Thanks. You have just ruined my almost perfect day.
Have you ever been past the Marmite and Bovril factory in Burton-on-Trent? Uggghhh…the smell of yeast is disgusting, especially on a hot summers day where the smell is amplified. Made me want to puke out the window.
I went past there about two weeks ago but didn’t stop. I’ll take your advice and stop off next time I am up that way.
[quote=“Dangermouse”]
I went past there about two weeks ago but didn’t stop. I’ll take your advice and stop off next time I am up that way.[/quote]
I’ll post more details once I get the card translated (or I’ll just scan it). It’s way off the main road so if you don’t know it’s there you’ll miss it. There is a American Indian style sign pointing to the turn off. Approx 1-2km up/down a narrow track, but it is perched almost on a cliff and overlooks a huge bend in the river and swing bridge etc.
[quote=“truant”][quote=“Dangermouse”]
I went past there about two weeks ago but didn’t stop. I’ll take your advice and stop off next time I am up that way.[/quote]
I’ll post more details once I get the card translated (or I’ll just scan it). It’s way off the main road so if you don’t know it’s there you’ll miss it. There is a American Indian style sign pointing to the turn off. Approx 1-2km up/down a narrow track, but it is perched almost on a cliff and overlooks a huge bend in the river and swing bridge etc.[/quote]
Is this place run by an aboriginal family? The owner’s name is Michael, used to be a pub singer and will take out his quitar sometimes to play songs for customers? The cafe is a little wooden structure? Small outdoor deck, inside there’s a buffallo skull? Chinese translates to Senling Shui An?
[quote=“Mucha (Muzha) Man”][quote=“truant”][quote=“Dangermouse”]
I went past there about two weeks ago but didn’t stop. I’ll take your advice and stop off next time I am up that way.[/quote]
I’ll post more details once I get the card translated (or I’ll just scan it). It’s way off the main road so if you don’t know it’s there you’ll miss it. There is a American Indian style sign pointing to the turn off. Approx 1-2km up/down a narrow track, but it is perched almost on a cliff and overlooks a huge bend in the river and swing bridge etc.[/quote]
Is this place run by an aboriginal family? The young guy’s name is Michael, used to be a pub singer and will take out his quitar sometimes to play songs for customers? The cafe is a little wooden structure? Small outdoor deck, inside there’s a buffallo skull?[/quote]
YES! Nice guy. HE tells me they are going to build accom units there soon.
He sung a Willie Nelson song. He insisted it was my turn, but after hearing that rendition I was far too humble to oblige!!
[quote=“truant”][quote=“Mucha (Muzha) (Muzha) Man”][quote=“truant”][quote=“Dangermouse”]
I went past there about two weeks ago but didn’t stop. I’ll take your advice and stop off next time I am up that way.[/quote]
I’ll post more details once I get the card translated (or I’ll just scan it). It’s way off the main road so if you don’t know it’s there you’ll miss it. There is a American Indian style sign pointing to the turn off. Approx 1-2km up/down a narrow track, but it is perched almost on a cliff and overlooks a huge bend in the river and swing bridge etc.[/quote]
Is this place run by an aboriginal family? The young guy’s name is Michael, used to be a pub singer and will take out his quitar sometimes to play songs for customers? The cafe is a little wooden structure? Small outdoor deck, inside there’s a buffallo skull?[/quote]
YES! Nice guy. HE tells me they are going to build accom units there soon.
He sung a Willie Nelson song. He insisted it was my turn, but after hearing that rendition I was far too humble to oblige!![/quote]
Oh, great, I’m so happy other people have found this place. I wrote about it in the Lonely Planet under Fuxing. Couldn’t believe what a find it was. Cafe on an incredibly scenic bluff run by a pub singer who’s happy to sing songs with his customers. Fantastic.
You can get to it the way you described but it’s easier I think to just drive into Fuxing and head straight to the Youth Activity Centre at the end. Turn right into the parking lot and at the far back you can see down to the cafe on the bluff. Take the wooden stairs down and walk to the cafe.
I should visit again one weekend. Last time was May, 2004. Spent a few good hours singing songs with Michael. Trying to teach him the words to Hotel California. 
By the way, the Youth Actvity Centre just up from the bluff also has an amazingly scenic cafe and also rooms. It used to be the site of one of Chiang Kai Shek’s villas. Anyone can stay there now.
Cool. We stumbled across it on a scooter adventure from Nankan, what a find!
Next time you go ask him if he still will put on a pig BBQ? We talked about this last spring for the summer but I was in canada the whole time. They wanted to have a wild pig on a spit BBQ one night. Eating, drinking, singing. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
OK will do. I promised to take out my electric Guitar next time. The first time we went there, we were the only ppl there and they invited us in to share their family BBQ -nice. I didn’t check on Sunday, but last year he didn’t have beer on the menu 
, so I suggested he might want to reward the hikers who make the effort by selling them a nice cold ale.
They are a really nice family. Spread the word. This is a great place and the people running it deserve more business.
They are a really nice family. Spread the word. This is a great place and the people running it deserve more business.[/quote]
Well we were blown away by how many people were there on Sunday. They have built an extension to the deck and the whole place was FULL. Perhaps due to a number of people out tomb sweeping down the road, but great to see.
Just came back inside from “camping” out in the tent with my son. He loved it. Played UNO and talked for a hour. Chased one mosquito around. Very low tech. No TV. Imagine that. 
Truly a wonderful 24 hours.
[quote=“sandman”]
Is that up on the Beiheng past Baling? Down the hill on the right-hand side of the road? That’s a nice hotspring if its the same one. Last time I went there was a big old tree down that you could use to cross the river with dry feet.[/quote]
Yes, that’s the place.
The big old tree is nowhere to be seen, but I might try again when the weather heats up - and yes, by then I will make it over to the other side.
MJB, I think that the recent typhoons might have played a bit of havoc with the place. First, coming down to the little beach was a pain, then we ended up a bit upstreams from the little manmade pool - and to top it off, there was only a poor excuse of a rope spanning halfways over - and water was a bit high that day.
However, I look forward to you taking us there one of the upcoming weekends.
Got up and fretted about my dog for a bit. He ate something poisonous on Sunday and despite all the drugs he’s still not eating. Still, at least he can walk.
Then I fretted about all the work I have to do, until I said ‘sod it’ and got on the bike about 10am. It was a bit of a struggle to fill the tank, because I’ve miscalculated my cashflow this month and have no accessible cash until this afternoon, but I got to Jilong with enough leftover for breakfast.
Was on the boat by 11, and we motored out to a relatively clean area where we had obtained police permission to dive and spend a pleasant (not) hour scraping barnacles off the underside. There was a lovely breeze, but of course it’s not possible to just go sailing in this bloody country, so we motored back and spent a couple of hours getting into industrial strength cleaning products in an attempt to remove the grime deposited over the last few months.
Once the pain from the bleach in the cuts from the barnacles was nicely balanced by the pain from the sunburn I was overwhelmed by guilt about all the work I had to do, so headed home in the late afternoon.
A word to the wise: Do not try new shortcuts while trying to compose an important letter in your head. Pay attention to the road instead. I’m lucky I wasn’t a lot more badly hurt, and the bike is a real mess. Having an accident that is someone else’s fault is bad, but when you’re the idiot who drives into someone else it feels ten times worse.
That took ages to deal with and, of course, there was no food in the fridge when I got back. And by the time I had shopped (enlisting neighbours to take me, and lend me money) and eaten out I was too buggered to do any work.
Now I’m sitting here looking at the sunshine, my shoulders glowing pink, my hands stinging, various bruises and sore bits, with a sick dog and no bloody transport. There’s a pile of stuff I’m supposed to have done, and all I want is a blowjob.
On the bright side, I’m not dead, the dog’s not dead, all my minor ailments will heal, the bike is repairable, and I have plenty of friends who have offered loaners in the meantime. I have a short-term private student who is very pleasant to be with and paying me enough extra cash to balance the books, the workload is manageable if I prioritise it, and the sun is still shining.
I enjoy my work too. I get to spend four hours today with smart fun teenagers who are going to feel as much like doing work as I do, and have enough flexibility/freedom to take it easy for a day. I’m going to take a walk then head into town to borrow a scooter, complete the ‘must do’ work on Bob’s balcony and flirt with the waitresses, then head off to make some cash - pausing to pick up some money owed along the way. In the evening I’ll rouse that bastard Jeremy at Bikefarm to take charge of the wreck, and still be home in time to catch up on some correspondence.
And I have nothing scheduled tomorrow until 4! What’s the forecast?
[quote="Dangermouse
He he. You went shopping in your undies? Oh dear.
[/quote]
I’ll spare you the photo. 
Not a pretty sight.
Ouch! Glad to hear it wasn’t worse. I hope you wear a good full-face helmet. What happened?
Was the dog on the bike too?
Oh yes, good to see you’re alive…can’t help with the BJ though. sorry.
can’t just flog the dolphin?
I was, but I managed to absorb the impact with my body instead. Helmets are expensive and you don’t want to damage them.
JD, no, the dogs were at home so the place smelt of puppy piss when I got back too.
How can we take you seriously about wanting to be a woman if you’re flirting with the waitresses?
[quote=“jdsmith”]
Oh yes, good to see you’re alive…can’t help with the BJ though. sorry.[/quote]
Careful there with the acronym JD. It’d be awful to make a typo.