I think whoever told you about monkeys probably meant the foreigners in that area. 
I think whoever told you about monkeys probably meant the foreigners in that area. [/quote]
Alas! I invaded your territory. 
You must go there before, right?
There is a sign: “Watch Out Monkeys!” I think it must mean sometimes monkeys wonders around the trail. I want to see monkeys playing in the woods than being caged in the zoos. Sign…I already got there around 7 o’clock, it was still too late to see monkeys. 
But I saw chickens, though.
Well, there are lots of monkeys on Shamaoshan
and over here in the orchards, so why not on the Tienmu Trail…
IMHO, chickens are much tastier than monkeys, so consider yourself lucky.
[quote=“TwoTon”]Well, there are lots of monkeys on Shamaoshan
and over here in the orchards, so why not on the Tianmu Trail…
IMHO, chickens are much tastier than monkeys, so consider yourself lucky. 
[/quote]
I read some news about Monkey Business, I mean monkeys outnumber human beings in some towns of Taiwan. Those monkeys cause a lot of damages to those farmers and their orchards. It seems it’s not easy to find the balance of nature and business. (I should post it in P&A instead of here.)
Chickens are good. Bird watching season is coming. Nice! I am preparing for it. Go to see birds. 
Nice photos and a beautiful trail. It seems a pretty popular hiking trail. 
The sky is so beautiful today, it’s not plain blue but decorated with various kinds of clouds. My favorite kind of sky. I don’t want to stay in office now. ;-<
Okay…I went back from Guandu Hiking Trail. I don’t like it. It doesn’t smell like a mountain or a hill. I had no feeling I was in the woods or hill. Its map and direction signs are confusing due to sidewalk construction. And it’s short so that I am really dissatisfied. I am going to find another hiking trail for tomorrow so I can alleviate my addiction.
Hiking Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13050164@N07/
All towns, not some. Look for souped-up scooters with big after-market exhausts and blue LEDs all over them.
All towns, not some. Look for souped-up scooters with big after-market exhausts and blue LEDs all over them.[/quote]
All towns? I thought monkeys, most of time, outnumber ordinary people in all office, especially in meeting rooms.
I went hiking in Erge Mountain yesterday. It took me around 3.5 hours to finish the hike. (A round trip) I started the hike at its entry at the Route 9, it is said that the most popular start point is at Mucha.
Erge Hiking Trail is a nice place which has fabulous scenery. Viewers can see Linkou, Quanyin Mountain, Estuary of Danshui, Qixin Mountain, Yangming Mountain, Datu Mountain and almost all Taipei Basin, Pinglin, Shidin, Shenken areas. Grand View!
I went there by my scooter so I forgot checking transportation information. Sorry.
Hiking Pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/13050164@N07/
Kate, you have become a one-woman hiking club.
Nice pics. Ergeshan is one of my favorite climbs, as there are so many ways to approach it. The shortest is about 2.5 hours. Done that dozens of times.
I like to start though right at Maokong Gondola Station. It’s about 4.5-5 hours return. I’ll take the club out next month, or if you want to just meet up one day.
[quote=“Muzha Man”]Kate, you have become a one-woman hiking club.
Nice pics. Ergeshan is one of my favorite climbs, as there are so many ways to approach it. The shortest is about 2.5 hours. Done that dozens of times. [/quote]
I clumsily go after butterflies, stalk cats and squirrels or idly stare at the woods or tiny plants, so actually I am still a terribly slow hiker. 
It is interesting that even though I depart for a hike alone, I usually end up with not being alone on trails. I often bump into Taiwanese hikers on trails and they are always kind to me. They often have curiosity about my funny behaviors. An Ojisan asked me if I was a Forestry major on Erge hiking trail, and an Obasan asked me if I was a Botany major on Hutong hiking. I think I am an interesting kid in their eyes because it is still weird for Taiwanese that a female hiker in mountains alone. But they were really nice people. I had hot tea in rainy day and homemade candy for snack. One Ojisan wanted me to marry his son, this is funny. 
That will be great!!
Wow! That’s quite the proposal! A complete stranger!!
So did you accept, decline, or ask for time to think about it?
Taiwanese Ojisans who have unmarried sons usually like to take any chance to “HELP” them. I am used to the situation, but I don’t like to make Ojisans feel bad, so…I should reconstruct the scene.
Ojisan: Xiaojie, do you want to be my daughter-in-law?
Xiaojie: um…haha…ha
Ojisan: I can introduce my son to you. He is blah…blah…blah.
Xiaojie: Haha…ha…
Ojisan: My son…blah…blah…blah
Xiaojie: Wow…that’s a beautiful tree there
Xiaojie ran way.
Oh, thanks to Kate for reminding me that Ergeshan is right on my doorstep (well 15 minutes away). I went and climbed it again this afternoon. Had a few light showers on the way up but it was lovely and clear over Taipei. Couldn’t stay long at the top though as a big grey storm was coming in from Feitcui Dam.
No one asked me to marry them though. :s
Double Post.
[quote=“Muzha Man”]Oh, thanks to Kate for reminding me that Ergeshan is right on my doorstep (well 15 minutes away). I went and climbed it again this afternoon. Had a few light showers on the way up but it was lovely and clear over Taipei. Couldn’t stay long at the top though as a big grey storm was coming in from Feitcui Dam.
No one asked me to marry them though. :s[/quote]
It must be due to that you are a competent and experienced hiker. I met a ojisan in Erge mountain and we exchanged mobile phone number. I think I am probably a troublesome kid in his eyes. He kept calling after the hike and was care about if I got home safely. And he just called me few minutes ago and told me to be careful because a typhoon is coming. Super nice ojisan. And I wonder if I am really a kid that makes people feel worried now. :s
Tomorrow’s weather seems will be fine for hiking. I probably will go hiking in Hongludi before going to office.
I went hiking yesterday before I went to school. I didn’t plan it at all because I wasn’t sure whether I would finish my work in time. I chose a hiking trail that was near my office and school. It was Bailusi Mountain in Neihu. I didn’t expect it would be a nice trail, but it turned out to be a really nice place for a WALK actually. I spent 40 minutes finishing the walk. (In wrong shoes), I think it’s the most friendly hiking trail I had so far.
There are two entries, one is at Lane 35 of Chengkong Road, another one is at Lane 45 of the same road. I think the entry at Lane 45 of Chengkong Road is the best entry for this trail. It’s right across of Kongning Hospital, but there is no direction sigh of this entry.
Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, I didn’t plan to go hiking there so I only had cellphone cam with me.
Looks like a lovely path for a short stroll. That Taipei has so many of these is something I never wish to take for granted.