Taiwan - Part 4

Thanks to two great Taiwan friends, I had the privilege of touring 陽明山 Yangmingshan. Without a car, it would have been near impossible to see this place extensively because this national park is actually made up of a cluster of mountains. As we went up and down, bend and round the hills, I realised that not only do you need a car, you would also need an experienced driver to manoeuvre the vehicle through those narrow roads with steep slopes and tight corners. I have to say I was highly impressed with my friend’s driving skills. Along the way, she was most thoughtful to make periodic stops for this tourist to take in the sights and capture some pictures. However, this dimwit had forgotten to charge her camera batteries and had to miss out on taking many beautiful scenery >_<. But honestly, to truly appreciate the awesome views, you have to be there and see it for yourself. Here are some of the pictures that I managed to take before my batteries went flat.



We met a lady with two shih tzus at the park. My good friend took a couple of pictures of me with one of the dogs but she added one of her fingers in the first shot and chopped off part of my head in the second. I decided to stitch them together. Cute huh? I meant the dog lah! :p

You get the impression that it’s all farms and nurseries when you drive pass this place but many of them actually also housed restaurants and cafes offering 野菜 and 野山雞 which I would translate as wild vegetables and free-roaming kampong chickens. My friends wanted to show me 海芋 (kala lily) at 竹子湖 but unfortunately I saw only the leaves. Hehehe… wrong season but I still enjoyed seeing the other flowers in the nurseries.
We had lunch here. The place looked so deceivingly quiet and small from outside but the moment you stepped inside, you’ll be amazed how popular and crowded the place was. As you can see, we had those wild vegetables which I believe are ferns…very nice! I think that pot of kampong chicken soup would have been enough to feed ten people. Much as we tried, the three of us couldn’t even finish half of it so my friend had to pack it home.




After Yangmingshan we went to another mountain, 法鼓山 Fagushan or Dharma Drum Mountain, a buddhist centre founded by Venerable Sheng Yen. I’m not exactly an enthusiast of Chinese mahayana teachers but several years ago, a profound speech by this scholarly-looking monk on tv caught my attention. I subsequently learnt that he is also a writer and has published lots of books. Having read several of his publications, I must say I’ve become an avid fan of this teacher and his teachings. Venerable Sheng Yen advocates the conservation and protection of the environment so when the centre was being developed, care was taken to minimise harm and damage to the nature. I saw many old trees fully intact right next to new concrete buildings. This place certainly left a lasting impression. I had half expected to see lots of glittering golden buddhas and colourful ornamental rooftops often associated with Chinese temples but what greeted me instead were the vast nature and grey buildings made of hardy concrete or granite and bricks. I thought the practicality and simplicity in the design gave the place a sense of serenity and calmness…most conducive for meditation practise. Here are some of the pictures of this green buddhist centre with a panoramic view.









I can’t express how grateful I was to my friends for arranging this special trip to Yangmingshan and DDM. They had to climb and walk so much with me that day, it must have tired them out. When we started the ride back to the city, the friend who drove actually said to me that I must be exhausted by the whole day’s hectic activities and should just sit back and take a nap. The ride back to the city was to take more than an hour so if anyone had the right to complain about exhaustion, it had to be the driver right? My Taiwan friends are simply such marvellous hosts. I was so touched by their hospitality.

I would also like to convey my gratitude to my other Taiwan good friend Taco for hosting my group of friends and bringing them to 淡水 Danshuei. From their many pictures, I could tell that the group went on an eating spree and definitely had a wonderful time at the old town.

Early the next morning, Taco was again at our hotel to bring us to 烏來 Wulai, a place known for its hot springs. I was already running on reserve battery that day due to continuous over-activity and lack of sleep. My heart felt really weak and I was more like a walking zombie that day. When my friends went to get a dip in the hot spring, I decided it would have been too risky for me to join them. My heart may just give up on me so I took a nap instead at the lobby of the hot spring. Here are some of the pictures of Wulai, mostly taken by my friends.





After Wulai, we made a brief stop at 碧潭 Bitan. There was a night market and games bazaar beside the river. I was surprised to see game stalls similar to those I played during my childhood days. Pedal boats were also available for rent at the river. What a great place for families to spend their weekend. I saw a guy having a game of dice with a stallholder selling Chinese sausages. My friend explained that the guy would get a sausage for free if he beat the stallholder in the game…how interesting.
After Bitan, I had no reserve energy left so I went back to the hotel for a rest while Taco brought my friends elsewhere for further shopping and eating.