My trip with hannah - pt. 2
When I left off we were still on the first day of our trip. We had finished dinner with Jill and Eric in JiJi and we were driving up into the mountains to our hotel near Sun Moon Lake. We drove through a bit of fog climbing into the mountains, but we arrived at the lake without trouble. The majority of the hotels are on one broad side of the lake, but not all of them - I had no idea where ours was. In fact, I didn't even know our hotel's name. I had booked in a fairly direct and brief exchange over the phone. When it comes to using my Chinese on the phone, that's the best way to do things. The more I have to say, the greater the chance I have to create confusion. I called them up again and I got them to slowly enunciate their excruciatingly (unusually) long name to me. She tried to describe the location to me, but I couldn't make it out. I found the 7-11 and I asked them if they knew of a hotel called [insert ridiculously long name here]. They said it was off on it's own on the other side of the lake. They got out a small map and showed me. That would have made it hard to find...it's not a small lake.
We got there 20+ minutes later. We kind of had to sell the person at the desk on letting Bagels stay in our room, but she was allowed in (provided she stayed off the wood floor.) The place was a bit spartan, but really very comfortable in all the right places. Two big beds, soft pillows, thick warm blankets, comfortable bathroom, shower with plenty of hot water. We journaled for a few minutes and passed out - a good first day.
DAY 2
We didn't try to push ourselves getting up too early. We left mid-morning for a daytrip up into the high mountains. Anyone whose come to my blog has seen a number of posts and pictures from Taiwan's high mountains - it's one of my favorite places here. We decided to drive straight to the top and save any stops for the return trip. We drove through Puli, past WuShe and QingJing Farms. The drive was pretty standard for the Central Cross-Island Highway. Some sections were fast and fun, in other parts we were stuck behind tour buses and semi-trucks. We were more than happy to chew up the time catching up and talking about any sort of thing, big or small, we had a good time.
We made it up to the top and I found a trail that I knew wasn't too long, less than 45 minutes each way. We realized what a good decision that was the second we got out of the car. The wind was just howling. It felt like a cold, dry typhoon was trying to blow us away a few particles at a time like fast water over sand. The wind made it cold, the still air was chilly on its own, but the wind made it bitter cold. At first we were chatting as we hiked up the trail, but the ripping wind and the uncomfortable temperature put a stop to that. Bagels was actually very well off. Being so close to the ground protected her completely. She went bounding about while hannah and I trudged on occupied with maintaining our balance. We made it to the top and found a comfortable spot on the calm side of the peak. I pointed out some of the well known points in view, especially the valley leading down to Taroko Gorge. Protected from the wind, we warmed up and took a few pictures. On the way down the trail we discovered amazing hair-like ice crystals coming out of the ground. Their were patches here and their on shady sections of the path. We got back to the car and we were be glad to be back inside. I think we were both feeling mostly numb after the return trip. We were also really thirsty. It's amazing how a stiff wind can really just pull moisture out of your body. We stated driving back down.
We drove past QingJing farms. If I have my history correct, QingJing farms was one of the areas given over to some of the soldiers in the R.O.C. Army that had come from the mainland. When Chiang-Kai Shek first retreated the plan was to regroup and quickly re-invade the mainland. Over time as the military/diplomatic/political situation became more calcified, less flexible, Chiang-Kai Shek started to face dissent among his soldiers. Many had given up their entire lives coming to Taiwan. Moreover, they were discouraged and prevented in starting new lives in Taiwan because KMT leaders were worried that establishing roots might weaken resolve for retaking the mainland. Chiang and the KMT placated some by giving them farms high in the mountains that they could work or sell off.
Driving on, we found a beef noodle restaurant I try to stop at every time I'm in the mountains. It's some of the best beef noodle soup I've ever had. I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea that it just tastes so good because I eat it after long hiking trips when I'm really hungry. All the same, I'll swear there's none better to be had.
After that we drove into WuShe. WuShe carries the namesake of the single saddest story I've ever heard - The WuShe Incident. In 1930, during the heart of the Japanese Period in Taiwan, relations with the aboriginal groups in the remote mountains were still tenuous. Some sources describe groups that had much better relations with the Japanese than they had ever had with the Chinese. Other reports say that many embraced learning Japanese. Different sources do seem to agree that it was standard for the Japanese to place large contingents of police in aboriginal towns. In many cases these police were dictatorial and reports of abuse were widespread. In 1930, near Wushe, Nantou County, one small conflict exploded into a terrible massacre.
After his son was insulted, a local Chief, Rudao Bai, felt that he could no longer quietly suffer the abuse of the Japanese regime. He gathered 1200 fighters for a secret attack. Before striking the cut they telephone lines completely isolating the Japanese in the area. They targeted an athletic event at a local primary school, killing 134 Japanese as well as two Taiwanese. They also raided other targets for munitions and other supplies. For some time, the Japanese didn't respond at all. Because the region was so remote, it took two weeks for the first survivor to get in touch with the central Japanese government. They didn't even believe the early reports because they were so outlandish, even more so considering that the region in question was regarded as well-subdued.
But the Japanese response did come. It was resolute and vicious. Fighting against soldiers with only guns, the aborigines did well. They used the rugged terrain to their great advantage and the Japanese withdrew their assault. But for Imperial Japan to lose one fight was no different from losing the Empire. They believed that this was a fight for their existence, they would not limit their aggression. They returned making aerial assaults on the camps aboriginal soldiers and civilian towns. They started using tear gas but they soon deployed deadly poison gas. Chief Bai retreated further and further into the mountains, but he realized that the fight against Japanese could not succeed, it was futile. He and his remaining fighters committed suicide.
The Japanese rounded up the survivors and moved them to another area where they lived under close police observation. Those police raped and killed many of the survivors.
We got there 20+ minutes later. We kind of had to sell the person at the desk on letting Bagels stay in our room, but she was allowed in (provided she stayed off the wood floor.) The place was a bit spartan, but really very comfortable in all the right places. Two big beds, soft pillows, thick warm blankets, comfortable bathroom, shower with plenty of hot water. We journaled for a few minutes and passed out - a good first day.
DAY 2
We didn't try to push ourselves getting up too early. We left mid-morning for a daytrip up into the high mountains. Anyone whose come to my blog has seen a number of posts and pictures from Taiwan's high mountains - it's one of my favorite places here. We decided to drive straight to the top and save any stops for the return trip. We drove through Puli, past WuShe and QingJing Farms. The drive was pretty standard for the Central Cross-Island Highway. Some sections were fast and fun, in other parts we were stuck behind tour buses and semi-trucks. We were more than happy to chew up the time catching up and talking about any sort of thing, big or small, we had a good time.
We made it up to the top and I found a trail that I knew wasn't too long, less than 45 minutes each way. We realized what a good decision that was the second we got out of the car. The wind was just howling. It felt like a cold, dry typhoon was trying to blow us away a few particles at a time like fast water over sand. The wind made it cold, the still air was chilly on its own, but the wind made it bitter cold. At first we were chatting as we hiked up the trail, but the ripping wind and the uncomfortable temperature put a stop to that. Bagels was actually very well off. Being so close to the ground protected her completely. She went bounding about while hannah and I trudged on occupied with maintaining our balance. We made it to the top and found a comfortable spot on the calm side of the peak. I pointed out some of the well known points in view, especially the valley leading down to Taroko Gorge. Protected from the wind, we warmed up and took a few pictures. On the way down the trail we discovered amazing hair-like ice crystals coming out of the ground. Their were patches here and their on shady sections of the path. We got back to the car and we were be glad to be back inside. I think we were both feeling mostly numb after the return trip. We were also really thirsty. It's amazing how a stiff wind can really just pull moisture out of your body. We stated driving back down.
We drove past QingJing farms. If I have my history correct, QingJing farms was one of the areas given over to some of the soldiers in the R.O.C. Army that had come from the mainland. When Chiang-Kai Shek first retreated the plan was to regroup and quickly re-invade the mainland. Over time as the military/diplomatic/political situation became more calcified, less flexible, Chiang-Kai Shek started to face dissent among his soldiers. Many had given up their entire lives coming to Taiwan. Moreover, they were discouraged and prevented in starting new lives in Taiwan because KMT leaders were worried that establishing roots might weaken resolve for retaking the mainland. Chiang and the KMT placated some by giving them farms high in the mountains that they could work or sell off.
Driving on, we found a beef noodle restaurant I try to stop at every time I'm in the mountains. It's some of the best beef noodle soup I've ever had. I'm perfectly comfortable with the idea that it just tastes so good because I eat it after long hiking trips when I'm really hungry. All the same, I'll swear there's none better to be had.
After that we drove into WuShe. WuShe carries the namesake of the single saddest story I've ever heard - The WuShe Incident. In 1930, during the heart of the Japanese Period in Taiwan, relations with the aboriginal groups in the remote mountains were still tenuous. Some sources describe groups that had much better relations with the Japanese than they had ever had with the Chinese. Other reports say that many embraced learning Japanese. Different sources do seem to agree that it was standard for the Japanese to place large contingents of police in aboriginal towns. In many cases these police were dictatorial and reports of abuse were widespread. In 1930, near Wushe, Nantou County, one small conflict exploded into a terrible massacre.
After his son was insulted, a local Chief, Rudao Bai, felt that he could no longer quietly suffer the abuse of the Japanese regime. He gathered 1200 fighters for a secret attack. Before striking the cut they telephone lines completely isolating the Japanese in the area. They targeted an athletic event at a local primary school, killing 134 Japanese as well as two Taiwanese. They also raided other targets for munitions and other supplies. For some time, the Japanese didn't respond at all. Because the region was so remote, it took two weeks for the first survivor to get in touch with the central Japanese government. They didn't even believe the early reports because they were so outlandish, even more so considering that the region in question was regarded as well-subdued.
But the Japanese response did come. It was resolute and vicious. Fighting against soldiers with only guns, the aborigines did well. They used the rugged terrain to their great advantage and the Japanese withdrew their assault. But for Imperial Japan to lose one fight was no different from losing the Empire. They believed that this was a fight for their existence, they would not limit their aggression. They returned making aerial assaults on the camps aboriginal soldiers and civilian towns. They started using tear gas but they soon deployed deadly poison gas. Chief Bai retreated further and further into the mountains, but he realized that the fight against Japanese could not succeed, it was futile. He and his remaining fighters committed suicide.
The Japanese rounded up the survivors and moved them to another area where they lived under close police observation. Those police raped and killed many of the survivors.
posted by Jacob Gerber at
11:18 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home