Oh Alishan!

Finally reaching the top of Alishan Mountain and looking over Tashan Mountain

 And we're off! At 6 AM and Ella and I were on a train bound for the capital city where we wandered around for a few blocks before finally finding the 3-floor bus station in which our bus was located.

 We miraculously managed to find our bus to Chaiyi only minutes before departure. About 6 hours later we are dropped off at the train station of Chaiyi. From there we grabbed some mind blowing fruit tea and hopped on yet another bus to go up the Alishan mountains. Two hours later we finally reached the town where we would be spending the night. Between the long chats, the cocktails and the view, however, we did not feel like we wasted the day traveling--we were definitely already in vacation mode, and the journey itself was enjoyable.

Our bus trip up the mountain

Even on the bus, some sights made me catch my breath

The 2.5 hour bus ride up the mountain was really amazing. It was incredible to watch the forest change from tropical to deciduous right before my eyes. We passed the tiniest villages, farms full of coconut and banana trees, mountains as far as the eye can see and tea fields in abundance. Alishan is known to have the best Oolong tea in the world.

Endless beauty

Farms in Taiwan look very different from farms in Michigan!

The tea fields

By the time that we checked in to our cozy little hotel room at Gau Shan Ching hotel (on the very edge of the mountains) twilight was falling upon us. But that wasn't about to stop us. We wanted to see the nearby temple of Ciyun and the natural phenomenons that our map showed were only 2 km away. So we set off and ran into a few Taiwanese couples who said that we should go back because it would take one hour to reach the temple. We reached in less than 20 minutes. The Taiwanese tend to walk a lot slower than us westerners (imagine that, mom!). The temple was next to a beautiful koi pond and although we couldn't go inside, the outside was worth the short trip.

The koi pond

Ciyun temple

Ciyun temple doors

A stone tiger carving right outside the main door of Ciyun temple

A golden peacock ceiling on the porch of the Ciyun temple!

We did get caught in the dark after the temple but we didn't mind at all, it made the manicured trails much more adventurous! It also meant that we had the entire woods to ourselves with the exception of two that we kept running into. After about the 3rd time of running into India and Jaxon we decided to team up with them for the rest of the trails.

It was towards the end of our woodland adventure that the fireworks began to burst and the full moon was in clear view. It was, after all, the actual night of Moon Festival (believe me, Ella and I ate plenty of mooncakes to celebrate!).

As we heard the fireworks sound, we found ourselves on a platform overhanging the edge of the mountains, just us five. We were close to the highest point in Taiwan, and were looking down at the clouds slowly rolling through the mountain peaks; we were at eye level with the full moon that lit the surrounding mountains. Small towns speckled the darkness like stars below, as if we were in space. It is one of those sights that is etched into the memory so vividly that the snow white version of ones self sees it in old age; one of those stories told to grandchildren about the time in ones life that choices are made without quite so much thought and often results in the sort of wonder that many will never experience. And I'm glad this is so, because none of us had a camera good enough to capture that sort of beauty in absolute darkness, not that any camera could do any part of the Alishan Mountain range's beauty justice.

By the time that we reached town again we were in a great mood and starving, so we found a little restaurant that was once a railroad car and ate some wild boar and trout hot pot. Hot pot is one of the most common dishes found in Taiwan.

Wild boar

Yes, that is a full trout in our hot pot. We just sort of peeled away at him with our fork.

Hot pot is a sort of soup. Some are pre-mixed and just continue to boil table-side to cook it as it is scooped out for all members of the table. Others are individual hot pots, the ingredients chosen and put into the boiling water to ones taste. From vegetables to meat, to mushrooms to noodles to spices--whatever floats your boat can be put into your hot pot. They are more popular in the winter, presumably because of the colder weather.

This hot pot is from a different adventure--the night that I met Fae's parents. To the left are my uncooked vegetables, noodles and meatballs. In the center is my uncooked beef. To the right is my water that has not yet come to a boil. Interacting with your food is very popular in Taiwan.

India and Ella looking over the menu

It was a fantastic first day of our first vacation! Stay tuned for day two!