Rene Bauer

Taiwan: The Prison Island (Lü Dao)

There is also a dark side in the history of Green Island. For the period of so called „White Terror“, from 1949 until late 1980’s, many political prisoners were held on a prison on Green Island, which got the name Prison Island back then. Nowadays it’s converted to a museum and memorial.

There are more places outside the prison walls, which played a role in those times. Most obvious the cementery, but also a cave, in which the prisons were forced to play and watch scenes and plays in order to get the right mindset for the Taiwanese society.

März 17, 2024März 17, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, history, landscape, nature, reportage, travelTags: Asia, cave, coast, greenisland, history, island, landscape, lèdao, memorial, museum, nature, people, prison, prisonisland, renebauerphotography, reportage, taiwan, Travel, whiteterror Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: The Unique Hot Springs On Lü Dao

Why should I take a trip to the Island of Lü Dao, also known as ‚Green Island‘, just for a bath in the ‚Zahori Hot Springs‘? The answer is simple: because this place is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world! Learned this, i just had to go, if just for a day trip and short dip there.

The idea of a day trip ended up to a five day vacancy on the beautiful Green Island. But later more about it. On my first visit in the pool area i expected the place full of people, but ended up alone there. At least for almost an half hour or so. It’s a public bath, that’s why i couldn’t run around with my Nikon camera. But i grabbed my cell phone for a few pictures, whilst i’m pretty on my own in the pool.

My blue baseball cap replaced with a blue swimming cap i dived in the warm water. And while i’m floating in the different pools with water temperatures up to around 42°C, one of the staff member was willing to explain me, where the water comes from and how it get pumped up from the sea into the pools. The hottest pool is at the top, and its water flows down terrace like pools, mixed with colder water to reach the specific temperature of each pool.

He was also telling me with a proud tone, that there was only three saltwater hot springs on the world, but that one in Japan isn’t accessible anymore due an earthquake. Now there are only one left in Italy, and this one on Lü Dao.

März 15, 2024März 15, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, landscape, nature, portrait, reportage, tradition, travelTags: Asia, bath, fareast, greenisland, hotsprings, island, landscape, lüdao, nature, pool, portraits, renebauerphotography, reportage, sea, selfies, swimming, taiwan, tauting, Travel, zahori, zahorihotsprings Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Along The Coast Of Lü Dao (Green Island)

Fascinated from the cliffs at the sea i spent hours to watch the waves rolling over those sharp rocks when the tides came in. Just some impressions from these hours.

März 13, 2024März 13, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, landscape, nature, travelTags: Asia, bay, cliffs, coast, fareast, greenisland, landscape, landscapephotography, lüdao, longeexposure, nature, naturephotography, pacific, phillipinsea, renebauerphotography, rocks, sea, seaview, smooth, splash, sunset, taitung, taiwan, tides, Travel, waves Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Baiyang Trail And Shuilian Cave

It was already late afternoon, when i had another stop on my route trough the famous Taroko Gorge. Here i noticed a start of an hiking trail. Spontaneously i grabbed my camera and went on the path. It’s an easy going hike for approximately 3km each way. A broad path followed a river and was quite leveled. Even some tunnels were made to avoid steep bypasses. The only danger was the fallen rocks, which is not uncommon, as one can see along the way.

Just before reaching the waterfall of Baiyang, a suspension bridge has to be pass over an impressive gorge. Unfortunately the waterfall is rather a trickle, despite the rain from day before. I did expect more to be frankly. At least i had a nice chat with a doctor from Taipei, who offered me to take a picture from in front of that waterfall. Instead i asked her to join me on the selfie.

A signpost pointed to a tunnel, which lead to a stormy sound in the dark. To my surprise water streams from the ceiling of the tunnel, created a curtain of water falling to ground and flows in a stream towards the light on the end of tunnel. What an amazing spectacle. This hike was really paying off, latest with this final. Taroko Gorge will stay in good remembering for sure.

März 10, 2024März 9, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, landscape, roadtrip, travel, waterTags: Asia, baiyang, baiyangtrail, baiyangwaterfall, bridge, cave, friend, gorge, hike, hiking, hualien, landscape, mountain, path, renebauerphotography, reportage, shuilian, shuiliancave, suspensionbridge, taiwan, taroko, tarokogorge, trail, Travel, tunnel, water, watercurtain, waterfall Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Road Trip To Taroko Gorge

One of the most beautiful place on Taiwan, is Taroko Gorge at the East Coast, i read.

So, i took a direct train to Hualien, rented a car, grabbed a coffee early next morning and went off to see the landscape. And what a landscape i saw. Deep in the gorge, the walls went high on my sides when i drove in the narrow gaps of the mountains. Started at sea level, the road went higher and higher, got almost 2500 m.a.s.l. before i turned back. Many stops for photos or just taking a deep breath or resting on a quite place while was stunned about the old trees, the forest covering the high mountains and the river cutting its way down to the sea.

A fairly long hiking trail goes all the way up, but was closed due a typhoon earlier. Unfortunately i didn’t get to the hot springs there neither. At least another shorter, but still nice trail was open, as i found out on my way back. But this is another story for my next post. Stay tuned!

März 8, 2024März 8, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, landscape, nature, reportage, roadtrip, travelTags: Asia, forest, gorge, hiking, hualien, landscape, mountains, nature, renebauerphotography, river, taiwan, taroko, tarokogorge, Travel, trees, tunnel, valley, view Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Taiwan: Hot Springs And Night Market

Not far from Taipei is a hot spring area in the town of Beitou. It’s easy and fast reachable from Taipei by metro train. In a few steps, a green park invites for a stroll, or to play mahjong, or skating.

I found the public bathing places. There’s an open air one, but i decided to go to the more authentic bathing house. At entrance i got informed, that female and male visitors have separate zones and use to bath naked. I acknowledged and entered, after changing room, a room packed with men sitting in and around two pools. The temperature of the water was between 42-44°C, while the second pool had a thermometer showing constant 45.9°C. The hottest bath i ever had.

Back in Shilin, i went another time to the nearby night market, enjoying some food and the lively atmosphere.

März 6, 2024März 6, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, gastronomy, history, portrait, reportage, tradition, travel, urbanlifeTags: Asia, beitou, city, food, hotspring, mahjong, nightlife, nightmarket, park, people, portrait, renebauerphotography, reportage, shilin, taipei, taiwan, temple, Travel, urbanlife, waterfall Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Nights out in Taoyuan and Taipei

Many years back i met a beautiful couple on travel. Somehow we stayed in touch, but i postponed my trip to Taiwan year for year. Meanwhile they got two wonderful kids. After my first days in Taiwan and the great experience of the Lantern Festival in Shifen, my friends invited me for dinner in a ‚hot pot‘-restaurant in Taoyuan. The food was delivered to the table by a robotic trolley and was really delicious. But there was more entertainment by a ‚changing mask‘- dancer, which was great amusement (but not only) for the kids. I’m so thankful for my friends, who gave me this great evening, i would rarely experienced on my own.

The next evening i was just strolling around my neighborhood in Taipei. Surprised of the lively street around it. The famous tower building Taipei 101 was mostly in clouds. That’s why i postponed the viewpoint up there. Just having a walk on the streets was amazingly interesting already.

März 3, 2024März 1, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, food, gastronomy, reportage, tradition, travel, urbanlifeTags: Asia, city, citylife, cityvibes, citywalk, dance, dinner, entertainment, food, friends, maskdance, night, nightout, people, portraits, renebauerphotography, spicy, taipei, taipei101, taiwan, taoyuan, Travel Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Start Into New Asia Trip: Jomtien, Pattaya, Bangkok

Just before i checked in my flight to Bangkok i decided not to see the hustling city but go to the nearest beach from the airport first. Since there was a direct bus link from the airport to Jomtien Beach, just next to Pattaya, it was a good decicion.

A few days on relaxing beaches, nice walks trough forest hills nearby, visiting temples and lookouts, eating at local night markets and having a beer in the street of bustling nightlife.

Bangkok with its skyscrapers, the green lush parks, but busy, noisy traffic, is a whole different story. I ended up in the famous-infamous Khao San Road, a backpacker area even long since my first visit here 30 years ago. When i went for a stroll there among the nightly, crazy party folks i thought literally: ‚New generation, same shit!‘, but enjoyed it.

März 1, 2024März 1, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, history, landscape, nature, portrait, reportage, tradition, travel, urbanlife, waterTags: Asia, bangkok, beach, beachlife, beer, bigbuddha, bkk, buddhism, cappuccino, city, citylife, coffee, landscape, nightlife, nightmarket, pattaya, people, renebauerphotography, skyscraper, southeastasia, temple, thailand, Travel, urbanlife, walkingstreet Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Lantern Festival In Taiwan

The celebrations of Chinese New Year held over quite a time in Taiwan. One of the highlight is the famous Lantern festival in the Pingxi area outside of Taipei.

To get there was already an adventure, since the trains were already fully packed all day long. Once there, the crowd is blocking the ways, even the railways, of the tiny village. People are busy everywhere to buy lanterns and write on them their wishes for the New Year of The Dragon, taking pictures with it and let them fly towards the sky. Beside that, food and entertainment are important too. Food stalls along the way making good business today.

The main event takes place a few hundred meters out of the village. A big stage with dancers, singers and performers entertains the crowd. Big screens displays the show to the unlucky ones bogged in the mass outside of this place, means people like me. And then, in waves, dozens of lanterns get released towards sky, floating over the heads of the spectators, dragged away from the wind.

After the first bunch of released lanterns closing to the horizon, dimming their red lights into the dark night, i slowly make my way back too. There’s still much to see and watch while passing happy people bathing in their hope for a good year coming.

Februar 26, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, food, history, reportage, tradition, travelTags: Asia, chinesenewyear, festival, lantern, lanternfestival, people, pingxi, pingxilanternfestival, portrait, renebauerphotography, reportage, shifen, streetphotography, taipei, temple, tradition, Travel, yearofdragon 1 Kommentar

Iceland: Hunt For Polar Lights

More spectacular landscapes on our way trough the south of Iceland. Even some reindeers crossed our path. But still no polar lights until we reached Reykjavik. So, we decided to have a night out with some beer and live music.

To our surprise, we got a notice about sightings of northern lights just outside the city. A few moments later we’ve been on our search for a dark spot with less light pollution, and witnessed a wonderful heavenly light show. A last amazing impression of Iceland before returning home.