ampulets

Image by J. From a taxi on the streets of Tainan. This is our seventh trip to Taiwan since 2005.  And so we went up to the Seven Stars and broke away from Taipei to spend a couple of hot hot hot days in Tainan.  [If you are keen on other itineraries from our past jaunts, just read them on  http://ampulets.blogspot.sg/search/label/taiwan ] Taking a walk up to the Seven Stars   Photo taken by our Mountain Friend,  Grandma Positivity, at the peak of Mt Qixing Perhaps it was the El Nino effect, but early May in Taipei felt almost like the height of summer with unpredictable afternoon thunderstorms. This was our excuse for missing the Caoling Historical Trail a second time. To make up for it, we decided to take a walk up Mount Qixing (七星, literally Seven Stars), the highest point of the Yang Ming Shan Nature Park. Getting there/ Starting the Trail Take the MRT to JianTan station. From the station, take the red bus 15. It brings you all the way to the YangMingShan visitor c

Image by J, of me walking up Mount Seven Stars. In the sweltering May, we escaped into the YangMingShan National Park to climb the part's highest peak, Mount QiXing ("Seven Stars") at 1120m. The climb affirmed two aspects of Taiwan that make this  place our favourite holiday spot: its nature and it's super friendly people. This is a post about some of the folks - aunties and uncles - we met on our way up, our 山友aka mountain friends! They chatted, cheered and lifted our spirits as J and I (me in particular) huffed and puffed our way up and down the trail.