Pingxi: back in the spires

A mid-week trip (Chinese New Year holiday is just revving up....one week down, four to go) to Taipei County got a little turned on its head for us this time around. Originally we intended to stay in RuiFang, catch an early train to Pingxi and go hiking for the day among the spires and ropes in the forest. However, after leaving home around 6pm and arriving in Ruifang around 9pm we were greeted at the only hotel in town with a "sorry...no...". They were closed for the holiday and we were immediately homeless.

We cranked out as many ideas as we could muster - Ruifang is not exactly a bustling place, nor is it really near any other bustling places - that would give us a place to sleep and allow us to get into the mountains the next morning. Dry on all accounts, except for the last: Keelung to the north.

Another train, more waiting and then .... Keelung! Hotels! People! Alive!

Full. Full. Full.

One last try, one last place....and they had rooms. But we were far enough away from where we intended to go that we decided to opt out of hiking and visit the Gold Ecological Park. A memoire of Taiwans gold mining past, it was supposedly a nice place to visit. It was raining, it was cold....we checked out the brochures.....not happening. On a nice day, with bird opportunities and perhaps butterfly observation possible, ok. But not on a day like this.

Back on the train....back to Ruifang....into the mountians....

We ended up where we intended to go, it just took us a little longer to get there.

Pingxi is well known by hikers as a haven of spires to climb with formidable stairs and vertigo inducing views and climbs, but also as a mecca for lantern releases. The simplified version of this is - you buy a lantern (they are HUGE) write a wish, light it, watch it fly off up to heaven where your wishes and prayers will be answered. Obviously that doesnt happen, for no best wishes can possibly counteract the physics of reality. Namely gravity.

All within the forest surrounding Pingxi are countless....we literally lost count....piles of aged, burnt, ugly wishes and prayers of yesterday. It is abysmally depressing to see the air filled (seriously filled) with lanterns and families joyously lighting them and watching them fly away....and countering that with the wretched garbage dump that has become of the forest around Pingxi. Beautiful place to hike, nagging reminder that superstitions and faiths not only ruin minds, but pollute forests..and rivers. Pingxi is proof. Ongoing proof....

The animals we see here....

The last week.5 have been a mix of things for the both of us, and instead of updating the specifics we will hit only the highlights - the critters of the woods.

I spent the last week in Kenting National Park doing my first fieldwork, and Crystal met me on my way home in Taitung. We ventured to Zhiben National Forest for a wee hike and some quality time with monkeys. Here is the result of a few night hikes, a rainy day hike and a chance encounter with Taiwan's macaques and birds.

L: Blue Monarch; R: Gem Faced civet

L: Bamboo Viper; R: Taiwan Habu

L: Oriolus chinensis; R: Strix leptogrammica

Snow Mountain

This past

weekend we got our chance - through a permit and a ride into the misty mountains - to stand atop Taiwan and look down at the island we call home.

We met up with out group in Yilan in the midst of consistent rain.

Freaking surprise - rain in Yilan. Who could have imagined such a state?

Leaving the sodden Yilan train station we and 9 other "standing almost on the top of Taiwan" hikers to be made

out way into the dark valley of the central mountains. Arriving at the

trailhead at a shade after 1am we re-organized, prepared and started the 1.5 hour hike up into the hills to the first cabin. Arriving at the cabin after 2:30am we did what all high mountain adventurers do...set out our bedding, arranged out wet gear to dry during the short night ahead and guzzled water to abate the approaching high-altitude desiccation that was approaching.

Perhaps.

What we really did was drink wine.....freaking good wine at that stage of the game.

The next day (in summary) was an uphill battle through intermittent sunny breaks and spells of drizzle to the next cabin. Stunning scenery....simply stunning. Taiwan high mountains fail, yet again, to disappoint. Sub-tropical alpine madness.

We made it to the cabin, warmed ourselves (a pointless endeavour in the high mountains) and ate. Then to bed, with the altitude welcoming us with headaches and nausea. We were there...almost....we could taste it. We could feel it. I wanted to drink liquid advil and vomit because of it....

Morning came early and the altitude did not let us get away with a simple morning, but we fought through. At 3am we awoke and prepared for our trek to the peak to see the sunrise. Choking down breakfast, wanting to vomit with each bite, time ticked on until we were in line and stepping up away from the cabin to the forest and alpine ahead.

By 6:30am we were watching the nuclear furnace that we all revolve around poke above the horizon. The cold, the pain, the tiredness.....everything melted away. Taiwan sunrises are simply stunning, especially when you have to work for it.

And here follows the visual repeat of the story you just read......

Taiwan's second highest peak has for some time been off limits to our vibram soles due to a whacked permit system. At more than 3800masl it towers above the rest (save for Yu-Shan) of Taiwan and is a hidden gem among the central mountains.

Update....

This is a mash-up of things from the recent past that we have been too busy to update properly.

New years and an owl rescue (attempt), a marathon on the west coast and a nice day of raptor watching along a river near town (spot billed ducks, ospreys and cormorants were our visual feast!).

These are us trying to help an injured owl; trying to put it back in a nest (it ended up being a...um...well...ok, it was a swallow nest, not an owl nest......we all make mistakes!) and below are some action pics of us finding it. Despite the brevity of this post, it was a most moving and sad moment.

Here is a view of the river bed we scoured (briefly!) in search of some ospreys and fellow birds.

Crystal coming in to the finish line in Caotun, taking 5th place. This was new years eve, which we celebrated in a hotel room because there was nothing else to do in caotun!

3 minutes?!? 2 minutes and 50 seconds off, but its a start.

Snow Mountain trip approaching....should be some epic pics from that jaunt.

Illegal Hikes of Taiwan: The Journey Continues....

Saturday morning...up....pack...on the road. Our scooter zooming along the highway to Taroko Village, through gateway and into Taroko National Park for yet another journey, sans permit, into the wonders of Taroko's mountains.

We spent the day hiking, got a little lost and then a little found, saw some (new!!) parts of Taroko and ... after dinner...while hiking through the evening darkness looking for creatures of the night....we found.....on...two...three(!) flying squirrels. This was one animal that we honestly thought we would never actually see yet, here in our favourite part of the island were three of them. Totally amazing to see.

Thats all for now...

A Green Island Farewell

Lets just get this out of the way first. Winter in Taiwan means wind. Wind from the north is bad, cold and wet. Wind from the south is warm and clear. Tuesday and Wednesday last week were south wind days.....gorgeous. I was in shorts and feeling the heat at work. Thursday turned a little cloudy....by Saturday it was a wind-fest. But Dry...windy and dry.

Wind and the ocean - this is another saga. When said wind interacts with said ocean, and you are on a boat on said ocean....you vomit. Just like the rest of the 60 or so people on the ferry with you. We took the ferry (I never want to step on that fetid boat ever again....) and we felt the pain of being a small chunk of fiberglass on the mighty rolling Pacific.

However, after a wretched hour or so trip through the pacific we arrived at the blissful Green Island (LuDao). And immediately went to bed. An hour and a half later we awoke, showered, picked chunks of hardened vomit off of (my) beard and went about having a grand old time on the island. Seashore, animals, tide-pools, hotsprings, epic volcanic spires and rounded volcanic nubs reminding us of a history unseen...a wonderful weekend. It was also the last weekend we would get to spend with our fabulous Jhong-Li co-escapaders. Claude and Claire are moving to Australia...and that is more than a weekend adventure away. So, this was to be the last time we would hang out for the next little while. A sad goodbye, a hard goodbye, but not forever. A "see you later..."

Here are some pics to enjoy.

(we flew home...)

Us sharing a drink and a laugh Friday night after (finally) arriving in Taitung; Crystal on the ferry as we leave Fugang Harbour and head out to sea

Prison used by the communist Chinese government during the "White Terror" period in Taiwan. Poets, academics and intellectuals were confined here by the KuoMingTan regime (600+ of which were executed on these grounds) as the party wanted to keep public voices quiet and government control permanent. A horrid existence was had by all who were confined within these walls. The prison is now a human rights memorial, and some of the rooms have been turned into art exhibits criticizing the Chinese role in the suffocation of humans rights. This represents chaos - you cant walk anywhere in your cell without walking through clattering bamboo stems. You may try to find inner peace during confinement but no matter what you do the reality plagues you constantly.

Left: I love my country. Right: I love my flag. A highly political shot at Chinese rule (and the China of today) as bookends to a flag representing the people and the bright power of the land (the sun), the clear blue sky and potential for the future (the blue) all set upon a history built of blood (the red). The country of Taiwan is still picking itself up from a history of red...

Walking the tide pools...looking for critters.

Claude helping me down to the beach (what a friend) and the Green Island lighthouse.