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Taiwan Day 3 (Part 2) – Cingjing walking trails


15 December 2011

After visiting Green Green Grassland and taken our lunch, we continued along the mountain trail leading down to the windmill we saw in the distance from Green Green Grassland.

Old England at Cingjing

Old England Manor at Cingjing.


This was a good place to get an bird’s eye view of the Cingjing town, the various minsu, terraced tea plantations and mountain ranges. The above is the picture of Old England Manor, one of the most beautiful and expensive accommodation in the region, taken with a 200mm telephoto lens. Maybe, I would stay at this hotel in my next visit to Cingjing.


From the high mountain pasture trail, we then took the forest trail.
 





We rested at the place called the Natural Theatre where there were a few rabbits standing on tables with open cages. And glass tanks showcasing snakes, beetles and other creeping crawlies. The place was deserted, except for one person manning the stalls.



After the Natural Theatre, we then came to the start of the next trail. The 499 Steps trail.

CKS statue at Cingjing

The statue of Chiang Kai Shek could be seen peeping at us through the trees. This photo was taken just before the start of the 499-Steps trail leading down to Misty Villa. 

Cingjing walking trails

Somehow, the marking carved onto the top step of the stair way showed 487 instead of 499. 

  Trail from Misty Villa to Green Green Grassland

Walking up 499 (or 487) steps would be no joke. Hence we were glad that we were walking down instead of up. Along the way, this sign was spotted describing the Cryptomeria trees that flanked the staircase. I wonder who did the the English translation. 

Lost in Translation - Cingjing

The above is a view of Swiss Garden and Misty Villa Minsu (greenish building with flat roof where we were staying in Cingjing). This was taken from a lookout point along the 499 steps trail.

Finally at the bottom of the 499 Steps trail, a voice called up to us and we met this bee keeper who was selling honey and bee pollen products at her stall. She assured us that the bees would be safe to view and not attack us after a few dose of smoke from a can.

bee keeper who was selling honey and bee pollen products at her stall


Cingjing - bees



We went in close to film this video flying around us and photograph her bees. The queen bee is the one with a red round spot on the thorax and is slightly larger than the normal honey bees.

She urged us to taste the honey and bee pollen and proceed to show us what good honey is supposed to be like, when mixed with water and how pollen is extracted from the bees using a gadget with small holes in it. The bees are supposed to fly through the holes and the pollen scraped off the bees in the process.

After the demonstration, I bought a bottle of honey drink from her, partly to reward her efforts to educate us on the bees and partly because we wanted a drink after the long walk from Green Green Grassland.

After the end of the trail, we went to Starbuck at Cingjing Plaza, next to Misty Villa for tea, coffee and snacks, instead of Old England Manor which was our original plan. This was because it was not easy to get a taxi up here in Cingjing and we had enough of walking for one day.

Then we went back to Misty Villa for a short nap before dinner at 7.30 PM. The dinner menu was almost the same as the previous night, except the dishes were cooked slightly differently.  Still it was a tasty and enjoyable dinner. Somehow, the steamed fresh-water carp tasted good, without the muddy taste that is typical of fresh water fish found in the lowlands. And the taste and texture of the poached, crispy fresh vegetables was unbeatable.

See also my post on the
Map of Cingjing showing the walking trails.

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