Stomping through YangMing Mountain National Park

A chance meeting with two cast members from the show "Stomp!" last weekend left us with two free tickets to the Saturday evening show. We could not say no, nor wanted to say no, so we took the offer and the evening train on Friday to Taipei. Turns out that they were a part of the international traveling tour, and were doing a 10 day stint in Taipei. Free tickets to their show and an excuse to head north....we were in!

Catching the 5:50 train by the skin of our necks, we sat and waited for Taipei. North, three hours. A good chanc to read a newspaper and eat some sushi!


Saturday, rising early and chatting with the hostel staff and fellow travelers over breakfast and coffee, we made our way to the subway, then to the bus station...and then to the mountains. A half hour bus ride away from the most bustling part of downtown Taipei and we found ourselves isolated in the barrens of YangMing Shan (Yang Ming Mountain) National Park. It is perhaps one of the most visited and easily accessible parks in Taiwan, but it is huge and beautiful and easy to get away from the crowds.

Our goal - to spend the day hiking then return to the city for the Stomp performance went off without a hitch. We made it to the peak of three separate (although geologically connected) volcanoes; one via a tourist route that was mostly rock steps...think climbing to a 20th floor apartment on the escape ladder, the second two were sources of extreme delight for us...rugged slogs through mud, muck and rope sections, steep cliffs, boulders and rockfalls and birds and ... something that barks like a dog but looks like a squirrel (yes, probably a squirrel....I know). These last two peaks, although not gargantuan heights themselves, offered an excellent day of volcano hiking in the unmistakable YangMingShan fog.

A tow truck takes away a stalled cal at the trailhead to the Mt. Datung (Main, South and East peaks, the triple volcano set) while the shuttle bus awaits...for along time ... to pick up the passengers. This was on our way up, so we simply watched the events unfold as we picked at our carrot and bread and prune lunch.

Trevor with a mysteriously calm and giving moth, slightly drenched and still in the morning chill, while Crystal ponders the foggy crags ahead and the alpine jungle....if one can say that...of YangMingShan Park.
Note our attire....it was bleeding cold. Wet, foggy and cold. Typical of the mountains in winter in Taiwan!

Rope sections - the camera does nothing to describe the angle and the need for these ropes! It was a wild, fast paced sloppy time which we were greatful for. An awsome trail, three awsome volcanoes and, if there was no fog, three awsome views to return for.

Back to the city, to the hostel, changed, swap hiking boots for sandals, grab dinner at a nearby HotPot place then take a cab to the National Theater. However, this cab.....well.....when we finally flagged down a cab after dinner and told him where we wanted to go, he looked confused. We assumed it was our butchering of the Chinese language that was causing all the problems, so we tried again. He looked more confused. Then we said we want to watch a play. Then he replied in English - "The National Theater". Yes.

"We are here".

And there we were. Yet, we had moved less than a block. The Theater loomed ahead of us in all its Chinese architectural grandeur, much less than a block away. The confusion was not due to language, but due to our confusing request to take a taxi for less than a block. Lazy, even by the most subdued couch potato standard! He realized our mistake, and decided to take us right to the front door, for free. No problem, he quipped, as we exited and pranced our way across the sidewalk to the theater doors. Embarrassed, just a little.

Stomp, the show, was awesome. We had heard of it before, but never seen it. And, having met two of the performers, it was a nice comfortable feeling that stayed with us through the show. Leaving inspired and rejuvenated, we searched out a place to rest our bones and share a pint for the evening.


Excellent weekend, excellent weather and new sights and sounds for us. Finding two exotic and rugged hikes in the park was an unexpected surprise, and now that we know where they are, we have a starting point for our next adventure in the north.

Moving...moved.

Well, our landlord sold our old place without any significant warning, so we were shunted out to the street. Sort of...he gave us a healthy month to find a new place to live in, which was about the exact same time that we had finally finished unpacking all the stuff from the original move.

It was good exercise, if nothing else, moving from the 5th floor apartment to a 3rd floor apartment, neither with an elevator, and doing more than half of it by bike. Good marathon preparation....

Overall, a weekend of carrying, lifting and the regular fare for moving houses.

:)

Dawu Village Hike

This past weekend we took a couple of trains to the south, past Taitung and into the never-never land of the almost unseen and untouched village of Dawu. Most people here will know it as a 'place along the way' between two more major stops or destinations (Kenting or Pingtung to the south, Taitung and eventually Hualien to the north). But, we knew it as much more...a stepping off point to the JinShui Camp Trail. So, packed and primed, we set off Friday night to Taitung, crashed by the train station and woke early to make it surther south to Dawu. Filled up a stash of peanuts and water, ate some cabbage and rice, and set off to explore...

Yet another trail built by the Japanese during their occupation of Taiwan, its main goal was to "supress the natives" and capture/relocate the mountain villages. Crossing the entire southern part of the island, its main effect was to cut off movement of the tribes and to bring them out of their element (the forests and the mountains) and establish them where they could be more controlled. For the most part, it worked. What remains today is a forgotten trail with an unforgettable history.

The trail starts not near the village of Dawu itself, but a two hour hike up a river valley. Pressing upstream we hiked through a valley of lush green, while trodding on a valley bottom of crass grey.

At the inevitable river corssing, we tried to do it the simple way....too deep, too fast. Then we tried another section downstream....same. Then further downstream...same. Once we had backtracked more than we ever wanted to, we were able to make it across safely and continue back upstream to the trailhead. Here we are de-socking and gettting sandal ready.




Back on dry ground....we moved.






The river valley started quite large, but as we moved upstream it gained grandeur and a stronger contrast between the green forest and the grey river valley. All in all, a gorgeous trek.

Walking along the river, after the seemingly easy, yet in practice difficult, river crossing. On the right, a self portrait at a snack break.

After a 2 hour plus slug up the valley we made it to the trailhead proper...the actual start of the trail. Most people who now do this trail access it from the western trailhead which has much easier access, some 15km away (the old trail was much longer, this 15km section is all that is left of the once island crossing connection). We, living on the eastern side of Taiwan had no choice. But, what we lacked in easy access, we made up for with solitude and peace.

Crystal crossing the bridge that marks the start of the actual JinShui Camp Trail. Trevor, on the right, on the trail itself.

The scenery...Taiwan provides delight once again (and again and again and again.....). Looking back on the left, looking forward on the right (the left pic was taken after a short climb up the Jin Shui Trail and we were able to see the whole river valley that we just left.

Critters, critters, everywhere....



Bridge crossing, the other way and a tree stripped of its soil base (this is a rather post-typhoon washout stage of the river....). Hard to tell where the tree trunk is, and where the hanging roots stop...or is there any actual trunk left....the roots taking on the job.....hmm....

We made it to the trailhead, did a short jaunt up the trail and turned around so we could make it back to Dawu before it got too dark. Sunset is aroud 5:30 - 6:00 here so the hiking days are limited by daylight. Explore, explore, home.

Our lunch/dinner spot in the town of Dawu as seen from our perch on the roof of our hotel...best cabbage in Taiwan? And earlier as the day saunters to a close, a man on a scooter takes on the flooded road along the river.

Us. Probably fairly obvious.

Mornign we awoke, caught a bus along the coast to Taitung, paused for a coffee and lunch (mmmmm..Indian food!!) and then headed back to Hualien (where we finally signed our contract for a new home.....).

More markets; Taitung City is a touch further south than we are in Hualien and the markets always seem a touch more bountiful. The power of latitude.

Awsome weekend, now it is time to pack. Moving twice in two months....utter chaos.

Tongmen Valley: The fog that obscures the landslide

Tinkering around with real estate agents and looking at what could be described as the worst places Hualien City has to offer, we were a little worn out. So, we decided to take a weekend off and play a while in the woods near our house. A short scooter into the mountains (where we got a permit from the police station, allowing us to enter the Taroko peoples land....no illegal hiking this weekend!!) we found ourselves in the spacious Tongmen valley. It is, like all of Eastern Taiwan, prettier than a gorgeous pretty thing and holds a very important promise - this valley links to a trail that crosses the central mountains and exits on the west coast. A tenuous promise of future endeavours, this weekend we went part way. A short scooter ride up the valley, then we took to our feet and hiked through endless thick fog and wet, dark tunnels (no trucks.....road way to small and for the most part no longer used). A nice hike, an impromptu adventure.

Afterwards we managed to fit in an evening of Jenga and an afternoon of more slacklining (I didnt look at my feet this time.....).

But the weekend started out with a more impromptu discovery:














Beer. Well, not just any beer, but local micro-brewed beer. Taiwan has the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor agency - the TTL - that regulates all liquor sales and brewing. So, while it is not a communist strangle hold that they have, all beer available from Taiwan is controled by this one agency. However, we found the exception. A nice wheaty brew from the county to the north of us. Not earth moving, but an interesting and culturally curious find.





















Walking along the road (the road continues for about 10km, where it turns to a real trail and traverses the mountains...we didnt make it past this point...or to this point.....yet) through the tunnels and the foggy goodness of the Taiwanese mountains.

Nothing like a good old game of Jenga to raise tempers! Apparently my talent for this game was lost in my youth.....

A few views of the market street near our house; this is a sunday afternoon lull, and if we caught amorning picture it would be much more bustling. On the bottom right are the leftover pomelo's from this years crop....they never end...never end......

More delightful slack; we managed to gain an audience and two kids and three ladies came to watch (one lady and one child tried it out....). It seems to gain much curiosity with the people here.....

So, that was that. Another weekend. As I write this it looks like we have found a place we like (its an old homestay/B&B style place that is being converted into a regular residence. However, all the stuff in it is nice, rather plush at points (in Taiwanese standards, that is) and we are super.....super super....excited about moving in and finally getting life back on the road forward rather than seemingly stalled. Time will tell, but it looks groovy.

Slacklining by the ocean....

On the brightly lit shores of the Pacific, as the waves lapped their molecular burden upon the wispy sands of the tectonic creation that is Taiwan, we slacklined for the first time here.....

We started alone, the two of us, dancing (and falling) in picturesque fashion as the cool wind and the scorching sun played their roles.


At first an embarrassment, one step-fall. One step-fall. Then improvement, then success.

Time swept by, we, the fledgling walkers of the slack, picked up our pace and grace.

Then we were not alone; a mother and two daughters spotted us and stood watching for a good 15 minutes. Curious, the older daughter gave that look of "I wanna try, but they are foreigners!". So, we called to them, and each of them took turns trying it out - the mother once, the daughters had to be pulled away by their mom at the end! They loved it!

Then in the middle of all this a stranger pulled up on his scooter and was less than shy...tore off his shoes and jumped right on. Half decent, excited and curious, he stuck around for a good long time too.

As the fighter jets practiced above, Crystal and I trained the next generation of slackliners and shared a cultural oddity, apparently, with the people of the beach.

...our first slacklining story of Taiwan. Simple and beautiful.