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墨書 Inktalez
After passing through a small town called Staffin, they soon arrived at Short Skirt Cliff. The terrain in this area was relatively flat, but the Mountain Valley in the scenery was not particularly large, so they decided to stop and take a look.
The gentle terrain along the way was quite different from other places in Sky Island, allowing for a panoramic view filled with greenery and blue skies. They could see the distant sea and nearby mountain silhouettes, giving a sense of embracing the world. Everything was within sight; they rolled down the car windows, feeling the wind and enjoying the moment.
Short Skirt Cliff, located by the sea, is a large cliff named for its vertical, pleated cliff face resembling the skirts worn by Scottish men. It must be said that this name is quite vivid. The terrain here is steep and rugged, with cliffs that appear to have been carved by knives and axes, featuring sharp lines that convey a sense of grandeur. From here, one can see the vast Atlantic Ocean merging with the horizon, blending seamlessly with the sky.
At the viewing platform set up by the locals, surrounded by railings, Bai Yujing looked from the side but could not see the waterfall she had hoped for. Previously, while visiting Nester Point Lighthouse, she had seen Short Skirt Cliff from afar. Bai Yujing remembered Emma telling her that there was a waterfall flowing into the sea nearby; however, it was already sunset at that time, so they did not come over.
Although the viewing platform did not provide a view of the waterfall, the original geographical features of Short Skirt Cliff—its short-textured cliffs standing by the sea—allowed visitors to appreciate its majestic presence. The upper half of the cliff was straight and steep, while the lower half gradually sloped at various angles, covered in lush greenery. This appearance was strikingly similar to Scotland's traditional attire, the Scottish Kilt. Birds flew overhead, adding a touch of desolation to the scene.
Bai Yujing and Emma walked along the cliff. Near the edge of the cliff, protective nets and railings had been installed to prevent tourists from getting too close and accidentally falling off. After walking for a while, Bai Yujing finally heard the sound of rushing water echoing in her ears.
"I found it! Let's go take a look!" Bai Yujing exclaimed as she pulled Emma along. Emma had been here before and was not particularly excited.
Emma pouted, "It's almost evening now; we haven't found any clues after looking at so many places!"
Bai Yujing replied, "Don't be too anxious; it's right here and won't run away. If we can't find it today, we'll spend two or three days searching for it. Come on, let's go."
Bai Yujing hugged Emma and ran toward the source of the sound. Standing at one end of the side view, they stretched their necks and saw a white waterfall embedded in the cliff flowing down to meet the sea below. The sound of the waterfall and mist swirled around them; it was said that spring and summer brought the greatest water flow. However, even now, the waterfall remained magnificent and inspiring.
At the base of the cliff lay large boulders of varying sizes forming a rocky shore where waves crashed against them, creating white foam.
Standing at the top of the cliff, feeling the sea breeze while watching water cascade straight down towards the ocean created an exhilarating sense of abandon against such a vast backdrop.
"Ah!" Bai Yujing couldn't help but shout.
Feeling that shouting alone lacked impact, Bai Yujing turned to Emma and said, "Come on! Let's shout together—ah! Let’s release all our stress and unhappiness; don’t worry about finding things—just focus on being happy."
"Ah!"
Bai Yujing shouted again, the sound spreading through the heavens and the earth, disappearing into the distance along the endless sea. Emma felt she couldn't hold back any longer and joined Bai Yujing in shouting.
Bai Yujing felt the pressure on him dissipate; the stress from work back home, the setbacks in his career, and the frustrations in his relationships all vented out together. He only stopped when his throat became a bit hoarse.
Breathing heavily, Bai Yujing lay down on the lawn, and Emma nestled beside him. Bai Yujing turned to Emma and said, "Thank you for going crazy with me."
Emma shook her head and smiled, saying, "No, I found it really fun and relaxing."
Bai Yujing gently kissed Emma on the forehead and embraced her. The two of them lay there at the top of the cliff, feeling the sea breeze, watching the blue sky and white clouds drifting in the wind, as if time had come to a standstill.
When they returned to the parking area, Bai Yujing and Emma noticed an additional RV parked there. They also saw some passing Sheep circling around the RV and Emma's wine-red Ford Focus. The RV was quite large, entirely white, with two bicycles attached to its rear. As Bai Yujing approached to take a look, he caught a whiff of delicious food being prepared inside.
"Oh, this is really cool." In Europe, many families travel in RVs, driving around the world. They stop wherever they like, settling down to live a free life that many people envy. Bai Yujing couldn't judge whether this lifestyle was good or bad, but he had to admit it was really cool.
The RV's door was open as if it had sensed Bai Yujing and Emma's presence. The owners of the RV came out; they were a middle-aged white couple. "Hello there! Need any help?"
"Hi, I'm Bai Yujing, a Chinese. I think traveling in an RV is really cool, so I came over to take a look," Bai Yujing said to the male owner of the RV.
The male owner nodded. "Would you like to come in for a tour?"
Both of them were from Germany. They told Bai Yujing that they would be resting here tonight before heading to London tomorrow. The interior of the RV was spacious and looked luxurious with warm light colors; it had a refrigerator, air conditioning, television, even a bathroom and a small kitchen.
The female owner explained to Bai Yujing that they were a DINK Family, both having respectable jobs. However, starting this year, they decided to quit their jobs and travel around the world. Their next stops were London and Paris before heading to France.
The female owner's English wasn't very good; it was actually the first time Bai Yujing encountered someone whose English was worse than his own. The couple shared their experiences from their travels with Bai Yujing and Emma as well as some of their life philosophies.
The couple from Germany were very friendly; their open-minded attitude and positive spirit could be felt throughout their conversation. They yearned for freedom and craved adventure. They even criticized some failed policies of the current German government. However, Bai Yujing couldn't engage much in that discussion; fortunately, Emma knew a bit about it and smoothed things over to avoid any awkwardness for Bai Yujing.
After leaving there, Bai Yujing looked at the Sky Island Map placed in the car. It marked a large circle of locations. He picked it up and traced his finger along the route: "So our next stop is—Kureying Mountain Pass."
Emma started the car and drove onto the road, heading north towards Kureying Mountain Pass. "That's where I think the location mentioned in the notes is. There are towering peaks and numerous Mountain Valleys; the place we need to find is likely right there."
Bai Yujing searched for photos on his phone and discovered that Kureying Mountain Pass was actually a filming location for The Lord of the Rings, which was quite famous.
Passing by Staffin again, the bay view of Staffin was also quite nice. After turning left, they took a very rough small road, with several steep turns. Fortunately, Emma's driving skills were much more reliable than Bai Yujing's.
As they approached Kureying Mountain Pass, the unique landscape became visible—strange rock formations and towering peaks. A winding Highway led to the foot of these mountains, allowing one to appreciate the peculiar scenery.
Bai Yujing suddenly understood why The Lord of the Rings chose this place as a filming location. The geographical features here were filled with a fantastical quality, completely different from the peaks usually seen. It could be said to represent the scenic characteristics of the Scottish Highlands.
The peaks here did not have a uniform shape; they were bizarrely shaped, with lush greenery on top but some rocky outcrops exposed. The wind in this area was quite strong, possibly contributing to this unique geographical environment.
Stopping the car here, they noticed many people had arrived; some hiking enthusiasts had already begun climbing the peaks.
"This path seems a bit slippery and difficult to walk on. Those shoes you're wearing might not be very convenient. Let's just take a look around nearby," Bai Yujing said, glancing at Emma's red leather shoes.
"Don't worry about me; just wait a moment."
Emma shook her head and immediately took out a pair of sneakers from the trunk and changed into them, proudly walking up to Bai Yujing. "I came prepared."
"Let's go climb the mountain! From the top, we can see all the surrounding scenery and Mountain Valley. If we compare it carefully, we should be able to pinpoint our location," Emma urged Bai Yujing to take action, seemingly eager to get started.
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