Only the sound of gravel crunching underfoot disturbed the generally bucolic soundtrack that played out along the ridgeline of the Tienmu Gu Dao track on Sunday. Plump lizards scratched and bustled away from the human disturbance, and I occasionally caught a flash of their neon back patches or scuttling legs as they did mini bush crashes in their haste to be away. Locusts cast a symphonic net over the mountain and the occasional beeping bird call played accompaniment. The rhythm section was comprised solely of the distant but distinct shrieks of a barrel of Taiwanese Macaques as they swang low, smashing fronds and cracking branches, as they traversed the canopy above.
Our weekend had begun in a standard manner with both of us having social Friday nights, after watching some football together in the fading afternoon before we tripped off to separate events. Mine was the standard beer and sausages affair with Wal, while Cass went to the other end of the culinary spectrum with her visit with the "Bookies" to the "too cool for school" slick outfit that is Il Mercato down on Chung Chen Road. We both enjoyed our catch-ups and despite the fact that the food and drink quality varied widely, we enjoyed the meal as well!
Our girls, Virg n Mary, aren't in the prime of their lives. They've been so robust and immune to any sickness or disease that we'd been lulled into a false sense of security concerning their longevity. They're really senior citizens now having just passed their 14th birthdays. As if a switch had been flicked, they simultaneously decided that their medicated hard food that they've eaten exclusively for their entire lives was now to be shunned. As they lost weight, week after week, we were desperate to get any food into them at all, so we've tried every variety of wet food we can find, visiting many shops and supermarkets. We're still experimenting, but we've found a couple they'll tolerate, one in fact, that they wolf down quite ravenously. So, anyway, for the time being at least, they're hanging in there and might even be putting on a couple of grams!
Seguing from shops and supermarkets, it is in fact true that our trusted local supermarket, Mingde Wellcome, is shutting down....in fact, it's closed already! We scouted out the Blue PX Mart nearby and it seems to be reasonably good, a worthy substitute. Although a rather lengthy block further away (which is a factor as we lug the shopping by hand), it follows our preferred route through the park, across the river and along the "Boulevard of Dreams", so we think we'll try it for a while at least. We shopped at Carrefour this week and also went to Wendel's and Pizza Oggi, so we felt we'd spent the entire Saturday looking for supermarkets, buying supplies or food and getting takeaway!
Back to the Sunday trail...not only did the aural senses get a workout, but the scene was lit by the most amazing spring sunshine. It pierced the foliage with barbed rays that danced on the path as the breeze shook the treetops, and dappled sun spotted the path as I marched on from the top of the stairs all the way to the Cultural College steps at the end of the mountain pass. As the sun patches intermittently struck the steps, a kaleidoscopic flutter of butterflies dipped and swirled. The brand new leaves were golden green and shimmered with new shoots and then, emerging with a crack from the spearmint mist were the aforementioned troop, cartoon monkey style, all four of different sizes swinging languidly above the trail up ahead and then, effortlessly, up, over and gone.
Photos: My Orphanage Club officer election speeches, sights you see walking home from school, shots from the trail and Cassy all Italianed up to visit Il Mercato. Video: capturing the serenity up above for now, but here later.