2006 0531

    An Environmentally Friendly Trip in The Forest

Monday, August 19, 2002                                   

    This morning, a trip team composed of 12 members made their way to Big Snow Mountain Forest Recreational Park to be on holiday.  Bruce and I were also on the team, of which Deng Kai-yuh, one of our colleagues, was the leader and tour guide as well.  He is not only a math teacher in our school but also has a wide range of knowledge on nature in general and on birds in particular.  The four cars ran smoothly on the freeway in fine weather.  Less than two hours later, we began to rise higher and higher on the serpentine mountainous road.  The great nature seemed to read our minds so it greeted us with green ranges of mountains coupled with azure-blue skies and white clouds coming in different shapes.

    After the mid-day time, we reached the entrance of Forest Division 201 where we cooked noodles for lunch in the open air.  The Italian pressure cooker did facilitate the light meal and in no time we all could enjoy the simple and easy meal under the pine trees.  High-mountain songbirds also greeted us with resonant singing and peeping that reverberated through the valleys and peaks.  We began to hunt for the birds with binoculars instead of rifles.  Indeed, it was so relaxing and recreational to be submerged in the deep forest with more than 2,000 meters in altitude.  Before the early evening we arrived at the destination—Unn Ma Mountain Retreat, where we would stay two nights.  Standing outside, we were surrounded by high-mountain forests consisting mainly of pine, cedar and cypress trees.  I was always confused by the more detailed or specific recognition of their names.  Who cared?  What mattered was that we loved nature, especially when standing in the deep forests to keep the busy and sometimes boring daily life at bay temporarily. 

At night after the dinner at the restaurant, we drove on the curved and dark road to “Tian-Pond” in the hope of bright and twinkling stars in sight, but in vain.  It was a cloudy night and there was nothing to be seen except for the darkness here and there but we still could hear some crickets or insects chirping.  After returning to the wooden hostel, we got together in the parlor to make tea, sing and chat to our heart’s content until midnight.

Tuesday, August 20, 2002                                               The second day for us to have fun in the forest recreational park. 

Early in the morning we rose in order to hunt for early birds on the twigs.  We drove back to the parking lot near the tollbooth of the park.  All the members set off on the pebble-paved trail to watch birds with binoculars.  Due to the senility of my eyesight, I found it uncomfortable to watch or hunt for the rapidly-jumping birds in the trees through binoculars.  Therefore, I became lukewarm about bird watching.  What’s more, Bruce didn’t feel well for he was likely to have a cold.  That was the very reason for me to stay in the parking lot to take care of him.  When the others were out of sight, it occurred to me that I could practice meditation in the peaceful natural field.  Hence I sat on the ground with my legs crossed to pay attention to my breath.  Suddenly, I saw three Taiwan monkeys jumping on the branches in front of me.  Still, I didn’t have the idea of watching them clearly with binoculars.  Maybe one can see the familiar creatures more clearly with mind than with binoculars.  Birds’ colors and shapes are pretty enough to draw the bird watchers’ attention and frankly speaking, these were natural resplendence and wonders.  But besides birds, green pine trees that stand firm to give off their natural vitality and attraction under the sunshine also make me peaceful and tranquil in mind or soul.  So, I watched them firmly with my eyes and what’s more, with my mind; therefore, I also felt satisfied in this aspect.                                                    
    Less than two hours later, they all came back and we set our steps on another small path where many awesome tall trees stood out against the blue skies.  We stopped to look upward and showed our respect for them.  On the leaf-covered path, the ancient trees, which survived the highly lucrative deforestation, shed their tears (dews) telling the sad stories that happened in the past decades.  But for the government-permitted deforestation on a large scale, much more big and tall cypress trees than we had seen should have grown in prosperity, welcoming us with their several-thousand-year-old bodies and newly-born leaves.  To forget the sad stories, I played the harmonica to please my fellow trippers.  Again, they showed their surprise at my lung capacity.  I did this on purpose to inhale more fresh air in the forest, but on the other hand, I was wondering if my playing could ruin the tranquility and sublimity of the deep forest, like some KTV players (not singers) who enjoyed themselves in a park, only to ruin the peacefulness and calmness there.                                           

Not everyone loves what you sing or play.                

    When my trip companions stopped to look for the birds in the trees, I kept on walking and playing my harmonicas even on the slope.  Soon we reached a wooden pavilion where some other hikers and visitors also took a rest in order to go farther.  Out of courage, I played three songs for them as well as for my group members.  They clapped hands after the performance and asked for more but I thought that enough was enough.  Maybe this is a good trial in playing the easy-to-carry harmonica to breathe in more fresh air that is surely beneficial to our health, I bet.

    At noon, we made it to “Tian Pond” and I put up the portable stove to cook the lunch.  Due to others’ help, the light meal was cooked well soon and we stood or sat to quench our thirst and hunger in the square.  Then we walked to the natural pond, only to find it polluted.  The water in it was muddy rather than clean and pure.  It was, to be frank, beyond our comprehension to see the water contaminated even at the altitude of more than 2,400 meters.  What’s the matter with the environment in Formosa?

    Tonight we didn’t have any plan to go out, so we all sat around the parlor to do some indoor activity, such as chatting, making tea and singing songs.  Mr. Luo and Mr. Jeng, two of our colleagues, played the guitar and sang songs to entertain us till midnight.

Wednesday, August 21, 2002

    The third and last day for us to be on vacation in the woods.

I, as a rule, woke up before daybreak but lay on the bed to appreciate the tranquility from the natural world and the inner peace from my deep mind as well.  Soon I saw through the window to find the first sunbeam shining on the tall trees, and then morning birds welcomed the coming of another new day with high-pitched songs and jumping dance.  How nice it was!  When other fellows walked out to be bathed in the fresh morning and watch birds, I, sad to say, lay on the bed to talk with the other roommate over some school issues, which did screw up the beautiful morning.  Therefore, I made up my mind to walk out in order

to change my bad moods.  Reaching the parking lot, I saw some of my

fellow trippers seraching for the birds with .  Actually, the parking lot was a good place for bird watching, where a lot of birds flew and jumped from twig to twig.  Sometimes some of them even jumped on the ground or grass for the visitors to watch easily.  Maybe they wanted to show off their beautiful feathers.  Who knew?

    At 10:30 AM, we took some pictures and then said goodbye to the wonderful mountain summer resort.  If possible, I vowed to return together with my wife and David.  It is really a nice place to forget worldly trouble and to refresh our mind and purify our soul in our bustling lives.  Besides, it is also a good place to go on a vacation with good friends and folks. 

    Before we drove downwards to Tung-shr Township, we also had our lunch in the forest.  Thanks to the pressure cooker, we had no problem preparing the light meal.  But I was wondering if some of us complained about the awful meals.  We, nature lovers, on the other hand, should put emphasis on the enjoyment of natural splendid spectacles with eyes and minds instead of the enjoyment of delicious food with mouths and stomachs in the depth of forests.  About 150 years ago, Wordsworth, an English romantic poet (appointed a poet laureate in 1843), who created lots of poems full of natural description, was also a nature lover.  In addition, he was in praise of those with plain living and high thinking.  On the basis of this, we conclude that worldly pleasure tells us not so much as spiritual gratification.  After all, a nature lover acquires a lot in the forest while a gourmet, in a fancy restaurant. Last but not least, I personally believed that everyone had an abundant harvest in mind, and we regarded the forest as worth paying a visit.  Furthermore, We especially thanked Mr. Deng for his well-prepared plan in advance to facilitate the instructive and environmentally-friendly trip, on which we all had a good time in the woods and returned home safe and sound.  To boot, he also acquainted us with more than 30 species of birds in the trees, such as vivid niltavas, Taiwan yuhinas, streere’s liocichlas, Taiwan laughing thrushes, Taiwan sibias, white wagtails and the like.

      親近森林   發現心靈

2002年8月 19日，星期一

    今天清晨，一個由十二人組成的旅遊隊伍出發前往大雪山森林遊樂區度假。我和布魯斯也是其中的隊員，而我的同事鄧開玉先生正是這個隊伍的領隊兼嚮導。他不僅是個數學老師，而且對自然環境有廣泛的認識，更專精鳥類生態。這天，天氣清朗，四輛車在高速公路順暢奔馳，不到兩個小時，我們就開始在蜿蜒的山路緩緩爬升。大自然似乎洞察到我們的心緒，用它蓊鬱的山巒伴隨著蔚藍的天空以及變化多端的白雲來迎接我們。

    中午過後抵達了201林班地的入口，，我們就地煮起麵條當午餐，義大利快鍋的確方便炊煮，不一會兒，一場簡單的露天餐會就在松林下展開。。高山鳴鳥也來跟我們打招呼，牠們啁啾的叫聲迴盪在山巔及空谷中，我們開始用望遠鏡而不是來福槍獵取他們的身影。的確，沉浸在海拔超過兩千公尺的森林中令人覺得十分悠閒自得。傍晚之前，我們抵達了目的地—

鞍馬山莊，我們將在這兒停留兩個晚上。站在外面，我們被松、杉、柏等高山林木團團圍住。我總是搞不清他們更精確的名字，不過，誰在乎呢？重要的是我們愛這大自然，特別的是當我們站在這深山幽林中時，可以暫時將忙碌而乏味的日常生活拋諸腦後。

    夜幕低垂，我們在餐廳用完晚餐後就開車沿著又彎又暗的路前往天池，希望能看見明亮閃爍的星空。但一切都是枉然，這是一個多雲的夜晚，四周一片漆黑，什麼也看不見，但我們依稀可聽見蟋蟀或其他蟲子唧唧的叫聲。回到木製的招待所後，我們大夥聚在大廳泡茶，盡情地唱歌、談天，直到午夜。

2002年8月20日，星期二

     我們在森林遊樂區盡情玩樂的第二天。一大清早，我們就起床以便獵尋枝頭上早起的鳥。我們把車開回離收費亭不遠的停車場，全部隊員都帶著望遠鏡走上鵝卵石鋪設的步道。而我由於視力減退，總覺得透過望遠鏡觀察或搜尋樹梢上躍動的鳥兒，並不是件舒服的事。因此對賞鳥這活動有點意興闌珊，再加上布魯斯有點兒感冒不大舒服，我就留在停車場照顧他。當其它人的身影消失時，我突然想到可以在這靜謐的自然空間練習靜坐，於是，我盤腿坐在地上專注在呼吸上。霎時，我看到前方有三隻獼猴在枝幹上跳躍著，不過我仍不想用望遠鏡把他們看個究竟，或許對於這種熟悉的生物用「心」看，比用望遠鏡看來的清楚。鳥類美麗的色彩與身形吸引了許多賞鳥人的注意，而坦白說這些都是大自然的奇觀異景。但除了鳥類之外，翠松矗立在陽光下散發著蓬勃的生命力及吸引力，同樣能帶給我身心的平靜與安祥。我用雙眼甚至用心凝視著它們，因此在這方面我一樣感到滿足。

    兩個小時不到，他們就全部回來了，我們出發往另一條小徑走去。在那裡，湛藍的天空下，聳立著許多令人嘆為觀止的參天巨木。我們駐足仰望，內心無限崇敬。枝葉滿地的步道旁，躲過森林砍伐的古木留著淚訴說著幾十年前的悲傷故事。要不是過去政府允許大規模的森林砍伐，現在會有許多比我們看到的還更大更高的紅檜蓬勃的生長著，伸展他們千年老幹以及新發枝葉歡迎著我們。為了遺忘這份傷痛，我吹著口琴陪伴同遊的夥伴。再一次地，他們對我的肺活量感到訝異。我之所以會這樣做，是為了呼吸更多新鮮的空氣。但是另一方面，我也在想：不知我的吹奏是否會破壞這森林中的寧靜與莊嚴，就像是在公園唱KTV自我陶醉的人一樣，反而摧毀了那裡的平靜與祥和。並非每個人都會喜歡你的歌唱表演。

    同行的遊伴停下來尋找樹林中的鳥兒時，我繼續邊走邊吹著口琴，甚至在上坡時也一樣。不久，我們到了一座木製涼亭，其他遊客也在那裡稍作休息以便走更長遠的路，我鼓起勇氣為他們以及我的同伴吹奏三首曲子。表演結束後他們都拍手叫好並要求再來一曲，不過我覺得夠了。或許這次一個蠻好的嘗試，口琴攜帶方便又可以在吹奏時多吸收新鮮空氣，我打賭對身體一定有幫助。

    中午，我們走到了「天池」。我架起了攜帶式的爐子來煮午餐，在其他人的協助之下，簡便的午餐很快就煮好了，我們在廣場上或坐或立地紓解著交迫的飢渴。然後，我們來到這天然的水池，卻發現它已遭到污染，充滿污泥的水已不再清澈純淨。坦白說，實在無法理解怎麼海拔超過兩千四百公尺的池子會被污染。到底台灣的環境出了什麼問題？

    今晚我們沒打算外出，所以全聚在客廳聊天、泡茶、唱歌。我的兩個同事羅先生以及鄭先生彈著吉他來助興，一直到半夜。

2002年8 月21日，星期三

    我們在森林裡度假的第三天，也是最後一天。跟往常一樣，我在黎明前就醒來，卻仍躺在床上體會這大自然的靜謐以及內心深處的祥和。不久，我透過窗子瞥見樹梢上出現的第一道曙光，晨間的鳥兒引吭高歌舞動著歡迎新的一天的到來。多美妙啊！當其他夥伴走到戶外賞鳥沐浴在這清新的早晨中時，很遺憾的，我卻是躺在床上跟室友談一些學校的問題，真是糟蹋了美麗的早晨。因此，為了擺脫這份壞心情，我決定出去走走。到了停車場，我看到我的夥伴們正在搜尋鳥蹤，事實上，這是一個賞鳥的好地點，有很多鳥兒在樹枝間飛來跳去的，有一些甚至還跳到地面以及草皮上讓遊客容易觀賞，說不定他們是想炫耀他們鮮豔的羽毛！誰知道呢？

    十點半時，我們拍了一些照片然後跟這個美好的山間避暑勝地說再見。我心裡暗暗發誓，如果可能的話，我一定要帶我太太以及大衛回到這裡。這真的是個好地方，能讓人忘掉世俗的煩惱，並且讓在擾攘生活中的心靈得到復甦及淨化。除此之外，這也是個和好朋友及家人度假的好去處。

    在我們下到東勢鎮之前，又在森林裡吃了一頓午餐。多虧了快鍋，讓我們準備起來得心應手。不過，我在想是否有人抱怨食物太簡陋。。另一方面，愛好大自然的我們，處在這深山之中，應該重視的是大自然壯麗的景觀帶給我們身心的享受，而不是口腹之慾的滿足。大約一百五十年前，英國浪漫詩人Wordsworth（華茲華斯，曾於1843年獲得桂冠詩人的稱號）創造出很多描繪大自然的詩篇，也是一個大自然的愛好者，除此之外，他推崇簡樸的生活以及深邃的思想。基於此理，我們可推斷出世俗的娛樂不及心靈上的喜悅。畢竟一個大自然的愛好者，在山林中獲得滋潤；而一個饕客，卻在高級餐館中汲取養分。最後但也很重要的是，我個人相信每一個在心靈上都有豐富的收穫，而且我們認為這個森林值得一遊。此外我要特別感謝鄧先生事前周密的準備，讓這富教育性及與環境親善的旅程進行順利，讓我們玩得愉快並且平安回家。除此之外，他還讓我們認識了三十多種鳥類，像黃腹琉璃、冠羽畫眉、藪鳥、金翼白眉、白耳畫眉、白鶺鴒等等。