Earlier this week my Mandarin language class went on a field trip to Kuo Yuan Ye (郭元益), renowned (if not touristy) for making traditional Taiwanese pastries. There we made pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥), Taiwan's most famous tourist commodity and a common gift given to people as a souvenir. (I know I've given away a lot of them.) These deliciously dense, chewy, bite-sized cakes are traditionally filled with pineapple preserve but numerous variations exist. I've likely tried a dozen different famous brands, with Chia Te and Sunny Hills probably being the most famous (I prefer the latter).
They were fun and simple enough to make, mixing sugar, butter, eggs, and flour together to make a dough that was then flattened and wrapped around of dense cube of pineapple goodness. They are usually marked with elaborate Chinese characters (saying what, I don't know, maybe just that company's stamp). For ease, most of my classmates just put their initial to distinguish theirs from the rest, while I tried writing my Chinese surname on one, putting disgruntled faces on the rest (bottom right corner of the baking sheet). They came out pretty good though far from the best I've ever had. And of course we had to individually wrap and package each cake, box them, wrap the box, and bag it, because all gifted foods are extravagantly packaged in eco- unfriendly, single servings. (It bothers me more getting a box of cookies, anywhere from five to fifty-plus, all individually wrapped, though having to unwrap each cookie does impede binge eating.)
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| Making pineapple cakes - before and after being baked |
Since Kuo Yuan Ye is near Shilin (士林) Station, I took advantage of being up north on the MRT's red line to do a short hike that I had been putting off (too short of a trail to want to use up a day on the weekend but too far off from where I live to do on a shorter work day). The trail starts inside the architecturally unremarkable Yang Ming University (國立陽明大學) near Shipai (石牌) Station, gently climbing up steps to give excellent views of northern Taipei.
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| The first part of the trail is gentle upward stairs |
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| Taipei is most always hazy but the view is still worthwhile |
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| View further north toward Tamsui and Yangmingshan National Park |
Within less than an hour's walk from the MRT station, I reached the trail's eponymous Battleship Rock (軍艦岩), a large area of bare, smooth rock surface at the peak, commanding excellent views. I didn't have the patience to wait for some women to finish their one-hundred-and-one selfies to actually summit the rock peak itself, but it was still a large enough area to enjoy.
Further down is a small, typical recreation area with its plastic stools, foam puzzle-piece flooring, and sun-bleached canopies, as well as some typical mountain-side exercise equipment (half-buried tires for back bends, bars for stretching and pull-ups, dusty hula hoops, etc.). I enjoy seeing these places because I find them very Taiwanese, also appreciating the strong sense of community and activity that elderly people have here.
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| Battleship Rock (軍艦岩) |
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| A nearby community's recreation area |
After another thirty minutes or so of gentle hiking, I arrived at Lovers' Temple (情人廟), a small but peculiar temple (in the sense that it doesn't look like other temples in Taiwan) seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Except for one nun wearing headphones while sweeping the bathroom area, I didn't see a single other soul. (I wondered what she could be listening to, Buddhist chants or Bruno Mars?)
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| Lovers' Temple (情人廟) |
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| Lovers' Temple (情人廟) |
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| Lovers' Temple (情人廟) |
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| Lovers' Temple (情人廟) |
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| Lovers' Temple (情人廟) |
After the temple the trail continues toward Beitou (北投), an area famous for its hot springs. Before arriving though, I came upon a strange, massive rock that appeared to be the site of an abandoned temple or worshiping area. Windows were carved(?) into two of the rocks to make small offering areas. There were ropes to climb up the one rock, but it didn't look like the top would yield much of a view. After trying to hoist my short legs up the first bit I decided not to bother and continued on, walking through an abandoned housing area (gates that no longer lead to residences, cracked window glass revealing long abandoned hot spring pools, etc.) before reaching Beitou proper.
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| A window with candles and offerings |
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| Outskirts of Beitou |
Arriving in Beitou, I went to visit Thermal Valley first, a large depression formed by a volcanic eruption, steaming with 90°C (194°F), sulfur-smelling hot spring water. After enjoying Taiwan's hot spring culture for two years now, the smell of sulfur triggers in me a desire to take off my clothes and soak in a bath with old people.
I continued on to Beitou's outdoor public hot spring. For a mere 40NT (about 1.30US), I can soak in three different hot spring pools, ranging from hot (38°C) to slightly uncomfortable (41°C) to oh-my-god-it's-cooking-my-insides (45°C). There are also two cold pools, that can knock the wind out of you, but are especially great in the summer. Everyone has their own routines, and I especially enjoy the people watching at public hot springs like this one. Men in their 70s will soak in the hottest pool, their skin turned a deep red color from the heat, and then drop down and do a series of push-ups. Elderly ladies will huddle in the corner of the medium heat pool with small towels on their heads, chatting and gossiping. I usually soak in the middle pool for ten minutes, then the cold pool for five minutes, then the hot pool, then the cold pool, etc. Make sure you drink lots of water, as it's easy to get light-headed from the heat. There are changing/shower stalls, and make sure you shower (or at least rinse) in one before entering the pools (for sanitary reasons). If you don't a guard will blow his whistle and gesture you to do so (there are signs posting hot spring etiquette with English, but also if you don't know what do to, just watch what everyone else is doing). There are also lockers for 10NT, which I used the first time I came here, but it's Taiwan, so they're really unnecessary as no one would think to steal your things.
From the hot spring it's a short walk to Xinbeitou MRT Station and back home.
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| Hell's Valley (地熱谷) |
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| Beitou Public Outdoor Hot Spring... I'm going to miss this place a lot |
For more photos of this trip,
click here.
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