Sun Moon Lake Long Weekend!

I lived up to my promise and took a day off a few weeks ago so I could go away for a long weekend and then some other people thought I was a genius so they joined me on my trip to Sun Moon Lake! It was amazing-we booked bus tickets ahead of time, met at school with our bags, were on our way to catch the bus - all good - then I rememered I left the tickets for everyone at home - so I had to get a taxi back home and fetch them. Great start as I was the laughing stock - Organised Rom Messes Up Again!

But then things got better - we arrived at about 1am and found our hotel-5 people sharing one big room, 3 beds and one bathroom - mmmnnn! Next day we found Starbucks and then walked around the lake - it's really serene and tranquil there. We went on a short "hike" up a road to a tea research centre and meteorological station - but it was very, very hot. I mean really hot so I was whingy! Took some great photos though. Across the lake, by a short expensive boat trip, is a rather touristy village where we found Indian food and rice wine and lots and lots of Made In China stuff. We had a delicious dinner and a good rest that night. Then on Sunday we hired scooters (I was a passenger for 1/2 the day and a whizzing driver for about 2 hours ) and we drove around to a very special temple, a pagoda built for Chiang Kai Shek's mother and to the Aboriginal Cultural Village/Amusement park! Talk about contrasts and contradictions! It was a perfect day for me - adventure, peace, nature and rollercoasters but Gordon was a little sick but very brave!

Honda left that night and the rest of us had a a few moonlit drinks. Niall & Darren left early the next day and Gordon and I went to Puli to tour the Winery & Brewery which was badly damaged in the 1999 earthquake. We ate a lot of wine products and it poured with rain - so very memorable. We took the bus back to Taipei and I saw my first Taiwanese rainbow - I felt so blessed to share such a different and quiet part of Taiwan with good friends - that's why I'm here after all!