The hike to Elephant Mountain starts right from the road. You first take a hike up a long flight of steps, which is a bit challenging if you haven't hiked in a while. It probably took me about 15 minutes to scale the steps, but I was very tired and sweaty by the end! But once I reached the top of the mountain, there are a few large boulders decorated with the carvings of people's names or quotes, and a few benches. You can certainly climb the boulders for a fantastic view of the city!
During this specific hike, I wandered further into the densely jungle-covered mountains and came upon a series of temples. It was very quiet, giving the mountains almost a sense of spiritual power. Statues and shrines decorated the mountain sides. As the afternoon waned on, the monks in the temples began their daily chanting, which echoed throughout the entire mountain side. It was one of the most incredible things I've encountered. It was like the mountains themselves were singing. If I could stay in those mountains for days, I definitely would.
However, my favorite peak (Mt. Thumb) was a little difficult to get to. I had to travel far into the back of the mountain chain, turned off the beaten path onto a series of small stones that led up the mountain side in a zig-zag fashion. As I got higher and higher, the view became all the more spectacular. Eventually though, I came upon a sheer uprising that required the use of ropes to climb the side. That was what I was looking for! The ropes were slippery though, so I kept sliding down (it was storming that day). But after about 15 minutes I made it up the side and continued on to a small park. From there I took a turn to climb higher which turned into a bare rock face. From there was Mt. Thumb, where all of Taipei could be seen! (The below picture is on a good day) Just being up there, alone, with the wind blowing and the sun shining... it was spectacular. One of my favorite spots in all of Taipei, just to sit and think...
In Northern Taiwan is a national park called Yangmingshan, which incorporates several hiking trails twisting throughout the park. Within the park is a mountain called Seven-Star Mountain, which attracts hikers from all around to climb! Although I wasn't able to climb it (getting lost), I was able to hike through the rest of the park. There were plenty of waterfalls, shrines, and interesting pavilions built to protect the hikers from the rain. In the central part of the park is a large exhibit of flowers, in which is made a huge spectacle every year called the "Yangmingshan Flower Festival." Below is what it looked like! There were hundreds of trees, bushes, and plants everywhere in full bloom, giving an array of color everywhere! Since it was cloudy that day I went, the colors really brightened up the day. :)
Also in Northern Taiwan is a famous geological park called Yeliu (Yehliu). It is famous because of the odd rock formations that were made by the change in sea level, which made unique pieces that seem to stand on thin pillars. It was really amazing, attracting hundreds of tourists! However, if you could sneak past everyone, there was a path that led up to a small mountain which then looped around to the other side. On the other side there were only a few people, either fishing or enjoying the ocean view. But because of the unique geological formations, I decided to climb up the side of the small mountain and climb around. It was really fun! It provided a really nice view of the ocean crashing up onto the shore. Especially on that sunny day, only the horizon was the limit of what I could see. The smell of sea water, the cool ocean breezes, the quiet of the mountain. What a place!
The last spot is called Zhinan Temple (Chih Nan Temple), which resides high in Monkey Mountain in Muzha, New Taipei City. It is a Taoist temple that is on the hidden side of the mountain that faces West. Barely anyone is up there, so the serene solitude and beauty of the mountain is wonderful. I decided to hike up the mountain, which took a lot longer than I thought. But it was well worth it. The jungle was the same as the Four Beasts, but huge golden orb weave spiders filled the trees. They were nearly as big as my hand (!) dangling from above. Haha, I was on alert the entire time. But once I reached the temple, I knew that it was well worth the time.
These three spots were some of my favorites. They allowed me to just think, and to be with nature. After being in bustling Taipei for long days during the week, it was good to get away and see Taiwan for what it naturally is.
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