We had an adventure filled day today! Discovered a wonderful ecological farm called "Greenworld" just 30 minutes away in a mountain valley. Very impressive display of plants, birds, butterflies, raptiles, etc. Noah was enthralled by the animal show (mainly macaws) and Ben particularly loved the fish in the lily pond and the swans. Paul was happy to find such an organized and well-kept tour sight that really paid attention to ecology. We would definitely come back again.
After the farm, we were going to to the cold springs nearby, but both boys fell fast asleep in the car, so Paul and I decided to be adventurous and head towards Qingquan ("Clear Springs") which is way into the mountains. I have fond memories from reading about this mountain place in a book by one of my favorite writiers, San-mao. And Paul just loves exploring mountain roads. So after 1 hour of bumpy and windy ride and a dark rocky tunnel, we found ourselves in Qingquan's hot springs.. Yes, hot springs again, but this time, no accidents! We had a wonderful hour soaking in the public baths.
Though the scenary was beautiful, the place is not as well-kept and you can tell that all the aborigines still living nearby are very poor. Besides, in 2004, this place suffered from a severe typhoon, in which many lives were lost. I was sad to see all the aborigines sitting around along the road, smoking, chewing betel nut, either just chatting or selling some local fruits (persimmons and fire dragon fruit). There was garbage-burning, which suggested that trash services are not provided in this remote town. All in all, the standard of living is clearly low, and I don't know how much hope the aborigines see in their future.
Before leaving, I requested a trip to the Catholic church up on the cliff, as I have read much about this church, the priest (Fr. Martinson, a great friend of writier San-mao), and many stories surrounding the church community. The chapel immediately made me feel at home. Simple, yet festive, the wall paintings blend in aboriginal art and folklore. From the activities on the adjacent basketball court and the people walking by, you can tell this is a social and perhaps spiritual center for the local community, but in a gentle and non-imposing way. Once here, it's easy to fantasize about the lives of Western missionaries in remote parts of the world.
By the way, you can click on the pictures for a bigger view.
1 comment:
What wonderful adventures!
I recently saw the movie "How High is the Mountain" (山有多高) by Tang Xiangzhu 湯湘竹, a documentary that reflects on three generations' deep-rooted attachements to the places they were born. The filmmaker grew up in Jianshi xiang 尖石鄉， another beautiful mountain village in Hsinchu, which you may get a chance to visit sometime. But mostly the film reminds me of the many emotions and observations of your adventures--the mixed flavors of the familiar, the wondrous, the recoveries and the discoveries. How precious it must be to share these things amongst the four of you, and with the grandparents, each with a such a different place of origination!
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