Well, I'm back. Back to work as well. Time for a recap.
13th March:
So, we woke up early in the morning and made our way down to Changi Airport. The grandparents were there too. I'm not going to go into too much details here. Just that this day was a very unfortunate day and that "suayness" can come in many forms. Simply put, this day was 'Bloody Brilliant'.
First, the computer system for China Airlines went down in Changi Airport. They had to check each passenger in by hand. Then, the computer system got working again, so the handwritten stuff was nil. Check-in again.
Little did we know that the tour group will missed the flight due to overbooking. Yes, I know that overbooking among airlines is a norm, it's the "surest" way to cut down possible losses. But, this day, they didn't foresee that due to the large number of students taking the flight to return home, the chances of a vacant seat was close to none. That, was China Airlines' fault.
We missed our flight despite the initial thought that the flight will wait since it was already delayed because of the slow check-in. And the tour group was the only one left behind. Chan Brothers was at fault too. They didn't send enough man-power to help our group. Other tour agencies had 2-3 staff at hand to take roll-call and check-in procedure. Us? It's just one person. I understand that not everything was his fault, he's only a man, how can he run both sides?
The manager of China Airlines compensated each of us S$150 each and we were to take Garuda Airlines to Jakarta, Indonesia before transiting to China Airlines. The flight from Singapore to Jakarta was terrible. Our new China Airlines flight was delayed, again. Besides, instead of the initial 4 hours journey to Taiwan, it now went to 5 hours.
Finally, we touched in Taoyuan International Airport, hours behind our original schedule. We could have reached in the afternoon, but no, because of so many contributing factors, we had to reach there at night.
Then, when things couldn't get any worse, my family luggage weren't there. The other tour group members safely claimed their luggage, but not us. We found out that they went to KL. How brilliant is that? It's like we're on the roll, except that it's bad luck. Actually, my father already said beforehand that somebody luggage will get lost in the mess.
For the first time, we can claim insurance. And for the first time, we have to nothing except the clothes on our back and hand-carried bags.
The tour guide was kind enough to make us a stop at a local mart to get our necessities. The hotel we checked into is pretty nice. Four Points by Sheraton. We were treated to this gigantic plate of fried rice each after all that hours spent a-wasting on air and ground.
Thankfully, I wore a tank-top inside my dress-shirt. I could, at least, wear my jacket with my tank top for sleeping.
14th March:
A brand new day! We made our first stop at the National Palace Museum. It houses the very famous Jadeite Cabbage from the Qing Dynasty among other ancient Chinese relics and treasures.
The place was chock-full of people, mostly tourists, I think. We aren't allow to take photographs inside the museum and have to wear this earpiece when the tour guide converse with us. The signal isn't very good and it keep picking up conversations in Japanese and English that the other tour guides were speaking.
As the place was crowded, we visited only a few exhibitions. It is quite interesting though, although I have the feeling of information overload. I love history, except the dates and what not part.
My brothers bought a lot of pseudo cabbages as souvenirs.
After lunch, we went to Ximenting which is this busy street with all sorts of street food and clothes targeted at the young and trendy. It is something like Bugis Street in Singapore. Since it was a Sunday, naturally, the place was crowded with the younger generation.
I bought a shirt quite unwilling, because I had to change. The luggage had not arrived. Besides, it's not like it's a habit of mine to wear a new shirt not washed yet.
We tried the white bittergourd juice mixed with lemon. It's very refreshing indeed. I just love the taste of bittergourd despite the fact that I don't eat bittergourd at all. I wanted to buy one of those shiny white bittergourd back.
The tour guide took us to take the metro and then the bullet train down Taichung where we will be visiting Fengjia Night Market. We had mini steamboat for dinner.
We did not stay long at Fengjia Night Market. It's crowded, smelly and generally, not my cup of tea. I realised that for the Taiwanese, motorcycles must be quite affordable. There are road lanes dedicated to motorcyclists and the road sides have parking lots of motorcycles. It seems as though majority of the young generation can afford a motorcycle.
We went to this Nike store and I bought a shirt there.
Stayed the night at DeBao Hotel. Tonight, we'll be getting our luggage back. Hooray! Normally, it will take more than 2 days to reach, but my father asked for the express delivery which meant that we will have to pay US$50 for it.
15th March:
Bright and early morning. Left the hotel for Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village. It was a long journey. Past by many mountains.
Taiwan officially has 9 tribes, but they spilt it to 14 as of now. It is said that a fifteenth one is coming. So, the Culture Village we went to preserve the culture Taiwan's 9 hill-tribes. These include the houses, living styles, clothing and equipment, etc.
It is very informative and I enjoyed myself. The Village also boost a very lovely and grand European-styled garden in which the drama series, The Little Princess, filmed at. Furthermore, there is a theme park inside this Village too.
At first, we rode the cable car up to the top of the mountain with the tour guide which we'll then make our way down on foot and see the different things by ourselves.
The weather was quite cooling there. We stayed till 4pm before going to Wenwu Temple. It overlooks Sun Moon Lake and the water was lit up with the setting sun beams. It is a pretty sight.
We stayed the night at Miracolo View Hotel. Wonder how the hotel got its name? I reckon it is because the rooms overlook the magnificent Sun Moon Lake. My room is quite luxurious. Not only is the bathroom beautifully and wonderfully equipped, there is also a window bench made with clear glass and wood. It's Japanese-styled.
16th March:
Woke up very early to take pictures of the rising sun and the waters of Sun Moon Lake. Indeed, it's a sight to be reckoned. It is misty in the morning. It seems as though the waters and the sky are one.
Left for Sitou National Forest Recreational Area. It is an area with trails and accommodations. It is a one of the many preserved forested area in Taiwan. Tall trees and blooming flowers are in abundance here given the cooling weather. Occasionally, thick mist will rolled across the skies like waves. Took lots and lots of photographs here.
Went to the University Pond where university students of the past used to hang out at. There is a bamboo bridge across the pond and all seems whimsical.
Next stop was NanYuan Resort Farm where we will stay the night. Today is one of our more relaxed schedule.
The rooms in the farm is built in the European-style. Everything is made of wood and each room area is really big. The houses are built on water and the window overlook the pond. The beds are these Japanese-made healthy beds that are supposed to improve blood circulation and work out your kinks.
There are lots of activities on the farm, even water golf. There is a tiny plot of land in the middle of the pond and one is supposed to hit the ball there. Of course, if you missed, the ball fall into the water. It is pretty difficult to achieve that.
We were taken on a tour around the farm when we first arrived. We had a cruise around a huge pond and got introduced to the different kinds of plants in the farm. Flowers are extremely luscious here.
