Day 43- July 6

Woke up early today, so I could meet Jillian and Nick at Gong Guan. We were going to travel down to Xindian, the end of green line. And then from there off to Wulai! Finally get to go back and do some actual hiking and exploring. I was so excited, after a small snafu with the trains we all ended up at the same place. I tried to be clever and get on the right train with Nick and Jillian but instead they were the train behind me. So ultimately I ended up waiting for the same amount of time, such is life. We hopped the bus up into the mountains. I don’t know why but I always get so tired on the ride. Something about the longer bus rides is very soothing I always have a small nap.

    First order of business was to orient ourselves in the town and figure what we wanted to do. We decided that we would go up the river and try to make it to the waterfalls. We wandered for a bit and found  a easy access to the river. Then we started wading. It was an absolutely perfect day for it. It was hot but the water was an ideal temperature and wading was a lot of fun. The rocks are slippery but throwing on a bathing suit and just going for it was the right thing to do. The scenery was breathtaking, little water falls and deep pools for swimming. Nick saw a giant catfish that I proclaimed the river god. We walked up the river for perhaps an hour and a half. The best way to describe what I saw is just to show pictures, they’ll be a bunch of them down below with captions.

butterfly nesting thing

Hanging out in the cool water

This little area was great for swimming

So beautiful!!

    We didn’t make it up to the water fall as the clouds started to look dark, we decided we could try again later. Now that I’ve done this hike and accessed how it goes, I really want to go all the way up to the waterfall, it’s a personal goal at this point. But I will need a companion, wading through rivers and rock climbing is never a good thing to do alone. I’m going to have to find someone willing to really go for it. I will get to stand under those waterfalls!! We hopped the bus back, Jillian and Nick took the MRT home but I just took the bus all the way back to Gong Guan. It started to rain and at first it wasn’t so bad then it was dumping buckets. The thunder was loudest I’ve ever heard. It sounded like someone shooting a gun. And of course I managed to forget an umbrella. I am a desert child, it doesn’t rain hard or long enough to need an umbrella. Thankfully my stuff had been water proofed due to the adventure in the river.

    It was raining so hard that the two minute walk from the bus stop to the dorms it looked like I had jumped in the river fully clothed. Nothing you can really do about it at that point but laugh. It was coming down so hard and fast it was flooding out the streets a little bit, but drainage systems are good here. I rolled into my dorms dripping wet. My roommates are always surprised I forget to take an umbrella, but it’s just not a common thing where I am from. I changed clothes, shared my Wulai mochi and then curled up for a nap. I was so tired, hanging out in the sun and playing in the river, I slept for a good two hours. Then I got up and went for a jaunt in the Gong Guan night market. After sampling around the street food, I went back and curled up with some Taiwanese dramas. Tomorrow I am supposed to go on a small shopping trip to Wu Fenpu with my roommates. This will be my first shopping trip where I actually am going to buy myself something that isn’t food, it should be a good time. Time to follow up on that nap with a good night’s sleep.