歩歩高升步道 - The Great Wall Trail (499-Steps Trail) @ Cingjing Farm

After walking non-stop on the first day i arrived in Taiwan, the one activity that i was seriously looking forward to was to rest my feet in the comfort of my outrageously pink room in Misty Villa! 

Hence, when i saw the above sign after exiting from Cingjing Farm (Shoushan Ecological Park area), i thought it should not take us long to reach the minsu since it is located in close proximity to the Little Swiss Garden. 

Furthermore, it was a downhill walk which would be quite a breeze as compared to up down up down trek i had been going through the entire day! 

Add beautiful scenery to the picture and it's not hard to imagine this would be a relaxing walk in the cool, barely 20 degrees Celsius climate. 

What i didn't expect was that the climb down could take so long! In the beginning, it seemed that no end was in sight and i would be embarking on a continuous journey that would eventually break my legs.

Okay, i exaggerated; it was a total of ONLY 487 steps! 

Damn, I should have bloody taken the shuttle back!!! 

It was after i stepped off the never-ending stairs that i noticed the wooden board disclosing the name of this trail; the 499-Steps Trail! Wait, i counted only 487? Where's the balance of 13?

Do i have to count the additional steps after the trail? Yes, you are right, that's just a trail that leads to another trail before i would even reach the slope leading up to the Misty Villa. 

It's funny; the previous notice clearly stated 499-step trail but this older looking board cited a Great Wall Trail with 487 steps instead. Regardless of the naming, it would still be a torturous journey for those who unwittingly decide to CLIMB UP the trail. 

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For an overview of my 9 Days, 8 Nights Taiwan Trip [Cingjing (清境) - Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) - Taichung (臺中) - Taipei (臺 北)], click HERE.