After a busy day in Wanli UFO Village and Keelung, it was tough to get up and go. But this day ended up being one of the most enjoyable of my entire trip. I was headed to the town of Jiufen, but to get there I was planning to take a bus to the Yin and Yang Sea, then walk the rest of the way. I planned to stop at the abandoned Shuinandong Smelter and in the town of Jinguashi. It was only a 2.5km walk from the Yin and Yang Sea to Jinguashi, so no big deal, right? Well, it was really, really hilly and even more humid. So it took awhile longer than expected. But that walk was so beautiful, despite the hills, humidity and clouds.
THE WALK
I walked to the abandoned Shuinandong Smelter first, but it was a bit disappointing – the smelter had recently been secured and there was no way in.
ROAD TO JINGUASHI
At this point, I was pretty tired and kept getting lost in the labyrinth of staircases in Jinguashi. So yeah, not much interest in taking out my camera. Here are a few photos, though.
JIUFEN
Being so tired and a bit cranky, I decided to forego the walk from Jinguashi to Jiufen and take the bus instead. Very good choice. When I go to Jiufen, it was getting to be late afternoon, the little light through the clouds was rapidly decreasing, and the town was jam packed with tourists (me included). There’s a reason why so many people like going here…it’s incredibly charming and has myriad delicious street food options! After getting a few snacks, I was not feeling like staying in the crowds, so I decided to explore the streets away from the main street.
I was blissfully lost in the empty alleys of Jiufen. This alley was so quiet, but it was right next to the Jiufen main street…still packed well into the evening!
