Asia – Seite 6 – rene bauer photography

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

Winter In Turkey: Cesme

Winter in Turkey impressions #15: Cesme is a small, nice town at the coast near Izmir. A travel friend lured me there, so we could meet again, having nice diner and i got a safe overnight spot at the port. Next morning i realized this place was rich on history too. So i went for short walk to get some more impressions.

Januar 18, 2024Januar 9, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, history, Middle East, reportage, roadtrip, tinatortuga, tradition, travel, turkey, urbanlifeTags: castle, cesme, chai, coast, history, izmir, landscape, museum, overland, port, renebauerphotography, tea, tinatortuga, Travel, turkey Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Winter In Turkey: Ephesus

Winter in Turkey impressions #14: Ephesus surprised me not only with its sheer size and the huge roman theatre, but also with some incredibly well kept mosaics and wall paintings in some excavated houses. Lucky i arrived early, because i spent way much more time than estimated before. It was so amting to roam trough these contemporary witnesses from so many eras and history.

Januar 17, 2024Januar 9, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, Middle East, reportage, roadtrip, tradition, travel, turkeyTags: ancient, art, cat, culture, ephesus, history, izmir, middleeast, mosaic, overland, renebauerphotography, reportage, roman, romantheatre, ruins, theatre, Travel, turkey, unescoworldheritage, wallpainting, worldheritagesite Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Winter In Turkey: Ürgüp

Winter in Turkey impressions #11: Ürgüp in Capaddocia and surroundings in winterly conditions offers also unique landscape. My new friend and i went around to experience this Turkish winter wonderland.

Just more random photos…

Januar 14, 2024Januar 14, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, history, landscape, nature, reportage, roadtrip, tinatortuga, travel, turkeyTags: ügüp, cappadocia, cave, cavehouses, city, Landrover, landroverdefender, landscape, nature, overland, people, renebauerphotography, reportage, snow, tinatortuga, Travel, turkey, winter, winterinturkey Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Winter In Turkey: Derinkuyu

Winter in Turkey impressions #10: Derinkuyu is famous for its underground city. My camping neighbor told me about it. And since it started to snow i gladly took his invitation for the ride there in his comfortable heated van. Beside exploring this fascinating underground city, it was also nice having a nice pal to talk to.