Taiwan--Day 03

Today is hectic since we need to packed our luggage and leave it @ the train station and rush down to Taichung. There are a few types of locker compartment. The one we used to put our big luggage is located at the left end of the ticket counter for Highspeed rail. It cost NT100 per day if i'm not wrong. Anyway, this locker calculate by per day whereas some locker is by per hour which will be very expensive (those lockers calculated by per hr are usually the smaller type). Remember to keep more shillings for such use.
For the high speed train, we bought the standing ticket which is much cheaper (NT555) to Taichung. Standing ticket doesn't mean that you have to stand. It just simply means that there is no fixed seat. So if the compartment is full and no more seats available, then you have to stand.
From Taichung station, we took a bus (NT160) to Sun Moon Lake (SML or 日月潭). Better go to the loo first before boarding the bus cos' the journey is long and there's no stopping for toilet in between. The bus will pass by Puli etc, so it also goes to Formosa Aboriginal Cultural village.
Bus will stop near to SML visitor centre. At SML, there's a vegetarian shop right beside the visitor centre. (see the yellow sigboard with red wordings that says "Vegetarian")

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SML visitor centre

The service attendant is quite friendly and advise us of 3 ways to tour the place.
1. By cab
2. By electric motor
3. By ferry.
By Cab - we took this way since the guy @ the visitor centre told us this is the best way to view. can see all the visitor attraction in SML. It cost us around NT1200 for around 3-4hrs. The cab was recommended by the visitor centre as well. They didn't go strictly by hours, but they will bring you to all the tourist places there.
By Electric motor - though you don't need a license to ride, it would be preferred if you know how to ride a motor bike, so that its easier for you to manoveure. However, battery doesn't last long enough to tour the entire lake...need to call up the shop when the battery runs flat..so not a really good choice.
By Ferry - Tour around the lake, so there's only chance to see 2 tourist spot...n u stay in the lake all the time...but i guess it would be different to see the entire scenery from the water.,...Ticket cost NT300.
We went to Wenwu temple, which is one fo the most popular tourist attraction in SML.


Itashao Village - over here, i bought honey which cost NT350 for 2 bottles. The honey is one of the best thing i bought from Taiwan. It has a nice flower fragrance. The lady told me they had their own bee farm nearby and was very ready to invite me to their bee farm..i rejected of cos'!!! Over there, its not that crowded...and people readily let you try samples even though you may not want to buy. I also bought ginger cubes, seaweed cubes (to boil with water for health).

Other than the above places, the rest were just temples and a small peacock farm

This is one of the most satisfying pix i took in a buddhist temple there...the temple is very serene and quiet...a good place for cultivation.
By the time we head back to Taichung, it was already late. We settled down in the Galleria hotel and headed to Fengjia night market which is just a 10mins walk.

In this market, there are 3 vegetarian stalls and food definitely taste better than Taipei.

Fengjia night market is a big night market and sell lots of cheap stuff. You really have to explore the shops cos' some shops when seen from outside looks small, but actually had a big underground space. Shoes cost as low as NT190. In Taipei night market, cheapest shoes cost NT10 more. There's also a lot fo stuffs to buy. I bought shoes, watches, skirts from here. They even have hair accessories from NT10. Can shop the entire night here.