Continued our journey from Alishan 阿里山 back to JiaYi 嘉義, we caught the next train from JiaYi to TaiChung. It's very interesting learn the background and type of train/coach to choose. They have many models and its very assembling what JR train has in Japan. Obviously, trains in Taiwan were built by the Japanese. (Visit Taiwan Railway official web (in Chinese) for more info - 悠遊台灣鐵道）
TaiChung 台中
Transportation: Upon arriving back at JiaYi station, the weather turned warm at ~26C. No other choice but to change my top.
Tips : Do have a spare T-shirt handy in your hand luggage, without needing to search further in the main luggage bag.
We caught the earliest train to TaiChung.
Train from JiaYi - TaiChung
TaiChung train station was not as neat and tidy as I expected. It was so cramp, living very limited space for crowds to move. Plus, it was slightly hazy that day. i-center was rather small and tiny, we couldn't step in earlier. Do not mistake TaiChung train station with its High Speed Railway (HSR) as they are both located at different location nor building. Slight mis-integration in their transport system, however, rapid bus is still available to link both.
TaiChung Train Station
Upon checking in our hotel, which was just footsteps away from the station...
Accommodation : TaiChung Honeydew Hotel 哈密瓜旅店. Location wise its very convenient. Unfortunately I wouldn't recommend it, as we couldn't check in even after 2PM. The check in time was 6PM. It's fine as long as we could still drop our luggage. Overall rating, its below 1 star. Hotel room was dark and moldy smelled. A nearby budget hotel, namely Kiwi Express 奇異果快捷旅店 looks more promising.
HouLi 后里
The haze was quite bad that afternoon. Partner has a few options to choose, if we wanted to go shopping or cycling. Being a minimalist on travel luggage, I chose to avoid shopping at the earlier stop of our journey, reason being we will be dragged upon when maneuvering around the cities later on.
There we head ourselves to HouLi, a suburb of TaiChung. Took a 30min train from TaiChung station. We should have bought a 2 ways ticket, since we knew we are heading back. Heard there were discounted.
Train to HouLi
Small township - HouLi
Bike rental shop just in front of the station
This bike rental shop owners were friendly. We chose single bike for each, while the rental was only NT100-150 each, unlimited ride time as long as we return by 6pm. They would recommend some route, while we could also ride in the town itself. It was a Saturday, and there were lots of families and kids we out there for family outings. The route of ~15KM 2 ways were quite congested with family bikes, it can be slightly stressful, but observing the Taiwanese family lifestyle, it's worth a value to see happy faces and family ties over weekend. Instead back home here, the very famous family outing will be the shopping malls. Sad to see.
Contacts in case anyone interested.
The ride brought us to a horse racing field, towards a ex-train road which then converted to bicycle dedicated route. Cross the river, towards the tunnel namely 九號隧道。I didn't have my GoPro in this trip, instead a compact camera. Here find the short (bumpy) video taken...
Railway Winery
HouLi train station
Returned to TaiChung, we then headed for dinner. Half way through. we stumbled into a very nice ice cream shop. Looks interesting, and the building had a few shops with quite similar design. Anyway, since there are few queuing up for the ice cream, might as well give it a try. Miyahara ice cream 台中宮原眼科, eye specialist? Oh well, it was an old hospital converted into modern hangout place. The 3 scoops on biscuit only costed us NT290, best part was it includes 3 types toppings, ranging from choco chips to cheese cake slice! Awesomely good. Unfortunately, they don't provide sit-down table, we have to stand outside of the shop. Anyway, weather turned chilling that evening. I personally prefer the choco milky type over sorbet.
Varieties of ice creams
Choices
Many types of toppings
Wow!
Plan for the night was in fact Night market at FengJia 逢甲夜市. First mission was food hunting. We settled with every famous (must eat) chicken chop! This came with side dish of cold salad (this caused some miserable experience later on).
Boneless chicken chop
Chicken chop and salad
Miserable experience was mainly my stomach upset after having the cold salad. Running (walking fast) across the congested crowd hunting for a rest room. I remember walking almost 500M before I could settled at the public rest room located at 1st floor of shop lots. I didn't enjoy the shopping spree at those moment.
ChingJing Farm 清境農場 Transportation: On the next day, we bought our our bus ticket at NanTou Bus station 南投客運, practically a shop lot with some other bus agency around. It was walking distance from the hotel. Not too fortunate, our intended 8AM bus ticket was sold out, we waited another hour for the next bus.
Great package by NanTou Bus
Bus station on the way to ChingJing
ChingJing清境農場 is a nice farm place, cooling and slightly commercial. We bought the packaged from the bus agency, and those ticket included the farm ticket. One tip, best to get to ChingJing on a weekend as most shows, i.e. sheep coat harvesting would only be on. We were lucky to get on the place on a Sunday.
Bus stopped here
Fruits though expansive
Cameron called 愛情果
Learned this from my last Taiwan trip. This is the most economical way to keep travel souvenirs! Stamping..
For the interest of time, we settled with 7-Eleven fast food. Pork sausage, Sticky rice and coffee. It can be awesomely tasty on the cool weather.
Fast food
We managed to catch a good sunny day at ChingJing farm. It was scenic when it approached sunset. We took a bus up to the peak of the farm, then walked slowly downhill, till our hotel.
The ever environmentalist country
Safety Messages
Sheep Show
The lost sheep
Scenic Evening
ChingJing Sunset
ChingJing hawker & restaurants
Mail a Postcard
Outdoor band with chilly night ~ perfect
With just beer from 7-11
Transportation : 4AM the next morning, the engaged tour bus (rather a VW 7 seater van) picked us up from sightseeing tour to HeHuan Mt 合歡山, the highest peak of Taiwan. It usually snow during winter, our trip was slightly early, while it was just sometime autumn.
Another scenic sunrise with 雲海
Scenic morning @ HeHuanShan
WuLing 武嶺 - Peak of the peak
Accommodation : ChingJing Bunbury Fruit Ranch Bed & Breakfast 清境民生觀光果園. We had the very basic deluxe room, and surprisingly it was very good! Most importantly, it was clean. All basic facilities available, felt so like a little home. They even provide heater bedsheet, very handy especially during super cool day. Filtered and hot water are ever ready outside the room. The dinning or activity area outside our room looks so like hostel.
Before getting into our room
Upon got back from our tour. Home cooked breakfast was ready on the table. We shared with another group of Chinese mainland backpacker and couple. They were great people, unlike those come in big group and tour bus.
Healthy breakfast
Lastly, I thought of getting back to the essential oil shop to grab more things, at the same time have a better look at their herbs garden. That's my dream of having such beautiful and pull of positive ion place at home, of course with a chilling weather. I won't get it now, yet!
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