Welcome To Taiwan - Everything White And Fluffy
I have a thing for clouds, especially when they are gorgeously white and fluffy. Everytime I look up at the bright blue sky, I want to reach up to one of those clouds, climb on top of it, and fall asleep basking in the warm sun.
Random, lucky shot taken at the sheep farm on Qing Jing Mountain
In Taichung, I came real close to living this dream. We were on a mountain named Qing Jing, which means "peace". What an apt name; you almost want to whisper it into a mini gourd bottle, cap it forever, and keep it close to your heart. On Qing Jing mountain, we kinda stumbled upon a cosy little homestay resort named Guan Xing Yuan - a place for star gazing. Nothing fancy, but the heartfelt little efforts put in by the owners in sprucing up the place for their guests were what made us fall in love with this treasure find.
The viewing platform at Guan Xing Yuan
Guan Xing Yuan was a three-storey homestay hotel owned by an elderly couple, whom we affectionately called Lao Ban (boss) and Lao Ban Niang (lady boss). The hotel was surrounded by a vast garden, adorned with delicate plants and dainty pots of purple and white flowers which only bloomed in winter. In front of the hotel building, was a platform that extended out beyond the mountains into the open air.
We were hoping to see the yun hai at Guan Xing Yuan. Translated as "sea of clouds", yun hai is a natural phenomenon that depended on the right climate and humidity. It doesn't happen all the time and when it does, you literally get a sea of white, fluffy clouds floating below you, much like what you think you might see when you die and go up to heaven.
Our cosy little room at Guan Xing Yuan
Waking up in the morning at Guan Xing Yuan was surreal. Despite the heated mattress I felt extremely cold and absolutely refused to get out of bed for fear that my persistent cough would act up again. That is, until Jason the tour guide phoned in to our room. Little piggies, time to wake up! He urged. Come downstairs and take a look at this. Hurry!
And then I heard my friend Jezz yell, Oh my god guys, you have to see this!
Gazing far and beyond the yun hai
We tossed away the heavy blankets and scrambled to the window, and collectively gasped. We are definitely on heaven, I thought. I'm so glad I worked on my karma. Suddenly, it didn't feel so cold anymore. We threw on our coats and made a beeline for the door. By the time we got to the viewing platform, we couldn't stop squealing in delight at what was before our eyes. It wasn't a sea of white, fluffy clouds - it was a whole universe of them. And they were all so crowded together and tightly-knit, it looked like a sheer, humongous trampoline made out of billions of bales of cotton wool. You could have thousands of fat Angels wearing heavy Dr. Martens jump on them and they would never give way.
Having Lao Ban's homemade breakfast on a sea of clouds
My legs went wobbly, and I had to lean over the platform railings for support. How lucky am I to be able to witness this? I thought. I gazed far and beyond what was in front of me, tears welling up in my eyes. I felt small, tiny, puny, standing in the middle of this spectacle. I closed my eyes and prayed: Whoever created this magnificent, breath-taking work of art, please... take me away.
Upon request, Lao Ban specially brewed coffee for us
Lao Ban and Lao Ban Niang were nice, homely people who loved making new friends from other countries. We asked Lao Ban if he accepted little helpers, for we would be most happy to come back again and help out at Guan Xing Yuan for free. Maybe give the rooms a fresh coat of paint, or help out with the gardening and cooking. Come back in the summer, he smiled, both eyes crinkling in delight. The weather will be nice, around 15-18 degrees, and you can see even more flowers blooming in the season.
Mesmerizing fireworks at night, at Guan Xing Yuan
Is it right, that I secretly wished for this enchanting little place to be my personal hideout?
About the Author
I realize that in my writing there exists two instincts, in English and in Mandarin. I'm not sure which I am more comfortable with; sometimes they take on different and dual roles in my expressives. So I want this to be the USP of my work. I will try not to give my writing a split personality, in case my readers turn schizo.
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