Adventures (Part 2)

When you last visited, I left you hanging.

Not a very neighborly thing to do.

I apologize.

Back to our adventurous week.

So after recuperating for a day after our Taipei adventure, the heat and humidity drove us to drastic measures- exploring the mountainous countryside in hopes of finding a waterfall, a river, a watering hole, anything that contained cool refreshing clean water. I added the clean, so we wouldn't end up in any of the water filled city ditches or canals. Not sure the of the origins of that water!

The results of our exploring involved caves, bats, boulders, and yes, a waterfall!

Not far from Taichung is The Bat Cave. We knew there was a waterfall nearby. It was in that direction we headed. Although we have been near the Bat Cave before, we had never stopped to explore. 

Our first try involved an enchanting suspension bridge, but no caves. No bats.

Our second stop netted us the opportunity to do a little spelunking. The cave was dark, but luckily we had some cell phones. The passage way was narrow and while I didn't have to lean over, Carl did. At times, my shoulders were touching both walls at the same time. Poor Carl had to lean over and turn sideways.

The farther you went, the narrower it became.

But, that wasn't even the worse part.

The passage way in several parts contained several inches of a watery muddy mixture. At one point it went up over my ankles. Yuck! I was looking for water, but not slimy, slippery goo. We never made it all the way back to the large cave with all the bats.  A bunch of bats hanging upside down and sleeping is highly overrated.

 I  had two thoughts going through my head: I hope these bats don't wake up and think its time to go out and hunt and I hope the experts are correct about not expecting another big earthquake soon.

Once again, nice place to visit, but glad to be moving on!

So  we traveled  on with our comfortable air conditioning adequately cooling the interior of the van.

As usual, temples, small and big abound.

From the road, we saw a small waterfall. But was this the waterfall for which we searched. It was so small. Beautiful, but worthy of a location on the sightseeing map?  

Not wanting to leave empty experienced we hiked down the ravine and did a little climbing and splashing. Cooled and refreshed, we continued. Stopping often to look at the roadside maps, and after multiple wrong turns, we saw a sign declaring a waterfall was nearby. The path led downward.

Not knowing if our search would end successfully, we hiked up the river. This involved climbing over, through, and under  small, big, and even bigger boulders. It required leaping into calm pools of water and swimming through otherwise impassable areas. 

At the end, our diligence and unwavering curiosity rewarded us for that which we yearned.

A waterfall.

Several stories high, it fed into a large pool of cool refreshing liquid.

My only regret, not owning a waterproof camera, I had no way to capture the beauty of our find. Not wanting to drop, drown, or crush my camera, I had left it back at the opening of the path along with a set of dry clothes!  

Jacob being the adventurous climber decided to ascend to the top of the waterfall. A rope had been left dangling into the water, attached securely, hopefully, from above. 

As a mom I wanted to scream "stop, you might get hurt". But on the other hand, I was proud of his determination and willingness to attempt a challenging climb. So I cheered him on, urging him to not give up, but to keep striving to reach the top. On the inside, however, I was calculating the risks and playing the  "what if" game. That and praying!

At the top of the waterfall several Chinese men watched as Jacob struggled to reach the second rope. The first rope only took him halfway to the top. Success required letting go of one rope and reaching for the second. Expecting the men to throw the second rope closer to him. Jacob dangled precariously.. His hands arms holding on while the waterfall rushed around his feet. Footing impossible to gain on the steep slippery water soaked rocks. 

At this point dropping back down involved a steep bumpy ride down the lower part of the waterfall. The only safe option was to continue. Inching his way closer, Jacob finally grasped the second rope and safely ascended the rest of the way.

Not to be outdone by her younger sibling, Abbi decided to test her chances of successfully navigating up the rocky cliff. Once again, I wanted to shout  "stop don't do it", but instead prayed for her safety. She, too, struggled to reach the second rope. Jacob tossed it closer to her grasp, but it fell short. The audience finally decided to help and were successful in placing the rope within her grasp.

After Abbi was safely at the top, Aki began his descent. At this point my kids were at the top while Carl and I were at the bottom . There was no easy way for them to come back down. They would have to find the road. Carl's and mine trek would take much longer. It had taken an hour of climbing and swimming to get to where we were. 

Could I safely get to the top?

I am proud to answer yes. For a few short minutes, I wondered. My arm span is small and that second rope was quite out of my reach, but luckily Aki was able to put it within a few inches of my reach. To let go with one hand to make a grab required a leap of faith. Of course, when I felt how thin and worn the second rope was, I had to block out "I hope this isn't the time it decides to give out" thoughts.

Carl safely made it up. 

Good thing because the sun was beginning to set. I am not sure we would have made it back going back the other way before darkness fell.

Although, wet, dirty, and tired, we left the waterfall refreshed and extremely satisfied.

Not a bad way to end an adventure!