The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality,
and instead of thinking how things may be,
to see them as they are.
After a brief recharge at my favorite Taipei hostel, I was ready to head out once more.
I went to the Xindian River, which leads to a body of water called Bitan, meaning green lake.
On the hike up the mountain, I got to witness even more evidence of the past typhoons.
It was an easy hike up except for the intense heat. By the time I got to the top it was almost noon. The view was amazing, and I was rewarded with a panorama of northern Taiwan, including many other mountaintops and the riverway. I met a lovely Polish lady named Ursella and we hiked down together through a thick jungle filled with butterflies and other insects.
When we got to the bottom we realized we were on the wrong side of the river (very far away from the bridge). Luckily, there was a boatman willing to take us across for a little coin (we paid, the locals did not.) I was so happy to have someone to adventure with that we made plans for the following morning.
The goal was to find the waterfall I failed to locate upon my arrival in Taiwan.
We met up in the early morning, and, after a brief gondola ride, we shared a snack next to a friendly-looking statue.
With food in my belly and a friend to accompany me, I felt so much more confident in exploring. I am not sure if Ursella felt the same way, but I just liked the idea that if something bad happened, there was a good chance one of us could go find help. We wandered for a long time. Sometimes there was a trail or stairs, sometimes there was nothing.
We passed shacks with music playing and toothless farmers waving happily.
We marched on, passing many shrines with fresh flowers.
Ursella read a bit of Chinese, so she deciphered any signs we encountered and led us toward a waterfall. We found a stream and followed it in hopes of finding the silver shower.
We eventually came to a lovely temple built into a cave with a small waterfall flowing down its side.
This was not the waterfall I had been aiming for, but it was a lovely spot. Good enough for a victory picnic and a relax in the shade.
We were the only people there, and it was lovely (no, I am not naked, just shirtless).
The whole temple area was covered in cacti, orchids, and epiphytic plants. It was then that I realized this was the place I could finally perfect my knowledge of growing air plants. The air is so humid here that all they love to grow. No wonder I have had trouble growing tropical epiphytes in ol’ Canada.
Ursella and I lingered for a while, then headed back. We stopped to put our feet in the river a couple of times and many a little fish came and nibbled our toes. Everything is so alive in this country.
Next up, getting settled.
Wander Not Lost 