二年前に、日本の友人が訪れ台北郊外の山を歩いた。彼は、その時は末期食道癌で余生について、医者から宣告されていた。つまりは、最後の台湾訪問ということであった。ところが、癌であることに決して精神的にめげず、また治療中の病院でも階段上りなどの運動を続けた。病院が食道癌の先端医療ができるところであったこともプラスになり、困難な手術を行った。13時間半に及ぶ大手術は成功した。去年春に手術後の彼を入院中の病院に尋ねた。それから約1年、再び訪れ、台湾の山仲間と一緒に山を歩いた。人には宿命というのがあるのだろう、だが自分の意志がいかに人生にとって大きな作用をすることを、彼は身をもって教えてくれた。このブログ記事は、再度のハイキングの記録である。
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Could a man overcome a last-stage cancer and go hiking after a year of recovery? Yes, he could. at least I know a such man, my Japanese friend Mr. D. Somebody may call it a miracle, but without his own sincere efforts it would not have happened, which I myself witnessed.
Two years ago he was declared by his doctor that his days were numbered. He came to Taiwan and hiked with us in April 2023. He then told us that it would be his last visit to us. Since then he had gone through chemotherapy and a very difficult and long 13-and-half-hour surgery. His fellow cancer patients in the hospital were mostly depressed for their fate, while he did not give up and kept exercising like going up and down staircases of the hospital. This kind of physical condition and mental stability was, I believe, a key factor in his success and recovery from the deadly cancer. The hospital where he received treatment was known for expert in treating esophagus cancer that he suffered and this of course contributed to his recovery. I visited him after surgery at his hospital in April last year. He promised me to come to Taiwan when his health condition would allow. He came to Taiwan again this time.
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| A track log including bus ride |
We were happy to see him again. During his four-day stay in Taipei, we went out to Yangming-shan (陽明山) and hiked for several hours. The weather was not so cooperative as we hoped but he made all through the planned route. On this visit his adopted daughter accompanied him. In total elven of us walked from Erziping (二子坪), climbed Mt. Miantian-shan (面天山) and all the way down to Xinbeitou (新北投) on foot.
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| Cherry blossoms in Yangming-shan Park |
We have a lot of rain in winter in the northern Taiwan. When a seasonal north-east cold spell flows in over Taiwan Island, it meets wet southern air and causes rain. During his visit one of the coldest spells in this winter came over. On this day the weather was recovering but the upper half of Yangming-shan mountain range was in clouds. We met at Yangming-shan bus terminus at 9:00. The ground is wet but it does not rain. Before we go to the starting point of our hike, Erziping parking lot, by bus, we make a short visit to Yanmingshan park(陽明山公園).
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| Fallen blossoms on green moss |
Yangmingshan park is currently in the flower season event, and the main attraction is cherry blossoms. Cherry trees are of many species. The one that comes in bloom first of all kinds is Taiwan cherry (寒緋櫻), the native kind of cherry trees with red blossoms. As expected, many Taiwan cherry trees were in bloom there. We strolled in the park for about 40 minutes and returned to the bus terminus by 10:40.
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| Taiwan Cherry blossoms |
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| Boarding a #108 bus |
We soon took a #108 bus bound for Erziping. Because this is a Sunday in the flower event period, bus services are very frequent. Our bus came just in a few minutes. As we went up, mist around our bus thickened and it arrived at the Erziping parking lot at 11:00. Cold wind blows through the open area of the parking lot by the bus stop. Misty rain is falling. We take out a umbrella and step on the Erziping trail.
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| Erziping Parking lot |
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| Pebbled trail with a wheel-chair passage |
The trail is wide and good. A paved narrow passage for wheel chairs goes along the pebbled trail. They call it a barrier-free trail. The trail goes rather flat for most of it and the dips a little to Erziping park. The park is a flat open space in the valley and has a pond in its center. The shelter by the pond has a digital thermometer hooked on its beam. It shows 4.6 degree. No wonder it is COLD!! Mr. D is not prepared for this cold as he expected Taiwan should be much warmer than Japan. It is 11:40. We have a lunch under the shelters roof.
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| A shelter with a thermometer showing 4.6 degree |
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| Erziping park with Mt. Miantian-shan in distance |
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| The park seen from the otherside |
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| A junction the wide trail and the stone trail meet |
There are cherry trees planted around the pond, but they are not in bloom yet. It is too cold up here. The elevation of this place is a little more than 800 meters, 400 meters higher than Yangming-shan park. We advance for Mt. Miantian-shan. The route from here has two trails, a wide pebbled trail on which a car can travel and a stone stepped foot trail. We follow the former one and go down. There are a new facility called Catalpa Garden (梓園) on the left bank of the trail. This peace of the land was donated in 2019 and later made to this garden. I haven't walked this trail for several years, so no wonder this is new to me.
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| Catalpa Garden on the left bank |
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| Junction for Mt. Miantian-shan |
The trail hits a bottom ang goes up a little to a junction to Mt. Miantian-shan. This is a 200-meter climb to the summit. The trail is of all stone steps.We take on this trail at 12:32 and staidly go up. Mr. D is just behind me and doing OK on this ascent. The trail makes many U-turns as we go up. In about 20 minutes we get out of woods, into grass fields and finally reach the summit (elevation 922m) at 13:00. The summit is surrounded by mist and unfortunately affords no view.
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| Stone trail to the summit |
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| The summit is near |
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| At the summit of Miantian-shan |
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| Climbing to Xiangtian-shan |
We head for the adjacent peak, Mt. Xiangtian-shan (向天山). The stone stepped trail steeply goes down and up again for 5~60 meters. The grass covered summit is in mist and affords no view either. It is a pity that the mist has not yet cleared by this time. From this peak we have a long way to go down, for nearly 900 meters in height. We reach the ring trail of Xiangtian-hu pond (向天池) at 13:35 and down to the bottom of the pond. The pond is void of water. It has water only after heavy rain.
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| Xiangtian pond with no watere |
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| Traversing the mountain side |
There are two official trails going down from here. We take a one leading to Qingtiangong (清天宮) trail head. The trail traverses a mountain side and meets a trail coming down from Miantianping (面天坪) at 14:21. On this way we make a brief stop at Taizibei (太子碑, a memorial stone for the visit of late Japanese Emperor Hirohito in 1923) and a ruin of cabin next to it.
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| Taizi-bei Monument |
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| Ruin of a hut next to the stone monument |
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| Stone trail down to Qingtiangong trail head |
We notice that mist has long gone by this time and can make out more through surrounding woods. The trail keeps going down through bamboos and woods and comes out to an open space on our right. A wide view spreads in front of us, including
Mt. Guanyin-shan (觀音山) across Danshui River (淡水河). We finally each Qingtiangong (elevation 430m) shrine just under the trail head at 15:00 and have a short rest. At this height of the mountain cherries are already in full bloom.
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| A wide view including Mt. Guanyin-shan |
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| #S6 bus just by Qingtiangong shrine |
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| Cherry blossoms and Xiangtiahnhu-shan behind |
Most of hikers take a #S6 (小6) bus down. Mr, D says he is still all right for walking and we keep on our hiking on foot all the way to MRT Xinbeitou station. There are still 4 kilometers in distance and 400 meters in height to go down. We take a paved Fuxhing Road (復興三路) for a while and take a stone stepped trail to Datun primary school (大屯國小). Passing by the small school parched on a hill side we keep on going down.
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| Datun primary school |
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| Going down along Yongchunxi trail |
We further take Yongchunxi trail (永春溪步道) and then down to Cherry Blossom Tunnel (櫻花隧道). There are not yet as many blossoms as the name implies. Anyhow we have a short rest on benches beneath the trees. Our final leg is to go along Baigong Sanchuang trail (白宮山莊步道), passing the main gate of Fuxing Highschool (復興高中) and finally Zhonghe Street (中和街) to the MRT station.
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| Cherry Blossom "Tuunel" |
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| Baigong Shanzhuang trail |
We reached the station at 16:40 and took a MRT train back to the town. We had a welcome and Lunar New Year dinner with all members today in the town. Mr. D told us that he and his daughter enjoyed the hike as well as food, which made us very glad.
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| Xingbeitou |
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| Dinner in town |
We walked about 10 kilometers for the hike plus 4 kilometers for Ynangminshan park stroll. The total ascent was about 250 meters while the descent was nearly 1000 meters. The hike lasted five hours and a half including all breaks. After such a serious surgery and a long recovery, Mr. D showed a little fatigue towards the end of our hike but managed to walked all the way, which I really appreciate and admire.
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