[Trekking] Chialo Lake － scattering pearls from fairyland （宜蘭加羅湖）

Team: GoforWild
Time: Sep 26-27, 2015
Place: Siji Village, Yilan

Difficulties: ** (2/5),  steepy forest with big tree roots, and all year round wet mud, and bushes of trenchant miscanthus.

1. Tales of Chialo lake:

There is one tale tells a story in the elder day, a beautiful fairy accidentally drop off her mirror, broken to shiny pieces of misty lakes. Another story tells this lake group is a scattering pearls from hand of a pretty peri. The biggest and most beautiful lake was named after mountain Chialo. 

At the height of 2300m and moist lake group environment, Chialo lake easily get foggy and sudden change of weather. Foggy smokes and rains cover the lake mysteriously, meanwhile beams of sunshine makes it look fairy-land alike. Together with its reflections, the lake mystique unlimitedly expands and forms a scene of mirrored wonderworld. 

Scattering pearls from fairyland

2. Cypress woods: 

At the moderate to high altitudes of 1000–2900, green coniferous forest. This including two kind of famous cypresses that can be found here: Chamaecyparis taiwanensis (hinoki, 扁柏) and Chamaecyparis formosensis (meniki，紅檜）, both are very valuable timbers. How to distinguish those two ones? Basically, even looks quite the same, however, differences still can be found in their smells and growing directions of leaves. Hinoki is solid and shows greater in quality then Meniki.

A walk in the woods

[Book] The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared

Author： Jonas Jonasson  
Year: 2009

I agree with first phrase of Marie Claire's review of  this book, such a a playful book; however, in my opinion, it's more than remind us to live life to the fullest, it's a review of significant events and memoirs in 20th century. It's hard to believe what happened in Allan life, or in fact, it's impossible to happen. Even though, I guess everyone would love to listen to stories of grandpa life long experience; especially when they represent the social context and movement then. By learning the past from the elderly,  you'd get a clearer idea of how incredibly this world moved on. 

Allan view of politics and religions

Growing up experience social political system changed rapidly, Allan define himself as no interested in any politics related topics and refuse to pick a side. Ironically, later his life always crushed in complex relationship with well known politician from all over the sides: Fascist, Capitalist, Communist, Socialist. By accidentally had the only Capitalist of the town exploded into pieces, forecast his successful life as a destroyer and confusing implication with political strategic. I'm quite impression with the way the writer arrange Allan met up with all great politician like Truman, Song Meiling, Stalin, Mao, Kim Young Il...

With his rich experience, Allan always affirm his attitude towards religion, atheist. From the earlier history, there's a firm connections between religion and power control. Since the date Christian had become official religion of Roman Empire, it gained power and shared glory with those Majesty. The pastor in Iran brings along the idea of how far religious propaganda can be seriously taken? When you found your endless and enlightenment, should you go further by spreading this delight to others? The pastor no doubt want to relieve public sorrow; however, his way of combine religious and politics made faith been forced but not a freely choice. No one has the right to  force others to do or follow anything. Too much propaganda for an unclear purpose in a large scale, and even worse, not at the right time can lead to tragedy. 

"To keep on saying the same thing over and over again thus served no purpose."