Wulai- 烏來

I was done with the coy glances and whispered promises, promises that sustained me only until the rain dashed away any chance of meeting her.  Days would pass and it would begin anew, the same imagined enchantment, followed by the same weary disappointment.

This Saturday it was Wulai or bust.  I'd see that waterfall girdled maiden come clear skies or thunder.

Thankfully the former prevailed.

It proved easy enough to get there- I took the green line to the southern terminal point Xindian, then from there boarded the 849 to its terminal point (no need to cross the street from the MRT).  The bus ride was a spectacle itself, the driver hugging the corners of the tightly winding mountain path, the river twisting around lush, towering peaks almost enfolding us in their greenery.  It took a great deal of grit and tenacity for me to hold on and make it look like the bus ride was no big deal, while others hung on for dear life and almost ate shit.  My grit factor enjoyed a moderate gain that day, though I was forced to admit the old man back in Gongguan had been right; we would've never made it to Wulai on bikes.  Fuck him and his helpful advice.

Stepping off the bus, I was immediately afforded a nice view of the river, impossibly richer in color than Bitan.  A series of unsightly electrical lines mar the otherwise beautiful river view towards Old Street, and you get to see people bathing out in the public areas near the river.

Right after getting dropped off.  Never crossed that bridge...I'll have to see what's on that side next time.

Old Street is nothing to brag about, seems like every goddamn city in Taiwan has one- hell even Xizhi has an 'old street', and as far as I can tell it's just a street market, nothing meriting the word 'old'- unless it's an indication of the average age of the shoppers.  Wulai's old street is definitely in the same league as Jiufen's...booth to booth on either side of the walk, each selling you 'local' foodstuffs, except Wulai throws in some aboriginal-themed goods as well.

Walking towards Old Street, you could see there were a lot of hotels that took advantage of their proximity to the water, offering private hot springs with the mineral-rich water pumped directly to their rooms.

At the end of Old Street.  I later bought a bottle of millet wine from an old man who had let me taste a bunch of different kinds...like sake, but sweeter, funkier.

Just an example of the walk through Wulai.

The visitor trolley.  They were making repairs on it that day.

Past Old Street the street flanks the river and climbs steadily up.  I passed the mini trolley, originally used to haul lumber, now converted to haul human ass...and grinned.  There she was, the jewel in my eye, the triple sec in my Margarita.  Her unfulfilled promises would haunt my dreams no longer:

The writer of the Bradt Taiwan guide has this to say about the Wulai Waterfall: "This is the highest waterfall in north Taiwan and pretty if not breathtaking."

Since the waterfall doesn't steal your breath away, why don't we try my foot up your ass?

Wow, way to sell it.  Wonder what Xiufeng would've done for you then, because that still managed to take my breath away at a fraction of the height of this vista.  Needless to say, I found Wulai Waterfall ample reason to lean against the railing and do nothing but stare for a spell.  I played the same game I do when I see any waterfall- start at the top, pick a patch of water, and follow it all the way to the bottom, watching it disperse on the rocks below.  When I tired of that, I followed the meandering ribbon of blueish-green through the beautiful rock bed, and I took in the mountain valley around me.

The cable car station above the street deposits you at an Ecological Park above the waterfall, home to an assortment of interesting exhibits on native flora and fauna.  I declined a visit, as the whole affair seemed touristy, and I really just wanted to walk along the river through the valley.  My attention required nothing more than the natural beauty of Wulai.

Some old ladies resting at that tunnel in the distance called me 'handsome guy' (帥哥 shuai ge), so I scared the shit out of them by asking them what there was to see ahead in Chinese.

I followed the road until I made it to the Xinxian Suspension Bridge.  Crossing it, I was lead to a small footpath that became a proper road continuing through a small town (probably Xinxian itself).

The path branched at a bridge- the way across led to Fulong, while holding to the left apparently led to a forest reserve, Neidong.  I stuck to the left and before long came across a toll booth.  Cars constantly passed me...hopefully this wasn't one of those huge areas like back home where you needed a car to properly see everything.  Then I remembered, oh yeah, I'm on an island barely as large as Maryland and Delaware put together.  A scant $40NT later and I was walking through the front gate.  The view along the river was great, and I might have some nice pictures for you if not for all the trees in the way.  You can't really get frustrated about these things in a nature reserve though, and I reminded myself "one's man obstacle is another man's scenery."  I made that up myself just now, so don't start nodding sagely like you've heard it somewhere else before.  I still wanted to cut down the trees despite my inner voice.

View from the bridge

Right before this shot I fell on my ass walking around on the slippery rocks

A waterfall within a waterfall.  INCEPTION.  That's not a log by the way, but rather some kind of concrete tunnel.

$1NT coin right above the worm, which is roughly the size of a penny.  This was not a snake.  It was a worm.

Right at the fork before Neidong Reserve.

At the end of the trail, steps led up a triple-tiered waterfall.  I wanted to throw off my clothes and dive into the water, simultaneously photo-bombing the handful of people on the bridge getting their picture taken with the waterfall.  Each was their own subject in a private portrait, even as they stood side-by-side in one neat row.

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

The water leading down to Tier 2

Up I went to the third-tier.  I wanted to linger and do nothing but gaze out, but I was already late to a social invitation from the area manager at Hess, and it would be churlish to cancel on them at this point.  So I cinched my backpack and jogged lightly back to Wulai proper.  The original plan had been to bathe in one of the public hotsprings, whiling away the early evening...but it would have to wait another time.  After all, Wulai had been such a tease before, why not tease her back just a little?

Aboriginal statue right by Wulai Falls