It was an interesting experience to have a long weekend sans mon cherie, starting Thursday night and due to welcome her back this evening. Cassy has decided to make every post a winner this year in terms of catching up with her parents as they will be away on a cruise for our usual time back home in June/July. She met them in Singapore when they flew in early to catch another one-way cruise back down to Australia.
I can't report what they have been up to as I've hardly heard a word! Electronic communication has been at a minimum, owing to the hotel where they are staying not offering free wi-fi and Cassy's reluctance to buy it! I have to admit, we're just so used to it being ubiquitous in Asia, that I didn't even think to check when we booked the hotel. I'm pretty sure they planned to spend a lot of time just catching up, whether it be in the room, the lobby, a restaurant or round the pool. I imagine it's been one long talk-fest! I just got a text from Chris saying they'd sent her on the way to the airport via taxi, thanking me for "the lend"(!), so I'll find out soon. Cass plans to visit them in Australia for Spring Break around her birthday time in April as well.
I went out for a few beers as is my usual practice on Friday night with Wal. We didn't have any guest players join us this week, which was a little unusual. I went home relatively early to the mewling protestations of the "girls", as apparently my attempts at pacifying and nurturing them on a Friday night were but a shadow of my attentive partner's. I slept in till all hours on Saturday morning, unperturbed by the wailing tones of the junk collector who, while trawling the lane-ways for trade, regularly wakes us on the weekend mornings with some banshee-like Mandarin drawl.
Some domestic bliss (!) out of the way, I decided to challenge the famous Tienmu Gudao steps ignoring the rather unseasonal heat and making a pretty good time up to the top. Feeling pretty good, I made my way further along and up, eventually turning back when I stumbled on the little river community of stone cottages in the shady overhang of the bamboo forest on the lower reaches of Yangminshan. It was a massive effort in the end, because I didn't really take into account the bookend journey when I needed to walk the half hour there and back: I usually ride my presently out-of commission scooter. Feeling very pleased with myself, I wandered down to SOGO and bought a stack of sushi to feed myself with for dinner. A very "non-Cassy" meal, I was a little adventurous and barely managed to finish it all: a huge feed complete with nori rolls and great slabs of fresh tuna with wasabi on the side. Home to watch the rugby league and cricket tests, both the Aussie sides being extremely disappointing, losing to N.Z. and Pakistan respectively.
On Sunday, I did domestic chores (again !), before watching Insiders and UFC 179 over an extended breakfast. The cats were still steadfastly ignoring my presence and had set up camp amongst the quilts on our bed, so I guessed they'd be happy enough if I flew the coop once more. I decided to head downtown to the end of the newest MRT line Xiangshan, to the eponymous mountain trail. Xiangshan means "Elephant Mountain" in Chinese and it is the site from where all those postcard images of Taipei and Taipei 101 are taken. I'd heard it was quite the climb, so headed out to conquer it!
The journey took about 45 minutes from home by the time I emerged from the gleaming wide mouth of Xiangshan station, exit 2. Another 1/2 hour stroll had me right at the trailhead and the trip up to the peak only took me about 15 minutes. I did, however, pass a LOT of people on the way. My recent forays up the "steps" had obviously got me "step fit", but there were some serious ascents involved on this trail. In fact, I am certain this would be condemned back home: the steps weren't in bad condition, quite the opposite. It's just that they were SO steep! Stones precariously set on angles also afforded just a toe hold on some of the most precipitous sections, and not a handrail to be seen. I managed to survive the trips both ways without tumbling headlong into the abyss, but imagined the danger at night as hundreds make the trip up to see the sun set, dusk fall and the nightscape twinkle into life.
I was pretty exhausted when I got back into familiar territory, so trained back to Zhishan station where I alighted to get a burger for tea at our beloved "Eat Burger". It was as great as always, and in Cassy's honour, I wandered up to Wendel's to get a slice of banana cake as a Sunday night treat. The girls and I (well, I did as they continued to sleep on the bed!) watched the Aussie get thrashed in the test against Pakistan and I retired early to read more of the beautifully written recent Man Booker prize winner by Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Back at school today, home in a minute to clean the house, take the garbage and await the return of my darling!
p.s. Oh, and I nearly forgot. In a very mild brush with fame, I was jettisoned onto the road by a crazy pack of screaming Taipeians near the Taipei 101 MRT station as they clambered for a glimpse of Mariah Carey (who performed in town last night). I didn't catch a glimpse, but admired Mariah for seeking out somewhere she is still hip!