Descending the mountains

The first activity of the day was an introduction to Saideke tribe and hunting traps. Finally, I got to see the tribal men and their costumes up close. The video brought back memories of television series and movies, but having to witness them or even remnants of them in real life was clearly unthinkable. I was disgusted by how malicious and vicious the tribes were, yet admired their teamwork and eagerness to protect their territory. It was fascinating listening to the guides communicating between themselves in their own tribal language, which sounded quirky yet forceful. We had a light moment trying on the traditional costumes, exercising our creativity by establishing different combinations. Next up, they demonstrated the usage of various traps that the tribes used to hunt in the past. Sorry for the birds, mice, wild boars and monkeys, but the fact is, humans have to eat. These employed strategies are very ingenious indeed, because they save hunters the time and effort laying patiently in wait for their prey with bows and arrows. I remember coming across numerous wild boars during my time in the military; if only I had access to these traps then… Hahaha…

We were offered an opportunity to make our lunch dessert, the delicious Manto. I have been munching on Manto since young but have never gotten the chance to make one myself. The main raw materials were spinach and beetroot. We had lots of fun beating the dough and rolling them into shape. Suddenly, I had an idea – to combine both spinach and beetroot juices into a single common dough. Even the instructors agreed that it will taste better. However, the truth is, it backfired terribly, probably due to the addition of too much flour, which made its texture dry and rough.

After lunch, it was time to check out. Meifeng Farm and Hehuanshan have provided me with sweet memories; I couldn’t bear to leave. The next stop was Chuenyang Sub-farm, where we engaged in tomato-harvesting, in addition to an introduction to tomato planting. The tomatoes were bright, fresh and juicy. I was tempted to take more than the two we were instructed to do so. We were also introduced to the Saideke tribe’s houses and a dagger.

Then came a long bus journey to Shueili Wood Utilization Centre, where we were to spend two nights. Jack brought us to the 7-11 convenience store and it was like we were released from captivity! Everyone went about grabbing food and beverage items to supplement the main meals. Guess we have really been away from civilization for too long, although it has been just a mere few days. The last activity for the day is a puzzle game called Rubin Lock. It tickles your mind so much I would recommend it for occupational therapy. I recall having bad experiences with wood work during my earlier years in school, as I was disinterested and inattentive. However, it had a different feel to it this time round. The competition segment really brought the nerves out of me. I made it to the final round, but lost marginally to Vico and Andria – congratulations to them, they were deserved winners. I’m now looking forward to more activities with wood the following day!

 Tribal costume

 Animal trap

 Mantou

 Tomato

Tribal house