warm and sunny, a good day to complete last weeks section of the grand hike, this time uphill from Dahu to Fengguazi... immediately getting lost, not noticing the huge shrine which is the start of the route, up through woodlands and pausing at a waterfall, further up to the bishanwan kaizhang shengwang temple and the first views of the walk, up steeply until the path becomes the road leading to the baishihu suspension bridge and on through farmlands and wetlands before the path returns into the woods... now it's a bit different, rougher, the trail getting muddy, steepening, brown pools gathering upon any flat sections, broken stone and guide ropes on the climb, glad not to be descending these paths, disinclined to turn back whatever's up ahead, further, the path getting worse, now it wouldn't matter if there was a view the only interesting sight is where you're going to put your foot next, and then you see the next set of guide ropes and groan... it's a slog, every step a squelch and a tug of the shoe from the gripping mud, and that's the good bits, the steeper slopes being a desperate hope for firm ground and there, of all places, there's tyre tracks....i'd read a blog about this part of the trail which had contained the appearance of a drink taken old man on a motor bike, was astounded to find that it could have been here having absolutely no idea how you would even get a bike here and, as i went further deciding that it went double for the descent... eventually there's a track flanked by beautifully carved male and female statues and topped with lions, a sign warning that the next section of the trail is under repair, it does get interesting, meeting folk descending, offering eachother sympathy, adding warnings of what's beyond the statues.... arriving at the bus stop i find that the bus left ten minutes ago and that it seems to have been the last one, which puzzles me, but even if there's another it's not for another hour and a half by which point it would be dark... descending seems the best option, there will be other bus stops and if there's no bus then at least the walk's in daylight... half an hour later the bus passes going uphill, another hour until it's return journey continue down the hill, watch as it passes fifteen minutes later, keep walking and walking and then a junction, neihu or shillin as the light dulls... further, beneath streetlight twinkling on a building i recognise from another walk, the road a good forty five minutes away... there i spend half an hour feeding mosquitoes until the bus arrives, standing room only but better than walking and it stops at jiantan which means that there's shaved snowflake ice and eggroll to be had... not so bad then...