We'd retrieved the silver bullet from the depths of her slumber in B3 of her sleek new carparking abode and ventured across to familiar territory of the Jinshan township and coast on the northernmost tip of the island. It's always an interesting and occasionally frustrating drive. The roads weave their way up and down impossibly steep inclines and slice through forests and waving grasses. Drivers are alternatively cautious and almost catatonic in the face of the narrow, strangely cambered roads, and overtaking areas are almost non-existent: best to sit back and enjoy the (slow) ride!
The surf, as expected, was dead flat and not even enticing for a swim, despite the fact we'd both come armed with swimmers just in case. We drove around the usual spots to check, but decided to adjourn to the coastal 7/11 for a spot of convenience store lunch. After a stop at some wetlands to spy on a flock of resting egrets, we followed a tour bus halfway up the nearby mountain and discovered a fantastic, dragon themed temple all on its lonesome. Having just finished the latest series of "Game of Thrones" it was uncanny to see the dragons festooned above, and slithering around columns and carvings! We headed further up the mountain via another route and eventually arrived at a spot we'd never been before, the grave sites perched overlooking the magnificent view of Jinshan town and beach, the Dharma Drum Mountain.
Religious chanting was being piped through speakers at strategic points and the grounds and grave surrounds were impeccably tended and beautiful with sculpted trees, manicured grass and inventive artwork. We could see beyond Jinshan to Little Yeliou and further on to the tunnel heading towards Green Bay. From our vantage point we could really see how much Jinshan has grown: it's quite the thriving country township now and has developed from a bucolic coastal village in our time here on-island. We clambered up several flights of steep concrete stairs to stare in wonder at the grave sites: there has been a lot of money spent here! Some had sculptures and rest areas, some even had picnic spots where the family could gather at cute granite stools and tables to enjoy a meal in the company of the departed!
We motored on further through the hillside community at rest, marveling at the views, the money spent, and the ongoing fees that must be necessary. There were guides and attendants everywhere and, as already mentioned, the gardens and community areas were tended fastidiously. It was a fascinating insight into what people with pots of money do in Taiwan to honour their dearly departed!
We took the tourist route back out of town and ended up skirting the river on the "wrong" side until we emerged on the mountain road near our favourite gabion in the form of a rhinoceros. We stopped to give him a pat, as it is a number of years since we've paid him a visit!
On Saturday, we'd done all our shopping jobs and gone down to Sogo where we ate an afternoon lunch/dinner of delicious pizza at the Italian restaurant on the top floor. We checked in at Uniqlo and I scored a couple of T-shirts dirt cheap as the winter clothes are now swelling the racks. I was disproportionately ecstatic to get a plain navy t-shirt with a tiny embroidered Mickey Mose logo on the pocket: childhood memories are strong sometimes! I'd also been down at Patio 84 on Friday to watch my adopted team, The Richmond Tigers score their first semi-final win in 16 years....happy days indeed, despite our slight pangs of regret that Cronulla got knocked out in the league: we enjoyed cheering for them at the Olympic Stadium this time last year!
Photos: Virg is finally enjoying the massaging pillow we got to ease her arthritis pain...she's a slow learner! Patio shot, pizza and lots of pics from Dharma Drum Mountain and surrounds. The shot of Cass with the bikes is interesting: the runaway success of Taipei's Youbike system has spawned some rivals....these are Smartbikes which can be picked up and left anywhere (not just at a docking station) with a swipe of an app on your phone!