Sundays are set aside as “Family Day” for the Klars afar in Taiwan. And now that we have a vehicle large enough for kids, snacks, dogs and adults, we hit the beach or the mountains (both great opportunities to beat the heat) at least once a week. We had noticed a few weeks ago that dogs seemed welcome on the beach here so we decided to take old Jake & Scout (now clocking in at 14 & 13 years of age respectively) along for the ride and a swim. Now they’re not as frisky as they used to be but you can see from the headline photo that they still manage to learn a new trick occasionally.
This was actually a few weeks ago and we made some new friends – which we accomplish on almost every trip. Monique Lee and her three kids – Molly, Samuel & Uma. They made us feel right at home and even let us borrow their inflatable raft so we could play “Rescue” with Jake & Scout. (Click an image below to launch the gallery of larger images).
Once we were in sight of the water, Jake & Scout, Griff and Bo made a bee line to the shore.
The only thing Jake likes better than swimming is rolling in dirt after swimming.
You can usually find Jake in the water or in the dirt.
Scout prefers to wade into the depths at her own pace and rarely goes deeper than her tummy – which is not very deep.
Sometimes lunch tastes better when you’re sitting on Mommy’s lap.
Dogs adrift searching for shore
Ahoy, Matey! Have you any Scoobie Snacks on board?
It appears they like to snuggle when they’re afraid of drowning.
Jake & Scout ride the curl much to the delight of their captive audience.
Jake rarely likes to be far from Becky if he can help it. Here he swims out to rescue her from the Boogie Board.
Bodhi decides to take a shot at the Boogie Board. It did not end well.
Our new friends let us play with their raft so it seemed only fair that we let them fly our kite.
It was a great afternoon and reassuring that we didn’t have to leave Jake & Scout at home alone while we had fun. Plus they helped us meet Monique and the gang with whom we have since had more adventures…but that’s another post. Hope you enjoyed this one.
Remember to post any comments and questions and that we love and miss you all.
Born in Kentucky, when I first moved to Ohio for College in 1977 at the age of 18, my accent earned me the nicknames, “Briar-Hopper” & “Hillbilly”. Having since lived in the UK, Japan and now Taiwan, I seem to move around a lot – Willy Nilly if you like. Now if this all seems like a manufactured set-up for that headline, you’re probably right. But now that we’re really rolling here in the Magic Rock (see earlier post), we figured it was time to pack up the minivan and head for the mountains.
On of the many benefits of our apartment’s location is that the immense, bustling metropolis of Taipei lies before us. While the stunning natural beauty of Yangmingshan National Park lies just behind us. So we did some homework to find a family-friendly hiking trail, loaded the vehicle with beverages, snacks and canines and chose the Lenshuikeng area. According to the Yangmingshan National Park website, “The Lengshuikeng region is a low-lying depression which was created when the lava from Mt. Qixing and Mt. Qigu formed a barrage. Water then accumulated, turning the area into a lake, which eventually leaked out and dried up to expose the lake bottom and form today’s landscape. The water temperature of the hot springs in this area only reaches 40°C (104°F), far below that of other springs in other areas, hence its name Lengshuikeng, which means “cold water pit”.”
All this sounded great as we described it to Griffin and Bodhi once they had clicked their seat belts and we were on the road. Griffin asked where it was exactly and when we told him it was in the mountains, he moaned, “Not the mountains! I hate the mountains! It STINKS up there.” Of course the stink he was referring to is the sulfur smell of the fumaroles and hot springs since we sit atop an active volcanic area. So we rolled down the windows and made it into a game. Whenever we drove through a cloud, we guessed – was it a raincloud or a stink cloud? More often than not, it was a stink cloud but the kids enjoyed it.
We decided on a hike to the Juansi Waterfall that started on a suspension bridge and ended at a waterfall – 1.2 kilometers, 2.4 there and back. First we needed water for the dogs.
It’s hot here in Taiwan this time of year but not quite as hot in the mountains. Even though they’ve recently had haircuts to help them keep cool, we always make sure our pets get plenty of water.
And then we were off and hiking. Of course Griffin and Bo complained a fair bit. Their legs hurt, they were tired, they got on each others’ nerves, etc. but it appears they occasionally enjoyed the walk and Mommy & Daddy were not backing down.
The trail started in the midst of the tall grass that covers many of the mountains here. I’ve been told it’s one of the plants that has adapted to the sulfurous soil and air.
The trail was paved and wound through beautiful bamboo thickets and thick vegetation.
Fabulous, towering bamboo and various jungle vegetation greeted us along the route.
After much trudging, we made it to the waterfall which was beautiful and the perfect relaxing spot for a snack.
This is the Juansi Waterfall. A beautiful spot we highly recommend.
And what post would be complete without video?
But as with any other trail into the mountains in Taiwan, there were other, slightly smaller waterfalls everywhere.
Throughout the mountains of Taiwan, small streams and waterfall abound.Another small waterfall.While we rested at the Juansi Waterfall, we had snacks and Jake decided he needed some food too so he tried his best to beg for chips (crisps for our UK readers).Griffin had lent Bo one of his “cool hats” for the hike but they had a minor falling out at the waterfall so he decided two hats are better than one.
Hiking back we discovered the loudest insects on earth engaged in their late afternoon song. We are now convinced these little buggers are what chased the Japanese from Taiwan. Turn up your speakers (but not too much) or put on your headphones to experience their full ear-splitting glory in this video.
After further trudging, we made it back to the suspension bridge for a family photo next to the “Keep off the Grass” sign.
Beautiful family finishes the hike in harmony.
More adventures to come. Thanks for reading our posts and don’t forget to click the embedded images for larger views and leave plenty of comments.
It all started when I decided I needed a new meditation altar. We had been introduced to Howard Brewer and Faye Angevine, both long-time residents of Taiwan (more than 30 years) and owners of BaiWin Antiques, among other business concerns. They are extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful – especially so towards new expat arrivals. Within minutes of making their acquaintance, they were sharing wine while dispensing stories and lots of much-needed advice. I will never forget as I raised my glass of Argentinian Cabernet for a toast and Howard said, with a twinkle in his eye, “Welcome to the Magic Rock.” As time goes on, I become more certain that this volcanic island is like nowhere on earth.
As you can see from their website, BaiWin Antiques is stuffed to the rafters with fine art and beautiful furniture, all of which are authentic despite the onslought of cheap knock-offs and reproductions flooding the market from mainland China (according to Faye). So while we were enjoying their wine and hospitality, I saw a piece that would be perfect as my new meditation altar here on the Magic Rock.
A beautiful piece made of two different types of wood fashioned in the 1800s. (click on image for enlarged view)
I immediately snapped a photo on my handy iPhone and told Faye I wanted her to hold it for me while I secured buy-in from Becky as she was not present and is in charge of money (the only reason we have any), furniture and home decoration – as her taste is infinitely more subtle and superior to mine. Becky loved it as much as I did so I let Faye know she had made a sale (hopefully the profit covered the cost of the wine I drank).
We stopped by their shop to pay for the altar and arrange delivery when Faye happened to ask, “Is there anything else we can help you with to get you more settled here in Taipei?” I mentioned that we were thinking of getting a used car as renting one had made us realize how being more mobile would make it much more convenient to go places as a family on weekends and holidays (see previous post) and Faye said, “I know a guy, let me make a call.” Fluent in Mandarin, Faye jabbered on her phone for a few minutes then hung up. “My friend has some options available, do you have some time now to take a look?”
She then drove us to a nearby Chrysler/Jeep dealership and on the way told us that Mr. Jien who ran the place was her friend, had sold her the two company vehicles for their shop, also provided service and would certainly give us a good deal. Well Mr. Jien had a 2002 Chrysler Voyager that only had 60,000 miles on it and was willing to part with it for about 20% above what we had agreed on as a budget. We held firm on our amount so Faye asked Mr. Jien if he would sell it for less. He asked if we were good friends of hers and she said yes. So he sold us the Chrysler for exactly what we wanted to spend. Within two days the minivan was ours.
Our landlord, Mr. Lin, offered us an available outdoor parking space for just a $100/month increase in rent and then made the space larger (which involved removing a planter and pouring no small amount of concrete) when he saw that it was a van.
The vehicle is in great shape. It has a sonar device in the rear bumper that detects objects behind when in reverse and beeps like a lunatic when you get too close. While it doesn’t have bluetooth for our iPhones, it does have a mysterious technology input in the center console we have yet to understand.
We can’t figure out what that shown in the red box is or how to work it…any suggestions? (click on image to enlarge)
With a removable third row seat and rooftop luggage rack, this will indeed be the perfect vehicle for touring when family (this means you, Barnetts) comes to visit. Room for two kids, two dogs, four adults and luggage on the roof means we can certainly roll on the Magic Rock.
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Hope you enjoyed this one and remember that we love and miss you all…
The Klars Afar 