Sunrise and Sleepy Train Rides

Rob and I woke up at 5:00 a.m to catch the famous Alishan sunrise over the mountains. We didn't get the cloud sky effect the mountain is known for, but it was still lovely to be curled up on the couch on our balcony watching the sky.

We lingered over the beautiful breakfast (honey plantain muffins!) and dragged our feet to leave the loveliest hotel of the trip. We remarked on the cool room numbers, cherry blossom video in the elevator, and animal-sound tunnel to the lobby as we sadly rolled out our luggage.

Our melancholy was soon forgotten as we hiked around the Alishan forest. Our guide pointed out a local variety of bamboo that looks perfectly normal, but when you wrap your hand around it, you realize it's actually square. My mind is still trying to reconcile it.

Romi shmied around the cute little town while we hiked, and we meet up to take the Alishan Forest Railway, an historic train that goes through the mountains. The views were spectacular, and the train rickety enough that the swaying put Romi right to sleep. 

We enjoyed traditional working lunch boxes sitting at the train station, watching as it rained. We made our way down the mountain on yet another winding Taiwanese road. The roads are well paved and marked, which is a good thing because at times the rain was real or a cloud engulfed us, seriously limiting visibility. 

Next up was Sun Moon Lake, the largest lake on the island. For a great view, we walked up a million steps, just to get to a pagoda with a million more. Luckily it was absolutely worth it. The lake is impressive and unspoiled and sacred to the indigenous people.  

The game plan was to bike around the lake, but the rain defeated us. We were able to check out Wenwu Temple, which was built in a Northern China palace style and was therefore much more ornate. The intricate carvings stood out even among imposing features and shrines.

Our last meal with Life of Taiwan was at a splurgy vegetarian restaurant on the 16th floor of a department store in Taichung. The set menu was ample and the food delicious. We especially liked the salad with a wide variety of fruit, tofu pudding with some sort of sweet drizzle, and the filled steamed sesame buns that were black with a gold decoration. 

We bid goodbye to our guide, who had taken such good care of us, and checked into the iCloud Luxury Hotel. I'm not certain how to describe this place. It's a throwback to what would have been considered chic in the '80s, with plush couches in a gray velvet, hot tub bathtub, wallpapered walls and upholstered everything. But it has great air conditioning, two double beds (rare in Asia), and plenty of space. As a bonus we are handwashing some clothes and using the sauna as a dryer.