Yangming Shan, take 2

Exactly a week from the day of my previous excursion to Yangming Shan, I found myself on the bus heading back to the mountain - this time in the company of my long-time friend, Andrew, and my student-turned-friend, Nick. This time Nick took us to the path heading up to the highest peak at Yangming Shan, and reaching it was no easy feat. The path was pretty much a straight set of stairs all the way up. Though the path itself was shaded and the day itself was cloudy, I sweat about 5 times more than I had on my previous trip to the mountain. The top was truly other-worldly, though. With the heavy cloud cover, it felt like we had reached another plane. However, after all those stairs, I've found myself much more partial to elevators than I ever could've imagined...

Yangming Shan, take 1

In the spirit of being more socially active and getting out to explore the city and its environs, the day after lunching from a bathtub, I decided to take to the mountains with my friend, Sharon, and her best friend since junior high school. Yangming Shan is a popular destination for Taipei residents looking to get a bit of fresh air, and now I know why. Sharon and her friend took us up to the grasslands at the top of one of the mountain ridges, which afforded us not only plenty of fresh air, but also plenty of midday Taiwan sun and an expansive view of the city. Despite the Chinese penchant for covering their hiking trails with stairs, it was great to get out and get some good summer activity exercise. Plus, I think I managed to sweat out every last drop of any toxin that may have entered my body in the past 20 or so years.