Next morning we were up early since our fellow compatriots
had partied until late at night and then resumed with an early breakfast at
about 5 a.m. Our tent was right next to
their party/dining area so naturally our sleep wasn’t the best. They had invited us to join their festivities
the night before, but we weren’t in the drinking sort of mood. Nonetheless, we rolled out of our sleeping bags and first things
first, hit the hot spring for another blissful relaxation session. It was pretty crowded this morning and when one of the grandparents brought their baby into the pool we decided that perhaps it was time to get moving. I could just see the pleasant cleansing waters turning into a toilet bowl for this kiddo. We sure would miss this place though.
 |
| Blooming peach blossoms |
So we packed our stuff and jumped back on the scootering
meandering back down the mountain trail.
The scenery was much more magnificent during the day despite the morning
fog.
We adjusted course and took detours
all the way to Meishan National Park.
Here we found the end of the path for us at least.
The road was completely blocked off to all
traffic due to more landslides.
There
was even a guard shack prohibiting our advance.
So we took the opportunity to learn a bit about these Aboriginal lands
and their history at the park tourist center.
It's difficult not to generate some sympathy for the Aboriginal peoples here as they’ve
been kicked off their own land continuously throughout history just as many
other indigenous peoples around the world.
A bit deterred by the interruption, we began our journey
back in the direction we came. Now I
have a knack for turning off on random roads to see where they lead and after
we saw a 4x4 club in the tourist center parking lot, I was curious to know where
they intended to maneuver their baby beasts. In
the U.S., 4x4 club would consist of jeeps, trucks, and SUVs all of which would
have big mud tires, modified suspension, and a lift kit. Here they had big vans, stock family SUVs, a
couple of Suzuki Jimnys, and not one truck.
So when I noticed a small paved road turning off the main road, I couldn’t
resist the urge to explore.
 |
| We hiked along the riverside |
A quarter of the way down, the trail got a bit too rough for
the scooter to continue so we hoofed the rest of the way on foot.
Along the way we saw peach blossoms (Daisy
said), weeds that stick all over your clothes, and even more landslides.
We discovered a bridge ahead but once again
the road had given out.
A bit of effort
and we were able to cross anyway, but someone had put caution tape up to block
the rest of the path.
With only 2 hours
left until dark and no jackets, we decided to call it and turn around before we
ventured into the unknown.
We finally
made it back up the trail and pointed the scooter back to Taoyuan where we
camped on a stage for the night.
Once
again, we were in for more interruptions throughout the night as we were woken up by
some freaky deaky noisy cats on three separate occasions.
This went on until I tromped out of the tent
and chucked my shoe at them. That seemed to be an effective noise control measure.
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