Jules’ eyes almost popped out of his head when I told him we were going to 貓空 (Maokong) today, since it literally translates to ‘cat sky.’ Visions of cats suspended mid-air — images both enchanting and slightly disturbing — had Jules all in a tizzy.
Philip was off earning our livelihood, so Jules and I went on this two-hours-from-home excursion on our own.
Despite the name, there are no cats in Maokong. Just like no monkeys at Monkey Cave Cat Village…what a tease. Maokong is actually a lush and peaceful village in the mountains of Taipei, known for its tea plantations and tea houses. A cable car takes you up to the top, giving riders some of the best views of Taipei.
Jules and I enjoyed a most relaxing lunch and tea ceremony at the famous Yao Yue Tea House (邀月茶坊). It seems to be a universal rule that most tourists are lazy, rarely walking more than 10 minutes from a major site/thoroughfare, so the half hour stroll to Yao Yue afforded us the luxury of eating in tranquil surroundings. This particular tea house is known for its tea-infused menu: Tieguanyin pork soup dumplings, tea oil rice noodles, oolong chicken with ginger…. Nom, nom, nom…
We ordered a dark roasted Tieguanyin tea, discussed the merits of the different infusions (cue proud mama’s inner foodie doing backflips) and filled our bellies with the tea-rrific food and mountain air.
