Day 17Poured last night. The sun shined through for a bit first time. Very pretty can see these oceans of clouds out my window.
Alishan isn't just a place of beauty and with wonderful tea. For me, Alishan was a place that reminded me why I have affinities with America.
This is the train station outside the hostel. See the earth missing beneath the rail road tracks. This all happened last August. This hostel has been closed this entire time because the road into the hostel was block from mountain slide.
This is the main parking lot in front of the visitor center. The bus pick up is across in front of Seven Eleven.
High Mountain tea leaves that just got laid out for drying, freshly picked.
It is still very early in the morning. I paid for a ticket on a sold out bus. I insisted on standing to get onto the bus. The price was the same. I got to the bus before another standing ticket person did and I asked the bus driver to give me the first available seat for no show. This bus driver was and elderly gentleman. I had doubts about safety on the bus down the mountain. When the bus all loaded up with passengers I asked about the shotgun seat left empty for local Alishan residents and he told me to hop into it I can sit there. Perfect front seat, avoids car sickness and I had to hop over the rail to get into it with my pack on. People on the bus felt very entertained. I got onto the first bus out of Alishan for the day.
There were road closures and certain times the road is open for traffic. If you miss the time you will have to wait another hour and half. I am so glad I got onto this bus.Here we are waiting a little under an hour for the traffic time to open all the cars are lined up, even the mopeds. Lots of people ride mopeds and tour the island with friends.
This wonderful cute bus driver was actually trying to pick up a phone call while driving. His ear piece I had thought was a hearing aide was actually for his cell phone. I have to give him credit, this was one smooth bus ride in the mountain. One of the smoothest I have been on and we still made it to the train station in quick time. We didn't loose anyone on the bus, no one barfed.
Almost missed the train. How? Well, a train came for Kaoshong and I saw the board that flashed the name and the train that pulled in and asked other passengers if it was the train for Kaoshong, they all confirmed. None of them were wrong except it wasn't my train. My train was due to arrive 8 minutes later. I wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for a Hong Kong couple headed for Kaoshong that was on my bus out of Alishan who refused to get onto this train. What is the different, this is the slower train and it arrives a whole hour and half later and stops at many stations. I would have still arrived in Kaoshong but much later. It was a good thing I didn't just jump on. The trains are on time and is on deck for like 2 minutes including rolling in time. On the train to KaoShong. I love how these kick steps are made for my height. I can actually reach! It really makes a big difference in comfort level.
At the Kaoshong train station I got a bit confused in locating the bus station for Kenting Express Bus. Here is how you do it. There are many exits and leads to different places. Exit the bus station exit. At the doors of the train station facing the street you will see a bus stop. This is the bus stop for local buses within Kaoshong. Look to your left, you will see two buildings across the street, one on your right is KuoGuang Bus, a bigger bus station. The one to the left of it that looks like a hole in the wall that you don't want to go near is the Kenting Express Bus. When you go in, asked for Kenting BaBa Hao. "BaBa" means 88, the bus goes on highway 88 instead of stopping at every bus stop all the way to Kenting that is why it is the express. I missed the station because it was a hole in the wall looking thing and I didn't want to go in it, so instead I kept walking on the street and even asked people where to get on to the bus, no one knew. So, I chased after the Kenting Express Buses I kept seeing on the street and I was a fool running after the buses and was slow and kept missing them and couldn't flag any down. Until one at the corner of the train station who was about to make a turn into the bus station and the driver told me to step into the dark hole in the wall place. It was a good thing the driver didn't pick me up because it was the wrong Kenting bus for me. It wasn't the express bus even though it said Kenting Express. Kenting Express is the company name and also the name of the bus route. Confused yet? I didn't even know I was confused when I was confused. So I bought a ticket and made it onto the bus with VIP first class airline seats. It was comfortable. I put on my ear plugs to keep out the motor sound and just napped until I got there. I asked the driver to shout out to me when I arrived at the Hostel so I can get off.
The bus drops me off at the hostel, it is a bus stop too. I walked in through the gate of the property and rounded through trees in the garden and walking path and saw this site, wow! It was beautiful architecture modeled after FuJian classic style. It is situated off the ocean, totally beautiful and the sounds of the waves were music to my ears. I was so excited. The wifi happens at the guest registration area.
This is spring break week and there are concerts on the beaches and bus loads of school students from schools of Taiwan are here all in one week, elementary, Jr High, High School, University,... they are also staying at the hostel, this is why the place is full. But somehow, I got a room all to myself, totally nice.
This is a traditional carriage for a single person carried by people.
Sunset, a few steps off my room. It is over cast and windy so the sky and ocean are both gray.
I spotted south beach, where I am staying as a place full of Thai Food. I was excited to see all the Thai food available and Taiwan being a vegetarian friendly place will have good selections to choose from and tasty. I had a Thai curry, my waiter served it just right, I didn't have to tell him no this, no that, etc... freaking out the chef that he doesn't know what to do and then turns out something totally strange and foreign and after all that trouble, I would dare to not eat it, .....no. NO trouble here and eat every bit.
On the street there were pin ball machines to play with. I love pin ball.
Just another fun vendor trying to make money tonight.
Shops on the street all in short walking distance from the hostel gates, like a minute. Because the grounds of the hostel is large you don't feel like you are in downtown when you are inside. I love the combination of both world, resort refuge and convinience of modern world. On the street the first floor are shops and often the second floor is a bedroom for rent mostly queen bed, shower, etc.. you can see the picture on the register or just ask to go upstairs and see and ask for the price, pretty competitive prices.
Early in the night before the mobs of students flocked the streets. I had fun eating and shopping. I was so stuffed I think I would have indigestion. Tempting to stay another night or two to eat good food and do more shopping. But the weather isn't great and I won't be doing any swimming in this jade green sea, it's more like gray black with high storm winds. But it's pretty nice place to hang out and just relax.My spendings today looks like this:
Alishan to Chiayi Bus ticket 221NT 9:10am departure arrived 12pm
Chiayi Train to KaoShong ticket 346NT 12:30pm departure arrived 1:45pm
Express Kenting Bus ticket from KaoShong to Kenting 355NT 2:15pm departure arrived 4:20pm
Boarding 600NT per night.
Thai Curry rice dinner 200NT unlimited drinks
Fried King Oyster Mushrooms 90NT one and half order
Shorts 150NT
Swim Suit 600NT
2 dresses 1,000NT
summer top 100NT
hair band 35NT
Although this morning would have been the perfect morning to catch sunrise at YuShan (Jade Mountain) I knew I had a full day of travels and would be tired, I am glad I skipped out on sunrise watch getting up at 3am. It was the help of last night's pouring rain that helped out to make the cancellation. Being tired and all I was disoriented and almost missed trains and buses.
Tonight's experience was wonderful. Being around all these kids reminded me of how old I am, what age I am at and I felt very present and grateful and comfortable.
People traveled in groups. I was the only solo traveler tonight. Do I feel out of place? No. Can people spot me out from a far? Yes. Only because I stood out from the norm.
Mr. Lee called me tonight. I felt bad I didn't call him. But I didn't want him to know where else I was going so he won't worry. Well, he worries for me. He was worried for me to go to Jade Mountain by myself, it was a place of trails that are more in areas of challenges and high risk for injuries and accidents based on the nature of the mountain. He was relieved I didn't go. I didn't tell him more that I am headed out to LyuDao by myself tomorrow, he might worry more.
