Last day on Lamey Island



Ringo is my hero. Nothing to do with music. I saw a YouTube video of his 83rd birthday party in Beverly Hills. He looks 50. The scuttlebutt is that he is a vegan and that that is the proximate cause of his youthful appearance. (Hair coloring looked like another factor to me.)


    I leave this island tomorrow morning, set for a long trip up the east coast of Taiwan. I have to get to Taipei which should be easy. There’s no high speed rail on that coast so I’ll need to resort to long bus rides along mountainous terrain. 

I skipped most of the tourist stops and set myself the task of trying out every accessible beach on Lamey. Most of the littoral here is rocky but there are a few places where you an gambol down to a patch of sand that gives you an opening to swim in the cool waters of the Pacific. I found four such places. 

Secret Beach

Beauty Beach: tricky coral outcroppings make it slightly hazardous to get to the open ocean, but a nice place. Rated B+

Venice Beach (yes, that’s the name): a wide expanse of sand but too much coral to make swimming free and easy. Rated C.

Zhongao Beach: right next to the ferry terminal area, the best pure beach on the island, a wide expanse of sand with minimal coral to impede a luxurious swim. The only bad part is there is no shade so you must endure intense sunlight to partake. (they did build a wooden structure up hill from the beach that offers shade). Grade A.

Secret Beach: my favorite of the lot but very small. Snorkelers use the narrow channel to swim out to interesting coral sites. Grade A-.




    I embarrassed myself at dinner this evening. I ordered a delicious shrimp stirfry meal and a bowl of soup. I didn’t realize that here in Taiwan soup is not a side dish but the main course. The bowl was huge. I’m sure the kids in the restaurant were bemused by my faux pas. 



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