This is a little out of order. I wasn't going to post this at first. It's not a great photo, but looking at it again brought back a vaguely exciting feeling.
We rode a motorcycle from Tainan to Maolin, arriving at around 6 p.m., I think. No one spoke English. Up, up, in the mountains, we found natives of the area. Children carried the sun on their dark faces past sunset and their elders gathered to eat and drink.
It appeared that all restaurants were closed but one. We walked into a store with all manner of things, many of which were hand-made crafts. We were warmly welcomed by a widely-smiling lady who somehow made us understand that we could get food next door.
She had someone who was, perhaps, her daughter, prepare food for us---soup, noodles, rice---it was the best food I ate in Taiwan (well, except for the dumpling place). An offer of payment was made, but was refused. A small girl danced and sang to karaoke.
Soon, the family was gathered with us as we ate. I remember a somewhat tipsy young man laughing at me, good-naturedly, and I couldn't figure out what he was laughing about. I'm not sure if I recall this correctly, but I think he had the stain of betel nuts in his mouth and on his teeth. He was obviously the joker of the family, finding such joy in making us laugh.
There was also much confusion regarding our origins. R explained that we were from Canada. But we look so different. It didn't make sense that people with different skin colours should come from the same place. She then thought that perhaps I am Canadian and R is American. Through many more efforts, the sun came through the clouds in her mind and she understood that I am from the Philippines. She had met a beautiful Filipina before, she signalled somehow. She was so happy to understand!
It's amazing what you begin to understand, despite a language barrier, when someone tries hard enough to get their message across. The energetic mother who had welcomed us told us that her people have been in the mountains for many years. At some point, Christianity had found them. (I think she showed us a crucifix. We also saw a church or two along the way.) She said goodbye to us with a blessing that God may keep us safe. They were all very concerned that we were going to travel around the mountains in the dark. They almost succeeded in filling me with the dread of facing a fatal prediction whose details I couldn't ascertain, so that I wouldn't even know if I were face to face with it.
There was a genuine smile on everyone's faces and the feel of unspoken well-wishes. I felt so warm and safe because of it that I wanted to put my arms around the whole of it.
We arrived at the hot springs safely, though we took the wrong turn and travelled at least 30 minutes more up the mountain so that there weren't very many peaks left to compete with the height of the one we were on. So many stars!!!! I don't think I completely grasped where I was and what was happening. I could feel things changing in me---distances growing and others decreasing. It was the sort of thing that refuses to be converted from abstract cognition to the seemingly concrete acknowledgement of thought.
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