Sunday 17 April 2016

Watching The Iron Serpent Grow At Tseng-wen Reservoir

Having cancelled my trip to Miaoli to help somebody else out yesterday, I thought I might make up for it today. However, the weather forecast was predicting storms from lunchtime onwards in both Miaoli and Tainan. On the basis of that information (which turned out to be wrong), I decided to have a little lie in and set off for Tseng-wen reservoir to observe progress at Dapu on the construction of the new pipeline. Rather than storms, the weather turned out to be very good all day long. On the way back I switched music from my usual Boards of Canada albums to an old blast from the past... The Verve's "Urban Hymns" album, which I've always thought of as a record about mental illness. However there was only one track from the actual record which could be played on youtube with a decent volume...

"But I got a plan... do you understand?"
"I won't shake no hands... 'cos death has no plans."
"Can't stay for long, we gotta go..."\
Puppy chained up on the path down to my "secret" launch spot: he was delighted to see me, and me him, so he got what was left of my old pack of beef jerky and my water bottle (his water was stale and he had no food). After I finished my trip I promised him I would return from the Dapu 7-11 with a big bottle of water for his dish and more beef jerky. And yes, I was as good as my promise. If I'd been in a Mitsubishi Delica van I'd have very likely adopted him.
This was what I had came to see.
This was not what I had came to see. 
I had initially reckoned this pipe as having a ten-meter diameter. Any other estimates?
On my previous visit, this pipe section had been only a quarter of the length it is now.
Note the curve: I suspect this pipe section will, when complete, be loaded onto a floating barge and sent downstream to the new sluiceway being drilled out to the south side of the dam.
The Black Kites were out in force at the back of Tseng-wen reservoir, as usual. These shots are actually quite poor compared to the opportunities they gave me. As always the problem is that the most jaw-dropping views occur when I am in my boat getting chopped up by waves, and thus cannot focus properly.
"See you next time." You betcha.

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