It's a fillip for the soul to indulge in yet more time off, but we definitely felt in need of it after our hectic chase round the globe last week. Hot on the heels of our extended weekend back in Australia we were able to luxuriate in the annual "10/10" 4 day weekend this week. After surviving just three days back at work, we were able to look forward to a catch-up of sleep and sanity after a whirlwind of social and entertainment activity!
We each relaxed in our peculiar ways on Thursday, me with some beers and friends and Cass with two furry mates and a bit of French TV! We welcomed the rain back to town on Friday and this time it wasn't a strain: it actually gave us carte blanche to do whatever we liked, as long as it didn't involve going out anywhere! We were able to potter around the house and do bits and pieces at our leisure as well as indulge in some binging on quality TV...oh, it was so decadent!
On Saturday, the skies cleared briefly, at least enough to encourage us to get across to the Shinkong Mitsukoshi complex for a movie, a touch of retail therapy and a long mid-afternoon "lunch". Cass rated "Deepwater Horizon" a B+, mainly getting to this lofty height from the very real tension created in the lead-up to the climactic disaster portrayed. It was literally edge of the seat, nail-biting stuff! The actors were competent and although the characters were a little stereotypical and cut-out, the script played out OK to back up the big effects.
Cass went hunting down in the basement shoe emporium for some replacements for her beloved black and gold Pumas: a sole had been thrown at camp and they were reluctantly hoicked. The variety of colours and brands of shoes was dazzling and confusing, so after a few attempts to break the mold with some New Balances or Nikes, she gravitated back to the Puma section. She hooked up with some real beauties and as a bonus, they were also on a super bargain price special. Flushed with podiatry success, we escalatored to the second floor to continue our love/hate relationship with Chili's. Well, let me explain that: I hate it and Cass loves it! I must admit, however, that this time I did manage to find a suitable meal of half salmon and half chicken, while Cass indulged in her long time favourite Quesadilla Explosion Chicken Salad.
Scootering a quarter way up the western ridgeline of Yangminshan before ditching the bike and hiking the rest of the way was our mission on Sunday. We set out in a misting, annoying little sprinkle which didn't really relent the whole time we were out. Cautiously negotiating the curving narrow road with precipitous drops unhindered by any type of guard rail, we wended our way past boutique mountain housing communities gripping the slopes tightly, through crumbling villages and garish temples, before emerging at various trail-heads leading further into the lush hills.
The start of the trail consisted of less traveled stone steps, much like the steps of our beloved Tienmu Gudao. They rose quickly, and soon we were puffing and blowing as we rose ever upwards into the mist. The steps gave way at intervals to steep mountain concrete paths, carpeted with leaf litter and a sheen of moss, making them quite treacherous to negotiate. Water rushed down narrow irrigation streams and pipes festooned the creeks, tapping into the precious water source as it thundered down the slopes and through the verdant plots. We stopped to admire ingenious little bridges and gates, entries to individual fields secured by metal gates and even living room doors! There were tiny shrines re-built by the local communities and hobby farmers tilling their allotments with rudimentary tools, while some semi-permanent residents huddled away from the damp in ramshackle huts made from all types of begged and borrowed materials.
Aiming ever higher, eventually we emerged from the farming plots to cross the road onto yet another stone staircase. This one led to more trail-heads and butterfly walks, but not before we passed a car-park by another temple and stone picnic setting. We headed along one of the butterfly trails and quickly felt like we'd stepped into a realm way beyond the city. Not a sound was to be heard apart from squelching feet on sodden leaf litter, birds trilling and beeping, and small rustlings in the undergrowth beside the path. A bamboo tunnel appeared and went for hundreds of meters: it really was an amazing thrill to be there all by ourselves...the photos don't really capture the majesty of this ethereal green cathedral.
We could have walked yet further, but we knew we had to retrace our steps eventually and we were already a little leg weary, so we headed back down and away. The slopes and paths were doubly difficult to traverse on the way down as we realized how steep they really were. I went for a couple of near skids, so we pretty much took baby steps all the way down to ensure we didn't go for a sixer! Safely down at road level, we took the scooter back down into Tienmu, stopped for some late lunch baguettes at Lutetia, then headed home. What a great day!
Monday saw yet more chilling time, lots of pottering and relaxing, the weekend providing the perfect bookend to our crazy hectic schedule from the weekend before. My old mate, Gurecki, now firmly ensconced in Nagasaki, sent me two huge tomes in the mail, one of which I've started to read. It's The Beatles biography by Hunter Davies and was originally published in 1968. It's an anniversary edition with chunky, updated forewords and postscripts which are wonderful. The most incredible detail and interviews with all the main characters make it a joy to read. Photos: Cass at Chili's, modelling new shoes, many from our hike, a little dog with wheeled assistance and the beginning of Halloween produce.
