Riding the old Pingxi Line train through the mountains of New Taipei City was a fascinating and beautiful experience. The small mountain villages throughout these valleys were originally built up in the early 1900s, during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan. Back then, they were all industrial towns, either mining or processing coal. As Taiwan phased out coal in the 1980s, these towns had to reinvent themselves. Today, many are tourist destinations, offering beautiful nature, interesting history and a place to get away from the hustle of normal life.
As I mentioned, scooters and mopeds are popular means of transportation in Taiwan. This week, my friend and I both signed up to take our license test. Hopefully we can pass and, in the future, ride around the island on our own bikes!
