"See of clouds" and pork ears

Early in the morning on Friday we took a bus and got southern from Taiwan (3,5 hours) to Sun Moon Like, which is definietely the biggest lake in Taiwan, and probabaly the only one in here too. One part of the lake is said to look like sun, while the other one resembles moon, and that's where the name comes from. It was actually drizzling all the day long, and that's way apart from the misty aura around the temples we could have enjoyed almost no tourists at all.

Two big lions guarding the biggest temple around the Sun Moon Like, and us.

The whole trip team together- Agathe, me, Ania, Lucie.

Sun Moon Lake

In the afternoon we took a bus to Shuili, from where we were supposed finally get to Chiayi, the closest town on the way to Alishan National Scenic Area. In Chiayi I had my first couchsurfing experience in Taiwan, which was great. Steven made us eat pork ears, though! He wouldn't have succeded if only he hadn't tricked us with not saying what it was. Altough we didn't really sleep a lot at his place, as we were supposed to wake up at 2 am to catch the taxi-bus, it was an unfrorgettable night in Chiayi.

A lovely train station in Shuili on the way to Chiayi. For the first time in Taiwan we could have felt slightly like an attraction for the local people, as Shuili is a small town, not that often visited by forgeiners.

Shuli Station

Couchsurfing in Chiayi and eating pork ears with our host Steven!!!!

At 3 am we took the taxi-bus to Alishan to see the sunrise on the highest mountain there - it's said to be spectacular, redish and yellowish, while being seen from above the clouds. Unfortunately it was very cloudy that morning, so it never happened. At least we saw the breathtaking "see of clouds" and monkeys jumping on our car.

The mackacks didn't even mind the bunch of terrible shouting Americans, whom we joined for the bus. While we couldn't stand their company, the monkeys seemed not to bother at all. Oh, how I missed my dear Americans from Vienna that morning.

The see of clouds at 7 am.