I’d spent most of my winter break in my apartment. My travel companions and I had initially
planned a trip to Hualien on the east coast, and I’d additionally planned a
solo night in Taipei. Due to Covid-19
developments in northern Taiwan, we decided to cancel Hualien, and I also
delayed until the summer my trip to Taipei.
Rather safe than sorry. I
considered going south, as a number of friends were headed to Kenting. In the end, I opted instead to do a deep
spring clean..... not so much a “clean” as a “clear”. I’ve lived in the same accommodation for 11
years. As a result, I have found that I
stuff things into cupboards when I am not using them. Since I’ve decided to move into a house – my
art collection has outgrown the display possibilities – it was time to be
ruthless about what will move with me and what will get tossed. Among many others, I found..... two sacks of
lighters (still working...I quit cigarettes over three years ago), two sacks of
discarded/ forgotten batteries, five old cell phones (two of which weren't even
smart), two old cameras (one not even digital), two ancient laptops, two MP3
players (remember those?), a malfunctioning amplifier, and six sacks' worth of
cables, adapters, extensions, chargers......
By the end of this clearing, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my
shoulders.
Then in the last few days of my break, I got a bee in my
bonnet. First, on Monday, I headed out
for lunch, thinking I’d go for a ride afterwards. Well, the short trip up the road to Palio
Pizza was enough to quell that lust – it seemed every citizen was on the road
today. Progress to any destination would
be slow, nerve-racking and unpleasant. I
returned home after my pizza. On
Tuesday, I got on my steed again. It
seemed less crowded, but it was earlier in the day. I made it up a hill and into the next
district of Taichung (which I’ve never visited), whereupon the traffic again
picked up to a chaotic choke. I returned
home once more. Fortunately, Tuesday was
the last day of the Lunar New Year break – most people would start work on
Wednesday, and when I headed out on Wednesday morning, an open road and a
comfortable ride were what I found.
I headed first to the Xinshe Castle in the district of Xinshe, to which I’d ventured yesterday. While the castle has this name on Google Maps, on its own sign and its own literature, it calls itself Summit Resort. The setting was peaceful, if slightly cheesy and wanna-be-European. The weather was perfect – not too hot to be uncomfortable (in fact, I wore a jacket most of the time), yet sunny enough to make photos pop. I wandered around for a while, and then took myself to the restaurant for lunch.
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I’d already seen their menu online and knew that I’d have the chicken curry. It was very tasty indeed. From my seat, I had a spectacular view of the gardens outside and the mountains beyond.
As if to ensure that I didn’t get too spoiled, the meal-time
muzak jabbed at the serenity. While most
diners probably didn’t even hear it, I was acutely aware of the structure. A soft, meandering passage of melody lasted
about three minutes, and it was perfectly crafted to return seamlessly back to
its start. From this point on, the
passage looped endlessly. Nothing
interrupted its flow; nothing offered a contrast to echo the dramatic vista
outside.
Satiated, I wandered around the expansive area for a little longer. I was going back-and-forth in my mind about whether to return home or ride on deeper into the mountains.
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By the time I was ready to go, I determined there’d be enough time to make it to Guguan in the district of Heping, the northernmost, easternmost, largest and most mountainous district of Taichung City.
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I had been to Guguan once before, too many years ago when I was
fresh in Taiwan. What I’d find today was
nothing at all like the memory in my faded mind’s eye. To be fair, the years of tourism necessarily
brought about change, development and progress.
Guguan is known for its hot springs and is a popular destination for
local tourism. I was not going for that;
this was merely a ride to get out and smell fresh air before having to start
another grueling five months of teaching. The first spectacle awaiting me was a stunning
mountain pass just outside Xinshe.
Heping District, vast as it is, contains many tiny villages. The first one I passed through reminded me that Taiwan’s aboriginal tribes are the locals here. Aboriginal motifs dotted buildings, signs and posts.
It was a nice ride, mostly along Dajia River, and I reached Guguan without fuss. Passing a busy set of shops, I noted that the music that was blaring here was Chinese and not aboriginal. I stopped to get a recording, but just as I pressed RECORD, the track ended and silence followed. I rode on.
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Having reached my goal, I took some pictures before ultimately heading back home.
Tonight I’d have dinner at a Turkish restaurant with Lourens, whom I’ve commissioned to paint two pictures of Tbilisi for me.
