An East Asian Winter Part 5: Walking and Biking

Welcome Back!

Hey there! Welcome to the fifth installment of “An East Asian Winter”. 

Since I was young, I’ve loved hiking, backpacking, walking. Simply put, I love any way to explore the outside.

In Japan, I walked to hear the brushing of the elderly street cleaners or the wall of chatter at night markets. To mindlessly wander with an open mind gave me a blank canvas for the world to impose itself on. It allowed me to take it all in, to breathe, and to not just survive, but to live.

To me, biking allows for an in between driving and walking. It’s fast enough to get me where I needed to go, but slow enough to enjoy the outdoors and not be trapped in a hunk of metal. So without further ado, here’s a walking story, and a biking story during my travels in East Asia this past winter. 

Stamp collecting the Yamanote Line

One of my favorite activities was attempting to walk the entire Yamanote line in a single day. The train line encloses central Tokyo and covers several famous neighborhoods.

I started off at 5am, took a train to Tokyo station, and got my first stamp. Every JREast train station has a corresponding train stamp with it. Each stem has a unique design that correspond to something special about that neighborhood. 

After walking through old towns, modern skyscrapers, and everything in between, I was too exhausted to continue. 10 hours, 25 miles, and a bad blister later, I had to quit. I could barely walk anymore.

But I will always remember this day for how present I was. I felt everything the city gave me: the pain, the warm smiles, the overwhelming capitalistic billboards, everything. Reflecting and even thinking about it, it makes me cry. There is something really special about walking around a place you don’t know and picking up on every small detail. It makes you appreciate everything this world has to offer for you.

Here are some of my favorite stamps though; there were so many cool ones:

Biking in Tainan

Surprisingly, I had a very similar experience biking and walking!

Tainan is a very different city than anywhere I’ve ever been. When I arrived, I called my Mom to say “I think I just took a time machine” because of the old-fashioned signage, the abundance of mopeds with zero care for personal safety, the hazy air, and the industrial pollution from the outskirts of town.

Because Tainan did not have a metro system or a reliable bus network, I had to resort to using non-motorized transport: a bike. Taiwan has a UBike system, (think LIME scooters and bikes), and I rented out a bike for about 1 dollar to travel half an hour outside of the city to Anping where they had old colonial forts.

I stuck to my own lane, trying my hardest not to get run over. For a moment, I felt determined and free. The adrenaline was pumping and the smile on my face only got wider as the churn of engines and flashes of traditional chinese signs woke me up from exhaustion.

A Moment of Kindness 

I visited this old colonial warehouse that’s been overgrown with trees. Afterwards, I got myself a dollar scallion pancake from a lady running a small business outside of her house. As I ordered, we chatted in Chinese.

She looked at me intently, “You have really good teeth”! No one has ever said that to me before. She then went on to say how straight and white they were; this genuinely made my month. You could tell what she said was genuine, and out of the deepest love in her heart. 

Sitting on the Dock of the Ocean

I biked out to this dock on the ocean and stared off into the sunset like all those movie characters do. I was chowing down on my scallion pancake and let myself think about whatever I wanted to.

The waves high-fived the dock as I took note of the various fishing contraptions out in the water. I’m sure the fishes were looking at me too, and wondering how stupid I looked, honestly. 

Biking All the Way Back

Biking back was an adventure too. There was no need for streetlights when the lights of various restaurants and shops burned bright.

I stressed myself out like crazy, dodging and weaving, and trying not to die from a vehicular accident, something unfortunately all too common in Taiwan. I got back to my hotel, got some good food, and promptly went to bed.  

Thanks for tuning into this installment, of an East Asian Winter. I hope you enjoyed these short stories. And I will see you all next time. Peace! 

From,

LW

Leo Wang (he/him/his) is a prospective Political Science (International Relations) and Geology Major from Newton, Massachusetts. You can typically find him in the Carleton College Climbing Gym, where he works as a staff member, setter, and class TA. When he’s not climbing, he typically plays one of his instruments: guitar, Violin, Viola, or Erhu (a traditional Chinese instrument). Speaking of the Erhu, Leo is also involved with Carleton’s Chinese Ensemble. There, he is a musician and also works in a staff role, transcribing scores. Another hobby of his is the outdoors. He loves running in the Arb and disconnecting from technology by going on long walks. Lastly, Leo loves being social. He can often be found waving to others from across the bald spot, talking to strangers at various events, and trashbagging with his friends down the Bell Field Hill. He’s always open to chatting and feel free to contact him for any questions about anything.