Day 12 : Typhoon Day....

it was already raining heavily in the morning...so couldn't really go out to explore...slack in the room while watching more news of the typhoon and the Middle East crisis...went out in the late afternoon for lunch after the rain stopped...went to a bookstore to take a look at some books...then when i was walking past a shop...someone actually approach me to ask me if i wanna work as a sale personal there lol...but told her i wasn't a local...called to check the transportation status to Nantou (南投) area since i planned to stay 1 night at Hehuan (合歡) recreational area and 1 night at Wuling farm (武陵農場)...and needed to check if buses are still running after the typhoon in case roads might be blocked due to landslides and stuffs...bought some tibits before heading back to the hostel in the evening, luckily just before it started to rain heavily again lol...yeah in Taiwan, they are actually really environment friendly...almost everywhere rubbish bins are classified as both recyclable and normal trash...what more, u actually need to pay a small fee of 1NT to get a plastic carrier at convenient shops!...i also remembered Kevin telling me that people will get fine if they do not separate their household wastes into recyclable and normal thrash...also got myself a jacket to prepare for the cold temperature when i head up to Hehuan mountain and Wuling farm...of cos, more slacking inside the room...=p

me slacking in my room and my messy bed =/
too bored lol...took a picture of myself posing in my new sweater

Next >>> Day 13 : Lishan and Wuling Farm

Day 11 : Lukang and Taichung

woke up early in the morning and had my free breakfast provided by the youth hostel...the uncle at the restaurant was really friendly...chatted with him while i eat...he was rather surprised that i could actually speak such good chinese as he had always thought that Singaporeans only speak English haha...anyway i took an hour bus to Lukang (鹿港) at Zhanghua (彰化), just south of Taichung...walking around and can sense that big wind has already starting to blow, first sign of typhoon!...could see that some of the roadside tentages starting to fly alittle lol...some shop keepers in fact have already starting to pack up even thou it is still so early in the day...ate 麵線糊 for lunch at this little shop...wow really delicious...end up eating 2 bowls of it...walk around again and i probably dun even know where i am heading to thou...kinda lost in the so many alleys intertwining with each others...but those alleys are rather unique and interesting, u know like in those 武俠小說 that kind haha...finally manage to find my way around after some asking around...went to Tienhou Temple (天后宮)...lots of people praying there since the Ghost Festival is starting tomolo...ate more foods from the roadside stalls...tried out those small fried prawns and crabs...really tasty haha...headed back to Taitung in the evening...rested a while before going for dinner at Zhonghua Night Market (中華夜市) and Yucai Night Market (育才夜市)...there isn't alot at Zhonghua NM, but Yucai NM was really crowded with university students and teenagers...somewat like Ximending of Taipei...things there are of cos really cheap too as they mostly cater to the students...eat and eat and eat again!...went back to the hostel and that night, i had the whole room to just myself =p

the shop i went to eat my 麵線糊...note the "無餓不坐" lol
alleys of Lukang



entrance to the Lukang market place

天后宮





fried prawns and crabs

nice hand made wooden musical boxes

this home belongs to one of the richest man there

Next >>> Day 12 : Typhoon Day....

Day 10 : Sun Moon Lake

drove up to Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in the morning...quite a distance actually from Taichung...was quite nice, but not very impressive i will say...maybe different seasons have a different feeling...walked around before we took a small ride around the lake...then we went to the Snake Kiln Ceramics Cultural Park (蛇窯) at 水里...it is a nice place to go for pottery lover...got to learn how pottery is done, lots of pottery arts...quite interesting...wanted to make one myself, but didn't do it since i dun wanna to make a mess lol...went back to Taichung and check in my youth hostel...finally farewell to Kevin while he made his way back to 高雄...it was really nice of him to take leaves to accompany me for the few days...we talk about lots of stuff, from politics to game to almost everything...got to more about each other country's culture and living lifestyle...once again, lots and lots of thanks to Kevin for his time and effort!...hope he enjoyed himself too =) ...i went down Zhongxiao Night Market (忠孝夜市) for dinner...i am really addicted to red tea lol...at least drank like 3 of them everyday haha...in the night, a army officer joined me in the 3 room dorm...his name was Jackie...he told me the various interesting places to go in Taichung and Taipei...also gained some insights into the army life of Taiwanese...all Taiwanese guy must serve the military for a certain period, pretty much like what is happening in Singapore...saw the news on TV...another typhoon coming towards Taiwan, reaching on Tuesday perhaps...damn...need to reschedule my plan again haha...

muachi making
posing at Sun Moon Lake

view of the lake







nice flowers

higher view of the lake

lucky it didn't fall haha

wood used for burning at the furnace

the front view of the furnace

old tools used for pottery

lol...jap soldiers actually fought in those!!!

front entrance to the furnace

me!

some pottery pieces



side view

i am the 店小二!!!

at the side entrance

it is pretty dark inside

freshly made pottery

a pottery master hard at work

at the garden





honey bees...........eeeeeeeee

my 3 beds room, not bad for a really cheap price

lots of stuff to choose from and cheap too haha

Next >>> Day 11 : Lukang and Taichung

Day 9 : Sunrise at Alishan!!!

we moved out from Kaohsiung just pass midnight...the journey there and up is really long and dark...takes around 1 hour to Chiayi (嘉義) and another 2 hours++ up Alishan (阿里山) itself...road is really winding round and round...turn left, right, left, right...must have been really tiring on Kevin =/ ...i also introduced our Singapore local singers to him...Kelly and Kevin...and he really likes Kelly's songs...so glad cos i think Kelly is really good too hehe...reached there around 3.30am...took a short nap before taking the Alishan Forest Railway up to the peak which is situated near Zhushan Station (祝山)...it is around a 30 mins train ride...and damn it was really cold!...temperature is at 8 degree celcius and i didn't bring any sweater with me lol...so i just have to make do with wearing 2 shirts lol...so fun that i experienced the temperature extreme within days...38 degree at Green Island and now 8 at Alishan lol...the sunrise is abit after 5.30am...so the guide took this time to explain to us the surroundings as well as provided us with some information...the position and time of the sunrise actually changes according to seasons...we were at around 2500m above sea level and just directly opposite us is the Yushan (玉山)'s peak which is at 3900++m, tallest in Taiwan...maybe i can plan to conquer it someday hehe...finally the moment of truth...it is really damn damn spectacular!!!...it takes only a minute for the sun to appear from nothing to its full bloom...most of us just couldn't take our eyes off it althou it does start to get abit glaring haha...all the sleeplessness is definitely worthed it i think for just this 1 minute ^^ ...no amount of words or pictures can describe it and you just have to see it yourself...and i am really lucky cos the past 6 days, they haven't been able to see the sunrise due to bad weather...and Kevin has come here like 10 times and only saw 3 sunrises out of them...blessed!!!...took the train back down and found a place where we managed to steal some sleep in the car lol...then we continue to head down to Fengqi Lake (奮起湖) to have our lunch...abit of sight-seeing around before finally driving back to Chiayi to meet another Taiwan friend 毀滅 (dunno his real name >.< ) ...relax and play a little online game before me and Kevin move out for Taichung (台中)...check out the youth hostel that i gonna stay for the next few days before we found a cheap hotel to stay for the night...wanted to meet another friend 小天...but too bad we couldn't find her...hit the night market for dinner and finally more sleep haha...

the place where u take the last stretch of the railway to the peak
man and woman...young and old rushing to catch the sunrise

can't see me can u? lol

before the sun pops out

our guide introducing to us the surroundings

the sun is coming!

full burst of the sun rays within a minute!

hmm...where do you find a last train at 6am!!!...and Kevin caught in a candid shot =p

me and the train at the back

people gathering at the train station, waiting to get down

few of the mountain forest railways left in the world that we travelled on

surrounding where we took a break

railway thru the forest

more scenery

entrance to the small town of 奮起湖...which isn't a lake actually

the popular 便當 with fair share of meats and veggies + tasty bamboo shoot soup

famous place where they make the best 便當

hmmm...wonder what caught my eyes lol

me and those old time steam powered train that operates on coal

i always like bamboos alot...no idea why haha

Next >>> Day 10 : Sun Moon Lake