By Audie Vinci Batausa

We were greeted by a cold gush of wind the moment we stepped off the bus. I remember it was 18°C that time. A blanket of fog partially hindered our sense of sight while we walked on the slippery asphalt road. If not for the throngs of people, we could have nearly missed the entrance to Jiufen Old Street as it was flanked by a Chinese specialty shop and a well-known 24-hour convenience store.

An assortment of stores lined the streets of Jiufen. Rain canopies veiled the alleyway, preventing the light from coming through. It reminded me of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series, but instead of owls, wands, and broomsticks, taro balls, pineapple cakes, and Feng Shui trinkets abound in the area.

Completely famished, my companions and I decided to indulge ourselves with some Taiwanese desserts. I decided to go with a generous serving of taro ice cream over a bed of shaved candied peanuts, completely wrapped in some kind of crepe, or – as I like to call it – an ice cream burrito.

 Completely satisfied, we started our way up.

Moving towards the viewing area was quite a Herculean task, as we needed to battle our way through an elbow to elbow crowd and keep our balance on the uneven cobblestone stairway. Patience was the name of the game at this time. Lucky for me, I had good breathing room because of my height. I doubt if that holds true with Fratri. Arriving at the top was literally a breath of fresh air. Rising and folding along the Keelung Harbor, a sweeping view of the mountainous town of Ruifang opened out before us, offering a sight to behold.

As we looked at the spectacle in front, something inexplicable washed over us. Our breath became deeper, deliberate, and calm. And we gently began to relax.

At a distance, I saw a familiar pink object veiled by the fog. Upon closer inspection, my thoughts were actually right – it was a cherry blossom. It was overwhelmingly beautiful.

I tried to stretch out my arms to touch its silvery pink petals, letting it brush beneath my fingertips. It felt light and feathery. It seems to have a sedative effect as it was able to calm my stressed soul.

For a while, all was still.

As I stood on the edge of the town of Jiufen, I tried to memorize all its details and locked it in my memory as though it were an Amorsolo masterpiece. Once more, the spellbinding view permeated my entire being, relaxing every single muscle of my body. I wished I could stay.

It was an honor to have been graced with such beauty.