美國型男漫步台灣東北角 驚見「台版蘇格蘭」漁村秘境

【看CP學英文】台灣四面環海，左擁太平洋、右抱台灣海峽。海浪陳年拍打，塑造出豐富的峽灣、洞穴、海灣及地質景觀，吸引人們前往探險，並讚嘆大自然的鬼斧神工。位於台灣的最東北端鼻頭角和三貂解富有瑪瑙色的岩石，這可是歷經數千萬年的沉積與侵蝕才得以形成。

Waves crash against Taiwan’s coasts from all sides.

The Pacific Ocean and the Taiwan Strait sandwich this island nation, carving out countless coves, caves, bays, and other geological formations that create wondrous points of solace and exploration.

The capes of Bitoujiao (鼻頭角) and Sandiaojiao (三貂角) are Taiwan’s easternmost points on land in Taiwan whose onyx-colored rock has pushed out from the sea after millennia of tectonic convergence.

由於我從未好好認識坐落基隆與宜蘭中間的鼻頭角，所以我決定加入由新加坡越岩戶外運動訓練有限公司(Qxadventures Rock Guides) QX和Kelly帶領的登山團，好好探索一番。擁有多年攀岩和登山經驗的我，是這海岸線的常客，因此我知道領隊會帶我們深入了解沿路的每個角落。這個地方雖然看似雖小，但路徑蜿蜒陡峭，一面是綠色的帶刺植物，另一面則是光滑的岩石及大海。

Being so unfamiliar with the landscapes lying between the city of Keelung and Yilan County, I decided to take a trip to Bitoujiao with a group of hiking enthusiasts lead by the Singaporean dynamo QX and Kelly of Qxadventures Rock Guides (越岩戶外運動訓練有限公司).

With years of experience rappelling and trekking this coastline, I knew they’d show the group the ins and outs of the area — small if you look at a map – but these paths curve, rise, and fall along with the terrain: prickly, green vegetation on one side, smooth black rock, and ocean on the other.

從鼻頭角的漁村出發，只需行走約五分鐘的上坡路段，即可抵達鼻頭角步道的起點。起初，步道還給人一絲過於「觀光化」的印象，但就在觀景台後方，便有一條鮮少人知、更狹窄的土路步道，可直達最北端的白色燈塔，鼻頭角山。

Heading out of the Bitoujiao’s fishing town, it only takes a five–minute uphill walk to reach the scenic trail’s starting point.

It might seem a bit touristy at first, but just beyond the wooden viewing deck lies a much more secluded, thin stretch of dirt path which leads straight to the pearl-white lighthouse at the cape’s northernmost tip — Bitoujiao Mountain (鼻頭角山).

這條小徑環繞著海岬，向左望可看到龍洞鎮，也就是龍洞岩場的所在地，一旁更有一望無際的太平洋。若是你身手既敏捷又勇敢，可以考慮挑戰一條廢棄已久的小路，這條路可通下方幾乎與海平面平行的平坦岩石。不論是俯視燈塔，或是觀賞地下水從岩石縫隙中流出，皆別由一番風味。

The trail wraps around both sides of the cape, with the eastern coast looking out towards the neighboring town of Longdong (龍洞) — home of the Dragon Caves (龍洞岩場) — the restless Pacific Ocean.

If you are nimble and brave enough, you can take an older, long since abandoned path down to the flat rock formations below, nearly reaching sea level and providing a unique glance at the lighthouse from below; subterranean water cascading (or trickling) out from the mountain’s bedrock.

這條步道的重頭戲便是攻上鼻頭角山頂後的美景，山頂石頭的顏色及觸感好似古早味蛋糕，一覽無遺的美景更是震懾人心。繼續往北行走，我們來到步道的最後一個景點，鼻頭角的漁村。漁村的純樸之美，讓我產生彷彿置身蘇格蘭的錯覺。繼續向前行走，步道周圍的灌木愈加茂盛，沿路也偶有幾座觀景台可停下 歇息。

The trail’s climax is reached after climbing Bitoujiao Mountain’s peak, an area where the rock looks strikingly similar and equally smooth to Taiwan’s castella cake (古早味蛋糕), and the 360-degree view of the entire coastline that wraps around the cape is spectacular.

Images of Scotland come to mind when admiring the northern side which leads to Bitoujiao’s fishing village, which is precisely the next and final destination of the trek, winding back down through the much thicker brush with the occasional viewing pavilion.

步道的盡頭是漁村，漁村依偎著山，行走的同時便能聽到從村中寺廟飄來的音樂，空氣中也帶有線香的香氣。隨著天空從藍轉橘及捕撈小卷船的船燈亮起，夕陽漸漸西下，我也正好趕上車程20分鐘的的公車，前往瑞芳夜市。

The trail ends at the back alleys of the village brushing up against mountain, ceremonial music and incense burning from the Taoist temple can already be perceived as we wander through the trail’s final curve and steps. The orange sky and bright lights from the locals’ squid-fishing boats indicate a setting sun, and I’m just in time for a bus to Ruifang’s bustling night market just 20 minutes away…