From Fenqihu it is time to descend, slowly towards the midlands where we are planning to look for the very rare and elusive Fairy Pitta. But first we have to get there as we choose a secondary road with lots of switchbacks passing by beautiful tea plantations. And very narrow, making any car encounter an exercise in steel nerves and precision driving. First we wanted to visit a Coffee plantation but it seems full so we continue on to the second stop planned, the Yuantan Ecological Park.
We are worried if we are going to find parking in Yuantan and we do and it even has a great view of a mountain river with endemic fishes. What else could we want really? Well birds probably but let’s see.
As usual we identify first the parking ticket machine and notice that it has English, yay, but now we have to find also the park as it quite obviously is not here.
We notice we were quite lucky to find parking, there is only one more other place left and then we see the sign towards the park and on we go. The access trail leads past the vending area where we buy some corn, it is soooo hot that we have to wait almost half of the hike before finally being able to eat but it is great.
We didn’t notice the park as we have to climb back up to the main road and then cross it so we can get to the main entrance. From the main road it is obvious where the entrance is due to the large sign marking the entrance in multiple languages.
And in we go with the visitor center almost immediately afterwards. We go in to buy tickets and also to see if there are any souvenirs worth buying as we have a surplus of Taiwanese dollars at this point. And we find some beautiful wood paintings which seem to fit what we want. We decide to buy one but when we go to the cashier he says they are not for sale. That is even though they have prices and are exhibited. We are not sure what is happening, it seems that the artist needs to give permission or something like that?!
So thwarted we move on finding the map of the park and then starting to explore the main trail that continues along the river that passes also near the parking lot.
There is a small waterfall right at the start but we are more attracted by the many damselflies and dragonflies in the area. They are quite beautiful and colorful.
There are lots of panels along the trail, many of them related to the fish in the creek which are mostly endemic. And surprisingly we even see lots of them deep in the river as well as close to the shore.
And then we arrive at the major attraction in the park, the very beautiful Xiangshan Falls. You cannot really get close to them but there are a few overlooks from which you can admire the falls. We sit down in one of them and eat our corn which is finally cold enough to eat.
From the overlooks the trail continues up bypassing the falls and continuing towards the Botanical Garden. Here we can see another impact of the typhoon last year, or so we assume, when a model house of the original inhabitants of Taiwan has fallen down and hasn’t been replaced since.
And on we go up via stairs and enjoying the great views of the surrounding mountains. It is also an area less popular with other tourists and there are lots of them in this park.
The botanical gardens are accessed via a bridge high above the water and we decide to take a look from the bridge to see if we can find something interesting besides the fish. And find we do, we see a few birds and looking carefully they are plumbeous water redstarts, a lifer for us and quite a fun bird to see and follow as they go about their business.
The botanical garden is quite small and doesn’t have that many flowers but still it is scenic with a small bridge and landscaped areas. It is surrounded by wild bamboo forests, quite scenic.
And then it is time to return, slowly, enjoying the cooler temperatures, the flowers and also the many dragonflies. Then we stay in a queue to pay for the parking and hurry out, now it is time to drive to the Fairy Pitta spot and see if we can get lucky and see them.
