In Taiwan - Day 4 (Part 1)
A brand new day. A brand new destination. Our next pitstop was Alishan.
Alishan National Scenic Area is a mountain resort and natural preserve located in the mountains of Chiayi County in Taiwan. It is 415 km² in area. It includes, among other things, mountain wilderness, four villages, waterfalls, high altitude tea plantations, the Alishan Forest Railway and several hiking trails. The area is popular among tourists and mountain climbers, and Alishan or Mount Ali itself has become one of the major landmarks associated with Taiwan. The area is also famous for its production of high mountain tea and wasabi. - Wikipedia (link)
As usual, we woke up early and had our breakfast nearby the hotel before we set off to the famous tourist spot. We managed to capture a few more shots of Sun Moon Lake as the weather was good and the skies were blue.
Initially, we thought of travelling by bus to the our next destination but after some thought (short one, actually) we opted for a hired transportation instead. Travel by bus will take us more than 5 hours which is not really ideal for our tight schedule. We managed hired a van (including driver) which was offered by the hotel personnel and it did cost us quite a sum to get us to Alishan.
Along the way (to Alishan), we felt that we were chauffeured by a F1 driver. Though the chap was good and chat alot but the driving was a lil on the dangerous side. We were literally swaying inside the van!! We even recorded our final will during that trip up to Alishan. It was hilarious thrilling ride I would say. Hehe.
The driver did stop at a few stops for us to shop and sight seeing. He even brought us back to the place whereby they sell the herbal egg. On the other hand, I managed to catch a few shots while he was driving along the mountain as the scenery was breathtaking.
We stopped at final stop which ’showcase’ an old tree trunk. The surrounding was cold yet spooky as the place was covered by mist/fog.
…. to be continued
In Taiwan - Day 3
Since we decided to stay in Sun Moon Lake for a night (according to our draft plan, remember?), we left Taichung in the morning hoping to arrive Sun Moon Lake early so we could get the most out of it. Besides, the journey to Sun Moon Lake will take hours by bus, according to the guidebook.
Little did we know that we will take a cab instead of bus because of time factor. Since, the fee difference between bus and cab ain’t that much, we opted for cab since we could save time (but not money). There goes our backpacking principles. Haha.
When I first saw Sun Moon Lake, it did remind me of Lake District in United Kingdom. Beautiful sceneries, mountains, and boats. The only difference between them is the size of lake. Having said that, Sun Moon Lake remains a popular tourist spot for one who is in Taiwan for holiday.
It was easy to find accommodation as the cab driver helped us to locate a relatively cheap hotel. Mind you, the hotel we stayed in is not the one shown above.
We went to grab lunch once we checked into our hotel. But before our meal, we went to the information centre to checkout some information about Sun Moon Lake.
After all those, we wandered around and began our photography session. Needless to say, the scenery in Sun Moon Lake was breathtaking. The only downside was the weather. The skies were dull and grey. Hence, there aren’t any clouds in my photos.
We bought boat tickets to travel across to another side of the lake. The travel took us more than 1 hour as we stopped at various pit stop.
These are herbal eggs. According to my friends, they were so good that they bought twice (in different day). I didn’t eat any as I don’t like hard egg yolk.
After all those boat riding and walking and photography session and eating, it was beyond dusk already though it was only 5pm!! We ate our dinner somewhere near the lake and decided to call it a day.
In Taiwan - Day 2 (Part 2)
Right after our lunch, off we went to look for this…
It is pretty famous as it was the last box in the refrigerator and it really did justified its popularity as it is really delicious.
After whacking all of those, we headed to Hsinchu Municipal Image Museum for a look. But it was closed (for lunch, I think) and hence, we rest at the entrance for a good 45 mins or so before we head to our next pit stop, Taichung.
And yes, we boarded the train again for free, IIRC. Don’t ask me why again. This time, my mates knew where to stay. Hence, it was rather easier for us to find the hotel as recommended by one of the guidebooks.
And again, we left our bags in the hotel and off we went for another drink and early dinner at a place opposite of the hotel.
Later at night, after a good short rest, we headed to a night market. It is a place whereby you could get a variety of things such as foods and clothings. We walked and stopped and ate and walked again and stopped again and ate again for everything that interest us. Our first food was this…
Boy oh boy.. It was one of the weirdest food I’ve ever tasted. Sweet, sour, bitter and salty. With combination of peanuts, pickles and meat, it sure did trigger all of our taste buds. But that didn’t stop us from ordering another portion. :P
The photo above is a dish called ‘Lala Jien’. Compare to our version, their’s is on soggy side with vegetables in it. Once we were done with night market, we headed back to our hotel…
And no.. The picture above is not our hotel. It is a junction of a crossroad which I took it while walking towards the night market.
In Taiwan - Day 2 (Part 1)
On the previous night, we ‘planned’ our next visit before heading to our next pit stop. Equipped with a couple of books and maps, Hsinchu was the mid point between Taoyuan and Taichung. With the guidebook stating its historical temples and all, we decided to make a half day visit to Hsinchu.
We woke up fairly early in the morning and took the cab to the train station. But before we board the train, we stopped by at a small shop to grab our breakfast…
Here’s a warning to you all. You will probably see the same ol’ thing (breakfast) for the next 14 days because they have this ‘centralised’ menu throughout Taiwan. I kid you not.
It took us less than 2 hours to Hsinchu via train. Remember the rubber thingy that gives discount? Well, we boarded the train for free. Please don’t ask me why.
Once we were in Hsinchu, my mates whipped out their guidebooks again. They were searching high and low for this famous temple which is located in the city itself. Bear in mind that we were carrying our huge bags since we are not staying over in Hsinchu. Hence, mobility is an issue here.
We wandered around in the city, snapping photos while looking for the temple at the same time. What’s worst was that the weather ain’t doing any good to us. It was blazing hot as opposed to supposed end of Autumn season. However, having said that, the weather did give us good lightings for us to shoot.
I was pretty amazed with the said temple. Though searching for it might be a problem, with the detailed craftings on the walls, ceilings, and pillars, it was indeed a good place to have a look.
After looking and snapping and walking, we went for a drink and lunch. It was easy to look for lunch this time as the temple is located in the middle of somewhat ‘food court’.
In Taiwan - Day 1
After weeks of mounting demands/pressure from my friends (including colleagues) about my shocking trip to Taiwan, I finally gave in and decided to post process my heaps of photos and post them up. It’s going to be a brief one but I will try to fill them up with lots of photos. You might want to drop by at my flickr for more Taiwan photos.
During my sudden disappearance 4 weeks ago, I was actually on holiday. Some knew about my holiday in Taiwan. Some knew that I am going for a holiday but not sure where is my destination. Some didn’t know at all cause they don’t care about me. Anyway, my friend, Jason, asked me to join him for this trip. I gave a short thought (more like 2 weeks actually) and agreed with the plan of “backpacking” in Taiwan for 2 weeks. You might wonder why did I put the ” “ sign in between the backpacking but I shall explain it later in other posts.
There weren’t any plans at all. I was told that the draft plan (of what we are going to do in Taiwan and etc.) was crafted 10 mins before my arrival in KLIA. Shocking as it may sounds to be, I found it rather interesting and looked forward to it. My friends had a brief idea of where to go throughout the 16 days but do bear in mind that a draft plan can always be changed without any notice, which we really did change them. Hehe.
It took us approximately 5 hours to travel to Taiwan via EVA Air. The journey was smooth but the food was a lil below average. I reckoned that MAS serves the best food in the air. Seriously.
Once we landed, we went straight to the information counter to register and get this…
Well, it is said to give discount for train tickets. I wasn’t prepared for this as I thought we will be given a card instead of this rubber thingy. It looks more like a keychain rather than a discount card. I lost mine at the end of the trip. :P
The distance to Taoyuan city from the airport was rather far. It took us more than 30 minutes to travel to the city by bus. With our bags in the hotel, we went for food hunting and found and ate these…
Stuffed and tired, we went to buy mineral water before we headed back to our hotel and called it a day.
