Living in aboriginal house set back in time

Trip Start Apr 01, 2008
1
19
37
Trip End Ongoing


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow
Where I stayed
Few hundret years old traditional Paiwan house
(Kenting hotels)

Flag of Taiwan  , TW.04,
Thursday, October 29, 2009

29th to the morning of 31st we spent in Lao Chi Chia , about 45 minutes drive and 2.0 hours walk north-east of Fangliao. In the village Chi Chia, where the Paiwan Tribe from Lao Chi Jia was moved under KMT rule we meet the owner of the home-stay in the old village. We follow him, who rides a motor- bike by car - at first road, then dirt road, then temporary road in the riverbed. Here we really get a first hand look at the devastation caused by Typhoon Morakot a few month before - see one of the previous reports. Totally destroyed bridges, suspension bridges with their pillars standing only with their upper part out of the gravel, the cables dangling in the air or ending in the sand. The roads on the mountain slopes are washed away. After several trial and errors which way to take - conditions change almost daily - we drive a dirt road up the mountain. Here we park the car on a grass strip as soon as we see that the road is becoming worse and more steep. The landlord explains us the way how to walk and takes off with his motor bike. At first we walk down, then in the river bed, cross the river over a temporary bridge made of concrete pipes and then walk up to the village - all-in-all about 2 hours
Motive in ChiChia village-here we met our landlord
Motive in ChiChia village-here we met our landlord
. Then we arrive at the abandoned old traditional stone-house village ( slate ) build by the Paiwan indigenous tribe. 

We are shown to a traditional house as our home-stay, no electricity ( candles, flash lights ), water boiler to be heated with wood and one gas cooking stove. It's a wonderful place with front-yard featuring trees and benches and wonderful views, as well inside the village as onto the mountains.

- First evening we got company by some local people, who visit their old homes from time to time.

- First night we ( mainly our Taiwanse friends ) cooked the things we had bought in Fangliao, but the second night we collected several vegetables from around - I, as the male responsible for meat supply by hunting totally failed - so we turned almost vegetarian.

- 3 of us slept inside, 2 outside on the terrace using their camping equipment.

- The nights were wonderful, with the moon almost reaching full-moon status - it was so bright
View from car driving to our place in Lao Chi Chia
View from car driving to our place in Lao Chi Chia
. The  second evening a circle formed around the moon as I have never seen before - I was told that this is common under specific weather conditions.

- Second night also brought us a, let's say less welcome visitor, a snake - very poisonous. The snake - a Pointed Scaled Pitviper or Turtle Shell Flower ( Kuei Ko Hua ) moved under a beam below the roof into and out of the house. I have to admit that I considered sleeping out side as a viable alternative. Having snakes under the roof you don't know of is one thing, but ....Knowing... Finally with some noise she moved out onto the adjacent kitchen roof.

Please see the photos - including the snake.   
Slideshow

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Use this image in your site

Copy and paste this html: