A walk in the park

One of the top 5 things to do while in Taipei is to go to Yangmingshan National Park. About a 45 minute bus/taxi ride from the center of town it gives you a good taste of what the rugged and remote areas of Taiwan island is like, craggy peaks, fluorescents fumaroles (sulfur gases) and hot springs plus wonderful views of the city and the ocean.

After taking 2 buses, I arrived at the Yangmingshan National Park Visitor Information Center only to find out that on the last Monday of every month the center closes for the day. My hopes of getting a map of the park and directions for a good walk was reduced to speaking with the few Chinese that also just arrived. Now when I say "speaking" what really happens is, a few hand signals, a little English, and some pointing in different directions. I did take a look at a map on display outside the center before I started off.

After "speaking" again with several groups of people I found a trail head with a sign, in Chinese and English that said, Mt. Qixing 2.4km. I'm thinking 1.5 miles that shouldn't be too bad. When I left Taipei the weather was overcast with very low clouds. When I arrived at the visitor information center I was in the clouds with a slight mist and a lite breeze. Not really a deterrent, I had packed my umbrella.

The trail was like walking on pavers, I walked through a low canopy of trees and it was fairly protected from the weather. The path raised very quickly, most of the time it was like walking up stairs, in some sections you would climb for hundreds of steps up. As I ascended the drops coming off the trees got bigger and more frequent and you could hear and feel the wind picking up as the trail become wet. Markers lined the trail every 1/2 km, so I had a good idea of my progress.

About 2/3rds of the way up I got out my umbrella. Within 300 meters from the top the low canopy gave way to tall grasses and the wind had increased in speed. The mist was very thick and the drizzle had turned to on and off again spells of rain. Being the glutton that I am and sooo close to the top I trudged on. Nearing the top I had become fully exposed to the elements. I had to close my umbrella because the wind had turned it inside out several times. Visibility at the top was about 20 feet.

There were several trails according to the map I had looked at coming off the top so I decided to venture down another trail that took me to a bus top. Unfortunately this trail had a different exposure and pretty much all the way down I was walking in tall grasses and high winds and without the use of my umbrella. I was completely soaked by the time I reached the bus stop. Plus there was no shelter to get out of the weather.

Instead of waiting for the bus, I started walking down the road now able to use my umbrella but at this point it really didn't matter. I put my thumb out to hitch a ride as cars passed. Either I looked way to wet to pick up or the Chinese did not understood what thumbing meant, several folks waved as they went by. Finally after 15 minutes an older Chinese couple stopped and picked me up. Again "speaking" with the couple I asked them to drop me off at either a bus or metro stop, or train station. I sat in the back seat of this nice car dropping on everything.

Once out of the park the rain and wind had stopped and it was just another over cast day. After a 20 minute ride winding through the hills of Taipei the nice couple dropped me off at the National Palace Museum which I had been to the day before, so I knew how to get back to the hotel. A 20 minute bus ride and 15 minute metro ride and a 10 minute walk landed back in our hotel room. I did a little research and found out I walked about 3-1/2 miles and 1664 ft of vertical.

This is a link about the park and some pictures/views that I never saw. http://english.ymsnp.gov.tw/index.php?option=com_content&view=featured&gp=0&Itemid=104

ME and I are currently on a 12 day business/sightseeing trip. We spent the first weekend in Bangkok, flew to Singapore on Wednesday, and Taipei on Saturday and will return to Shanghai next Wednesday. We have been sightseeing over the weekends and during the week ME has meetings with the regional managers and has plant visitations. When she is at work, I find my way around these wonderful cities and have ended up in some interesting places.