficult for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

                                      Harbor master's tower

          Boats and oyster frames are very much the order of the day.

     At nearby Qiaotou Beach, a group learns water safety.

                                More beach views

 And even more oysters. On the Southwest scenic coast, it is non-stop oysterpalooza.

                                 Prickly pears

                               Calm, grey beach

     Historical spot where Zheng Chen-gong's army came ashore to battle the Dutch.

                          
                                         These animals are unimpressed. 

                              Up the river inland: no reasonable way across it.

                               And into farm country

                              An industrial zone sprouts in the middle of the countryside.

                                A strange kind of beauty.

                                       A wonderful shop full of traditional sculptures.

                                                      I love this guy!

       And across the street from that, one that is not so traditional. 

                                            The raw material.

                          Religion and materialism artfully combined. 

                               The countryside in the fading light.