Our itinerary for today:
YANG MING SHAN NATIONAL PARK
XINBEITOU HOT SPRING
LONGSHAN TEMPLE
XIMENTING
After breakfast, we left for Yang Ming Shan . Knowing its a weekend today, we had to make an early start. By the time, we reached the Jiantan MRT Station, there are already long queues for the buses to Yang Ming Shan(YMS). There are tourists as well as the locals.
There are a few buses going to Yang Ming Shan. We took the red line Bus No.5 which came first. Bus No. 260 also goes to YMS. The seats were taken up by the seniors and we have to stand all the way. The fare is only about $15 each and it takes you right to the base of YMS. From the depot here, you pay $60 each to take the Bus No. 108 which is the Hop-on-Off bus which goes around YMS.
This seems to be a popular place for weekends. There were groups of ladies and men all geared up for hiking and picnics too. We got on the Bus No. 108 and as we were going uphill we had to hold on for dear life as the bus turned round and round up the hill. It just reminded me of the first time that we went up Gentings Highlands when it was newly opened- the buses were overloaded and everyone was clinging on.
We had missed the Cherry Blossom season (March). Now it is the Calla Lily season. These calla lilies were given by a gracious lady who brought her daughter to YMS for the day. She was so helpful telling us which places we should stop and view and which ones we can skip. Her daughter bought a few bunches and gave us a bunch. What hospitality!
Young bamboo shoots for sale
These calla lilies have been sprayed with artifical colours- also for sale.
The first stop, Zhushilin- the Bamboo Forest.
Notice the young bamboo shoots sprouting out of the ground. If these young shoots are not harvested, it will grow into a bamboo tree.
In such tranquility, it just put you in a mediatative mood-om...om.....
Aristo-cat!
Don't play with me!
Next stop, the Calla Lily nurseries.
From here, we hop on the Bus No. 108 again and went on the next destination- the Siaoyuekong-
Before the bus turned the corner, you can already smell the sulphur- geothermal outflow of sulphur valley.
Gorgeous view -
Can see the sulphur flowing out of the cervice behind May. She likes this place (YMS) a lot- there are plenty of open fields and mountains for her to walk/hike.
See the bubbling hot water from the ground nearby
Awesome sight- notice the yellow sulphur at the bottom right hand corner.
One last look and then it is back to the hop on bus to our next destination-
The Grassland- these grass were introduced the Japanese for cattle rearing in this area.
It was very windy here. Sarah getting all rosy cheeks from walking in the sun (though not bright sunlight as it was still cloudy today).
May went for a hike up the mountain slope here whilst we got some Chinese Tea Eggs and relax in the wind.
Even here in YMS, there is a chinese temple. May placing the Calla lilies as an offering.
There are a total of 12 places of interest which the Bus No. 108 go around to. We missed the hot spring and decided not to stop at the others due to lack of time.
We took bus No. 108 back to the depot. From there, we walked out to the main road and waited for the Bus No. 230 to Xinbeitou MRT Station.
coming next- Xinbeitou
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