On that day itself, I actually planned to go to Lugang 鹿港 but I just couldn't find the bus stop and my favourite visitor's centre at the train station wasn't open yet as it was still early. oh well, so I went to the 后火车站 (back of the station) to find if the bus stop had any buses that went to Lugang.
I found the bus to Xitou溪头 instead.
Don't think anyone heard of this place ya? not popular among tourists la - most people wanna go Cingjing for the sheep farm - which I hv seen quite a lot already.
Xitou - is just a national park la.It's not actually in Taichung county. It's in Nantou county but is easily accessed via a 2hour bus ride in.. I've been there 17 years ago so I just wanted to go again... relive the memories
Now back at the bus stop, well I thought since I found this bus stop I go Xitou first la! And at this bus stop, I met this wonder woman. She approached me actually, asking if I was going to Xitou...and was asking all sorts of question la- where I was from etc etc. Then she said she will bring me in to the park. At first I thought she was a bit dodgy but after a while I realised she was sincere.
Before I start, that lady on the right (she didn't want her pics taken so I had to take it on the sly) is Yuan Mama 袁妈妈- she comes here hiking 2-3 times a week. She lives 2 train stops away from Taichung city and still has to take a bus to the train station. Wonder woman right?
It was really great to meet her - because she's a regular - she has a pass and she can bring another person into the national park along with her. And yes, I saved NT200 entrance fees! :)
大学桥 University bridge. It's actually a bunch of bamboo bent from one end of the pond to the other. So limit only 10 pple...was a bit squeaky... and scary like a suspension bridge.
I remember 17 years ago when I walked across- my mum said must cross so u can go to university - haha.
So we climbed and climbed and she was amazing. She wasn't fast but she did it, heh heh chuan but still did it... and guess her age?
69 years old. Her grandchildren already in university.
Amazing right?
We stopped to have our meal halfway - she brought her lunch (all packed in her backpack) and me with my Family Mart (convenience store) bought curry rice..we sat down and munched and she gave me half of her omelette saying it was too much for her!! and half of her mandarin orange... Touched man....
Then she started throwing her bun to feed the little squirrel and bird (bit too fast to capture- they just hop out grab and hop back into the bushes) Cute.
As we climbed we found out more about each other...and of course being a grandma, must ask if have boyfriend/married that kind of question ya? Then of course, the reply is very straightforward, I do not wanna have one because it is very restricting and I will lack all the freedom I want. And she was like, 'Way to go man. That's the way!' (of course in mandarin) She was saying last time when she was young, it was just ignorance - she got married at the age of 19 and she said she regretted that badly... oh well. what to do. People of that generation had no choice I guess.
She's a cool grandma.
She brought me to the 神木
Not very spectacular - those at Alishan much much better.
After a few hours of climbing, we had to go down otherwise it'd be too late when she gets back home.
She was going on and on that we could have gone further up if we started earlier etc etc etc... oh well. No time! There's a bamboo forest if I remember correctly...
Then she did the cutest thing.
She turned to me and said give me ten minutes I wanna nap. Here she was answering a phone call but she really did nap while I sat on the swing opposite.... which was called 前前后后(in the right picture)
When we left, and reached Taichung - she said goodbye 有缘再会! and left! I was a bit sad but next time, hopefully we will meet at the bus stop! :)
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