原以為藉著2006年與東海大學師生所舉辦的體驗活動，我可以有機會親近日月潭。非常遺憾地，我連遠觀的機會都沒有。去過日月潭的人都知道，開車在環湖道路上，除非下車到湖邊的觀景區或觀景台，否則不可能有機會靜靜地欣賞日月潭的湖光山色。而我在環湖道路上就算繞上千百趟，也找不到一處可以讓我下車看一眼湖水的地方。好幾次我就這樣開著開著，不禁嚎啕大哭。日月潭是世界級的自然景觀資原，卻被建築物和不當的設施一層一層地包圍著，潭邊所有能夠被利用的腹地都被五星級六星級的飯店占據了。這些爭奇鬥艷的建築物已經模糊了日月潭自然景觀資源的珍貴性。許多遊客到日月潭只為了美食和豪華的住宿，他們拼命與美麗的設計合影。但是也有許多遊客到日月潭是為了親近大自然，於是他們希望透過步道帶領他們深入接近日月潭。我也希望我是後者中的一員，很遺憾地，我終究還是只能到達停車場，而且還看不到湖水。
The assessment of 2006 didn’t give me any chance to get closer to the Sun Moon Lake. Whoever been here must know unless one step down to a vista point or a viewing deck, otherwise no one can see any view from the lake. I have driven around the lake thousands times, never have I a chance to get out of my car and find a nice place to admire the lake landscape, all because I have a wheelchair with me. There are so many times I can’t help and break into cry loudly. It is way to complex to explain.
The world class natural scenery is nearly covered by those five starts or even six stars hotels and some inappropriate facilities built around the Lake. These architectures are eagerly showing off by contending in beauty and fascination. That has caused the precious natural landscape out of focus. More and more tourists come to enjoy the luxurious hotel and delicacies not the Lake. But for those come to admire the Lake, trails are the best way to leading them to the purpose. And I want to be part of them, but things just don’t go as I wish. Unfortunately, it seems all parking lots are my destination, no lake view for me.
上網查日月潭，發現自行道和步道是日月潭推銷的重點，好像遊客到此不是騎自行車就是建行。重點是這些自行車道和環湖步道是否融入環境和尊重環境，或者自成特色與日月潭爭寵或者沒有關係呢？身為資深景觀師的我還是擔心這種主從分不清楚的賞景哲學是否正確？！
According the internet, bike-way and trail are the Lake agency’s key to promote their tourism. The question is that people come to enjoy biking and hiking itself or people come to admire the natural landscape by take bikes and rails? The difference between the two purposes will end up deciding the natural resource to disappear quickly or to go stronger in the future. Respect the Nature is very important behavior and attitude around the Island. As a senior landscape architect, I’d like to urge people to take the right attitude toward the Nature, no matter in development or tourism.
環湖步道Trails around the Lake
圍繞在日月潭的步道共有14條，有的可以親近潭水，有的蜿蜒在山邊，被命名為「明潭十俊」和「明潭四秀」。步道長短從150公尺到10幾公里不等，所需費時約30分鐘到7、8個小時不等。其中最長的就是水社大山步道，全程來回需要約8個小時才能走完，登頂可俯瞰日月潭，據說是日月潭的精神指標。
2009年7月13日到7月17日中華大學景觀建築系的學生利用暑假跟我進行國家風景區和國家公園可及性休閒旅遊調查，此次幫忙調查的同學有: 蔡宗哲、張明翔、李婉琳、林泛鎂、吳仲桓和陳龍緯。調查的步道選項配合生態與人文校外教學的課程設計，非特定選項。
這些同學基本上都修過我的無障礙空間導論，到基地進行調查前也都受過調查方法與記錄技巧等訓練。
步道調查方法:
1. 基地資料收集與研讀。
2. 以手動輪椅使用者的可及性為參考依據，並以聯合國針對可及性的定義為準。
3. 步道調查動線規劃從停車場到步道起點、步道起點到步道終點、步道終點到聯外動線。
4. 依上述動線規畫作三段式可及性說明。
There are 14 trails around the Lake, some close to the Lake, some wiggling among the mountains. The length of the trail is from 150 meters to more than 10 kilometers. Time needed is from 30 minutes to about 8 hours. The Shui She mountain trail is the longest, at the end of the trail, one can have a bird’s eye view of the Lake.
In 2009, I conducted an assessment of accessible tourism of the Sun Moon Lake with students from the Department of Landscape Architecture of Chung Hua University during the summer. These students have basic knowledge regarding the barrier free environment, and trained skillfully in investigation and documenting.
攝影者: 吳仲桓
水蛙頭步道Shui Wa Tou Trail
水蛙頭步道位於大竹湖及伊達邵之間，入口處有涼亭及小客車停車場，步道長500公尺，落差約60公尺，為高架棧道鋪設而成，行走於竹林幽徑上，終點為水濱的環狀動線，1999年完工。途經孟宗竹林，景致優美，原生林木、蕨類豐富，步道旁有多株木荷，夏天時盛開白色花朵，極富觀賞價值。沿途觀賞蝶舞、鳥飛、魚躍及蛙跳的活潑生態，潭邊設置「青蛙疊羅漢」銅雕，栩栩如生的述說地名的由來，也成為水位升降的觀測指標。
The Shui Wa Tou Trail is located at in between the Ta Chu Lake and Yi Da Shao. At the trail head, there are a pavilion and a car park. The trail long is about 500 meters, with a drop height about 60 meters. This narrow footway planed over a hill side, visitors can walk down to the Lake side under bamboo grove. The whole journey is about bamboo, primeval forest, ferns and some wild life. A vivid frog sculpture sits in the Lake as a water table index.
攝影者: 吳仲桓
涼亭
The pavilion
攝影者: 吳仲桓
路邊停車場
The car park
攝影者: 楊蕙如
步道口
The trail head
攝影者: 楊蕙如
水蛙頭步道位在環湖公路旁，一般遊客可以輕易接近。在步道頭設置有停車場和涼亭。我曾經開車經過這裡許多次，因為停車場的植草磚孔隙過大會卡住我的拐杖和輪椅的前輪，所以都只能留在車上。
The Shui Wa Tou Trail is located right at the road side, pretty easy access to most people but not the wheelchair user. I have been here many times, but can only stay in car. Because the holes on the ground always catch my canes and the small wheels of my chair.
攝影者: 楊蕙如
涼亭比地面高約10公分。
There is 10 cm difference in between in and out of the pavilion.
攝影者: 楊蕙如
有一次我和一位美國友人再度來到日月潭。因為雨下得太大加上視線不佳，水蛙頭步道的涼亭正好是環湖公路上最明顯、最直接的暫停點，我們以為可以在這裡等雨停了再繼續我們的旅程。結果涼亭兩次開口都有高差，加上雨滑，我們費了好大的力氣就是沒有辦法進涼亭去躲雨。最後兩個人還搞得一身濕。這些看似不怎樣的落差對設計者而言可能沒甚麼而不以為意，但是對某些遊客來說卻可能是天大的障礙。
One day my friend and I visited the Lake again in a rainy day. We figured out that driving along the winding road in the wet day like this is very dangerous. So we decided to stay in the pavilion till the rain stop. But no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn’t get my wheelchair into the pavilion, all because of the 10 cm difference at the entrance.
攝影者: 楊蕙如
這一次體驗中我們發現造成寸步難行的原因除了不良的植草磚外，過多的舖面設計所造成的界面也是原因之一。不同材質的舖面因為承重力的不同，長時間下來會產生沉陷不均的現象，繼而在界面間產生落差造成行進上的障礙。
At the assessment, we discover that making barriers to the wheelchair is the holey brick pavement and over design pavement patterns. Too many patterns and varied materials together cause many interfaces, which under different load-bearing capacity come into different sinking. This can cause inaccessible to the wheelchair user too.
攝影者: 楊蕙如
離開水蛙頭步道頭沒幾公尺遠，步道就開始台階穿插的狀態。也就是行動不便者必須只能就此打住，不能在前進了。在等待同伴回來的期間，如果這些行動不便者可以在此欣賞美麗的日月潭景色，也算是不虛此行。但是遺憾的是，這裡有涼亭卻沒有辦法提供賞景的功能。
For those people with mobility impairment can only walk few yards away from the trail head, because after that there is a stair way following. So all I can do is sit in my car and wait my partners to return. The pity thing is the pavilion and the whole trail head area with no view. Otherwise I wouldn’t mind sit in my car and enjoy the view to the Sun Moon Lake.
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