A Super Weekend!

We had been stuck inside our apartment in Hsinchu for the past two weekends due to rain, rain, and more rain.  We were beginning to go crazy from the lack of adventure.  For two whole weeks in a row!  Horrible, I know.  So last week we decided we were going to Taipei for the next weekend.  No matter what.  We found and booked a hostel early in the week and planned to catch a bus after getting out of work on Friday so we could spend the entire weekend in Taipei.  I also had identified a few hikes in the Taipei area we wanted to check out.  And they were both easily accessible using public transportation.  Yeah!  

Rachel was finished with classes at 7:00pm on Friday, but I had classes till 8:30.  I rushed home after my last class and quickly packed a bag.  Rachel had prepared our dinner to go so we could eat on the bus.  We drove our scooter down to the college (where there are a lot of buses going to/from Taipei) and were quickly on a bus heading north.  Rachel had prepared a lovely salad of sprouts, veggies, tofu, peanuts, and apple with a soy sauce dressing.  Yum!  We were travelling in style.  

When we arrived to the Taipei bus station we took a quick look at the map on the wall to decide which exit would be best for us so we could be on the correct side as our hostel.  A woman noticed us looking at the map and came over asking if she could help.  Taiwanese are ALWAYS going out of their way to help us.  It seems to be deeply ingrained in their culture to help others in need.  Anyway, the woman insisted she walk us to the hostel rather than point us in the right direction.  It was about a 20 minute walk from the bus station and NOT on her way home.  I still feel bad accepting such kind help, but it is getting easier ;-)  Anyway, it turns out the woman lives in Taipei and commutes to Hsinchu every day for work and we had a lot in common.  We had great conversation on the walk to the hostel and exchanged contact information at the end.  We may all get together for lunch one day in Hsinchu.  Not bad!  

This blog is already starting out waaaaaaaaay too detailed so I will get to the point.  Saturday morning we took the train about 30 minutes outside of Taipei then transferred to a bus for another 15 minute ride to Jinguashi.  Jinguashi is the next city over from Jiaofan where we hiked a few weeks ago.  We arrived and were dropped off in front of yet another big Buddhist temple with a really big, scary looking dude statue overlooking the temple.  The hike started right behind the temple and began with lots and lots of stairs.  We were heading up to Teapot Mountain. 

One the first climb, looking back at the ocean

Some good lookin' dude we saw on the hike

There is an old gold mine in the mountain we are climbing

Almost to the Teapot summit 

Coming through the 'teapot'

Once over / through the 'teapot', we kept going along the ridge to Banping Mountain.  The trail was super over grown with tall grass and we really should have been fully covered in clothing.  But, we weren't and we wanted to continue on.  So we did!  

Looking back at the 'teapot'

Going through the tall grass.  The trail was like this and worse for the next 2 hours

Looking ahead to the summit of Banping

From the summit of Banping.  Looking at Teapot and Keelung mountains, as well as the
Pacific Ocean.  You can almost see Los Angeles waaaay out there...... 

Here you can see almost the entire ridge we hiked. 

 Here's the video of the hike:  http://youtu.be/vr4xYXS4bPE

The hiked looped us back around through the Jinguashi Gold Ecological Park.  We walked around the park for a bit and paid the $50NT entry fee to tour the old mine.  Putting on the hard hats was the best part of the tour.

This is what you see upon exiting the old gold mine.  You forget what a
beautiful spot you are in when you are underground!

This was all just DAY ONE of our super Taipei weekend adventure.  We took the bus/train combo back to Taipei and managed to find the vegan restaurant we ate at a while ago.  They made some really really really good veggie wraps that we have been craving since.  Luckily they were just as good as we remembered and they fed us till we were full.  A short walk back to our hostel and we were ready for showers and bed.  

The next morning we started a little earlier than we had the previous day (but not too, too early...) and took another train/bus combo out to Shiding.  Shiding is a small town just SE of Taipei and a great starting point for some good hikes.  This day we were planning the Huang Di Dian trail.  

The bus dropped us off 'downtown' Shiding and the only directions I had was to 'follow the road to the left, take another left, and look for a red arch over the road'.  Turns out those directions were spot-on!  We grabbed a quick bite in Shiding and headed to the trail.  The trail began with lots and lots of stairs but eventually turned in to a nice, dirty single track trail.  We kept ascending then traversing then ascending then traversing, even going up chain ladders till we found the ridgeline trail we were anticipating.  It was awesome!  The pictures really don't do it any justice, but they give a general idea. 

Rachel enjoying here rice-wrap.  It is a rice mixture wrapped in a banana leaf (or something like it) and steamed.  We have enjoyed a few of these over the past months 

One of many chain-ladders.  They were not easy to climb 

Well, maybe for this guy 

Finally made it to the ridge!

One of many great views

Who needs obstacle races when you have access to hikes like this?  

This is how all the ridgeline sections were.  I don't think either of us could have hiked
this trail had there not been the rope. 

We could actually see Taipei 101 from a few different points but unfortunately the pictures didn't turn out well.  

After getting back to Shiding we finished the rest of the food we brought (with a few add-ons from the local convenience store) as we waited for the bus to take us back to Taipei.  The bus number was actually 666 and I have seen it referred to 'The Bus of the Beast' on a few different online articles.  Regardless, it is an easy one to remember!  We made it back to our hostel where they were holding a bag for us (so we didn't have to take it with us on the hike).  I very kindly asked if we could use the shower one more time and THANKFULLY they said ok.  It makes for a much better trip back to Hsinchu when you are not disgustingly disgusting from hiking all day during the summer on a humid island near the Tropic of Cancer.  

Back to Hsinchu really was all about getting laundry started, finding more food, a few chores, etc till it was time for bed.  Unfortunately we did not make it back to Hsinchu in time for our evening church service (we had planned on / hoped to make it back in time) but luckily our church from Atlanta plays a service online we were able to watch.  That is the one and only good part about the time difference between America and here.  We can watch the Sunday morning church service at 9pm Sunday night!  

That's enough for now.  Later!