Bukit Sapu Tangan and Tasik Cermin

We did an unexpected hike in Bukit Sapu Tangan. Why unexpected? Because we thought the track would only require 3 hours to complete (return trip). Ended up we took 6 hours. We started from the entrance of Bukit Bandaraya. In a short while, we reached the first lake, not the Tasik Cermin. That should be Bukit Raja Lake. We were supposed to reach Bukit Sapu Tangan first, but somehow we missed it due to not familiar with the trail. We reached Station C, then proceeded to Tasik Cermin, and boy, the trail we chose was tough - with some climbing with the aid of rope. Luckily my kids did well in the entire hike. On the way back from Tasik Cermin, we passed by Station B, not sure if we did reach Station A (can’t remember well). In the end, we arrived at our starting point almost at 2pm. Everyone was famished.

The first lake we reached

Station C (if not mistaken)

Tasik Cermin

View of Tasik Cermin

Station B

Comments

Kaoshiung

I haven't finished recounting my journey in Sweden and Japan; I returned from Taiwan just two weeks ago. Here's a brief account of my recent visit there (although I still have unfinished tale from last year trip to Taiwan). My first stop was Kaoshiung. Spent a day and a half in the town, then I travelled to Tainan for a weekend symposium. I ended my journey in Taipei for another short hike. The weather in Kaohsiung was quite hot, comparatively. It's not my favorite weather for traveling. Perhaps I arrived there too early; had I come a few days later, the temperature would have been cooler. Since day time was hot, it would be wise to visit Pier 2 area during evening or night. Not many people / tourists in this town. It looked quiet. The next day, I took a ferry to Cijin. The ride was short, about 5 minutes. Cijin Island is a fisherman's village. On the opposite side of the island, there's a beach. It was serene but scorching, to the extent that I couldn't walk m

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Just came back from Japan last week. Went to Tokyo for conference and added side trip to Tateyama Alpine Route and Kanazawa. I must say that Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route was great. You can do the trip either from Nagano side or Toyama side. For us, we did it from the Nagano side. Took the Shinkansen to Nagano early morning. Then boarded the express bus to Ogizawa. From there, we boarded the tunnel electric bus to get to Kurobe Dam. From the dam, it was all the way up to the peak (almost). Murodo is the highlight of the route. This is the place where you get to see snow covered peak and lake. In spring, there's snow wall nearby Murodo station. From Murodo, we descended to Bijodaira and Tateyama Station to catch the local train back to Toyama. The fare for the entire route is not cheap, but it's worth it. A hike from Bijodaira to Murodo should be interesting, which can be considered in future. View from the tunnel electric bus, onward to Kurobe Dam Arrived at Kurobe Dam View of t

Hsinhua Forest Station, Tainan

Spent two nights at Hsinhua Forest Station after visiting Kaoshiung, in conjunction with the academic symposium. With an abundance of forest trees and greenery, this site is perfect for hiking and relaxation. Went on a short hike in the morning. Some sections of the forest need better upkeep though. Here are some photos of the area and plants. Photos were shot with iPhone 11

Life, Travel, GRACE

Search This Blog