Pine tree, cherry blossom, and train route in the distant mountain face.
Alishan - Mount Ali - is a protected chunk of forest in the central mountains, accessible only via the west coast city of Chiayi (the only way that does not involve 5 days trekking over the main central mountain pass at about 3800masl) is famous for its high-altitude forest ecosystem, multiple species of cherry which, when in blossom, provide a bounty of red, pink, purple and white against the green background of the forest, and an old small-gauge train that meanders through the mountains, along cliff faces un-walkable by goats (ok, ok -hyperbole ... im sure a goat could handle it!) and finally a perfect place to watch a sunrise over the spine of Taiwan.
This is where we ventured this weekend, to walk amongst the giants of red cypress (the ones still left, more on this later), to see the blossoms, to ride the train and to watch the sun peak above the tallest mountains of Taiwan and welcome a new day.
All of this was our plan. It was a fun filled weekend, lots of travel and lots of time spent on our arses: train (2.5 hours) - highspeed train (1.5 hours) - bus (3 hours). But, once there, the frigid mountain air welcomed us and we took to the boardwalks, saw the sights, got to be in the midst of a historically important place and a hugely biologically important place.
If you into biology - and who isn't - this is one of the few places in Taiwan, and Asia, that salamanders still live. One is endemic to Taiwan, and all are protected because, you guessed it, they are going extinct.
Sunset through the high mountain pine forest.
One of the remaining old Red cypress trees.
A bird in the bush is worth two....nah, two birds in the bush would have been better, but I'm glad we got to see this little guy!
Hualein train station, packed.
The trip took an unexpected turn right at the beginning - Japan, earthquake and the tsunami. Being geographically close, and living on the east coast, Hualien City was on alert, schools were closed early and all trains were cancelled for a few hours. We rushed to make it through the throngs of others trying to exit the city (we live, actually, right on the ocean so any impact would have been bad news for us; however, no impact on Taiwan at all. All were safe) and made it to the train station - the same time that the rest of Hualien's citizens also made it there (or so it seemed! - to find out that all trains were canceled. Understandably, of course. No problem.
Off to an early dinner, back to the train station some time later to find that we had missed the first train that was back on the go (the one we should have taken) but made it to the second, lucky enough to find seats (or we would have had to stand for the 2.5 hours north!).
Crashed in Taipei, booked highspeed train for the morning.
Regular train that we finally made it on to, and a Taipei break along the way.
Hisghspeed ticket and us waiting to ride.
The highspeed train is, well, fast. What would be a 4 or more hour journey on a regular train took us a simple 1.5 hours. Nice. We stayed up late, and also booked the 6:00am train. Do the math...we were zonked. But once in Chaiyi we were awake, alive and found the bus that would take us into the mountains.
Three hours later, after a winding, perilous cliff trip we arrived at the gate of Alishan. The train that would normally take us here was not in service. Remaining damage from typhoon Marokot two years ago was still playing a role in Taiwan, especially in the high mountains where landslides and washed out villages, tracks, roads were the norm. So, with no train running we had to opt for the bus.
Cherry blossom and a second generation tree growing out of the carcass of the old one. Probably the same individual actually, so both visually appealing and genetically amazing!
Walking up to the forest trails while a Yuhina chirps away at us.
The forest now and the big reminders off a forest past.
The forest, the warning.
We spent the bulk of the day wandering through the forest, eyeing up remaining red cypress trees that ranged in age from 900 to 2000 years old, embedded in a forest of much younger age. During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan they found this forest to be perfect - cool, easily accessible (after the built the aforementioned railway up to it) and filled with trees that they could cut down and send to Japan. So, the logged its brains out. Anything worth cutting was cut, save for the few remained trees. Possibly it was only because of the result of world war II and the independence of Taiwan from Japan rule that the forest was left alone. So, now, there is a gorgeous forest, a biodiverse ecosystem and an important one at that. There just is not the gorgeous forest and biodiverse ecosystem that once was there. That forest is now houses and buddings in Japan. Still, its a stunning forest and the biology and history is amazing.
Crystal hiking along the forest trail that we kinda made as we went along, and the sunsetting on but still above the clouds.
Wasabi on the left, waiting for the 4:30 train to take us up the mountain on the right. I, for one, was freezing!
One other notable aspect of this area is that it is the one place (apparently) in Taiwan where they grow wasabi. And everything is wasabi themed - the main village monument is a big wasabi edifice, wasabi peanuts, wasabi tofu on the menu, wasabi for sale, wasabi to try, even wasabi magi. That means nothing to you, I know. But it does to me. Wasabi magi....mmmmm.
After a day on the trails, we slept (obviously). Next morning the alarms went off at 4am - these are hotel wide alarms that go off whether you want them to or not - to wake everybody so they can catch the morning train (4:30) to take you to the peak of the Alishan range to watch the sunrise over the main central ridge line. Totally cold, totally wonderful! A neat train ride packed with people all wanting to see the days first light.
Waiting at the upper platform, while others down below eat a quick breakfast of deep fried bread. And eggs. Boiled tea eggs (which are remarkably good, I should add!).
Early in the morning, people wait and wait and wait...you can see the corral area where people were herded because the other areas were dangerous. Sorry....'dangerous' as in not dangerous at all.
This is where a simple trip turns illegal. And in a fun way.
You see, in Taiwan everything is considered dangerous. Been there, written about that. Trails -deadly. Ocean - will kill you even for looking at it. Sunshine - don't even say its name for christ-on-a-stick sake! And, therefore, everything is either closed, off limits, closed or cosed. They build something Monday, deem it unsafe tuesday and close it Wednesday. Whatever is left open is regulated by so much paper work and permits and passes and bullshit that you simply just dont bother trying usually. Thus, we hike illegally all the time. Its the only way. We are yet to be caught, yet to be deported.
But sunrises, that's a whole new ballgame of curiosity for us. Once we made it through the darkness to the lookout, set ourselves up in a nice place where we could see both the spot where the sun would peak out above the clouds and Taiwan's tallest mountain - Yu Shan, or Jade Mountain - we were confronted by a park official. I will let you guess what he told us.
Yes...to watch the sunrise from our location was dangerous..we had to move back into a corral, where trees blocked our view and where there were 50 odd other people cramped in already. Standing near the cliff was simply impossible, we would die. This viewpoint was set back about 3m from the actual cliff face itself, and there was a sturdy log fence that would hold a horse in.
I said "no".
He pleaded his case: we were unsafe, nature is bad, we are unsafe, please move back to where the rest of the sheep *cough cough* I mean Taiwanese people were.
I said"no".
He repeated, louder and with more emphasis on the word 'danger'.
I said "no". But I also added at this time that Taiwanese always find something to fear, they close everything and that to be afraid is a waste of a life, yadda yadda...and that they have cried wolf too many times to us, we know this is safe and without physical carrying, we were not moving.
The argument ensued, all while I was standing and snapping pictures and half laughing at him each time he said 'dangerous'. Finally we made a deal - we didn't, but close enough. We moved back a few meters, and he got sidetracked by people down in the corral standing on the fence (because they couldn't see otherwise...). He left, we waited, then made our way back to the fence and the viewing platform area where we started. The next 20 minutes were sunrise glory, and we survived. And he never came back.
I guess it wasn't so dangerous after all, was it?
Taiwan is a treasure, but people here have to get on with lie and stop being afraid of nature. Its too beautiful to be afraid of.
Back down the mountain, packed, hopped on the bus in the warm morning sun and we went our separate way. I went north to Taipei and then back south to Hualein 9the only way to Hualien) while they went south to Kaoxiong. Now back to work!
Us, walking down from the sunrise viewing area...
