This weekend proved the importance of making the best out of every situation. A remarkable number of things went wrong, yet, when I look back at the weekend, all I can think is how much I enjoyed it. I have felt a bit trapped in Changhua for the last few weeks, and have been itching for a good road trip, and I finally got that this weekend in an 11-person scooter convoy to Sun Moon Lake, which is about 2-3 hours away from Changhua (though in a smaller group with fewer mishaps, I imagine that timing decreases significantly). Sun Moon lake has been at the top of my list of "places to visit" for many months now, partially because it was new to me, partially because it is the largest body of water in Taiwan, and partially because of the mountains and forests which surround it. The area entices you to spend time outdoors in the fresh air, while the smoldering sun and periodic rain fight to make you regret it. There is simultaneously a lot to do and nothing to do, depending on what your interests are. A lot of the area surrounding the lake is occupied by one of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes, and the shopping and cultural centers could entertain any visitor for hours. For those looking to get away from people and money, there are hiking trails through the mountains and bamboo forests. Unfortunately, the main appeal of the area is obviously the beautiful blue lake, but swimming is not allowed (the locals say it is because there are piranhas in the water, but I suspect it is because of the cleanliness of the water and the unfortunately large number of Taiwanese people who can't swim).
 |
| A view of the lake from the cable cars. |
So, with all of these options, what did we find to do? For a taste of the scenic beauty the lake had to offer, we took a trip through the mountains in a cable car ride. The ride was short, and quite frankly, overpriced for what it had to offer (especially considering we were not going to the Aboriginal Cultural Center/amusement park to which the cars provide half of the transportation), but it did provide some nice photo opportunities. After the gondolas we had lunch at the lake-front, and that is when the rain started, and what began as periodic showers became a mountain downpour which was not particularly fun to drive in, so we waited most of it out in the Wenwu temple before driving 40 minutes to our hostel (which by the way, we rented an entire hostel building, that is how large this group was) in Jiji.
Oh Jiji...that was the second leg of our journey. Jiji is also in Nantou county, but is on the opposite side of the tourism spectrum. While Sun Moon Lake is a popular tourist destination full of hotels, restaurants, shops, and things to do, Jiji is the smallest town in Taiwan and has very little to do, see, and unfortunately eat (as we discovered during multiple meals). Saturday night was spent in our hostel, eating pizza and playing word games until the wee small hours of the morning so we would be well rested for our busy Sunday. An impressive number of sites were seen by us today, beginning with the saddest waterfall I have ever seen, a mere trickle of water on a mountain side (though I am under the impression it has down-periods and up-periods of water flow). Then it was off to a collapsed temple and military park, two sites which I have seen and written about before. After that we went to the endemic species research institute, and the train station, and then set off towards home.
 |
| This might not be the most impressive waterfall in the world... |
 |
| Hanging out in the military park in Jiji |
Now you know the good side of the weekend, but we did have a lot of mishaps along the way, primarily involving scooters. For a time-frame spanning less than 48 hours we experienced a flat tire, a faulty engine, and a broken belt (not all on the same scooter thankfully). The more scooters involved in a trip, the more likely these problems are to occur, and considering foreigners are likely to own second-hand scooters, the likelihood is further increased. All of this begs the question "How did my friends and I make it around the island for Chinese New Year without scooter problems?". I've got my fingers crossed, I have yet to experience a major malfunction with my scooter.
No comments:
Post a Comment