(Continued from parts 1, 2, and 3)
The murderous black water had now reached my knees and continued to rise at a slow, steady rate. I could feel Shu Shu's rapid, shallow breath as he clung desperately to my shoulder with his remaining left paw. All the while, our hearts pounded with fear.
An hour earlier, the treacherous Wuhh revealed himself as a human wizard instead of a Mew, as we had once believed. He tortured us with magical flames, while his cackling zombie slaves watched from a high portal. In agony, we relented and returned the mysterious red stone that he so desired. Then he vanished, leaving us trapped in this darkest of chambers, deep underground, and filling with water.
"Shu Shu," I whispered, as the water crept closer to my waist. "We have to think of a way out of this."
Shu Shu trembled, then began to blubber. "I sh-shouldn't have g-given him the stone," he whispered dolefully.
"We did the best we could," I replied. "You were very brave to stand up to him in the first place. He beat us this time... but we're not dead yet. Right now we're both going to drown if we don't think of a way to get out of this death trap."
"You're right," Shu Shu admitted and then he patted me on the shoulder with his one front paw. I could sense that his confidence was returning. "At least this water feels better on my cracked and thirsty Mew body, but I'm not sure that I can swim without my right paw."
By now the water had reached my chin and I mentally prepared for what was so soon to come.
Ten minutes later we were treading water. Thankfully, the average weight of a Mew is only about one pound and Shu Shu was on the smaller side so he wouldn't weigh me down. If he managed to hold on, and I managed to keep our heads above the rising water we could prolong our lives for the time being. Needless to say, the fact that we were still hopelessly imprisoned in an enormous, pitch dark, subterranean pit weighed heavily on our minds.
"We must not panic," I said as I tried to conserve my strength. I filled my lungs with air and attempted to float on my back. From time to time the panic would build in my chest and I'd loose the air in my lungs to shakes. Then it would take everything I had to regain control and return to floating calmly. I started to feel phantom things swimming around my legs. It's all in your mind, I told myself. Stay focused.
After another half hour my fatigue had nearly reached its limit. We still had no clue how deep the water had become, but figured the roof of this godforsaken tomb must soon be within reach. Once there, we would have to locate and somehow manage to open the tiny portal door through which bloodthirsty zombies had looked down upon us, or die trying.
Shu Shu stood on the highest point of my head with his two hind paws gripping tightly to my hair. He cast about blindly with his left paw, desperately trying to find the door, which we believed to be our only hope of escaping.
That's when I felt it. Something slimy and wretched was truly close. It swam about my drooping legs and filled my heart with sheer dread.
"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shu Shu," I managed... "Wwwwe are not ah ah alone anymore..." my trembling voice trailed off.
"Got it!" Shu Shu exclaimed. "I've found the door!"
He had located the edge of the portal! I reached up myself and felt the steel edge of a three foot diameter, circular hatch. A heavy mechanical latch existed on one side but in the impenetrable darkness I could not figure out how to release the door. It was a great relief to no longer be forced to tread water, as I was now able to hang from the latch as I blindly fidgeted with the apparatus. Something clicked. A thin ring of sunlight appeared around the edge of the hatch. I saw Shu Shu's face smiling with tremendous relief.
"Now what were you just say...?" Shu Shu started to ask, but before he could finish we were violently yanked underwater by some tentacle-like arm wrapped tightly around my ankles. In an instant it was as though we were sucked into a savage whirlpool. I kicked and thrashed about but my weary body, already beyond exhausted from hours spent treading water, was useless against the strong thing pulling us downward. I went limp. I almost passed out but my mind was shocked awake by a new and stinging pain. It was Shu Shu's sharp, strong hind claws. They were digging deep into my skin one after the other. Somehow, despite the strong current against him, he was walking along my body towards my legs. He had to focus every ounce of his strength to keep from being washed away by the surge. The stabbing pain moved down my chest. He made his way onto my right leg. (If we somehow manged to survive, I'd have to thank him for deftly avoiding my crotch.) Soon he had reached my ankles and with all the strength a six inch tall Mew's tiny jaws could muster he laid into our oppressor with a massive "CHOMP."
The beast winced and shook us about. I caught the horrifying glimmer of jagged pointy teeth in the faint light coming from the edge of the hatch several fathoms above us. Deafening bubbles engulfed us as Shu Shu continued to bite the beast's arm repeatedly. My left leg came loose and was now kicking futilely at the monster. Shu Shu, still clinging tightly to my right ankle, was nipping fiercely at the monster's rubbery arm like a homicidal snapping turtle.
All of a sudden, an intense bright spotlight beamed down into the chamber. Looking up I saw the hatch had opened and a tiny brown face was peeking down. In the new light our attacker's octopus-like body became suddenly visible to my blurry, waterlogged eyes and another of its massive tentacles was quickly headed straight for my face. I tried to blocked it but my arms were too weak. I struggled to keep it from breaking my neck but I could no longer hold my breath. Then, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a long silver streak fly down from above, pass my head on the opposite side, and strike the forehead of the aquatic monster. That's when I blacked out.
After a while, I regained consciousness. My body felt like it had been trampled by a herd of elephants and my eyes could hardly open beyond the narrowest of squints. Somewhere, not far away, I could hear hear voices. I tried to speak but my tongue had turned into a gritty bag of sand.
"Brett's awake," said a familiar voice. I looked about cautiously to find myself surrounded by six smiling Mews. One of them, the one who had spoke, was Shu Shu!
"Foo, bring some more water please," Shu Shu asked a large Mew while pointing at me. The Mew nodded and, using an empty shell, proceeded to scoop water into my mouth from a small pool. The water felt as though it was a gift from heaven even if most of it dribbled down my chin. I forced my eyes to open and looked about at my current surrounding. I was once again in some sort of cave but instead of a dark and evil place, this cave was homey and well lit from a large skylight in the ceiling. Five tiny hammocks hung about the small room and a tiny table set with shell cups was in the middle. In one corner a large iron pot of water could be seen bubbling over a pit of glowing coals and all around us herbs and flowers could be seen. In some cases they were growing right out of cracks in the walls, in other cases they were cut and hanging upside down to dry. The wall I was leaning against had a small rivulet of clean water running briskly from a crack in the stone. It pooled up conveniently by my side and flowed out of the room along another tiny crack. Most remarkable of all were the five new faces staring up at me. Besides the pitiful Mews that had been turned to stone and trapped in the dark heart of this island, I had never seen another Mew before Shu Shu in all my life.
"How long have I been out?" I asked.
"At least twelve hours. I was scared out of my mind," replied Shu Shu, and with this he crawled up to my neck and gave me a warm hug.
"What happened, and where are we?" I asked.
Shu Shu grinned. "We were saved from certain death by these lovable rascals," he made a sweeping gesture around the room as he spoke. "Brett, I'd like you to meet Foo," he pointed at the large Mew who gave me water. "This is Sheena," he pointed at a fierce and pretty looking Mew with a wild tuft of spiky red hair on the top of her head. "And over there are Quin," (a small and smart looking Mew poking at the fire), "Guhh," (an old looking Mew with only one eye), "and Tock" (a twitchy, excitable looking fellow chopping a coconut with a very large knife).
Each of the five Mew gave me a polite smile as they recognized their names. I was in awe.
"Mew Mew Muh Muh" Foo said to me with a happy glimmer in his eye.
"That's a common Mew greeting!" Shu Shu explained. "They all speak Mew all the time! Isn't that cool? They speak some English too, though. Guhh taught them. He's over five thousand years old and he knew Ben Jones!"
Shu Shu was practically jumping up and down as he spoke.
"Muh Roey!" Quin called from the corner. All of the other Mew looked over at him excitedly.
"What's happening?" I asked Shu Shu. He just shrugged but Guhh answered.
"Muh Roey means, tea is ready." Guhh explained. "Shu Shu is our Mew guest so he's first to soak."
Shu Shu smiled from ear to ear as the others gestured him toward the big pot of fragrant boiling water. It was full of lovely smelling flowers and leaves. Shu Shu climbed inside. I have never seen him look happier. A five minute soak did wonders for my little friend. His dry cracked skin became smooth and healthy. It seemed to nourish his body and soul.
"Next the big man drinks," Guhh proclaimed while looking up at me. He seemed to me to be the patriarch of this little tribe. The other Mew each grabbed large shells, filled them up from the pot and lay them at my feet.
"Careful, it's hot," Guhh said with a grin.
It certainly did look hot. It almost looked like it was still boiling inside the shells. I decided to wait for a few minutes. During this time, the other Mew took turns soaking in the hot cauldron. Guhh was the last to soak and remained in the water much longer than all the others. He seemed to go into some kind of trance as the bubbling water violently licked at his brown stony flesh.
At last I sipped my "tea." It was pure ambrosia. Each sip soothed my weary body. Built up pain and stress evaporated away. As I started to feel better, I began to feel hungry too. It had been ages since I had eaten. But Guhh had already foreseen this and motioned towards Foo to bring me a steaming hot coconut shell bowl filled with stewed coconut meat, yams and herbs. I ate with relish.
As I ate, Shu Shu told me what I had missed since the moment I passed out in the water. "Somehow these five wonderful Mew were in the right place at the right time. They heard us thrashing about underwater, attempting to free ourselves from the sea-beast. They looked inside the hatch and immediately launched a rescue. Sheena threw a harpoon dead center at the kraken's brain. It died quickly and sunk to the bottom. Quin and Guhh tied a rope around a nearby tree, and Foo and Tock, who are both excellent swimmers, dove in after us. They tied the rope to your waist and then hauled us both up. Fortunately, we Mew are like ants in that we are super-strong for our size. All of us worked together to carry your limp, waterlogged bones back to their secret headquarters. That is to say, this place!"
At this point Guhh began to speak.
"There is still so much we must discuss," he said earnestly. As he spoke, a stillness came over the room and all heads turned to face him. Guhh addressed Shu Shu and continued, "It is simply amazing that you found Ben Jones' journal and came to our island. In fact, the night before you first arrived, I made a wish on a falling star that help would come soon." Then Guhh turned to face me, "Brett, while you were unconscious, Shu Shu told us every terrible thing that has happened to you since you both arrived here on our beloved island of Mewluwi. Now it is time I tell you more about us.
"I was born on this island 5,040 years ago and for a long time I've been the oldest Mew alive. As you already know, our race can live forever as long as we bathe often in hot, fragrant water or unless we meet with some unexpected peril. Once in a while, a hapless Mew would fall off a cliff or get carried away by a desperately hungry seabird. Whenever something like this would happen, the whole community would take a vote to choose which pair could reproduce. In this way, we kept the population stable and sustainable. By and large our island was a very peaceful place, though occasionally, bad-tempered Mew would fight over petty things. I can remember only a handful of murders and suicides during my long lifetime. One of the murders was my twin brother Wuhh."
Guhh paused for effect as my mouth dropped open in wonder. The other Mew, who had heard all this before, returned to their various projects. Foo was exercising, Sheena was sharpening her spears, and Quin was over by the fire, tinkering with an odd mix of metal and mud. Tock, on the other hand, remained close to Guhh. He stared at Shu Shu and me with deep interest.
"Captain Jones and his crew were not the first humans to visit Mewluwi," Guhh continued. "The first human to arrive came one hundred years earlier. He was a castaway clinging to a small raft. My brother and I spotted him near Muhfu Bay and immediately gathered a rescue party of strong Mew swimmers. None of us had ever seen a real human before, but we had heard stories about them from the few Mew adventurers who had traveled abroad and managed to return home.
"After we pulled the man up on to the beach, my brother Wuhh innocently tried to remove a small leather bag tied around the man's neck, so as to help the man recover and facilitate the removal of his soggy tattered clothes. The man harshly pushed away Wuhh's paw and clutched his bag possessively. As he did this, Wuhh noticed the man's wrists were raw with rope burn as if they had been bound. Wuhh gave the man a quizzical look and the man quickly checked himself and flashed Wuhh a forced smile. He spoke in English and told us his name was William. A friend of mine named Tut, who had spent the last decade traveling the world, was able to translate William's words into the Mew tongue. William claimed that he had been adrift in the Pacific for over a week after falling off his ship three days after leaving Fiji. Wuhh and I were skeptical of this story, because he seemed to be in very good shape for someone who had just endured such a hardship.
"During the following weeks, William made friends among the Mew and picked up quite a bit of our language, but Wuhh and I didn't like him. From the moment we hauled his murderous bones out of the sea we expected his whole story was a lie. 'What type of seaman falls off his boat?' Wuhh and I asked at a meeting of Mew elders a week after William's arrival. 'And what is in that bag he's always wearing around his neck?' The Mew elders did not share our distrust. William had already won them over with his stories, jokes and charm. It was not until later that we discovered he had actually taken control of their minds.
"A month after William's arrival, funny things began to happen around our society. Nobody ever had a bad thing to say about William. We often heard other Mews chatting about the wonderful things he had done for them, but we never actually saw him lifting a finger, except to build a comfortable two room cottage on the far side of the island with the help of 20 devoted Mew. Wuhh and I decided we may have been wrong about him and visited him once during this time. We even brought him a large fish and a few pounds of edible flowers. William thanked us and invited us into the main room of his home. He asked a group of Mew to clean and cook his new fish. They jumped up and got right to work. Another Mew quickly brought William some tea, along with two bowls for Wuhh and I to soak in.
"William stared us at coldly. He fidgeted with the bag hanging around his neck. He asked us if we had ever traveled outside of Mewluwi. We answered, honestly, that we had not. I asked him what he was doing in Fiji. He told us his captain had stopped there to take on provisions but found the natives too hostile and shortly after they departed, a terrible storm nearly capsized the ship. Next thing he knew, he was plunged into the raging sea and it was a blessing that he came across a small raft drifting free of his ship.
"Wuhh looked at me doubtfully. William continued to stare at both of us. Between words, his lips moved like he was mumbling silently. It was very hypnotic and I began to feel sleepy. William's attendants constantly refilled our bowls with hot water. It was all very relaxing. I was feeling comfortable and beginning to believe William's story. Wuhh pinched me. I gave him a confused look as he briskly told William, 'Thank you for the tea, but we must be going right now.' He pulled me out of my bowl and dragged me from the cottage. As the door closed behind us I caught one last look at William's face. He was frowning and his narrow eyes seemed to simmer with rage.
"Wuhh and I raced home. 'What happened back there?' I asked him.
"'You were nearly hypnotised by that monster! That's what happened!' Wuhh replied. 'I bet he's enslaved every Mew he's come in contact with. Well he won't get you and me. We have to stop him.'
"I stared at my brother in awe. He was right, of course. But how? What could we do against a full-grown human with bizarre evil powers? As he so often did, my twin answered my unspoken question. 'We have to steal whatever is in that bag around his neck. That's what he's using to control the minds of our people. We must return tonight, sneak into his cottage, remove the bag and get out of there without getting caught.'
"I shuddered and then stared at Wuhh in disbelief. After a minute I said 'OK, I'm in,'"
Shu Shu, Tock and I hung on every word of Guhh's exciting story. The other Mew had retired to their hammocks and presumably fallen asleep. Guhh stared straight into the white-hot coals of the cave's cooking fire. His voice became more serious as he pushed ahead with his tale.
"That night we waited in the jungle a few yards from William's cottage. To our dismay, William had two Mew guards stationed on opposite corners of the house. Of course we knew them and were, in the past, on friendly terms with these two. But something was not right about them tonight. We could see it in their eyes. They had been programmed to destroy anybody who tried to enter William's cottage uninvited. We watched them for hours, occasionally pacing around and, from time to time, whispering to each other.
"It was well past midnight when Wuhh and I saw our chance. One of the guards had gone inside and the other had heard something rustling in the bushes on the far side. While his attention was on the dark tree line opposite our position, Wuhh and I crept up to the building. In the shadows we moved around the side until we found ourselves under what we believed to be William's window.
"Using our claws, we climbed up the rough wooden boards and peeked through the glass. William lay sleeping several feet away in a gently swaying hammock. The small leather bag, as always, was hanging around his neck. Otherwise, the room appeared empty, so as quietly as we could, we attempted to open the window. It was locked. Then we heard the front door of the cottage gently close. The other guard was likely returning to his original position and would soon be able to see us if he chanced to look directly up at this window.
"Wuhh whispered a crazy idea. 'Run home!' he told me. 'Make a lot of noise once you get in the jungle, but don't stop running and don't look back. One or both of the guards will follow you. I'll slip inside the house, take the bag and head for a safe place. We'll meet up tomorrow.' I began to protest when the moonlight-shadow of guard number one started to round the corner.
"I ran away from the house as fast as possible, yelling once I got to the jungle. The guard was indeed after me. I ran faster than I've ever run before. Luckily, I knew of a small side trail that would take me to the perfect hiding place in a grove of ancient ferns. I threw myself into the foliage and willed my loudly beating heart not to give away my position. I listened closely and then, to my immense relief, the guard ran past me. After a few minutes I changed my route and took the long way, cutting through thick jungle back towards my house. But then I stopped short. I couldn't go home. I couldn't just abandon my brother. What if he needed me? I decided I had to sneak back to William's cottage.
"I doubled back and took a different trail, closer to the beach, and soon found myself within sight of the tyrant's abode. The first light of dawn was beginning to heat up the eastern sky and the guards were nowhere to be seen. I crept silently closer to the house until I heard my brother screaming in agony. I raced to the door and entered the main room of the cottage.
"William and Wuhh were in the bedroom and the door was slightly ajar. William was chanting in a low monotone. It sounded like Fijian, a language some other Mew could speak but I had never learned. I looked around for something to use as a weapon and settled on a long, sharp fish bone lying on the floor where William ate his meals. I slowly peered into the bedroom and saw my brother's body. It looked dry and shriveled, and his screams were slowing down. It was as though he was turning to stone. Occasionally, his scaly brown skin would crack and pop horribly.
"I didn't waste another second. I rushed at William, caught him off guard, climbed up the front of his shirt and began stabbing him violently in the chest and neck. Blood started to swell up from his wounds and he came out of some sort of trance. He grabbed me and threw me across the room like a baseball. I crumpled against the wall. William pulled the fish bone out of his neck and lunged at me. He caught me right in the eye with that bloody white bone. I recovered all the strength I had and made one last attempt to crawl toward my brother. I had to get us both out of there but William overpowered me. He put me in a dark wooden chest that he had recently built. The lid closed to total blackness.
"I was trapped inside this hellish box for several days and my Mew body had nearly dried out, leaving me wretched and on death's door. At last, the box opened. It was Wuhh and he looked healthy. I could not believe my remaining eye. How could this be? 'Wuhh!!!' I bellowed with half-insane delight. 'What happened? Where's William? How did you escape?'
"Wuhh didn't say anything, but he let me out and gave me a much needed soak in hot boiling tea. I repeated my questions. He didn't answer. I knew something was not right. I attempted to hug my brother but he turned away. When he looked at me again, I saw evil behind his eyes. 'Your brother is almost gone.' he said coldly. 'My human body died as well from the barrage of wounds you inflicted on it. But just before it passed I was able to perform one last spell and I've moved into Wuhh's body.'
"I swallowed in disgust. I was suddenly gripped by fear and rage and loss and guilt. 'You what?!' I screamed. 'Where is my brother?! What have you done with my brother?!'"
"'I'm here.' It was really Wuhh's voice this time. His eyes were those of my dear brother. 'I love you brother, but he is just too strong. I fought so hard with him just to open the box and give you a chance. You have to get out of here. I can't hold him back much longer.'
"'I love you too Wuhh!' I cried as I witnessed those shockingly evil eyes regain their unrightful place on my brother's face.
"'Now you will die.' hissed the demon through my brother's own lips. He began to speak rapidly in Fijian. I ran for the door. I didn't look back and I never saw my brother again.
"These last centuries, I have been at war with this terrible wizard that I know only as William. Fortunately, his power was greatly reduced from our encounter. He spent the last few centuries rebuilding his power and working on his evil spells as a xenophobic recluse. This is how Captain Jones came to know him. I knew the truth, of course, but could never convince my peers. His ability to control their minds has made my life a living hell. Eventually, I assembled a small team of trusted Mew. Each of them has a personal reason to despise William. Our numbers were much greater until the Great Battle. That is when William mastered the spell of taking on a new human form. I will save that story for another time, but it ended, of course, with every last Mew except ourselves being turned into stone deep inside the island."
The low fire in the warm, pleasant cave cast dancing shadows around the walls. The others were snoring contentedly. Shu Shu and I realized just how tired our bruised and broken bodies actually were. Tomorrow, we would proudly join Guhh and his team to try and save Mewluwi from Wuhh's--I mean William's--evil clutches. But for now, we'll sleep.
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
My Earliest Tea Brewing Memory
Odessa, Texas 1988 - My friend Micah and I had just spent the morning catching horned lizards, digging holes, and kicking tumbleweeds. We were hot and thirsty and ready to go inside for a while to play Nintendo. The Legend of Zelda to be exact... We had made it all the way to Ganon but just couldn't figure out how to beat him. We knew it had something to do with the silver arrows, which we had, but we couldn't stay alive long enough to do the deed. Apparently there was a red ring hidden someplace that was supposed to make us strong enough but we never found it, and to this day I've still never beat that game.
But I digress...
Micah's mom, Shirley, was in their kitchen and his older brother was listening to Michael Jackson on his record player. We each drank a plastic cup full of tap water and then asked for some Kool-Aid. There was none to be had but Shirley asked if we'd like to help make some tea. Micah had little interest... but I was intrigued. My parents, who were from the "North" always drank coffee. I'd never made tea before so I volunteered to help. The first step was to boil water. This was achieved by filling a metal sauce pan from the tap, placing it on the stove, and then waiting until it reached a rolling boil. The next step was taking an orange plastic, half-gallon pitcher from the cupboard and adding two cups of white sugar and five or six tea bags. The water was poured in and left to steep for about 10 minutes. Shirley removed the bags and I mixed the tea with a large plastic spoon. We then poured our "tea" into tall plastic glasses full of ice and put the pitcher in the fridge. I took a sip and proclaimed: Tea is good!
After that, Micah and I each took a glass of "tea" and a bag of Chips Ahoy! (the exclamation point is apparently a vital part of the name) cookies and headed into the living room to play video games (for many hours).
The End.
(Now you know my earliest tea brewing memory. What's yours?)
But I digress...
Micah's mom, Shirley, was in their kitchen and his older brother was listening to Michael Jackson on his record player. We each drank a plastic cup full of tap water and then asked for some Kool-Aid. There was none to be had but Shirley asked if we'd like to help make some tea. Micah had little interest... but I was intrigued. My parents, who were from the "North" always drank coffee. I'd never made tea before so I volunteered to help. The first step was to boil water. This was achieved by filling a metal sauce pan from the tap, placing it on the stove, and then waiting until it reached a rolling boil. The next step was taking an orange plastic, half-gallon pitcher from the cupboard and adding two cups of white sugar and five or six tea bags. The water was poured in and left to steep for about 10 minutes. Shirley removed the bags and I mixed the tea with a large plastic spoon. We then poured our "tea" into tall plastic glasses full of ice and put the pitcher in the fridge. I took a sip and proclaimed: Tea is good!
After that, Micah and I each took a glass of "tea" and a bag of Chips Ahoy! (the exclamation point is apparently a vital part of the name) cookies and headed into the living room to play video games (for many hours).
The End.
(Now you know my earliest tea brewing memory. What's yours?)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Shu Shu's Odyssey - Part 3
(Continued from Parts 1 and 2)
Shu Shu had apparently regained consciousness a few minutes before I did. He ran to my side and yelled "Thank God you're alive!"
Half-conscious and completely disoriented as I was, I could tell that he had been crying for some time.
"What's wrong?" I managed to ask despite my many aches.
"Look around," he whispered between sobs.
We seemed to be deep in the core of a dark dank cave. The only light came from a small naked light bulb dangling from a dusty black cord. All around us stood the lifeless statues of thousands of Mews. Their tiny faces appeared to be frozen in agony. It was as though they had suffered some unspeakable mistreatment just seconds before they were all turned to stone. Their shadows swayed lazily on the cave walls like ghostly dancers.
"We have to find a way out of here," I whispered to Shu Shu.
"You're right," he replied as he stopped crying and took a deep breath. "I've got an idea. Let's try following that wire connected to the light bulb."
We took the naked bulb down from a rusty ceiling hook and started walking along a dark corridor. We had to stop every ten feet or so to pull down more wire as it was tacked up along the cave wall.
We started to doubt our decision after walking for what must have been an hour. The featureless gray walls seemed to be teasing us. The dusty wire trailed on for ages behind us and before us. We began to hear things.
"Something is not right." I said to Shu Shu.
"You can say that again. We're trapped miles under the ground in an endless narrow cave!" Shu Shu snapped.
I could tell that he was getting claustrophobic and agitated so I suggested we sit for a minute and try to come up with a plan.
"It's not like we can get lost down here." I said while trying to sound more confident than I really was. "I didn't even know this island had electricity before seeing this light bulb. We're following the wire and it has to lead someplace. That was a good plan."
Just then the light bulb flickered and died. We were left in absolute darkness.
"Are you st-still holding the w-wire?" I asked. I was trembling and my heart was pounding.
"Y-y-yes," stammered Shu Shu.
We decided to stay the course and both held the wire tightly as we continued slowly down the corridor. It was difficult to pull the wire off the wall without any light, but we managed, and seemed to be making progress. Then we heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere very close.
Shu Shu and I clung to each other and trembled in the pitch black passageway. To say we were scared would have been a gross understatement.
The voice sounded like it was right next to us yet we couldn't make out the words. It cracked and hissed in a ghoulish timbre.
"I th-th-think I kn-kn-know where it's coming from." I whispered after a minute of heart-pounding terror. "It's coming from inside the tea tin."
Shu Shu carefully took off his knapsack and opened the flap. Then he slowly took out the tin and twisted off the top. A soft red light emerged from the tin and, for the first time since the light bulb burned out, Shu Shu and I could see each others' terrified faces. Along with the light, THE VOICE was now louder and could clearly be discerned. It was coming from the evil red egg-shaped stone that Shu Shu and I had found after we had been attacked by a cursed zombie.
"...I can't believe that meddling Mew came back to my island and brought that sickening man-boy to help him. My zombies almost had them at the spring but now they're somewhere deep inside the mountain where I've imprisoned the hapless Mew. No matter. Nobody knows this island better than I do and I will kill them soon enough..."
At this point the voice trailed off and Shu Shu and I looked up at each other in disbelief. Could we somehow hear Wuhh's thoughts transmitted through this egg shaped stone? Or was this some sort of evil spell that Wuhh had employed to scare us? And if we could hear him, could he somehow hear us too? We quickly closed the tin and returned to the blackness, then we continued to move along the tunnel.
About a half hour later, Shu Shu and I saw a light. Our spirits lifted slightly and we hurried forward. The tunnel entered into a large chamber where a bright shaft of sunlight beamed down from a small hole located about a hundred feet up on the ceiling. The walls were too steep and smooth to climb and there were no tunnels into this room, other than the one through which we had entered. The thin wire that supplied our bulb with electricity ran along the surface of the wall and out the hole in the ceiling. It was not strong enough to support my weight, but maybe tiny Shu Shu could use it to climb out.
Shu Shu committed himself to the task at hand and grasped the thin cord with his claws. He shimmied along for a few feet and then lost some ground as his weight pulled the cord away from the wall. It was only attached by a few rusty hooks and would likely continue to pull off the wall as he climbed higher. Shu Shu made quick work of the first half and hung dangling way up above my head. I held the cord steady as he inched his way up; pulling first with his front paws and then pushing with his hind paws. His attention was on his footing... but mine suddenly shifted to the hole in the ceiling.
"Shu Shu, stop!" I yelled.
First Shu Shu looked down at me and then he looked up at the hole. The black silhouette of a head could be seen peering into the chamber through the shaft of light. It wasn't easy to tell but I think it was a zombie.
"@#$%!" yelled Shu Shu as he started sliding downward. I saw a twisted smile appear on the face above. It took out a large knife and as it hacked through the cord I could see its hideous face illuminated by streaks of light reflecting off the blade.
The cord broke and Shu Shu fell about 30 feet. I dived to catch him but failed. His brown Mew body was growing brittle from too many days without a hot tea shower and because of this his right front paw broke clean off. He lay on the ground in agony as I picked him up and held him close. Shu Shu fiddled around in his knapsack and I stared at the hole in the ceiling. Together we trembled in fear.
Just then a rope ladder was lowered in to the chamber. It swayed as if it was being used but no one, or no thing, could be seen. After a few minutes we heard the same evil voice that we heard from the egg. It was coming from the other side of the chamber.
"How dare you return to my island," hissed the voice.
At that moment, a gate slammed closed behind us, blocking the tunnel through which we had come.
"Now give me back my cavatu!" yelled the voice.
"Your ca-what!?" countered Shu Shu.
"The red stone in your bag. Give it to me, NOW," the voice demanded.
"And what if we won't?!" Shu Shu answered defiantly.
"Then I will kill you slowly and painfully," snorted the voice.
"Who are you?" Shu Shu asked. "We're not afraid of you!"
I shot Shu Shu an irritated look as I quaked in fear, but then I took a deep breath and pulled myself together. My little friend's bravery inspired me to rise to the challenge.
"We'll never give you the stone!" I shouted. "Show yourself, coward!"
With that, a hot blue ball of flame suddenly appeared on the other side of the room. Half a second later it was flying towards me at great speed. I jumped out of the way and rolled on the ground as the fireball hit the wall behind me. It left a large smoking black dent in the cave wall. Far above our heads we could hear a couple of ugly zombies laughing as they watched the scene from the hole in the roof.
"My name is Wuhh," answered the voice, "and I have lived on this island for many centuries. You are not welcome here."
"You're the bastard that killed all of the Mew. We came back here to help them and now we're going to kill you!" Shu Shu was fuming with rage as he spoke. "The Mew are a peaceful race. How could you do this!?? You are a Mew yourself!"
"Ha. How little you know, Shu Shu. Captain Jones and his son Ben's story is only the half of it. First of all, I didn't kill the Mew. I cursed them into statues and I can undo it at anytime," Wuhh snickered. "Secondly, I'm not a Mew. I'm a human wizard who took the form of a Mew when I first came to this island many centuries ago. I pretended to work with the Mew as I practiced my dark magic. Before long I had perfected my poisons, invisibility and zombification spells. I waited until the right time and then started my ultimate plan to take over the wor..."
Shu Shu cut him off mid-word. "Why are you such a pompous ***hole?" Shu Shu yelled as he took the tea tin out of his knapsack and gave it a bold shake. "Your precious stone is in here, Mr. Wizard. Come and get it."
A furious blue flame erupted in the corner of the chamber. Behind its intense burning glow we could make out the shadowy figure of a tall man.
"Get down!" I yelled as I dropped to the floor. Shu Shu ducked down low and covered his face with his remaining left paw, which was still clutching the tea tin.
A massive wall of flame expanded in a circle around Wuhh. It spun violently as if caught in a hurricane. The heat was unbearable and Shu Shu and I writhed in agony as it scorched our faces. We were being burned alive!
Shu Shu screamed, "Take your stupid stone. Please stop." He held out the tea tin as we cowered together on the chamber floor. In a flash, a magical hand snatched the tin from Shu Shu and returned to Wuhh in the corner of the room. All of a sudden the flames stopped and Wuhh's ghostly human figure could be seen quickly ascending the ladder. Then the zombies above rapidly pulled the ladder up and out of the chamber. A heavy lid was placed over the hole and we were once again helpless in a world void of light.
A few minutes passed before Shu Shu and I spoke to each other.
"Shu Shu, do your feet feel wet?" I asked.
"Yes." He replied.
We blindly felt around the chamber floor with our hands and, sure enough, water was present. We could hear it flowing in through some unseen portal high overhead. An hour later it was up to my knees and Shu Shu had to stand on my shoulder. We began to panic as we felt our way desperately around the perimeter of the room. Wuhh meant to drown us in this black pit.
To be continued....
Shu Shu had apparently regained consciousness a few minutes before I did. He ran to my side and yelled "Thank God you're alive!"
Half-conscious and completely disoriented as I was, I could tell that he had been crying for some time.
"What's wrong?" I managed to ask despite my many aches.
"Look around," he whispered between sobs.
We seemed to be deep in the core of a dark dank cave. The only light came from a small naked light bulb dangling from a dusty black cord. All around us stood the lifeless statues of thousands of Mews. Their tiny faces appeared to be frozen in agony. It was as though they had suffered some unspeakable mistreatment just seconds before they were all turned to stone. Their shadows swayed lazily on the cave walls like ghostly dancers.
"We have to find a way out of here," I whispered to Shu Shu.
"You're right," he replied as he stopped crying and took a deep breath. "I've got an idea. Let's try following that wire connected to the light bulb."
We took the naked bulb down from a rusty ceiling hook and started walking along a dark corridor. We had to stop every ten feet or so to pull down more wire as it was tacked up along the cave wall.
We started to doubt our decision after walking for what must have been an hour. The featureless gray walls seemed to be teasing us. The dusty wire trailed on for ages behind us and before us. We began to hear things.
"Something is not right." I said to Shu Shu.
"You can say that again. We're trapped miles under the ground in an endless narrow cave!" Shu Shu snapped.
I could tell that he was getting claustrophobic and agitated so I suggested we sit for a minute and try to come up with a plan.
"It's not like we can get lost down here." I said while trying to sound more confident than I really was. "I didn't even know this island had electricity before seeing this light bulb. We're following the wire and it has to lead someplace. That was a good plan."
Just then the light bulb flickered and died. We were left in absolute darkness.
"Are you st-still holding the w-wire?" I asked. I was trembling and my heart was pounding.
"Y-y-yes," stammered Shu Shu.
We decided to stay the course and both held the wire tightly as we continued slowly down the corridor. It was difficult to pull the wire off the wall without any light, but we managed, and seemed to be making progress. Then we heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere very close.
Shu Shu and I clung to each other and trembled in the pitch black passageway. To say we were scared would have been a gross understatement.
The voice sounded like it was right next to us yet we couldn't make out the words. It cracked and hissed in a ghoulish timbre.
"I th-th-think I kn-kn-know where it's coming from." I whispered after a minute of heart-pounding terror. "It's coming from inside the tea tin."
Shu Shu carefully took off his knapsack and opened the flap. Then he slowly took out the tin and twisted off the top. A soft red light emerged from the tin and, for the first time since the light bulb burned out, Shu Shu and I could see each others' terrified faces. Along with the light, THE VOICE was now louder and could clearly be discerned. It was coming from the evil red egg-shaped stone that Shu Shu and I had found after we had been attacked by a cursed zombie.
"...I can't believe that meddling Mew came back to my island and brought that sickening man-boy to help him. My zombies almost had them at the spring but now they're somewhere deep inside the mountain where I've imprisoned the hapless Mew. No matter. Nobody knows this island better than I do and I will kill them soon enough..."
At this point the voice trailed off and Shu Shu and I looked up at each other in disbelief. Could we somehow hear Wuhh's thoughts transmitted through this egg shaped stone? Or was this some sort of evil spell that Wuhh had employed to scare us? And if we could hear him, could he somehow hear us too? We quickly closed the tin and returned to the blackness, then we continued to move along the tunnel.
About a half hour later, Shu Shu and I saw a light. Our spirits lifted slightly and we hurried forward. The tunnel entered into a large chamber where a bright shaft of sunlight beamed down from a small hole located about a hundred feet up on the ceiling. The walls were too steep and smooth to climb and there were no tunnels into this room, other than the one through which we had entered. The thin wire that supplied our bulb with electricity ran along the surface of the wall and out the hole in the ceiling. It was not strong enough to support my weight, but maybe tiny Shu Shu could use it to climb out.
Shu Shu committed himself to the task at hand and grasped the thin cord with his claws. He shimmied along for a few feet and then lost some ground as his weight pulled the cord away from the wall. It was only attached by a few rusty hooks and would likely continue to pull off the wall as he climbed higher. Shu Shu made quick work of the first half and hung dangling way up above my head. I held the cord steady as he inched his way up; pulling first with his front paws and then pushing with his hind paws. His attention was on his footing... but mine suddenly shifted to the hole in the ceiling.
"Shu Shu, stop!" I yelled.
First Shu Shu looked down at me and then he looked up at the hole. The black silhouette of a head could be seen peering into the chamber through the shaft of light. It wasn't easy to tell but I think it was a zombie.
"@#$%!" yelled Shu Shu as he started sliding downward. I saw a twisted smile appear on the face above. It took out a large knife and as it hacked through the cord I could see its hideous face illuminated by streaks of light reflecting off the blade.
The cord broke and Shu Shu fell about 30 feet. I dived to catch him but failed. His brown Mew body was growing brittle from too many days without a hot tea shower and because of this his right front paw broke clean off. He lay on the ground in agony as I picked him up and held him close. Shu Shu fiddled around in his knapsack and I stared at the hole in the ceiling. Together we trembled in fear.
Just then a rope ladder was lowered in to the chamber. It swayed as if it was being used but no one, or no thing, could be seen. After a few minutes we heard the same evil voice that we heard from the egg. It was coming from the other side of the chamber.
"How dare you return to my island," hissed the voice.
At that moment, a gate slammed closed behind us, blocking the tunnel through which we had come.
"Now give me back my cavatu!" yelled the voice.
"Your ca-what!?" countered Shu Shu.
"The red stone in your bag. Give it to me, NOW," the voice demanded.
"And what if we won't?!" Shu Shu answered defiantly.
"Then I will kill you slowly and painfully," snorted the voice.
"Who are you?" Shu Shu asked. "We're not afraid of you!"
I shot Shu Shu an irritated look as I quaked in fear, but then I took a deep breath and pulled myself together. My little friend's bravery inspired me to rise to the challenge.
"We'll never give you the stone!" I shouted. "Show yourself, coward!"
With that, a hot blue ball of flame suddenly appeared on the other side of the room. Half a second later it was flying towards me at great speed. I jumped out of the way and rolled on the ground as the fireball hit the wall behind me. It left a large smoking black dent in the cave wall. Far above our heads we could hear a couple of ugly zombies laughing as they watched the scene from the hole in the roof.
"My name is Wuhh," answered the voice, "and I have lived on this island for many centuries. You are not welcome here."
"You're the bastard that killed all of the Mew. We came back here to help them and now we're going to kill you!" Shu Shu was fuming with rage as he spoke. "The Mew are a peaceful race. How could you do this!?? You are a Mew yourself!"
"Ha. How little you know, Shu Shu. Captain Jones and his son Ben's story is only the half of it. First of all, I didn't kill the Mew. I cursed them into statues and I can undo it at anytime," Wuhh snickered. "Secondly, I'm not a Mew. I'm a human wizard who took the form of a Mew when I first came to this island many centuries ago. I pretended to work with the Mew as I practiced my dark magic. Before long I had perfected my poisons, invisibility and zombification spells. I waited until the right time and then started my ultimate plan to take over the wor..."
Shu Shu cut him off mid-word. "Why are you such a pompous ***hole?" Shu Shu yelled as he took the tea tin out of his knapsack and gave it a bold shake. "Your precious stone is in here, Mr. Wizard. Come and get it."
A furious blue flame erupted in the corner of the chamber. Behind its intense burning glow we could make out the shadowy figure of a tall man.
"Get down!" I yelled as I dropped to the floor. Shu Shu ducked down low and covered his face with his remaining left paw, which was still clutching the tea tin.
A massive wall of flame expanded in a circle around Wuhh. It spun violently as if caught in a hurricane. The heat was unbearable and Shu Shu and I writhed in agony as it scorched our faces. We were being burned alive!
Shu Shu screamed, "Take your stupid stone. Please stop." He held out the tea tin as we cowered together on the chamber floor. In a flash, a magical hand snatched the tin from Shu Shu and returned to Wuhh in the corner of the room. All of a sudden the flames stopped and Wuhh's ghostly human figure could be seen quickly ascending the ladder. Then the zombies above rapidly pulled the ladder up and out of the chamber. A heavy lid was placed over the hole and we were once again helpless in a world void of light.
A few minutes passed before Shu Shu and I spoke to each other.
"Shu Shu, do your feet feel wet?" I asked.
"Yes." He replied.
We blindly felt around the chamber floor with our hands and, sure enough, water was present. We could hear it flowing in through some unseen portal high overhead. An hour later it was up to my knees and Shu Shu had to stand on my shoulder. We began to panic as we felt our way desperately around the perimeter of the room. Wuhh meant to drown us in this black pit.
To be continued....
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
J-Mo's Wedding Rehearsal Dinner
In June of 2009, my wife, daughter and I took a little trip down to California to celebrate the wedding of our good friends Janice and Mo (affectionately nicknamed J-Mo around our household). Their wedding was truly beautiful and we were so honored to be included in the ceremony.
Straining the tea.
Serving the tea.
Together, everyone sipped their tea. To my great relief it turned out fine! I relaxed a little and steeped the tea several more times. I was happy to hear some good reviews of its flavor.
I led the guests in a short "tea toast" to our beloved Janice and Mo. Everybody shared the same great feeling knowing that these two fantastic people were about to get married.
This post is my contribution to the February 2011 Tea Blog Carnival as presented by the Association of Tea Bloggers. Our theme for this carnival was "What is the most uncomfortable place where you prepared tea and how were you able to overcome the difficulty?" This month's carnival was hosted by the always fabulous Gongfu Girl and links to other participating posts can be found here.
Well before the wedding, Janice and Mo asked me if I'd like to serve tea for their friends and family at the rehearsal dinner. I had served tea for similar sized groups before (40-ish people) but it was always around Seattle and with my own equipment. It felt so good to be asked but for some reason I was really nervous about it. I agreed, and then I put it out of my mind for a while until the wedding drew near.
Traveling with a one-year-old meant that we already had a ton of important stuff to bring. I didn't want to pack too much tea or teaware so I only brought a couple little tins of tea. I chose a nice fresh Alishan High Mountain Oolong to serve at the rehearsal dinner.
Traveling with a one-year-old meant that we already had a ton of important stuff to bring. I didn't want to pack too much tea or teaware so I only brought a couple little tins of tea. I chose a nice fresh Alishan High Mountain Oolong to serve at the rehearsal dinner.
The dinner was originally set to take place at Janice's parents' home but was moved last minute to Berkeley's Sushi Solano restaurant. The restaurant had a cool vibe and the menu was a mix of house-made Japanese delicacies and take-out from the amazing Udupi Palace vegetarian Indian food restaurant.
As the guests started to arrive, the scene became festively chaotic and the strong smells of delicious food filled the room. Up until now I hadn't even started to think about just how I was going to make enough tea, serve it to the guests and have it be worthy of my friends and their guests. I started getting cold feet and even thought about backing out. I started making lame excuses in my mind such as "the tables were not arranged well for a tea service" and "the strong foods will eclipse my delicate tea selection."
Fortunately, my wife and a few other friends helped me to come to my senses. Also, the restaurant, who until recently only had large teacups, had just found a bunch of new small sake cups with my tea pouring in mind! That sealed the deal. I couldn't let down my friends. I was going to do this!
Sushi Solano loaned me their four largest teapots (two were ceramic and two were iron) and they had a couple of electric kettles at my disposal. After the feast, I was introduced to the guests and then I talked a minute about myself, the tea I had brought and my relationship to the bride and groom.
A friend and groomsman named Sandhi came to my aid. He was an experienced server and, with the help of a few other volunteers, fragrant Alishan began to make its way to the hands of excited guests!
Readying the cups.
As the guests started to arrive, the scene became festively chaotic and the strong smells of delicious food filled the room. Up until now I hadn't even started to think about just how I was going to make enough tea, serve it to the guests and have it be worthy of my friends and their guests. I started getting cold feet and even thought about backing out. I started making lame excuses in my mind such as "the tables were not arranged well for a tea service" and "the strong foods will eclipse my delicate tea selection."
The guests have arrive.
Fortunately, my wife and a few other friends helped me to come to my senses. Also, the restaurant, who until recently only had large teacups, had just found a bunch of new small sake cups with my tea pouring in mind! That sealed the deal. I couldn't let down my friends. I was going to do this!
Sushi Solano loaned me their four largest teapots (two were ceramic and two were iron) and they had a couple of electric kettles at my disposal. After the feast, I was introduced to the guests and then I talked a minute about myself, the tea I had brought and my relationship to the bride and groom.
A friend and groomsman named Sandhi came to my aid. He was an experienced server and, with the help of a few other volunteers, fragrant Alishan began to make its way to the hands of excited guests!
Readying the cups.
Straining the tea.
Serving the tea.
Together, everyone sipped their tea. To my great relief it turned out fine! I relaxed a little and steeped the tea several more times. I was happy to hear some good reviews of its flavor.
I led the guests in a short "tea toast" to our beloved Janice and Mo. Everybody shared the same great feeling knowing that these two fantastic people were about to get married.
The soon to be newlyweds!
This post is my contribution to the February 2011 Tea Blog Carnival as presented by the Association of Tea Bloggers. Our theme for this carnival was "What is the most uncomfortable place where you prepared tea and how were you able to overcome the difficulty?" This month's carnival was hosted by the always fabulous Gongfu Girl and links to other participating posts can be found here.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Shu Shu's Odyssey - Part 2
(Continued from Part 1)
When my friend Shu Shu T. Dragon returned from his trip to the South Pacific, he was a total wreck. He insisted that I drop everything and immediately return with him to the mysterious island that he had found. This island was once the home of his "people," a race of small clay dragons called "Mew." Shu Shu told me the whole story about how the Mew had vanished after their life-sustaining natural hot spring had been cursed and then he pleaded with me to help him. Always willing to help a friend, I quickly filled my pack with provisions before boarding Shu Shu's pedal-powered hot air balloon. Together we were determined to solve the mystery!
After several days of frantic pedaling high above the vast Pacific Ocean, Shu Shu and I spotted the island. Even from a distance it exuded a ghostly sadness. We made a soft landing on an empty white-sand beach and craftily hid our flying machine under some foliage. Shu Shu and I rested briefly while sipping some fragrant Wenshan Baozhong tea.
"Where does your friend Ben live?" I asked between sips.
"I'm not sure I'd call him my friend," began Shu Shu. "But he and a few surviving members of his crew live at the top of that mountain." He pointed towards the island's highest peak. "That is also where the magical hot spring is located."
"Do you really think an invisible, homicidal Mew may be lurking someplace on this island?" I asked while thinking about the sinister Wuhh from Shu Shu's story.
"It is possible," he replied earnestly. "As long as Wuhh can stay hidden and keep making his potions, he could still be on the island."
In the early afternoon we began to hike up the mountain. The closer we got, the darker the sky became and the wind on the mountain became cold and erratic. I definitely got the impression that the place was cursed.
After a few more hours of strenuous hiking, the hot tropical sun had all but vanished. Shu Shu and I were confused and frightened by the thick darkness that had so quickly overtaken us. The temperature was now a frosty 32 degrees and no animals could be seen or heard. In this new unlivable climate, all of the once-tall palm trees were limp and bowing. It was if they had just heard a melancholy secret and were about to die of sorrow.
All of a sudden we heard rustling in the frozen jungle. Shu Shu and I crouched down low, armed ourselves quickly with a couple of large rocks, and looked out toward the unknown sound. The rustling stopped abruptly and a soft panting could be heard. Something was hiding just a few meters off the trail!
We waited as quietly as possible, not sure if we should announce our presence or wait until the mysterious thing made the first move. After about 3 minutes, which seemed like an eternity, it spoke.
"Mew Muh," it whispered.
Shu Shu had heard the language of the Mew race during his first visit to the island and knew that the mysterious thing was now speaking it.
"English?" replied Shu Shu softly and then as an afterthought he said, "We come in peace."
The rustling sound began again as the mysterious thing drew closer and suddenly a red gleaming light in the shape of an egg sparkled from the shadows beneath two cold yellow eyes.
Shu Shu and I were both completely unprepared for what happened next. We raised our rocks defensively as beads of sweat rolled down our foreheads. The leaves parted quickly and out leaped an animated corpse!
In an instant I was knocked backwards by a shrieking zombie. Its teeth gnashed greedily and its sharp nails raked my head and chest. I swung my rock wildly, struggling to land a blow on its fleshy gray head. Just as the ugly beast lunged at my exposed neck, Shu Shu launched his stone. Fortunately, it connected! The zombie was stunned, but only for a second; it screamed madly before attacking me again. But this time I had a clear shot at its decaying head and swung my stone with all my might. Crack. The undead attacker collapsed at my feet. Shu Shu and I took a few steps backwards as the lifeless man-beast twitched and panted on the frozen ground.
"It looks like one of Ben Jones' crew..." Shu Shu whispered to me after a few minutes of stunned silence. "Only deader."
"But Ben and his crew are good guys right? I asked.
"Yeah... but this guy has obviously been cursed, and if I remember correctly Ben lived here with about five remaining crew men... so there could be others still out there." Shu Shu answered.
"Other zombies?" I shuddered.
"I don't know." Shu Shu said, "but we had better be ready for anything." Shu Shu picked up another big rock and crept up closer to examine the now still corpse. Shu Shu gave it a kick and then rolled it over onto its back. It was ugly and it stank.
"Look," said Shu Shu as he pointed to a small stone that had rolled a few feet away from the dead body. It was glowing red and shaped like an egg. Shu Shu picked it up and recoiled.
"Yowza!" he yelled as he quickly tossed it to the ground. "That thing is full of bad mojo!"
"What is it?" I asked as I reached down and carefully picked it up. The instant it touched my fingers they felt frozen and dead. My hands turned white and a terrible feeling quickly spread up my arms. I began to dry heave and was about to collapse from pain, when Shu Shu smacked the cursed stone from my hands. I immediately began to feel normal again.
"Thank you, Shu Shu." I said as I tried to regain my breath.
"I have no clue what that thing is," Shu Shu said. "But I'll bet it is what turned this dude into a murderous zombie." He gave the dead body a pitiful glance.
"So what should we do with this thing?" I asked.
"Let's try to take it with us," Shu Shu replied, and carefully emptied my small can of Wenshan Baozhong tea onto a tea towel. Then he used a big frozen banana leaf to sweep the glowing red egg into my tea can. After that he shut the can and picked it up. Satisfied with himself, he gave it a little shake before putting in to his knapsack.
"Cool... but what about my Baozhong?" I asked.
"We can drink it up now," Shu Shu answered "It will help calm our frazzled nerves."
"I like the way you think, buddy." I said as I started a little fire.
After tea, Shu Shu and I pushed our now motionless attacker off the trail.
"God rest his zombie bones," said Shu Shu and we both snickered before continuing on our quest.
A few hours later we reach the summit.
"If memory serves... this is where the natural hotspring was." Shu Shu said as we pushed aside some dense leaves and stepped into an overgrown meadow.
All I could see were dead plants, mud and slimy rocks, but Shu Shu forged ahead and ran his paws along a black stone cliff.
"Here," he whispered and pushed some more limp branches out of his way.
I looked beyond and saw a putrid mud pit kept full by the occasional drop of brown swamp water.
"So this was the sacred hot spring of the Mew race?" I asked incredulously.
"Sad but true." Shu Shu earnestly replied. "Ben Jones and his crew worked for fifty years to keep it clean but something must have happened to them and this stinky swill is all that remains."
As Shu Shu spoke my face went white as a ghost. "Something happened to them all right... " I said. "They turned in to freakin' zombies!" and I raised a trembling finger to point out the four grotesque man-beasts who had suddenly appeared at the edge of the forest.
Shu Shu and I began to back up slowly, but we were caught between the brackish water and the four undead who were now hissing and gnashing their rotting teeth. Then they started to walk towards us.
Our knees shook and we looked at each other in horror. The zombies were getting closer. All we could do was turn around and jump in to the foul smelling pool of warm gassy water. So that's just what we did. Sploosh!
The water was deep and thick, swimming seemed impossible, and I was beyond disoriented. To make matters worse I had no idea where Shu Shu was. I tried to swim but instead I sunk deeper and deeper. It seemed as though I was in some sort of cave that served as the hot spring's drain. The only good thing was that the deeper I sunk the cleaner the water became. I was even able to rub some of the mud out of my eyes and when I did, I saw a faint yellow light shining in the distance. I gathered my strength and started to swim towards the light. Just as I thought I could not last another second without air my head emerged in a dimly lit cave. The light was coming from an old naked bulb. It's flickering light cast haunting shadows about the walls. I pulled myself up on to a ridge of dry rock and looked around. I gasped in fear... I was surrounded by thousands of lifeless Mews! Their small brown bodies stood frozen like cold dark statues. Was this the fate of the great Mew race?
Just then one of them moved.
"Brett!" it yelled and then it ran toward me. "Thank God you're alive!"
I let out a huge sigh of relief. It was Shu Shu! But he was crying.
To be continued...
When my friend Shu Shu T. Dragon returned from his trip to the South Pacific, he was a total wreck. He insisted that I drop everything and immediately return with him to the mysterious island that he had found. This island was once the home of his "people," a race of small clay dragons called "Mew." Shu Shu told me the whole story about how the Mew had vanished after their life-sustaining natural hot spring had been cursed and then he pleaded with me to help him. Always willing to help a friend, I quickly filled my pack with provisions before boarding Shu Shu's pedal-powered hot air balloon. Together we were determined to solve the mystery!
After several days of frantic pedaling high above the vast Pacific Ocean, Shu Shu and I spotted the island. Even from a distance it exuded a ghostly sadness. We made a soft landing on an empty white-sand beach and craftily hid our flying machine under some foliage. Shu Shu and I rested briefly while sipping some fragrant Wenshan Baozhong tea.
"Where does your friend Ben live?" I asked between sips.
"I'm not sure I'd call him my friend," began Shu Shu. "But he and a few surviving members of his crew live at the top of that mountain." He pointed towards the island's highest peak. "That is also where the magical hot spring is located."
"Do you really think an invisible, homicidal Mew may be lurking someplace on this island?" I asked while thinking about the sinister Wuhh from Shu Shu's story.
"It is possible," he replied earnestly. "As long as Wuhh can stay hidden and keep making his potions, he could still be on the island."
In the early afternoon we began to hike up the mountain. The closer we got, the darker the sky became and the wind on the mountain became cold and erratic. I definitely got the impression that the place was cursed.
After a few more hours of strenuous hiking, the hot tropical sun had all but vanished. Shu Shu and I were confused and frightened by the thick darkness that had so quickly overtaken us. The temperature was now a frosty 32 degrees and no animals could be seen or heard. In this new unlivable climate, all of the once-tall palm trees were limp and bowing. It was if they had just heard a melancholy secret and were about to die of sorrow.
All of a sudden we heard rustling in the frozen jungle. Shu Shu and I crouched down low, armed ourselves quickly with a couple of large rocks, and looked out toward the unknown sound. The rustling stopped abruptly and a soft panting could be heard. Something was hiding just a few meters off the trail!
We waited as quietly as possible, not sure if we should announce our presence or wait until the mysterious thing made the first move. After about 3 minutes, which seemed like an eternity, it spoke.
"Mew Muh," it whispered.
Shu Shu had heard the language of the Mew race during his first visit to the island and knew that the mysterious thing was now speaking it.
"English?" replied Shu Shu softly and then as an afterthought he said, "We come in peace."
The rustling sound began again as the mysterious thing drew closer and suddenly a red gleaming light in the shape of an egg sparkled from the shadows beneath two cold yellow eyes.
Shu Shu and I were both completely unprepared for what happened next. We raised our rocks defensively as beads of sweat rolled down our foreheads. The leaves parted quickly and out leaped an animated corpse!
In an instant I was knocked backwards by a shrieking zombie. Its teeth gnashed greedily and its sharp nails raked my head and chest. I swung my rock wildly, struggling to land a blow on its fleshy gray head. Just as the ugly beast lunged at my exposed neck, Shu Shu launched his stone. Fortunately, it connected! The zombie was stunned, but only for a second; it screamed madly before attacking me again. But this time I had a clear shot at its decaying head and swung my stone with all my might. Crack. The undead attacker collapsed at my feet. Shu Shu and I took a few steps backwards as the lifeless man-beast twitched and panted on the frozen ground.
"It looks like one of Ben Jones' crew..." Shu Shu whispered to me after a few minutes of stunned silence. "Only deader."
"But Ben and his crew are good guys right? I asked.
"Yeah... but this guy has obviously been cursed, and if I remember correctly Ben lived here with about five remaining crew men... so there could be others still out there." Shu Shu answered.
"Other zombies?" I shuddered.
"I don't know." Shu Shu said, "but we had better be ready for anything." Shu Shu picked up another big rock and crept up closer to examine the now still corpse. Shu Shu gave it a kick and then rolled it over onto its back. It was ugly and it stank.
"Look," said Shu Shu as he pointed to a small stone that had rolled a few feet away from the dead body. It was glowing red and shaped like an egg. Shu Shu picked it up and recoiled.
"Yowza!" he yelled as he quickly tossed it to the ground. "That thing is full of bad mojo!"
"What is it?" I asked as I reached down and carefully picked it up. The instant it touched my fingers they felt frozen and dead. My hands turned white and a terrible feeling quickly spread up my arms. I began to dry heave and was about to collapse from pain, when Shu Shu smacked the cursed stone from my hands. I immediately began to feel normal again.
"Thank you, Shu Shu." I said as I tried to regain my breath.
"I have no clue what that thing is," Shu Shu said. "But I'll bet it is what turned this dude into a murderous zombie." He gave the dead body a pitiful glance.
"So what should we do with this thing?" I asked.
"Let's try to take it with us," Shu Shu replied, and carefully emptied my small can of Wenshan Baozhong tea onto a tea towel. Then he used a big frozen banana leaf to sweep the glowing red egg into my tea can. After that he shut the can and picked it up. Satisfied with himself, he gave it a little shake before putting in to his knapsack.
"Cool... but what about my Baozhong?" I asked.
"We can drink it up now," Shu Shu answered "It will help calm our frazzled nerves."
"I like the way you think, buddy." I said as I started a little fire.
After tea, Shu Shu and I pushed our now motionless attacker off the trail.
"God rest his zombie bones," said Shu Shu and we both snickered before continuing on our quest.
A few hours later we reach the summit.
"If memory serves... this is where the natural hotspring was." Shu Shu said as we pushed aside some dense leaves and stepped into an overgrown meadow.
All I could see were dead plants, mud and slimy rocks, but Shu Shu forged ahead and ran his paws along a black stone cliff.
"Here," he whispered and pushed some more limp branches out of his way.
I looked beyond and saw a putrid mud pit kept full by the occasional drop of brown swamp water.
"So this was the sacred hot spring of the Mew race?" I asked incredulously.
"Sad but true." Shu Shu earnestly replied. "Ben Jones and his crew worked for fifty years to keep it clean but something must have happened to them and this stinky swill is all that remains."
As Shu Shu spoke my face went white as a ghost. "Something happened to them all right... " I said. "They turned in to freakin' zombies!" and I raised a trembling finger to point out the four grotesque man-beasts who had suddenly appeared at the edge of the forest.
Shu Shu and I began to back up slowly, but we were caught between the brackish water and the four undead who were now hissing and gnashing their rotting teeth. Then they started to walk towards us.
Our knees shook and we looked at each other in horror. The zombies were getting closer. All we could do was turn around and jump in to the foul smelling pool of warm gassy water. So that's just what we did. Sploosh!
The water was deep and thick, swimming seemed impossible, and I was beyond disoriented. To make matters worse I had no idea where Shu Shu was. I tried to swim but instead I sunk deeper and deeper. It seemed as though I was in some sort of cave that served as the hot spring's drain. The only good thing was that the deeper I sunk the cleaner the water became. I was even able to rub some of the mud out of my eyes and when I did, I saw a faint yellow light shining in the distance. I gathered my strength and started to swim towards the light. Just as I thought I could not last another second without air my head emerged in a dimly lit cave. The light was coming from an old naked bulb. It's flickering light cast haunting shadows about the walls. I pulled myself up on to a ridge of dry rock and looked around. I gasped in fear... I was surrounded by thousands of lifeless Mews! Their small brown bodies stood frozen like cold dark statues. Was this the fate of the great Mew race?
Just then one of them moved.
"Brett!" it yelled and then it ran toward me. "Thank God you're alive!"
I let out a huge sigh of relief. It was Shu Shu! But he was crying.
To be continued...
Friday, March 19, 2010
"Winging it" in Nanshan
On January 18th, 2010, I took a cab from Yilan (宜蘭) to Lishan (梨山). You may be asking yourself what the heck was I thinking taking an uncharacteristically extravagant cab ride instead of an inexpensive bus ride. That's a great question... and the answer is a long, boring, somewhat frustrating travel story that I'm not going to get into right now...
... so anyway... I took a cab from Yilan to Lishan. My cab driver was a great guy and a very safe driver. We picked up his wife to join us on the long trip and we all chatted in Mandarin as we ascended the mountain. When super-thick fog rolled in at sunset, our visibility on the narrow broken highway seemed to drop to only a few feet! My driver drove like a champ. He was slow and careful, and even stuck his head out the window at times to help him see the road.
Halfway to Lishan, we stopped at a grimy grocery store alongside the highway in Nanshan (南山). Nanshan is a sleepy little cabbage town somewhere between Yilan and Lishan and my guess is that nobody ever stops here unless they grow cabbage, need gas, or have to go pee. We were in the latter camp.
My driver asked if I'd like some tea. I enthusiastically said yes because I had only had a Lara bar and a bottle of ready-to-drink oolong since breakfast. My driver pulled a nearly-empty bag of Lishan high mountain oolong from the trunk of his taxi, and asked the folks at the store if they had a teapot that we could use. Unfortunately they did not.
My driver seemed a little annoyed and muttered to himself, "who around here doesn't have a teapot?" He concluded that we would just have to "wing it," so he grabbed a couple of grubby beer glasses and a plastic lid. He brewed the tea in one cup and then poured it into the other (no easy task because a lot of tea dribbled down the side of the cup). Because we only had two beer glasses, he and his wife shared a disposable plastic cup. I guess they wanted me to have the other glass cup because I was their guest and the Taiwanese are always such sweet and thoughtful hosts.
My driver's wife bought me some five-spice eggs without asking me first so I had to politely explain that I did not eat eggs. She did not seem to mind and insisted on buying me a vegetarian bun instead. I tried to protest her hospitality but of course it didn't work. I was happy to eat my bun and they ate all the five-spice eggs.
We had a good time drinking our tea and chatting with several of the chain-smoking, betel nut-chewing patrons of the little store. They were all totally blown away to see a tea-crazed white boy drinking their delicious local tea from a beer glass while on his way up to Lishan!
... so anyway... I took a cab from Yilan to Lishan. My cab driver was a great guy and a very safe driver. We picked up his wife to join us on the long trip and we all chatted in Mandarin as we ascended the mountain. When super-thick fog rolled in at sunset, our visibility on the narrow broken highway seemed to drop to only a few feet! My driver drove like a champ. He was slow and careful, and even stuck his head out the window at times to help him see the road.
Halfway to Lishan, we stopped at a grimy grocery store alongside the highway in Nanshan (南山). Nanshan is a sleepy little cabbage town somewhere between Yilan and Lishan and my guess is that nobody ever stops here unless they grow cabbage, need gas, or have to go pee. We were in the latter camp.
My driver asked if I'd like some tea. I enthusiastically said yes because I had only had a Lara bar and a bottle of ready-to-drink oolong since breakfast. My driver pulled a nearly-empty bag of Lishan high mountain oolong from the trunk of his taxi, and asked the folks at the store if they had a teapot that we could use. Unfortunately they did not.
It's tea time in Nanshan Baby!
My driver seemed a little annoyed and muttered to himself, "who around here doesn't have a teapot?" He concluded that we would just have to "wing it," so he grabbed a couple of grubby beer glasses and a plastic lid. He brewed the tea in one cup and then poured it into the other (no easy task because a lot of tea dribbled down the side of the cup). Because we only had two beer glasses, he and his wife shared a disposable plastic cup. I guess they wanted me to have the other glass cup because I was their guest and the Taiwanese are always such sweet and thoughtful hosts.
My driver's wife bought me some five-spice eggs without asking me first so I had to politely explain that I did not eat eggs. She did not seem to mind and insisted on buying me a vegetarian bun instead. I tried to protest her hospitality but of course it didn't work. I was happy to eat my bun and they ate all the five-spice eggs.
The tea is steeping.
(I love how he put a bit of half eaten egg on top to keep the lid from blowing off.)
(I love how he put a bit of half eaten egg on top to keep the lid from blowing off.)
We had a good time drinking our tea and chatting with several of the chain-smoking, betel nut-chewing patrons of the little store. They were all totally blown away to see a tea-crazed white boy drinking their delicious local tea from a beer glass while on his way up to Lishan!
Cheers!
With our spirits renewed, and the fog starting to lift, we drove the remaining two hours to Lishan. Unfortunately, the higher we went the more broken the highway became. While the driver focused on keeping the car from falling off the mountain, his wife and I focused on not throwing up. Having the advantage of sitting shotgun, I succeeded. His wife, in the backseat, was not as lucky. Needless to say, we all became a little stressed-out during this leg of the journey. I really didn't envy my new friends who planned to drive home to Yilan that evening, so after we arrived, I happily insisted on paying my driver more than the already negotiated, and already quite expensive (don't ask me how much) price.
It certainly wasn't the best day I've ever had in Taiwan, but thanks to some great people, it was still a pretty good one. I was so happy to have reached my goal and to have had some rewarding and memorable experiences along the way!
It certainly wasn't the best day I've ever had in Taiwan, but thanks to some great people, it was still a pretty good one. I was so happy to have reached my goal and to have had some rewarding and memorable experiences along the way!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Flavor of Mucha - 木柵的味道
On January 22, 2010, my two new friends and I spent a wonderful day hiking and drinking tea in the hills southeast of Taipei. We were either at Maokong (貓空) or Mucha (木柵)*. These two tea producing areas are very close to one another and I'm not actually sure how they differ. (Maybe some of my readers could tell me?)
The weather was cool and misty and everything was wet, green and sweet smelling. It definitely reminded us all of the Pacific Northwest. After we got off the bus, we took a deep full breath of clean air and began our search for some good tea.
While poking around one of several abandoned outdoor tea houses all with incredible views, an old man spotted us and called us over to his pretty little tea shop. It seemed to be the only one around that was opened for business at the time. We greeted the man and asked to sit outside and brew tea. He brought us a menu, but I didn't need it, I knew that only one tea would suit us on this crisp, drizzly morning so I said "We would like to drink your best Mucha Tie Guanyin tea (木柵鐵觀音)." He sounded pleased, seated us, and rushed off to set up the tea service. When he returned he asked who would be making the tea and if they knew how. I told him I'd be brewing the tea and I confidently assured him that I knew how to pao cha (泡茶) (brew tea).
The dry leaf looked and smelled very nice and the steel kettle was steaming hot so I began to brew the tea. It was OK, but not great. The taste was weak and lacking complexity. I kept trying to make it taste better but I was blinded by my own cockiness. The truth is that I did not know how to brew Mucha Tie Guanyin correctly. Luckily when our host returned to check on our hot water supply he spotted my problem and set everything straight.
He told me that I was using far too few leaves! Although, I had covered the bottom of my teapot, he explained that I needed about double that amount of dry tea for Mucha Tieguanyin. Also, my water temperature was not hot enough. He explained that the cold air was cooling the water in our big steel kettle very quickly and that I needed to keep it at a full boil if we wanted to experience the, as he put it, "木柵的味道" (flavor of Mucha).
I started over and followed my teacher's instructions. The tea soup changed from a dull orange-yellow to to dark reddish brown. The aroma went from common and nutty to rich, fruity and spicy. The taste went from lack-luster to assertive and satisfying. We were all pleasantly stunned and many wonderful cups of this dark and flavorful tea followed. We sipped our tea throughout the morning as we enjoyed the beautiful view, chatted about life and travel and practiced saying many useful Chinese phrases together. The good tea and fresh air had helped our minds to become clear and our bodies to feel comfortable.
After tea, we started to explore our lovely surroundings. This area is home to many little gardens (both tea and veggies), lovely graves, and bamboo groves. Nothing is more sublime then standing perfectly still in a bamboo grove and listening to the gentle sound as it rustles in the breeze.
It was very cool to explore with my new friends because one is a trail builder and one is an organic garden manager. So they provided me with some interesting information about what we were experiencing.
The area felt very clean and fresh with many bugs, spiders and even a few butterflies. Some of the tea gardens had rows of a nitrogen fixing cover crop planted to help improve the soil for the next season.
We ate a filling lunch of wild greens with ginger, fried tofu and tea oil noodles at a gorgeous tea shop/restaurant located adjacent to the (currently closed) Maokong gondola station. Here is a video I took walking around inside this place:
After lunched we enjoyed a 2 km downhill stroll to a school where we could get a bus back to Taipei. It was a very fun and memorable day.
*I also explored this beautiful area five years ago (you can click here to read about that day).
The weather was cool and misty and everything was wet, green and sweet smelling. It definitely reminded us all of the Pacific Northwest. After we got off the bus, we took a deep full breath of clean air and began our search for some good tea.
While poking around one of several abandoned outdoor tea houses all with incredible views, an old man spotted us and called us over to his pretty little tea shop. It seemed to be the only one around that was opened for business at the time. We greeted the man and asked to sit outside and brew tea. He brought us a menu, but I didn't need it, I knew that only one tea would suit us on this crisp, drizzly morning so I said "We would like to drink your best Mucha Tie Guanyin tea (木柵鐵觀音)." He sounded pleased, seated us, and rushed off to set up the tea service. When he returned he asked who would be making the tea and if they knew how. I told him I'd be brewing the tea and I confidently assured him that I knew how to pao cha (泡茶) (brew tea).
I can brew tea.
The dry leaf looked and smelled very nice and the steel kettle was steaming hot so I began to brew the tea. It was OK, but not great. The taste was weak and lacking complexity. I kept trying to make it taste better but I was blinded by my own cockiness. The truth is that I did not know how to brew Mucha Tie Guanyin correctly. Luckily when our host returned to check on our hot water supply he spotted my problem and set everything straight.
He told me that I was using far too few leaves! Although, I had covered the bottom of my teapot, he explained that I needed about double that amount of dry tea for Mucha Tieguanyin. Also, my water temperature was not hot enough. He explained that the cold air was cooling the water in our big steel kettle very quickly and that I needed to keep it at a full boil if we wanted to experience the, as he put it, "木柵的味道" (flavor of Mucha).
Boiling water and more leaf is needed!
I started over and followed my teacher's instructions. The tea soup changed from a dull orange-yellow to to dark reddish brown. The aroma went from common and nutty to rich, fruity and spicy. The taste went from lack-luster to assertive and satisfying. We were all pleasantly stunned and many wonderful cups of this dark and flavorful tea followed. We sipped our tea throughout the morning as we enjoyed the beautiful view, chatted about life and travel and practiced saying many useful Chinese phrases together. The good tea and fresh air had helped our minds to become clear and our bodies to feel comfortable.
Now we're happy!
After tea, we started to explore our lovely surroundings. This area is home to many little gardens (both tea and veggies), lovely graves, and bamboo groves. Nothing is more sublime then standing perfectly still in a bamboo grove and listening to the gentle sound as it rustles in the breeze.
It was very cool to explore with my new friends because one is a trail builder and one is an organic garden manager. So they provided me with some interesting information about what we were experiencing.
The area felt very clean and fresh with many bugs, spiders and even a few butterflies. Some of the tea gardens had rows of a nitrogen fixing cover crop planted to help improve the soil for the next season.
We ate a filling lunch of wild greens with ginger, fried tofu and tea oil noodles at a gorgeous tea shop/restaurant located adjacent to the (currently closed) Maokong gondola station. Here is a video I took walking around inside this place:
Someday I want my house to look like this...
and yes the koi can actually swim under those
glass bottomed private tea rooms!
and yes the koi can actually swim under those
glass bottomed private tea rooms!
After lunched we enjoyed a 2 km downhill stroll to a school where we could get a bus back to Taipei. It was a very fun and memorable day.
*I also explored this beautiful area five years ago (you can click here to read about that day).
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Purple Cloud Temple - 紫雲寺
Purple Cloud Temple (紫雲寺)* is located in Bantian Yan (半天岩), a small town in Taiwan's Chiayi county (嘉義縣). The temple has several rooms available for monks and travelers to use during their visits to this holy site and so my wife and I arranged to stay one night in March of 2007.
The same view but in super thick fog and mist!
We arrived by taxi from the Chiayi city rail station and found ourselves surrounded by hundreds of worshippers (it was a busy Sunday afternoon) and thick clouds of incense. After poking about for a few minutes we asked a stranger for help and were led to a Miss Wang, a kind and pious woman who was expecting us. She asked me to sign my name and passport number in an old ledger and took my NT$1000 (the agreed upon donation). Mine was the only English name in the book as far as I could tell. We were surprised to be allowed to share a room as we expected that men and women would be segregated for sleeping at such an old temple. I think Miss Wang made an exception for us, so that we would feel more comfortable.
Our room was located around the back of the temple. It had a hard tatami bed with one pillow, a little bathroom and a couple of old metal stools. It also had a creepy picture of a doll-woman hanging over the head of the bed to watch us sleep.
After putting down our bags we walked around the temple grounds and admired the beautiful 38-meter-tall Guanyin who watches over the temple. We observed some faithful visitors performing a serene and interesting dance in front of the Guanyin. The dance is hard to describe but it did involved bowing and twirling.
The hills surrounding the temple were filled with many peaceful trails. We spent a short time hiking around the lush green hills while listening to the strange calls of the local insects and frogs.
After our hike we returned to the temple and joined the others for worship. Several visitors helped guide us. We were instructed to light 6 incense sticks and follow the flow of people bowing to different gods and depositing a stick in their respective urns. Although we obviously stuck out like sore thumbs, the people were very patient and sweet to us. It was easy to get caught up in the meditative spirit and enjoy the new experience of pai pai (worship) (拜拜) in this centuries-old temple.
In the early evening we walked down to the small town-like area across the street from the temple. We found a little mom-and-pop tea shop that was selling Alishan Gao Shan Cha (the famous and delicious oolong tea from Chiayi county's high country) (阿里山高山烏龍茶). We drank several pots of tea with the proprietor and played with his many (at least 5) young children. His wife gave us some fresh fruit. They were very welcoming and kind to us, but I knew they were probably getting close to closing up shop and having their dinner so we purchased a jin of oolong and thanked them before saying goodbye. At this point my wife and I were getting pretty hungry so we walked a few meters down the road to a little outdoor restaurant and asked about getting a vegetarian dinner. As you might have guessed, a restaurant across the street from a busy Buddhist temple knows how to make a good vegetarian meal! We were treated to big bowls of savory noodle soup as well as five spice tofu with a yummy dipping sauce. It was very tasty and satisfying.
After dinner we bought a can of coconut water and retired to our rooms for the night. Unfortunately, we did not sleep that well due to our hard bed, one pillow, and some yapping dog that was howling all night long. At 5:00 am we were awaken by drums and gongs to signal the first prayer service... but we pulled the blanket over our heads and slept in for a few more hours.
After we woke, we headed down to the temple's main desk to find Miss Wang. She led us to the dining room where we ate an invigorating Buddhist breakfast of rice porridge, pickled vegetables, bamboo shoots and faux meats, all of which were delicious. We also had two cubes of what appeared to be tofu but after I took a huge bite I realized that it wasn't. It turned out to be some sort of super salty miso block!
Once we had finished breakfast, we took one last hike around the adjacent hills. While walking around a deserted pond some soft pop music was being played from hidden speakers along the trail. It was very surreal and, combined with the lush tropical forest, made us feel like we were in an episode of LOST.
After our hike, Miss Wang gave us a more personal tour of the temple and all of its wonderful symbolic art. Then, we said goodbye to the temple, the Guanyin and to Miss Wang. We asked her for help on the next leg of our journey. Our goal was to find a taxi to Chungpu township (中埔鄉) where we would get the bus up to Shihjhuo (石桌). Miss Wang was not able to help us but instead a very nice couple came to our aid. They gave us a ride to Chungpu and told us the time the bus would come. I am always humbled by the amazing kindness of the Taiwanese.
All in all, it was a fantastic experience to visit this venerable holy site! I would recommend it to any other Western travelers who want to get off the beaten path.
*The Temple itself gives this interesting report about its own history:
"As the folk-tale saying, in 1682, an old monk traveled to Fanlu (番路) area and found a place with an extraordinary scene to build a cottage temple to worship Mercy Buddha (觀音). Because the site is always surrounded by clouds and fogs, and the clouds usually reflected in purple, the temple is named Zihyun (紫雲). However, the ownership of the land did not belong to the temple until 1765. Decades later, instead of monks, inhabitants began to manage the Zihyun temple, and to bring other gods to worship: Shengnong, Pangu, god of earth, goddess of birth, Santaizih, and god of tiger. The temple was restored in 1855 and 1920, and then destroyed by an earthquake in 1941. Because of the lack of materials in the wartime, the temple was rebuilt temporary. Today's construction of temple was established from 1947 to 1950, and funded by Zaisheng Liou and Ju Lin."
紫雲寺
The same view but in super thick fog and mist!
Our room was located around the back of the temple. It had a hard tatami bed with one pillow, a little bathroom and a couple of old metal stools. It also had a creepy picture of a doll-woman hanging over the head of the bed to watch us sleep.
After putting down our bags we walked around the temple grounds and admired the beautiful 38-meter-tall Guanyin who watches over the temple. We observed some faithful visitors performing a serene and interesting dance in front of the Guanyin. The dance is hard to describe but it did involved bowing and twirling.
The Guanyin
...and from behind
The hills surrounding the temple were filled with many peaceful trails. We spent a short time hiking around the lush green hills while listening to the strange calls of the local insects and frogs.
After our hike we returned to the temple and joined the others for worship. Several visitors helped guide us. We were instructed to light 6 incense sticks and follow the flow of people bowing to different gods and depositing a stick in their respective urns. Although we obviously stuck out like sore thumbs, the people were very patient and sweet to us. It was easy to get caught up in the meditative spirit and enjoy the new experience of pai pai (worship) (拜拜) in this centuries-old temple.
In the early evening we walked down to the small town-like area across the street from the temple. We found a little mom-and-pop tea shop that was selling Alishan Gao Shan Cha (the famous and delicious oolong tea from Chiayi county's high country) (阿里山高山烏龍茶). We drank several pots of tea with the proprietor and played with his many (at least 5) young children. His wife gave us some fresh fruit. They were very welcoming and kind to us, but I knew they were probably getting close to closing up shop and having their dinner so we purchased a jin of oolong and thanked them before saying goodbye. At this point my wife and I were getting pretty hungry so we walked a few meters down the road to a little outdoor restaurant and asked about getting a vegetarian dinner. As you might have guessed, a restaurant across the street from a busy Buddhist temple knows how to make a good vegetarian meal! We were treated to big bowls of savory noodle soup as well as five spice tofu with a yummy dipping sauce. It was very tasty and satisfying.
After dinner we bought a can of coconut water and retired to our rooms for the night. Unfortunately, we did not sleep that well due to our hard bed, one pillow, and some yapping dog that was howling all night long. At 5:00 am we were awaken by drums and gongs to signal the first prayer service... but we pulled the blanket over our heads and slept in for a few more hours.
After we woke, we headed down to the temple's main desk to find Miss Wang. She led us to the dining room where we ate an invigorating Buddhist breakfast of rice porridge, pickled vegetables, bamboo shoots and faux meats, all of which were delicious. We also had two cubes of what appeared to be tofu but after I took a huge bite I realized that it wasn't. It turned out to be some sort of super salty miso block!
Once we had finished breakfast, we took one last hike around the adjacent hills. While walking around a deserted pond some soft pop music was being played from hidden speakers along the trail. It was very surreal and, combined with the lush tropical forest, made us feel like we were in an episode of LOST.
After our hike, Miss Wang gave us a more personal tour of the temple and all of its wonderful symbolic art. Then, we said goodbye to the temple, the Guanyin and to Miss Wang. We asked her for help on the next leg of our journey. Our goal was to find a taxi to Chungpu township (中埔鄉) where we would get the bus up to Shihjhuo (石桌). Miss Wang was not able to help us but instead a very nice couple came to our aid. They gave us a ride to Chungpu and told us the time the bus would come. I am always humbled by the amazing kindness of the Taiwanese.
All in all, it was a fantastic experience to visit this venerable holy site! I would recommend it to any other Western travelers who want to get off the beaten path.
*The Temple itself gives this interesting report about its own history:
"As the folk-tale saying, in 1682, an old monk traveled to Fanlu (番路) area and found a place with an extraordinary scene to build a cottage temple to worship Mercy Buddha (觀音). Because the site is always surrounded by clouds and fogs, and the clouds usually reflected in purple, the temple is named Zihyun (紫雲). However, the ownership of the land did not belong to the temple until 1765. Decades later, instead of monks, inhabitants began to manage the Zihyun temple, and to bring other gods to worship: Shengnong, Pangu, god of earth, goddess of birth, Santaizih, and god of tiger. The temple was restored in 1855 and 1920, and then destroyed by an earthquake in 1941. Because of the lack of materials in the wartime, the temple was rebuilt temporary. Today's construction of temple was established from 1947 to 1950, and funded by Zaisheng Liou and Ju Lin."
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Shu Shu's Odyssey - Part 1
One day, while reading a dusty old book that he had found buried beneath a long-forgotten stack of nautical tomes, Shu Shu T. Dragon (my little buddy, who as you may recall is an extremely avid reader) came across an ancient map detailing the location of a mysterious island. The book (which was actually the diary of a grizzled old sea captain by the name of Jones) described the island as an enchanted place located somewhere in the South Pacific. Captain Jones and his crew had found it entirely by accident after a terrible storm had damaged their ship and blew them far off course. After drifting for ten days, the bedraggled crew saw the island appear on the horizon like a beautiful beacon of hope.
"I just love these nautical tomes."
According to his diary, Captain Jones and his crew spent nearly two years on the island, which they explored and mapped while repairing their ship. During this time, he chronicled the island's many wondrous features such as its beautiful mountains, pristine beaches, colorful birds, and abundance of tropical fruit. One of the island's most curious inhabitants were, as described by the Captain, "...a race of small brown creatures, close in size to a field mouse and slightly resembling a mythical dragon." He goes on to write of their "pleasant demeanor" and "tough, rocky bodies resembling hardened clay." At one point in his diary the Captain wrote, "...one of their most unusual habits is a daily hike to the island's highest peak. Their final destination is a natural hot spring with crystal-clear water that smells as though it has been infused with jasmine flowers. They will spend hours soaking in this fragrant bath..."
Upon reading this, Shu Shu's mouth dropped open. He knew he must find this fantastic island. Perhaps he would even find a society of other tea dragons and thus unlock the mystery of his very existence... but mostly he just wanted to soak in that hot spring.
And so it was that Shu Shu T. Dragon set out on a most epic journey. He packed the book in a small rucksack and borrowed our friend's pedal-powered, zero-emissions hot air balloon! The following three paragraphs were taken directly from Shu Shu's journal and the remainder of the story he shared with me after his returned to Seattle.
June 28, 2009
After 3 days of nonstop flight I have arrived at Fiji. The Captain's peculiar map has precise instructions which I now must follow if I wish to find the island. "Starting at Fiji's southernmost point, travel south for 2 days at the speed of a tuna in his prime. Turn gracefully toward the east as though you were a sooty tern. Spend the next 3 days traveling east by southeast, using the stars for guidance, and at dawn on the third day, if you're lucky, the island will appear on the horizon."
July 4, 2009
I have found the island! It is a very beautiful place indeed, much as Captain Jones had described it, but it is oddly quiet and devoid of life. Although the island seems rich with exotic foliage, I do not see a single bird in the sky nor spider in a tree. I called out often but received no response. After a brief rest, I will begin to explore the island. I sure hope I can find the hot spring that Captain Jones wrote about in his diary!
"Cool rocks."
"Beautiful white sand beaches."
"Lush green forests."
July 5, 2009
I have spent the better part of today flying around and mapping the island. At about 4 miles wide and 6 miles long, it is quite small. There is a tall green mountain near its center and after searching for several hours I believe I've found a meadow where I can safely land my balloon and camp for the night.
(Written after Shu Shu's recent return to Seattle.)
The mountain seemed cold and foreboding, not at all the pleasant place described by the Captain. Shadows seem to move in unnatural ways and my sleep was burdened with nightmares.
Because the terrain was getting rocky and the wind erratic, I was not able to take the balloon any further, and continued on foot. I was on a trail leading off into the dark forest. Judging by its lack of vines and debris, I thought it must have been used frequently. I hiked the trail all morning as the tropical sun burned down on my scaly brown back. By mid-afternoon I seemed to be nearing the summit and decided to take a short rest by a small stream. While bending down to splash a little water on my parched body, everything went black. A dark bag had been put over my head and I was being wrestled to the ground by several strong men. I felt a blow to the back of my head and blacked out.
I awoke in a dark cave with my hands and feet bound by thick ropes. Soft voices could be heard from somewhere nearby. I yelled and the voices stopped. Moments later an old man approached me. His dirty face was lit by a blazing torch. He wore a loincloth tied together from worn-out clothing and had a long, grey beard.
"Mew Mew Muh Muh," the man barked at me in a questioning manner.
"Huh? My name is Shu Shu and I'm from Seattle," I replied.
"You speak English?" asked the man in a surprised British-sounding voice.
"Yeah! What the heck were you speaking?"
"Mews. It is the language of your race. Don't you speak it too?" asked the man.
"Look man, there has been some sort of mix-up. I have no clue what you're talking about. My name is Shu Shu T. Dragon and I'm a 5000-year-old Chinese tea dragon who recently moved to America to read books and have hot tea poured on my head. I came to this island a few days ago because I read about in a dude named Captain Jones' diary. I come in peace!!!"
The old man signaled to several similar looking men standing in the darkness behind him. They stepped forward, some carrying large sticks, one with a knife. The man with the knife started walking menacingly toward me... but luckily he just cut me free of the ropes!
"I'm sorry, Shu Shu," began the man. "My name is Ben Jones. Captain Jones was my father. He died many years ago when I was just 18. Before he passed he often told me stories of this enchanted isle. Did you know that he returned twice more since his first visit? It's all in his book."
"Actually... I haven't finished reading his book yet." I replied sheepishly. "Once I got to the part about the hot spring and the little creatures that looked like me, I got all excited and set out immediately."
"I see," replied Ben. "You are missing most of the story. Follow me and I will explain."
Ben and I walked slowly out of the dark cave and into a beautiful garden. As we walked, he explained to me that I was a "Mew," an ancient race of tiny stone dragons that had lived on this island since it was formed.
"Over the years, your race had created a peaceful and productive society, and they even sent several peace missions to different parts of the world," he said. "Also, the Mew can live forever as long as they bathe often in hot fragrant water or unless they meet some other untimely end."
"Whoa," I replied. "No wonder I love my tea showers so much!"
"My father didn't know any of this at first," continued Ben. "On his third and final visit, he managed to learn the language of the Mew and began to fully understand them. According to my father, the Mew liked him very much and they also liked my mother Marie, who accompanied him on that final voyage. They had planned to stay here for the rest of their lives, eating simple foods and soaking daily in the purifying waters of..."
At this point we stood before the thick hanging branches of a large banyan tree. Ben brushed them aside and we stepped forward revealing a rocky pool of brackish warm water fed by a pitiful waterfall.
"What happened?" I exclaimed. "Is this the legendary hot spring that I've been searching for?!"
"Unfortunately, yes," replied Ben in a sad voice. "It has been cursed."
"Cursed... but how could that happen?" I said with disbelief.
"During my father's final stay on the island, he met an ill-tempered Mew by the name of Wuhh. Wuhh was a witch doctor who spent a lot of time alone in a hut on the far side of the island. He was known for experimenting with different herbs and potions and for hating outsiders. He treated my parents terribly, but because all the other Mew were so nice to my parents it was never really a big problem. A few years later I was born and Wuhh started spreading rumors about how we had come to take over their island and destroy their way of life.
"When I was two years old I became very sick. My father accused Wuhh of poisoning me. Wuhh claimed he was innocent and used my father's allegations as further proof that we were trouble. My father, who was convinced that Wuhh was lying, grabbed him and stuck him in a cage in our house. He told Wuhh that he would not let him bathe in the spring until he confessed... but Wuhh would not confess. After a few days his rocky skin started to dry out and he began to wither and die. No Mew had ever lasted more than a week without hot fragrant water."
"That's rough!" I interjected. "I can't imagine going even two days without a tea shower!"
Ben continued his story. "My father and several Mew leaders searched Wuhh's hut for evidence. His house was filled with old bones, blackened iron pots and peculiar fauna of all types. Among all this, they found an ancient trunk sealed with a black lock. They busted it open to reveal three small vials of different colored liquids, an old book and a glowing red stone in the shape of an egg. The book was filled with recipes for poisons and dark magic. They seized the possible evidence and began walking back to confront Wuhh. When they returned, the cage was empty with its small door left open. They made a frantic search in and around the house, but Wuhh was nowhere to be found.
"Over the next few days my father looked everywhere and a team of Mew police kept constant guard over the hot spring. It was my mother who finally cracked the case. She had been studying Wuhh's evil book while my father was out searching the island. She discovered recipes in the book with descriptions that perfectly matched the aromas and colors of the three liquids my father had seized. One was a vile poison that would slowly suck the life out of any human who tasted it. One had the ability to turn its creator invisible, and the last potion would allow any Mew who drank it to survive for months without a hot fragrant bath! Naturally my parents were scared. An invisible murderer could be anywhere, and my condition was getting worse and worse.
"A trusted Mew friend of my father's recommended that they perform an ancient healing ritual. They placed me in the hot spring with a handful of wild Camellia leaves and chanted a prayer of renewal. The poison in my blood was strong but it was no match for the curative spring. After a week of this treatment I had regained my health but for my safety my parents decided to move back to England.
"I grew up hearing this tale and learning Mews from my father. He never returned to the island and never knew what happened to Wuhh. He always felt regret about leaving while Wuhh was on the loose, but he told himself it had to be done for the safety of his family. When he died, I decided it was my fate to return to this island. I learned to sail and became a Captain. Using my fathers diary, I found the island but sadly it was as it is now. A cursed place filled with ghosts! During our first night here, our ship caught fire. A week later, while exploring the west side of the mountain, 10 of my crew were buried in a landslide. Those five men waiting in the garden are the last of my crew. We have now lived here for 50 years trying to solve the mystery of what happened to all the Mew and the hotspring. So far we have learned very little and our dreams are plagued with nightmares."
"Oh man!" I said. "This is terrible. I have a pedal-powered hot air balloon but it can only carry two men. I will return to Seattle and find a way to rescue you."
"Thank you, Shu Shu, but we do not want to be rescued. We are too old now. This island is the only life we know. We work hard everyday to keep the hot spring as clean as possible. It seems to help a little."
"Then I will return as soon as I can!" I exclaimed. "I will bring my friend Brett and we will help you to save this island!"
"Hello Starfish!"
to be continued...
Because the terrain was getting rocky and the wind erratic, I was not able to take the balloon any further, and continued on foot. I was on a trail leading off into the dark forest. Judging by its lack of vines and debris, I thought it must have been used frequently. I hiked the trail all morning as the tropical sun burned down on my scaly brown back. By mid-afternoon I seemed to be nearing the summit and decided to take a short rest by a small stream. While bending down to splash a little water on my parched body, everything went black. A dark bag had been put over my head and I was being wrestled to the ground by several strong men. I felt a blow to the back of my head and blacked out.
I awoke in a dark cave with my hands and feet bound by thick ropes. Soft voices could be heard from somewhere nearby. I yelled and the voices stopped. Moments later an old man approached me. His dirty face was lit by a blazing torch. He wore a loincloth tied together from worn-out clothing and had a long, grey beard.
"Mew Mew Muh Muh," the man barked at me in a questioning manner.
"Huh? My name is Shu Shu and I'm from Seattle," I replied.
"You speak English?" asked the man in a surprised British-sounding voice.
"Yeah! What the heck were you speaking?"
"Mews. It is the language of your race. Don't you speak it too?" asked the man.
"Look man, there has been some sort of mix-up. I have no clue what you're talking about. My name is Shu Shu T. Dragon and I'm a 5000-year-old Chinese tea dragon who recently moved to America to read books and have hot tea poured on my head. I came to this island a few days ago because I read about in a dude named Captain Jones' diary. I come in peace!!!"
The old man signaled to several similar looking men standing in the darkness behind him. They stepped forward, some carrying large sticks, one with a knife. The man with the knife started walking menacingly toward me... but luckily he just cut me free of the ropes!
"I'm sorry, Shu Shu," began the man. "My name is Ben Jones. Captain Jones was my father. He died many years ago when I was just 18. Before he passed he often told me stories of this enchanted isle. Did you know that he returned twice more since his first visit? It's all in his book."
"Actually... I haven't finished reading his book yet." I replied sheepishly. "Once I got to the part about the hot spring and the little creatures that looked like me, I got all excited and set out immediately."
"I see," replied Ben. "You are missing most of the story. Follow me and I will explain."
Ben and I walked slowly out of the dark cave and into a beautiful garden. As we walked, he explained to me that I was a "Mew," an ancient race of tiny stone dragons that had lived on this island since it was formed.
"Over the years, your race had created a peaceful and productive society, and they even sent several peace missions to different parts of the world," he said. "Also, the Mew can live forever as long as they bathe often in hot fragrant water or unless they meet some other untimely end."
"Whoa," I replied. "No wonder I love my tea showers so much!"
"My father didn't know any of this at first," continued Ben. "On his third and final visit, he managed to learn the language of the Mew and began to fully understand them. According to my father, the Mew liked him very much and they also liked my mother Marie, who accompanied him on that final voyage. They had planned to stay here for the rest of their lives, eating simple foods and soaking daily in the purifying waters of..."
At this point we stood before the thick hanging branches of a large banyan tree. Ben brushed them aside and we stepped forward revealing a rocky pool of brackish warm water fed by a pitiful waterfall.
"What happened?" I exclaimed. "Is this the legendary hot spring that I've been searching for?!"
"Unfortunately, yes," replied Ben in a sad voice. "It has been cursed."
"Cursed... but how could that happen?" I said with disbelief.
"During my father's final stay on the island, he met an ill-tempered Mew by the name of Wuhh. Wuhh was a witch doctor who spent a lot of time alone in a hut on the far side of the island. He was known for experimenting with different herbs and potions and for hating outsiders. He treated my parents terribly, but because all the other Mew were so nice to my parents it was never really a big problem. A few years later I was born and Wuhh started spreading rumors about how we had come to take over their island and destroy their way of life.
"When I was two years old I became very sick. My father accused Wuhh of poisoning me. Wuhh claimed he was innocent and used my father's allegations as further proof that we were trouble. My father, who was convinced that Wuhh was lying, grabbed him and stuck him in a cage in our house. He told Wuhh that he would not let him bathe in the spring until he confessed... but Wuhh would not confess. After a few days his rocky skin started to dry out and he began to wither and die. No Mew had ever lasted more than a week without hot fragrant water."
"That's rough!" I interjected. "I can't imagine going even two days without a tea shower!"
Ben continued his story. "My father and several Mew leaders searched Wuhh's hut for evidence. His house was filled with old bones, blackened iron pots and peculiar fauna of all types. Among all this, they found an ancient trunk sealed with a black lock. They busted it open to reveal three small vials of different colored liquids, an old book and a glowing red stone in the shape of an egg. The book was filled with recipes for poisons and dark magic. They seized the possible evidence and began walking back to confront Wuhh. When they returned, the cage was empty with its small door left open. They made a frantic search in and around the house, but Wuhh was nowhere to be found.
"Over the next few days my father looked everywhere and a team of Mew police kept constant guard over the hot spring. It was my mother who finally cracked the case. She had been studying Wuhh's evil book while my father was out searching the island. She discovered recipes in the book with descriptions that perfectly matched the aromas and colors of the three liquids my father had seized. One was a vile poison that would slowly suck the life out of any human who tasted it. One had the ability to turn its creator invisible, and the last potion would allow any Mew who drank it to survive for months without a hot fragrant bath! Naturally my parents were scared. An invisible murderer could be anywhere, and my condition was getting worse and worse.
"A trusted Mew friend of my father's recommended that they perform an ancient healing ritual. They placed me in the hot spring with a handful of wild Camellia leaves and chanted a prayer of renewal. The poison in my blood was strong but it was no match for the curative spring. After a week of this treatment I had regained my health but for my safety my parents decided to move back to England.
"I grew up hearing this tale and learning Mews from my father. He never returned to the island and never knew what happened to Wuhh. He always felt regret about leaving while Wuhh was on the loose, but he told himself it had to be done for the safety of his family. When he died, I decided it was my fate to return to this island. I learned to sail and became a Captain. Using my fathers diary, I found the island but sadly it was as it is now. A cursed place filled with ghosts! During our first night here, our ship caught fire. A week later, while exploring the west side of the mountain, 10 of my crew were buried in a landslide. Those five men waiting in the garden are the last of my crew. We have now lived here for 50 years trying to solve the mystery of what happened to all the Mew and the hotspring. So far we have learned very little and our dreams are plagued with nightmares."
"Oh man!" I said. "This is terrible. I have a pedal-powered hot air balloon but it can only carry two men. I will return to Seattle and find a way to rescue you."
"Thank you, Shu Shu, but we do not want to be rescued. We are too old now. This island is the only life we know. We work hard everyday to keep the hot spring as clean as possible. It seems to help a little."
"Then I will return as soon as I can!" I exclaimed. "I will bring my friend Brett and we will help you to save this island!"
"Brett and I will solve the case!"
"Hello Starfish!"
to be continued...
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Cats of Mucha
In the late evening of January 11, 2005, I landed in Taiwan for the very first time. Unfortunately I was told that it was too late to catch a bus, but a nice lady who worked at the airport helped put me on the right track to the Taipei hostel. The first thing I did at the hostel was borrow a stoned Canadian lad's phone card and give my wife a quick call. Then I hit the sack. Due to a mix of jet-lag and pure excitement I really slept terribly that first night.
The following morning, my first full day in Taiwan began. It was a chilly, windy and rainy day, perfect for tea drinking! My goal for the day was to reach the famous Mucha (木柵) tea park in the hills outside of Taipei. I wanted to drink the Tie Guanyin (鐵觀音) oolong that they are famous for producing.
First I hit an ATM and got some breakfast, then I started my journey. Back then (in 2005) my Mandarin Chinese skills were very poor (almost nonexistent) but I didn't struggle too much because the people in Taiwan are always so kind and helpful. Even if somebody could not speak any English, they would usually try to find a way to help me. With the aid of my guidebook and a nice young man at the Taipei metro station's information desk, I was able to find the right bus up to Mucha.
The ride up into the hills was thrilling. We passed temples and schools as we navigated the lush green hills. Most of the passengers on the small bus were old folks or elementary school students. At one stop, about 20 youngsters clambered aboard and the bus instantly became very crowded and loud. I had a good time talking to several of them and even caught a little boy who fell down when the bus lurched forward. He said xiexie (謝謝) (thank you) and I said bu keqi (不客氣) (you're welcome), then everybody on the bus started laughing.
After an hour or so I was at my destination. I've heard that this area can be very busy on the weekends, but on this drizzly Wednesday morning it was dead. I looked around at the view of Taipei down in the valleys but the thick overcast sky made it a little hard to see the city.
At this point I really really really needed a cup of tea! I hadn't had any tea in over 48 hours and I was so tired from traveling and lack of sleep. I quickly choose an outdoor tea house at random.
I found a main room where they sold snacks and had a tea menu, but there was no sign of any humans. I called out "Ni Hao" (你好) (hello) in a soft voice. Nothing happened. I looked around a bit more, almost decided to leave, then called out "Ni Hao" again (this time a little bit louder). A groggy old woman rose from behind the counter, right in front of me. She had been sleeping, and as you can imagine, she was very surprised to see a laowai (老外) (foreigner) in her tea shop on a Wednesday morning.
She said ni hao and then we began that wonderful process of communicating with few common words. She sold me a 100 gram tin of what I think was her "finest Mucha Tie Guanyin oolong" then she led me outside to help me brew it overlooking Taipei. She was surprised to learn that I already loved tea and that I had come to Taiwan to learn more about it. She gave me a little tutorial on gongfu (功夫) tea brewing and took a few pictures of me. Then she left me alone to sip my tea meditatively in the open air. The morning was very quiet except for some cool breezes and light drizzle, but the temperature was very nice (about 60 degrees).
The first thing I wrote in my travel journal was "I have made it!!!" I was overcome with joy to be drinking delicious Taiwanese oolong in Taiwan for the very first time. The tea rejuvenated me and I felt very peaceful.
I drank tea alone for about an hour before I felt a little cat rub up on my leg. I looked down and saw a tiny kitten hanging around!
He (or she) was very small and mewed at me for some attention. I pet him for a few minutes before I saw a bigger kitty approach.
Soon after that, a little white one came along too!
The curious cats kept me company for the next three hours, during which I caught up on my journal, ate some lunch, and took pictures of my new "feline friends." It was a wonderful start to my first Taiwan tea trek!
The following morning, my first full day in Taiwan began. It was a chilly, windy and rainy day, perfect for tea drinking! My goal for the day was to reach the famous Mucha (木柵) tea park in the hills outside of Taipei. I wanted to drink the Tie Guanyin (鐵觀音) oolong that they are famous for producing.
First I hit an ATM and got some breakfast, then I started my journey. Back then (in 2005) my Mandarin Chinese skills were very poor (almost nonexistent) but I didn't struggle too much because the people in Taiwan are always so kind and helpful. Even if somebody could not speak any English, they would usually try to find a way to help me. With the aid of my guidebook and a nice young man at the Taipei metro station's information desk, I was able to find the right bus up to Mucha.
The ride up into the hills was thrilling. We passed temples and schools as we navigated the lush green hills. Most of the passengers on the small bus were old folks or elementary school students. At one stop, about 20 youngsters clambered aboard and the bus instantly became very crowded and loud. I had a good time talking to several of them and even caught a little boy who fell down when the bus lurched forward. He said xiexie (謝謝) (thank you) and I said bu keqi (不客氣) (you're welcome), then everybody on the bus started laughing.
Taken from the bus on the way up to Mucha:
After an hour or so I was at my destination. I've heard that this area can be very busy on the weekends, but on this drizzly Wednesday morning it was dead. I looked around at the view of Taipei down in the valleys but the thick overcast sky made it a little hard to see the city.
See what I mean?
At this point I really really really needed a cup of tea! I hadn't had any tea in over 48 hours and I was so tired from traveling and lack of sleep. I quickly choose an outdoor tea house at random.
Here is a picture of the tea house I choose:
She said ni hao and then we began that wonderful process of communicating with few common words. She sold me a 100 gram tin of what I think was her "finest Mucha Tie Guanyin oolong" then she led me outside to help me brew it overlooking Taipei. She was surprised to learn that I already loved tea and that I had come to Taiwan to learn more about it. She gave me a little tutorial on gongfu (功夫) tea brewing and took a few pictures of me. Then she left me alone to sip my tea meditatively in the open air. The morning was very quiet except for some cool breezes and light drizzle, but the temperature was very nice (about 60 degrees).
A photo the proprietress took of me:
The first thing I wrote in my travel journal was "I have made it!!!" I was overcome with joy to be drinking delicious Taiwanese oolong in Taiwan for the very first time. The tea rejuvenated me and I felt very peaceful.
I drank tea alone for about an hour before I felt a little cat rub up on my leg. I looked down and saw a tiny kitten hanging around!
He (or she) was very small and mewed at me for some attention. I pet him for a few minutes before I saw a bigger kitty approach.
Soon after that, a little white one came along too!
The curious cats kept me company for the next three hours, during which I caught up on my journal, ate some lunch, and took pictures of my new "feline friends." It was a wonderful start to my first Taiwan tea trek!
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