29 Oct 2014 - Taipei Day 6

Day 6 - Yangmingshan (Xiaoyoukeng - Main Peak - East Peak - Lengshuikeng)

Took bus 260 from outside Civic Boulevard. As usual, many old people on the bus, so he had to stand all the way. At Yangmingshan interchange, he took the previous advice, rode bus 108 up to Xiaoyoukeng to start the trek to Main Peak.

Xiaoyoukeng

Smoking sulphur

Heading back out to the carpark for the trail to Main Peak

Love look-backs. The vehicles look like toys. Mountain behind is Mount Guanyin, beautiful undulating terrain.

Path's also smoking. Lots of inhalation of smelly sulphur.

Sneaked another look back. Trying to be brave about it.

Lots of bird feathers on the part of the trail. Someone's lunch?

Is that the Main Peak in view?!

After an awful lot of trudging. And sweat. This was the best he could do, the other hikers were hogging the tablet.

Rested enough and it was time to mount East Peak in the distance.

They're all wearing pants and jackets, while he was clad in berms and t-shirt. Maybe that's why the weird stares.

A little more to the East Peak. A little more.

Final ascent. Steep, use hands for safety.

Looking back on the trail to Main Peak.

Beautiful undulating terrain

Similar shot from the mobile.

What the park staff said in 2012 was right. The silver grass fully blooms in October.

Descended with the intention of going to Lengshuikeng. Met this Taichung auntie along the way, and had a good chat. Helped to take the focus off wobbly knees on the descent. Split off at the junction of Menghuan Lake and Lengshuikeng. However, he decided to head to Menghuan Lake shortly after, since he hadn't been there before. They would split again at another junction to Lengshuikeng.

The Taichung aunties. The one in yellow as surprised to see him again, and exclaimed that it was lucky she wasn't bad mouthing. Haha.

Beautiful silvery blooms

More beautiful silvery blooms

Menghuan lake. This is shot with the mobile, looks much better than the ones on the IXUS60.

Up close with the silvery bloom.

Loving the landscape. The dark patches are side of the mountains that are shielded from wind, while the batch patches are the sides that take the beating of Mother Nature.

Forest trail to the car park. Nice hues.

View from the carpark. To the right is the path to Lengshuikeng.

The mountain was where he just descended from.

Met the Taichung aunties again at the car park. Apparently, they went to the wrong place, and this was the car park that they were looking for. Chat with them over their lunch, and Taichung auntie gave him a bag of "beef tongue cookies" (nothing meat about it), knowing that he was only having Minute Maid's white grape juice and jelly.

Took this from the pavilion at Lengshuikeng Hot Spring Centre. This man was taking pictures of the Sun... maybe.

Like the lens flare that this mobile camera fish-eye attachment gave. Managed to preserve colors too.

Walking towards Lengshuikeng, the familiar stairs just up again (in 2012, came down from Miaopu trail).

Look back

 Filled up water at the Lengshuikeng Visitor's Centre, washed up, and also rested for a bit.

Luckily he swapped boots for running shoes...

Suspension bridge to Qingtiangang.

Hello Kitty tour bus. Many girls would probably like it. Decided to catch the last bus instead of staying around. While 108 was packed, R15 was relatively empty, and he got a seat all the way to Jiantan MRT.

Walked around at Shilin, but nothing whet his appetite. Took a photo outside Jiantan, and then it was back to Taipei Main Station.

Reached Taipei Main Station really hungry, went to have a feast at the underground Taipei City Mall (Sector Y).

Chicken rice (30NT) at sector Y

Dumplings (50NT) and meat ball soup (30NT)

After this, went to the other stall to have bittergourd and pork ribs soup (40NT). The bitter gourd was more pimply that what he was used to, and it was white in color. That summed up the day.