The twisted concrete tentacles of Expressway 1 heading to Nantou were not only a feng shui master's worst nightmare, they were doing our head in as well. The GPS couldn't read the multiple roads and levels as they swept in and around, up and over each other slowly choking the will from the unsuspecting motorist as careering metal hurtled on either side, cascading in and out, appearing from nowhere and disappearing just as rapidly while we puttered along at a sedate 110 km/h!
Ah, the joys of motoring holidays along the expressways of Taiwan's west coast! Despite the fact that there are two mirror image massive arteries (the "1" and the "3") criss-crossing and intertwining their way down the conurbation of the western side of the island, despite the fact that five years of building extra fly-overs on the "1" which confuse the satellite navigation added four extra lanes, we were still caught in a maelstrom of metal juggernauting its way from city to city. Our destination, the polar opposite tranquility of Sun Moon Lake, couldn't come soon enough!
Our hotel was a jewel sparkling beside the Shuishe wharf, a shining landmark that could be seen everywhere we went around the circumference of the lake. Our second floor room had floor to ceiling windows in the main room and the bathroom framing the landscape, cantilevered as it was above the water drawing the eye inexorably over the water to the misted mountains on the far side of the lake. It was a Chinese watercolour burst into life! The room was king bedded for slumber, Hermes bathroom supplied for pampering and Evian watered to slake the thirst. It was pretty slick! After depositing the car in the central township car-park we got out and about in the wharf and the town to stretch the legs and free the tension of the octopus highway.
Over the next few days, we made the most of our location and serenity to enjoy everything the small township had to offer. We strolled to our heart's content, circumnavigated the lake on pushbikes and ate at 6 star hotel restaurants. When we'd had enough, we were able to decadently retire to our hotel haven and watch the dexterous parking feats of the dozens of motor launches lolling in front, their jockeying and docking a thing of exemplary timing, skill and wonder.
Hiring two bikes for the day (at the princely sum of $5 each, all day, no deposit!) was a master-stroke, as we got to see the lake close up and through the different lenses the day proffered, from misty cloud drifts, to bright searing sun and back again to flecks of rain and fog that rolled in with a physical force. The bikes were geared correctly for the mainly flat paths, which were well built, maintained and engineered. The path was built out over water a lot of the time and snaked its way around the northern and western shores. When we got to a more precarious mountainous section, we even had to rush to the rescue of a poor old fellow who was trapped beneath his motor scooter after a fall: he wasn't real steady on his feet and we suspected he'd been on "the nut"!
Our boat trip later in the day was another classic; while I grabbed fleeting snatches of the Chinese commentary, it was pretty much a blur as we heard the history and significance of the miniscule but impossibly gorgeous Lalu island on the far side of the lake. Later on in our journey, after heading to and berthing at Ita Thao wharf, the message was all too clear: no more boat travel till the fog lifted and it certainly didn't look like happening anytime soon! After a half hour of waiting, we abandoned ship like most others and tried to find alternative transport to return. Eventually, with the help of the Visitor's Centre, we headed up through the touristy alleys to the main highway and caught a bus back to our wharf.....a great adventure as the bus had to stop on every other bend to let other buses pass by....memories of Taroko Gorge!
We didn't stay at the luxurious, six star Lalu for two reasons: one, they were fully booked on one night we wanted and two, we decided it was too expensive. If the meal we ate at their restaurant is any guide, the expense would have been worth it. During the day, we wandered up the hill to book our table then arrived in the early evening for what would prove to be an elegant and leisurely gourmet experience, where I must admit we felt more gourmand by its close! The seven course taste sensation was an experience for all the senses, the simple refined wooden furniture felt solid and luxurious, the smells wafting from the open kitchen as well as the lake views from the screened windows enchanted. There was a hum of soft conversation and the flash and sear of cooking oils, but it was the tastes, oh the tastes that caressed us during our stay. One of the many(surprising) highlights was being served, along with our tender beef fillet, a whole head of roasted garlic with up to 15 plump cloves nestled within...Suffice to say, it was, as Cassy remarked as we savoured our bottle of Tyrell's Cabernet Sauvignon, "one of the best meals I've ever had."
On our way the next morning, the "closed for maintenance" sign on the ropeway gondola we hoped was not a presage for our return trip. As it turned out, it meant little other than we will need to make a return trip someday to try the ropeway and to sample the new "skyway" path being built on vertiginous platforms hugging the most inaccessible sections of the lake. The freeways, although still presenting their challenges on the way home, seemed calmer, possibly only because of our recent experience.
Cassy celebrated her birthday on Saturday and I gave her this book, which she seemed quite chuffed with, along with some earrings she designed herself and had Joe make. They are quite the work of art, but I might save a description till after I consult with her more closely on the details! We went to the slick "Saffron" on Sunday afternoon to celebrate and now, of course, we're back at school, and totally exhausted after our first day back!
For future reference, (mainly our own!) here are links to the slideshow, the dockside vid and the lookout video.