千里之行，始於足下: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Walking Taiwan – what’s that all about?
It’s quite simple really – we’re aiming to walk all around Taiwan.
What! All of it? Every inch of the coast?
We’re definitely not going to cover every part of the coast. We will visit the furthest geographical locations on the north, east, south and west coasts, take in famous tourist locations wherever possible, visit interesting cafes and restaurants and walk some of Taiwan’s historic trails.
Why on earth do you want to walk everywhere? Don’t you know that Taiwan has a very efficient transport system.
It’s a mixture of things – we’re long-term residents of Taiwan and this is a fun and challenging way for us to make a deeper connection to the place we’ve called home for the last 30 years or so. We want to learn new things, create great memories and see Taiwan in a different light. Above all we want to enjoy the trip though, so if there’s a choice between a boring stretch of road near the coast or an interesting hike inland, we’ll be doing the inland hike every time.
So, will it just be the same people on every walk?
Not at all. Friends, family, dogs & cats will be welcome to join us; even random (friendly) strangers.
How can we follow your progress?
We’ll be putting up photos and descriptions of each day of the walk, which you can follow by clicking on Journey. Please feel free to comment, ask questions or make suggestions as we head around the island. We will also add links to hiking and tourist sites in the About Taiwan section.
Can we know a little more about each of you?
Rich Smith
I’m Rich Smith and I’ve lived in Taiwan for over 35 years. I’m very fortunate to have a wonderful wife, Lucia, and two equally wonderful daughters, Freya and Jasmine. In 1993, with my brother John, we co-founded our own educational consultancy, UKEAS / Intake. Some of my closest friends, including Rich MN and Tim, later joined the company and we ran it for nearly 30 years before selling it in 2022. I’ve also been on the Board of Directors of the British Chamber of Commerce since 2008, which is how I know Elaine. Despite living here for so long, my Mandarin is sadly only intermediate level but given that Elaine is fluent in Mandarin and Taiwanese, as well as several other languages, communicating with the locals will not be an issue on this trip.
Elaine Salt
I’m Elaine Salt and have lived in Taiwan for the past 32 years. I’m retired now (if that’s possible?) and in my previous life I have had a fulfilling career as a retailer, a pharmaceutical executive and a mother of three sons; Oliver, Henry and Ryan. Having suffered a parachuting accident in University, I have pins in my left ankle which makes running around Taiwan a challenge, so when Rich (Smith) mentioned walking, I thought that was just what I need to do to slow things down a pace. There is a Mandarin idiom “ 坐馬觀花”，which literally means ‘ride a horse to admire flowers’, but is commonly used to mean, one only takes a cursory glance and doesn’t actually take in the moment, so rather than being hasty, I am looking forward to getting down to ground level and once again taking in the beauty of Taiwan in the company of ‘old’ friends and to having lots of fun, new adventures.
Rich MN
I’m Rich Murray-Nobbs and I’ve lived in Taiwan for 28 years now. I started here as a teacher in Taichung, but wasn’t very good. So a Taiwanese friend and I started a trading company, importing timber and exporting wood products. A few years later I got married, moved to Hsinchu, had two wonderful sons Ryan and Angus, and worked alongside John and Rich in building UKEAS, the education consultancy, into the successful organization it is today. I can attest that it has been a great fun journey and I have explored many countries and met many wonderful people as a result. Life brings many changes though and I now live in Taipei, with my Taiwan “tugou”, Sasha, for company and we enjoy walking the hills of Yangminshan together. With these changes, it feels like a good time to explore more of Taiwan in the company of good friends, those known, and those we have yet to meet!
Tim Greenwood
I’m Tim Greenwood and I first came to Taiwan in 1989. I have always been fascinated with Chinese culture, language and martial arts. Working and living in Taiwan for over 30 years has really been “living the dream”! I met my wife, Fang Ding, when I was an English teacher in London, and she “imported” me into Taiwan where I worked in a bushiban at night and studied Chinese in the daytime. It was a joyful, carefree time in my life, and I met Rich Smith when we were both teaching at ELSI in Taipei. After graduating with a BA in Chinese Language and Literature from SOAS in 1993 I returned to Taiwan and worked as an education consultant in Taipei. I later moved to the wonderful city of Tainan and joined the ranks of Rich’s company UKEAS as an office manager. I am lucky to have witnessed firsthand Taiwan’s transition from martial law to a vibrant democracy. Over the years here I have enjoyed hiking in Taiwan’s mountains, eating fantastic local food, and meeting wonderful people. Walking around Taiwan with Rich and Elaine is the ultimate way to consummate my love for this amazing island.
Follow our unforgettable journey around Taiwan.