Blue sky unfurling outside beyond a haze scented by espresso, the swaying branches upon graveyard hill whispering that it's a day for the slightly higher hills but, first, there are tasks to complete.

A change of path, missing out Xian Shan, meeting the route above the cat temple. Arriving at the base of the road leading up to the path I'm surprised at how steep it is, the heat returned carried upon humid air. Wooden steps steeply climbing, a layer of dried leaves crackling beneath each step, others caught upon the wind, floating down, twisting in their slow descents and gathering upon the hillside, spreading a blanket of browns beneath green ferns and trees, rising groves of giant bamboo clatter rhythms across these entangled slopes.

The path's quiet, only a couple of groups passing by as I walk toward the steepest set of steps, 190m up towards a viewing platform. Arriving sweat drenched I take a seat, watch the squirrels play upon the fence, clambering up trees. Voices from below, coming up the path from Muzha, the panorama of the city spreading out beneath, higher hills rising vaguely to the south mists gathering and spilling across their slopes. Higher now, another group, pausing and bowing in reverence towards images of local gods populating the highest shrine, cut into a rockface, the scent of incense mixing with odours spring as I stand at the barrier, looking down upon 101 and the centre, the city spreading out beyond the darkened curve of Xian Shan.

More steps leading up to thumb mountain, an unpaved path winding behind the upper slopes, leading down into a maze of possibilities where I've spent hours lost and baffled, but today the steps. It's always a little odd up here, reaching a summit and finding that there's no viewpoint, just glimpses through the surrounding foliage into faded distances. The city's caught under a haze, the winding curves of the Tamsui river visible but dulled in the distance, in the other direction hills roll away towards Keelung, greying depths above the highway, sparse pockets of architecture highlighted in the dimmed air.

The path continues, descending, rising, warning signs upon the edges warnings of ropes having been removed, alternate paths out of bounds, the route winding up again, towards Jiu Wo Shan, nine five mountain, the last of the slightly higher hills, a resting place and a viewpoint. 



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