From Kyōdō News 共同通信社, by way of Japan Today ("Tiffany jewelry thief suspected in Taiwan heist"):

"A jewelry thief who stole at least four rings in Japan last month is suspected in the theft of two rings from a De Beers store in T'aipei 台北 on Tuesday...An Asian man who spoke broken English made off with two rings, valued at NT$10.5 million (about U.S.$330,000/¥30.18 million) and NT$1.85 million (about $58,000/¥5.3 million), after trying on the rings at the store, located on the second floor of Taipei 101 台北101, a skyscraper in the island’s capital...The thief said he was shopping for a wedding ring for his sister and ran off with the rings after the clerk handed them over for the man to inspect...The theft resembles a Dec 31 incident in Japan involving a similar-looking man who ran off with four rings valued at about $500,000 (¥45.6 million/NT16 million) from a Mitsukoshi 三越 store in Tōkyō 東京...Security camera footage of the two incidents...confirm(s) the resemblance...Taiwanese police officials are working with their Japanese counterparts to track down the suspect."

Exploring the possibilities

This morning was gorgeous, so I gave myself a few minutes before leaving for work to go up to the roof of the apartment building to take some shots with the new Casio カシオ:

You can make out the high-speed rail tracks in the first photograph, while the last picture provides a nice view looking out towards the local garbage incinerator.

Giving the new camera a try

I was hoping to give my new camera a workout this afternoon while going on one of my usual walks in the Tak'eng 大坑 area, but the weather proved to be uncooperative. Thanks to the generally overcast, hazy and (in the morning, at least) drizzly conditions, the scenery from trails 9 and 10 was uninspiring. Hopefully, I'll have better luck next time. At least the zoom function worked well:

Of the 10 official hiking trails in Dakeng, #9 is the least worthwhile. Along with the #10, it's the most accessible of the paths, which naturally makes it the most crowded. On weekends, it's a veritable zoo, but even on a cold weekday afternoon, there were quite a few people out on the trail. And in Taiwan, where there are people, there will be vendors catering to them. The initial stage of Trail 9 is lined with stalls selling produce and drinks. Even on a Tuesday, many of the stalls were manned, and people were stopping to look and buy.

Once past the peddlers and shoppers, the #9 gets quieter, but eventually the trail leads to a Kuanyin Temple, also accessible by Trail 6 and, even worse, by car. A continuous cacophony of noise, those looking for a contemplative meditative experience would be better off going to the other hilltop Guanyin Temple in the area, the one behind the Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology 中台科技大學, which is not only quieter, but has better views of T'aichung's 台中 Peit'un District 北屯區.

If you would like to try Trail 9, for chrissakes do it on a weekday! Once at the top, start exploring some of the quieter paths going off into the trees - it won't be long before you leave the din behind. Descend via the #10 - all those staircases are great for discouraging commercial activities!

Trying to keep up with the times

I'm not always the quickest when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest technology, but in the last month or so I've replaced two major pieces of personal use electronics. The first was the purchase of a new HP laptop to take the place of my six year-old Acer 宏碁. Today it was time to finally say goodbye (and good riddance) to our four year-old Pentax ペンタックス. The new kid on the block is a Casio カシオ Z450, for which I paid NT10,000 (¥29,000/$315) at NOVA in T'aichung 台中. The difference in picture quality was immediately apparent. Here is one of the last photos taken by the old Pentax, of my daughter playing a 和太鼓 at her kindergarten this morning (although today was Sunday, the school was holding an event to celebrate its founding):

The first image recorded by the new Casio:

The photo was snapped while driving through downtown Fengyuan 豐原 this evening. The difference in quality between the two cameras is most noticeable with night shots.

I'm looking forward to exploring the possibilities and potential of the new toy, er camera. The first real test will probably come this Tuesday, when I plan to do some walking in Tak'eng 大坑. If the weather cooperates, we'll see what kind of scenic shots the Casio is capable of taking. As for my next high-tech investment, next up will be a decent bike, so I can join the cult of those who go...I mean, get rid of some flab by Cycling in Taiwan.

On a completely unrelated but Taiwan-specific note, there was this short AP item in the Daily Yomiuri ザ・デイリー読売, "New 'strawberry' crab species found off Taiwan":

"A marine biologist says he has discovered a new crab species off the coast of southern Taiwan that looks like a strawberry with small white bumps on its red shell. National Taiwan Ocean University 國立臺灣海洋大學 professor Ho Ping-ho says the crab resembles the species living in the areas around Hawaii, Polynesia and Mauritius. But it has a distinctive clam-shaped shell about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide, making it distinct. Taiwanese crab specialist Wang Chia-hsiang confirmed Ho's finding. Ho said Tuesday his team found two female crabs of the new species last June off the coast of K'enting National Park墾丁國家公園, known for its rich marine life. The crabs died shortly thereafter, possibly because the water in the area was polluted by a cargo ship that ran aground."

In the news

From Kyōdō News 共同通信社, by way of the Japan Times ジャパンタイムズ, "Ma urges closer three-way security":

"Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou 馬英九 met with ex-Defense Agency 防衛庁 Director General Yoshinori Ōno 大野功統 on Monday and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Japan and the United States on regional security...'We hope we can cooperate more closely in this regard,' Ma was quoted as telling Ōno."

The captain of the good ship ROC certainly knows the right things to say in front of honored guests (as opposed to typhoon victims, for example), as the following shows:

"Commenting on Taiwan's relations with China, Ma told Ōno the improvement in ties across the Taiwan Strait 台湾海峡 has greatly eased tensions between the two political rivals. The improved ties between are 'good not only for the security of East Asia but also for Japan's national security,' Ma was quoted as saying."

On the surface, Ma's statement sounds reasonable. A war involving China and Taiwan would almost certainly result in American intervention, and it would be difficult to imagine Japan watching from the sidelines while the conflict played out in its former colony. But are the closer ties that Ma proudly boasts of truly in Japan's long-term interests? A resurgent, nationalistic China that claims islands presently under Japanese jurisdiction and disputes territorial boundaries over potential undersea oil and gas fields is naturally restrained by a Taiwan that is outside of its direct control. If and when Taiwan is brought under Beijing's wing (whether it be through unification, annexation or integration), Japan would have only a relatively weakening American deterrent to rely on for its security. Can the Chinese be trusted to have only "peaceful intentions"? Ma words on the matter are hardly reassuring:

"On the Chinese missiles targeted at Taiwan, Ma told Ōno that Taiwan has raised the issue but Beijing has not made a conciliatory response. Ma expressed hope for closer cooperation among Taiwan, Japan and the United States on regional security while addressing the threat of China's missiles..."

Despite all the steps taken by Ma's administration to improve relations with China (which less charitable souls might characterize as borderline "kowtowing"), the missiles stay in place. The president's stated hope for closer security cooperation also sounds a bit hollow coming from the man whose prime minister threatened war with Japan over a sunken fishing vessel, and whose party for years blocked the purchase of much-needed weapons from the U.S. in the legislature. Actions speak louder than words, and what Ma and his cohorts have been doing for the almost the last two years are more telling than any soothing sounds spoken to visiting dignitaries.

Pardon my Macaque

It seems I've been getting myself into some monkey business lately. This afternoon, as I was making my way down the No. 1 Trail in the Tak'eng 大坑 area, I came across a troupe of Formosan Rock Macaques 台灣獼猴. There were at least a dozen individuals jumping around in the trees, crossing over the wooden trail, grunting and occasionally baring their teeth at me. It wasn't easy taking pictures or making videos as the monkeys concealed themselves in the vegetation most of the time, but I was able to get a shot of one:

As I was preparing to move on, I turned around and saw one macaque walking right towards me on top of the railing. As soon as I pointed the camera at it, it quickly moved off into the forest:

It's moments like this one that remind me I really don't have much to complain about.

Taiwanese in the mist at Sun Link Sea

2010 is here, and the Kaminoge family spent most of the first two days of the New Year high in the mountains, away from the far maddening crowds down below. Our destination was the Nant'ou County 南投縣 resort of Shanlinhsi 杉林溪, which we reached late on Friday afternoon after a long drive up a twisting mountain road in heavy fog. After checking in and dropping our things off in our room at the Shanlinhsi Hotel, we set out on a walk in the thick mist, bundled up against the 10C (50F) chill 1600 meters (5250 feet) above sea level:

We first walked to the Stone Well Rock, a series of natural stone pools carved out by the river:

Leaving the Stone Well Rock area, we encountered a troupe of monkeys leaping about high in the trees above us (and raining branches down onto the ground below with every jump). The fog and dimming daylight prevented any photos being taken of the monkeys, but we could easily see and hear them overhead:

We then walked further on, and down, to a vista overlooking the beautiful Blue Dragon Waterfall, before making the trek back to the hotel area, where had dinner and then retired for the night:

And what a cold night it was, for our room lacked any kind of heating. Fortunately, the small space heater we brought along worked well in tandem with the heavy comforters provided in the room, and while the cold tile bathroom floor had me dancing on my toes, at least we didn't have to wait long for hot water. I woke up at 6 the next morning, and following a quick shower, got dressed and stepped outside around 6:30, leaving Pamela and Amber still asleep in their shared bed. Despite the fact the thermometer read 6C (43F), it didn't feel as cold as the previous day, probably due to the clear skies and fresh air, as I took a walk along the old-growth forest Yuehling Trail. Here's the view from the 展望台 at the top:

The walk took less than an hour, and when I returned to our hotel room, Pamela and Amber were already awake. Naturally, I was ready for a hearty breakfast, and just as naturally, the buffet at the hotel was Chinese-style (blah!) - anyone for spicy cucumbers and cabbage at 8 o'clock in the morning? At least there was coffee, and after going back to our room, getting our things and checking out, we took a shuttle bus about 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles) to another waterfall area. The Sunglung Rock Waterfall wasn't as impressive as the previous day's Blue Dragon falls, but the setting was attractive, especially the adjacent grotto:

The other "highlights" were a short walk uphill from the falls, but neither the Ancient Red Cypress nor the The Eye of Heaven and Earth were as interesting as what we had seen the day before. However, the natural surroundings were beautiful, and the alternate path back to the shuttle bus stop avoided most of the crowds:

The great thing about Shanlinhsi (other than the obvious physical features) was how well organized it is. Walking trails are well-marked and maintained (the Yuehling Trail I took this morning had trash cans posted along the route), the shuttle buses were frequent and efficient, and there were only a few restaurants and shops. This is because Shanlinhsi is managed by the government - if this were private land, the narrow roads would be clogged with cars parked along both sides, and the resort would be overrun with food and souvenir stalls catering to the tour group hordes. The only place that would qualify as a tourist trap, the Medicinal Garden, was where Pamela wanted to visit next, however. Fortunately, a 1.6 kilometer (1 mile) walking trail led from the garden back to the hotel area, and while my wife and daughter waited for the shuttle bus (both being understandably a little tired from all the walking), I opted for the route through the forest:

Meeting up back at the car, we drove out of Shanlinhsi, going down the same mountain road we came up the day before, only this time being able to actually see more than a just a few feet in front of us! Things got "interesting" when Pamela noticed a turnoff for what appeared to be a shortcut to the town of Chushan 竹山. The views across the valley were fantastic, as the short movie I made attempts to show:

The already narrow road we were on soon got narrower, to where it was only wide enough for one car to drive on (at one point we were almost hit by an oncoming 4WD, which had to back up quite a ways in order to let us get by). The surface condition worsened as well, with potholes and puddles forcing us to go slowly in many places. The road literally hugged the side of the mountain, and the tea plantations on one side, and the steep drops down into the valley below on the other made for a drive that was thrilling in virtually all meanings of the term. The one thing it wasn't, however, was a shortcut! Eventually, we came out onto the main road again, reached the plains down below, and then took another road back up into the mountains! The purpose was to see a long wooden suspension bridge called the "Sky Bridge", posters of which we had noticed on the walls of a restaurant where we had stopped for lunch the previous day. We finally reached the parking lot for the bridge after a long drive along more twisting roads, only to learn that the bridge was a good hour-long walk from the 駐車場. As it was already 3:30, we didn't fancy having to return to the car in the dark, then have to face a long drive home, so without further ado, we turned around and went back the way we came. We did stop, however, to take in the view of the "Sea of Bamboo" from a lookout point on the way down:

It was close to 7 this evening by the time we got home. We're all tired, of course, but we enjoyed the chance to get away from dirt and chaos that characterizes most of urban Taiwan. Shanlinhsi may not be as popular or well-known as Hsit'ou 渓頭 (it's 17 kilometers, or 11 miles, further into the mountains from Hsitou, and the narrow, twisting road no doubt limits the number of tour buses), but it was a great choice for welcoming the New Year. I just wish somebody would put a stop to all the "Sun Link Sea" nonsense!

あけましておめでとうございます！