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We took the
train to Badu Station, just outside Keelung, and then were picked up by
our guide and taken to our starting point.
|
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|
We took the
train to Badu Station, just outside Keelung, and then were picked up by
our guide and taken to our starting point. |
 Our
guide was Jeff
Miller, a trade officer for the USDA whose hobby is hiking in the hills
near the city. He is writing a book about the Keelung area. |
 The
hike began
in a small village on the other side of the ridges from Keelung
port. |
 The
trail on this
side was not developed, and was muddy and slippery after rains the day
before. The hills are honeycombed with such paths. |
 Are
we lost? |
 The
views to the
south were spectacular with even small altitude gains. Chang Gen
Hospital
in Badu is the large white building on the left, closest to the camera. |
 Small
temples lined
the path. |
 The
hikers forge
ahead. |
 Many
beautiful
flowers and insects were to be found. |
 Some
people complain
about steps being "not natural," but the concrete helps protect the
path
from deteriorating in the constant rain, and its inviting ease keeps
hikers
from forging new trails that destroy other wilderness. |
 The
purpose of
the hike was to view some of the forts left over from campaigns
conducted
in the Keelung area. Here we view a French artillery emplacement from
the
punitive expedition of 1884. |
 Once
you get on
top of the ridgeline, the views of the city are spectacular. |
 Jeff
explains some
of the history of the fighting between the Chinese and the French in
the
area. |
 A
blockhouse left
over from the fighting. |
 Sometimes
the trail
almost disappeared..... |
 ...and
sometimes
we almost disappeared. |
 Inside
a Chinese
headquarters and rifle pit. |
 Scrambling
through
the mud. |
 Once
you cross
the ridge and head toward Keelung, the paths are more developed. |
 A
Chinese blockhouse. |
 The
restaurant
where we ate lunch, a former temple, offered beautiful views of the
city. |
 Celebrating
a successful
hike at the restaurant. |
 Our
final destination:
the first railroad tunnel built in Taiwan, begun under the energetic
governor
Liu Ming-chuan in 1884 and supervised by European engineers. |
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