OCAC 26 Jul 2010 | Simon Chen
After hearing many things about Penghu from uncles and aunties before attending this trip, I was well warned about the weather, specifically the blaring sun, at this time of the year. Despite the thick layer of sticky sun-screen I put on on the day, I became more worried about the boat cruise over the Taiwan Strait because of the circulating horror stories of people throwing up from sea sick. But with many pills, the group got there without upsetting their stomachs.
When arrived we were shown through a series of displays showcasing the unique styles of fishing adopted by the Penghu-ians. Using stones stacked in a certain way to trap marine animals - SMART! They call it - 澎湖吉貝石滬. How come I never thought of that? It's so obvious ^^ ... But to be honest, when we first arrived at the island the combination of the video presentation and air-con (or AC, as some of you call it) really put me to sleep. It wasn't until we got out into the water that I finally woke up and became to appreciate the scenery that I was immersed in, quite literally. I walked on the mass plane of shallow waters, finding ever-so -wonderful marine wildlife - some beautiful while others quite the opposite (most of you would agree that I'm referring to the sea cucumbers that squirt out water when you squeeze them, ha funny stuff), and mesmerised by the technique adopted by the Penghu-ians to catch fishes with their nets, not to mention the colossal scale of the 石滬.
Climbing and walking on the 石滬 was quite a mission. But it was worth the effort after reaching the fish-trap point where many fishes were pulled out of the nets. Gotta loved the Puffer Fish! So all in all, great experience! And it also made me realised how brilliant our ancestors are at making such a simple act of gather food into a breathtaking piece of art.
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