17 Dec 2009 Day 6 Heuanshan Taroko Hualien

( The last morning at Cinging filled me with all sorts of emotions. The scene here reminds me of Jacob's Ladder. )


It started snowing in the mountains last night. The Hualian driver , Lu, has indicated no problems fetching us over from Cingjing to Hualien. At 10am, we checked out of Misting and spent almost 2 hours of anxious waiting for Lu who was stuck in the Hehuanshan jam.

( Can't imagine tourist playing in the snow with total disregard for traffic. Cliff is on the left )

We set off at almost 12 noon, when the fog returned and stayed this way until we crossed 小风口. The convoy comprising of A's family and us made a major stop at the Hehuanshan lookout point 合欢山庄 in -0.8 C. It was mostly slushy and slippery, esp worrisome because Lu's taxi has no snow chain. There was a thin layer of snow and rampant parking caused traffic woes , caused by people playing with snow.

( Hehuanshan no longer looks clear and lush, unlike 2 days ago. Fog and snow makes for queasy traveling, esp those prone to car sickness )

At Dayuling, we stopped for lunch and had a very hearty meal of wild boar, mountain cabbage, lily soup and rice. It was much fun eating in the cold among friends.

Lu was forced to slow down along the way down because J suffered from severe car sickness. We reached the major sights at Taroko late into the evening ( 4.30pm , almost dark because of heavy clouds ) because of the very late start. We could not make out most of the sights but persisted through the general "sight-seeing" in the semi dark. Generally speaking, the Taroko outing was a wasted trip though the snow viewing made up for it.

Lu did a mini orientation of our area before dropping us off at 不老的海洋. We would have to make do with bento and onion cakes Lu brought us to buy for the day.

( An unusual Taiwanese scenery. Many flock here when snow falls )

We have been much blessed with safety along the way. It was a fortunate thing we did the earlier Hehuanshan trip where we saw the mountain in its full glory. Today's scenery was nil, due to the mist, and this made the arduous journey in the mountains difficult to bear.

( This ghostly picture was taken in Taroko after sundown, with special exposure and a little help from taxi headlight )

If I can do it all over again, I will get a Cingjing based driver ( which are many there ) and set off from our base without travel overheads on the driver's side. And perhaps travel on a SUV instead of a taxi for the same price ( 5000 NT). Information of the sights was lacking because of the driving difficulty and the many phone calls that kept our driver busy.

( Suspension bridge in Taroko, shortly before sundown. Hubby met his colleague here, of all places ! Talk about a small world )

Win some , lose some. Life is without its compromise and what more so, a holiday. What's most important is I got the wiser from today's experience and figured what makes me tick .

Bulldog NiuNiu ( meaning little girl ) "guarding" Cingjing minsu 云蒙仙境. Looks ugly but it provided much entertainment while we waited for driver Lu.

Packed lunch of bamboo rice from Cingjing hawker stall ( Green pastures south exit ) was still warm when we finally ate it at Dayuling. Rating 3 / 5

Bet we are one of the minority who saw Taroko in the dark.The gorge was deserted by 6pm.

16 Dec 2009 Day 5 Cingjing

The previous night was bitterly cold as the cold front greeted Taiwan and Cingjing. Thankful for the chemical warmer, we make do in Misting without any form of portable heater.

Sunrise this morning is impossible because of the rolling fog and fine drizzle. By 10am, it cleared enough for us to take the Lake Trail that originates in front of the minsu. We passed by quaint Tudor houses nestled among tea plantations, Energy House and Shangri La Minsu mere steps away from the start of the trail.

( Tea plantation trail minute from minsu )

20 minutes later, a sea of cloud greeted us at a clearing near the lake. It is green as its name implies with evidence of a prolonged drought. Clouds sloth between hills before us like those dry ice vapor seen in the bride's entrance in wedding dinners.

( Lake trail view )

Temperature edge up from 10C to 13C by 11.30am. We retraced our steps towards Guomin Guest House and went in the direction of the visitor center for sustenance. Lunch , set dinner for 2 at 600NT, was expensive at the Cingjing Farm Fusion Restaurant. It consists of lily soup, basil chicken, cabbage and meat fried with 半天花 ( tender flower stem of the 檳榔 tree ) which is absolutely delicious! It comes with 2 free ice cream, 2 free teas and 2 free pineapple tarts, these which were not necessary but we consumed anyway.

( Beef with young betel nut flowers )

We bought 1 little box of egg roll made from sheep's milk, because we were so enthralled with the gadget making it.

At the base of the visitor center, we complete our purchases for the day by buying 4 persimmons for 100NT ( crunchy and sweet ) and 1 bag of top grade HeHuanshan ChuiFeng grown Oolong tea for 600NT ( 碧绿香茗茶 ）, a princely sum for a little pouch. The money was not parted until all of us have a little tea tasting lesson with the friendly proprietor.

We chanced upon A's family and with the new troop of 5, exchanged war stories collected over the last couple of happy days in Taiwan. J led the way to a trail that oversees Swiss Garden and that saved all of us precious entrance fees and enabling a couple of hours catching up. We parted company at Starbucks and crawled up to Misting while A's family called Winlu's (http://www.winlu.com.tw/main/fac/index.php?index_mid=12) boss to bring them back to the pasture. Not before they made us salivate with photos of their little cottage, swing where they enjoyed sunset ,the sprawling playground for the 3 boys and free steamboat dinner every night at nearly the same price as our room.

3.40pm back at Misting, we had a complimentary afternoon tea ( lavender and rose ), some jellies and homemade biscuit. We bathed in the last light of the day, alfresco , and challenged the incoming clouds to swallow us up.

A leisurely day, good food, a meeting of good friends - this is one of those things that make the holiday special.

15 Dec 2009 Day 4 Cingjing Hehuanshan

( Sunrise from the bedroom. After I'm done with sunrise, I just fall back to catch up on lost sleep !! )

We woke up at 6.15am and sat in the comfort of the bed enjoying the sunrise. It would have been better if not for the fog. Still, the golden pillars beating down the hills before us is a welcome sign for the day.

Breakfast ( from 8-9am ) at Misting was buffet style. I recommend the cabbage dish, succulent and sweet. At 8.45am, Leo ( from http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/leo6991 , 2000 NT for half day tour without snow in the mountains, 3000 NT when it snows ) came to pick us for a half day tour of Hehuanshan. He comes highly recommended by Hong Kong travelers.

( Road to HeHuanshan. Pristine weather at 9am )

Our day trip started from Cingjing and stopped at 鳶峰 to acclimatise ourselves at 2500m. Any discomfort ( nausea, headache ) at this point means an about turn down to Cingjing because these are signs of altitude sickness. Apart from the bitter wind and extreme cold ( despite our full winter gear ), all felt fine at this stage. I was quite pleased at Leo's precautionary measures.

We went beyond the halfway point that demarcate the beginning of Taroko National Park and were introduced to the various peaks and mountains which I could barely remember in their Chinese names. Above most clouds, it was cold, sunny, windy and what caught my breath away was more than the scenery. My heart and lungs was at bursting stage ; I needed rest every step I took. These are signs that my body was complaining about the thin oxygen and believe me, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.

Looping back down, we stopped at 合歡山莊.松雪樓 for more photo shoots, while I struggled with breathing problems and worried about an impending heart attack. Our last stop was 武嶺 ( 3157 m ) a brief 10 minutes to capture the mountains and cold frigid air. By now, I discovered staying in the car could probably prolong my life than braving the elements. No kidding！

( Hehuanshan Taroko demarcation point. Note the nippy temperature. It went to -0.8C 2 days later )

We passed by windy maple avenues and noticed that traffic is building up because of tourists checking out of Cingjing. By about 12 noon, we reached Green Green pastures where I decided we would alight. The tour had been informative, slow and easy in a well maintained 4-well drive, snow chain ready, which I am very grateful. In fact, if I had known he would bring us over to Hualien for 5000 NT, fresh from Cingjing, I would not have arranged the Hualien driver to come over and pick us up.

( Cingjing Green Pasture is brown in winter. I had expected the place to be bigger )

We entered the pasture from the north gate and walked down towards the direction of Guomin Guesthouse via the 步步高升 trail, passing by food stalls at the end of south gate of the pasture and Cingjing farm where the 2nd part of the walk begin. Amazing the walk downhill took more than 2 hours. Thank goodness we started from the top of the hill.

We retreated to Misting at 3.30pm, utterly exhausted and aghast at our poor physical state. A short rest and at 4.30pm we set off for the sunset trait, starting from the back door of our minsu. The trail was unmarked, unlit, unpaved leaving us to figure out where to observe the sunset. 4.45pm and 3 choices of locations, we found the lookout point beside the telcom water tower and before a tiny veg strip, which was a cliff actually.

( Nothing more romantic than sharing the end of the day with your loved one at sunset trail )

Sunset was an emotionally event as the sky turned yellow, crimson and then vermilion. We were reminded of Thomas Dylan's "Do not go gentle into the good night" as we see the sun fight its last fight in the horizon with darkness. Touching!

Totally dark and without street light, we whipped out solar torches and after a wrong detour in the semi darkness, made it back to the minsu in 10 minutes. So for those trying this trail, bring torches or risk getting lost in the cold dark hills!

Dinner at Misting was home cooked Yunnan food, 600 NT set for 2 that was more like for 3 persons. I recommend dining here because the service could not be beat and food reminds me of mum.

( Yunnan dishes at the minsu. Recommended for taste, portion, price )

A day in the mountains, touched icicles and viewed the peaks, witnessed sunrise and sunset, what more could I ask?

14 Dec 2009 Day 3 SML,Puli,Cingjing

( Our transport from Taichung-Jiji-SML-Cingjing)

Mr Liao came to pick us up at 9am. We skipped his suggestion to buy some more food and headed southwards the Jiji route, passing Ershui. We took a couple of shoots and 'accidentally' ended with lots of sugar plum lollipops! I posted a wooden postcard , 100NT, back home from the Jiji train station.

A side trip to try the ice Popsicle at Er Kan was a welcome treat as the weather was by then   unbearably hot, with compliments from Mr Liao.

Passed Shuili, we stopped at various spots south of Sun Moon Lake for more Kodak moments at vantage points, scenery accented with tea eggs and wild boar sausages. Mr Liao is indestructible in the heat and his accounts of various places and events vivid and interesting. But the most touching sight was the viewing of the underground water inlet that was the source of Sun Moon Lake. There was no words to describe the enormous energy and water gushing from the belly of the earth. Thankfully, there was no tour group around to jostle with. It is one of the best secrets at SML. Simply awesome!

(SML underground water source )

We went north to Puli and ended at a county run flower farm to enjoy the last blooms of lavender , petunia and daisies in the scorching winter sun. Finally, to establish routine,we had a very late lunch ( bianshi, lurou rice and fresh juice ) although they weren't very much needed.

At Puli, we tried free cookies at the very crowded winery but the winner was the tofu which was the most incredible snack of the day. We ended up with Shaoxin laced sausages which is so-so.

( Puli flower field in Dec )

Less than an hour later with very careful driving from Mr Liao because of my car sickness, we reached Misting Plaza, at Guominbinguan unfazzled and fresh. We bade goodbye and gladly parted with 3500 NT, money well spent on the excellent trip and an even better guide.

云蒙仙境 has all rooms on very steep slopes, not recommended for those with knee problems / heart problem etc. The bath tub was missing although they advertised it as there and there was no heating for the 12C night. But its view facing east will make tomorrow's sunset viewing very easy, from the comfort of the room.

( After overcoming the steep slope to the lobby, the second hurdle is the steps to our room )

We had steamboat dinner at the Chinese restaurant beside Starbucks.Its big reasonably priced portions is meant to be shared. I bought lots of bookmark pens . At 20 NT they are a steal.

Of course the day would not be complete without coffee at Starbucks , enjoyed alfresco in the cold.

By 8 pm, we were enjoying our star gazing at the balcony. The skies cleared of clouds and the sky was star filled, very touching. Orion looks bigger than usual. Geminids Meteor shower peaked this afternoon but I did not catch any shooting stars in the early part of the night. 11.30pm but still persistent, I again scanned the eastern sky and was richly rewarded. About 10 stars streaked across in 15 minutes, from the constellation of Gemini, near Orion. Some made long bright streaks, from left to right, others quickly faded. One went downwards, sending chills down my spine - what if it lands on earth? The mega thrill was when a very bright star with a dusty bright tail zipped past the sky!


I was deeply contented staring into the starry sky despite the cold. This is the experience of my life.

( Nice view and big room if you don't mind not having heater in winter )

That's how a holiday should be.

13 Dec 2009 Day 2 Taichung

We spent the day in Taichung downtown to be acquainted with the city. It was a good decision indeed.

From Zaw Jung Hotel, we made our way to the train station and over to the town center to purchase a box of assorted suncakes at 九个太阳 ( I couldn't locate 太阳堂 ). It was 240NT for 8 pieces, worth every NT spent. Suncakes are extremely flaky and buttery, fillings not too sweet, yumm!

From Ziyou road, we trooped to the Fine Arts Museum. It is one of the best art museum, not just its installation but also the sculpture filled exterior is a sight itself. However at a scorching 30C, the pleasure was somehow muted.

We made our way to Yi Zhong Rd for lunch, a cab ride 100NT away ( recommended here because cabbie said Jinming 1st Rd is quiet at 2pm). Located near the Taichung Park, it was bursting with activity and brimming with youthful energy.

We took bus 88 at Zhong Zheng Rd to Sogo, orientated ourselves and walked 2 BIG junctions over to Jingming 1st St for tea at Chun Shui Tang, now 4pm. Well worth the effort, its ambience could not be beat and we made happy conversation and took respite from the day's heat.

( 春水堂 in Taichung,off Sogo. Look at the size of the bubble tea! )

Another cab ride costing 150NT and Fengjia night market greeted us with lights,sounds and smell. We walked dazed from the overwhelming crowd for 2 hours and ate at a porridge store. We took a bus ( with no number ) heading to the train station, taking us slightly less than 1 hour. The city was vibrant with life and the bus passed by every place we went earlier in the day. At 25 NT, it was a good recap of our last day in Taichung.

We were back to Zaw Jung before 10 pm, eagerly awaiting for tomorrow. Mr Liao, the cabbie recommended by someone at tripadvisor.com will plan our trip , will be responsible for day 3's program and our trip eastwards to Cingjing.

Cingjing, here we come!

12 Dec 2009 Day 1 Taichung

We took 3K521 Jetstar Asia, departing from Changi T1 on schedule and touched down Taoyuan Airport 15 minutes earlier at 6.15 pm. Temperature was a lovely 20C.

( I am pleasantly surprised at the leg room in Jetstar. My fear of a very cramped 4.5 hour flight was for nothing! )

The money changer before the immigration was offering 22.67NT for 1 SGD so we changed some. Better than people's park and Changi airport.

Bought Ubus ticket ( 30NT per person ) at the left of arrival hall counter. Booth is highly distinguishable by lit "UBUS" signage. Hopped up Ubus 705, heading for Taoyuan HSR, Took us 20 mins to reach there only to find southbound tickets sold out except 8.10pm. Had a 30 minutes break at MOS burger before catching HSR 1481 southbound for Taichung. In our haste, we missed buying the SIM card ( booths being located at the right of the departure hall ).

A cool 37 minutes was all we needed to get to Taichung but it would be better if we had traveled in the day. Speed was somewhat swallowed by the night, so the thrill was not really there.

Met Mr. Liao's buddy at basement exit 7 after much long distance calls (!). 20 minutes and 270NT ( with compliments from Mr Liao )later we reached Zaw Jung hotel .

It was a hotel with nothing to shout about ( basic toilet facilities,minimal toiletries,poor sound proofing, windowless although the hot water dispensor was nice ) and at 9.30pm, looks like the most unhappening place in Taichung. I twice walked past the hotel, missing it because of the non-descript shop front . Not to mention, it can only be reached from Taichung rear station via an underpass accessible from the main station.

( From across the road, rear station side, you locate the hotel by its more conspicuous neighbour )

We trooped over to a couple of telco to look for sim card without success because we needed proof of residency in Taiwan, besides our passport. Futile mission, so we will use our M1 prepaid sim card from now on.

Zhongxiao Night market was a hodge podge of stalls 200 m down the road with cars,scooters and pedestrians jostling for a place on the road. We ate ice at the first stall we saw to greatly regret it. No mango ice as advertised by Taiwan Tourism because it is not in season. Never shop or eat on impulse.

15 minutes was all we needed to check out the hotel vicinity. If the place and food fails to please, its people more or less make up for it. This place seems to be inhabited with wonderfully polite and patient people which overrides all other misgivings.

This is a promising sign of a wonderful 14 days in Taiwan.

The final plan

The issue of a travel plan almost stalled because of fatigue. The enthusiasm for the travel started early but sizzled two months before the actual day. Finally mustering all the discipline I could find, I drafted the final plan. Excitement returned in trickles when I started interviewing prospective Taiwanese-speaking chauffeurs for the various leg of the trip.

This is supposed to be a budget trip on a minimal scale, but has since expanded to include 3 drivers for 3 legs of the trip. The justification for the extravagance is that transportation on public transport with 3 luggage is way too cumbersome. On the other hand, because of direct connection from Taichung to Cingjing and Cingjing to Hualien, we are able to free up 2 days for more sightseeing.

Let's hope it will turn out to be near to my plans. I am keeping my fingers crossed.