The Tienmu Gudao is a famous track that has gone through various iterations. Most recently, it is a healthy challenge to negotiate its initial 1,400 stone steps only to emerge at the top to stroll along a gravel path on the ridge line. In more ancient times, it used to be a supply route for farmers from the mountain to the city, and last century the Japanese occupiers built a mighty water supply pipeline bringing the gushing streams of Yangminshan to the parched citizens in the then burgeoning city below.
The back-breaking engineering finished many decades ago and now the only dangers to life and limb are troops of Formosan Macaques who occasionally muscle in to the bucolic scenes of nature-walking alongside mountain outcrops and bubbling brooks. They shriek and natter off the path, swing through the canopy and occasionally plonk themselves in quite intimidating spots on the path, sometimes in front and behind. Mercifully, on Sunday, no simians smirked and no apes aped: we were safe it seemed!
We traveled the ridge line till the end and continued onward up another set of punishing and precarious steps, up, up and ever upwards! Eventually, we were released from the climb and a small access road led up to the Cultural College or down to the river. We went down and joined a less-trod path that we'd negotiated many times, but had neglected for the past few years. It looked like everyone else had similarly neglected it! The moss was growing across the flagstones and the bridges felt a little rickety, and although the river rushed and flurried it was a peculiar shade of bright orange which looked suspiciously unnatural.
We followed the river for a stint, brushing past pussy willows and bushes flush with butterfly-like, brilliant white flowers. There were purple blooms dotting the sides of the path leading along the valley and we even had to negotiate a flooded muddied section oozing black goo where the water had burst through the regular channels and invaded the pathway. The path led upwards again and we detoured along the side of the mountain, across danger tape and warning signs before negotiating a recent landslide and descending once again to the valley floor.
The market gardens on the flat were sadly neglected, the rows of baby vegetables providing an unguarded feast for the cabbage moths, and it looked like the hobby farmers hadn't been able to tend their crops for some time. It was slightly forlorn, and we decided that this was a good point to turn around, retrace our steps and head back to civilization.
The previous evening we'd made a trip to the cinema at Shinkong Mitsukoshi to see "The Invisible Man". We're big fans of Elisabeth Moss and again she didn't disappoint, although a few scenes where she wasn't centre stage fell a little flat. I was slightly flummoxed by the "high tech" suit as well: the cameras looked decidedly low tech much like a suit full of portable web-cams!
Afterwards, we scootered across the suburb to the Indian restaurant Moksha. Cass had recently had a great experience with her book club and they thoroughly enjoyed all the different items they'd ordered. I was a little wary after getting a flavour filled but decidedly unsalted version of my favourite chicken curry on a previous visit. It was still the same! I couldn't bring myself to ask for any salt, not wanting to offend the chefs who had prepared an undoubtedly genuine regional dish, but I wanted to! In India, I don't remember any reluctance to enhance dishes with condiments....maybe this is some variation. Anyway, Cass loved her food, I also liked mine but a pinch of salt would have made it perfect.....first world problems, I know!
We've made one week back on campus by the end of today and escaped the dreaded call of closure due to Covid 19. Fingers crossed that it continues that way. Photos: Queuing to enter the main school building as temperatures are taken and hands sanitized, the life-size puppet gods are out on display round the corner from our place, Cass at the cinema, and shots of the Tienmu Gudao path including the suspicious "orange" river!