Brian's hurtin', but not from any hangover. He has a weird abdominal pain that afflicts him every now and then. I remember asking how long it'd been going on, explaining to him that I usually get something checked out if it doesn't get any better after a month.
"About two years," he says with an embarrassed grin.
"Two years? Are you fucking retarded?"
Well, yeah it's acting up, and acting up bad. He's trying to laugh through the pain, but he's in no condition to walk around, much less ride bikes or do something outdoorsy. We eat breakfast and then bum around at his apartment. I'm doing no good sitting around keeping Brian up, but I have no idea where to go, especially have gotten up this late. Brian decides for me:
"I'mma pick a random place for you on the MRT. You're going to Dahu Park. On the Brown Line."
I check the place out, actually looks pretty sweet. Big expansive park right next to a big lake ('Dahu' literally means big lake). I've got nothing better to do, and it wouldn't be worth it to go out of the city.
The ride to Dahu Park is a long one, requiring multiple transfers. I think I've only been on the Brown Line once, and by the time the train swings around to Neihu, I'm thinking to myself, goddamn what a ritzy part of town. Swanky looking malls, beautiful greenery, nice clean apartment buildings. When I finally get into Dahu Park I'm disappointed to see part of the park undergoing maintenance, or some kind of reconstruction. A statue of Sun-Yat Sen pokes its head from above the metal fencing, but otherwise I'm cut off. Soon though, I'm distracted by the rest of the park. I chose a good time to go, the weather is fair and cool right by the lakeside. I still that sort of nebulous feeling in between hung over and completely recovered, so I take my time meandering through the pathways, sitting down by the lakeside and enjoying the cool rain-free breeze. I have yet to mount the steps of the prominent bridge in the center.
I can never resist the urge to run up steps, and it's no different here. The view from the top is great; looking out past the park I see buildings with Romanesque facades and fancy metal gates, and the MRT track winds like a snake around the mountain to my immediate right.
Eventually I head back to the MRT station, eager to climb up one of the four trails marked in the vicinity. I literally have nothing but coins on me, so I'm forced to use my YoYo Card to resupply (metro pass that you can also use as a debit card at any 7-11). I keep following the signs for one of the trails, and fail to find it. So I just continue to walk along the street, the elevated MRT track on my left, and the mountain practically hugging the street on my right. I pass through a downtown area and get to a tunnel. Hmm. I'm about to turn back when I notice a street that leads up. Surely there must be a trail branching off up the mountain? Well, I find one, but by this time the setting sun tempts me to keep going, naively searching for a place where the buildings break away. I wonder if I'm making a mistake not climbing up the mountain. Wandering aimlessly can have its charms, but from what I've seen on the web I passed up some pretty scenic spots. The good news is that the path loops back around, and before I know it, I'm right back at the lake's edge. Again I sit at the water's edge, watching the sky darken to a midnight blue. Lights brighten Moon Bridge. An old Taiwanese man starts belting out some tropical tunes in English. I linger and listen, then reluctantly pack up and take the MRT down to Nangang. Another week, another weekend.
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| I saw people looking at like an idiot as I was taking pictures. Gee sorry, I just don't see shit like this in Xizhi. |
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| On a trail near a small park by the mountain. |
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| Clean streets, azaleas everywhere, big houses. Damn, I'll gladly live here someday. |
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| First time I've seen blue like that in Taiwan in a while. |
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