Taichung Revisited

12:39am, Lichia Royal Garden Hotel, Taichung
Our first stop in Taichung was 日月潭 which was one place I wanted to see but didn't get a chance to last time I was in Taichung 4 years ago. I didn't expect it to be so big! Actually I was pretty surprised at how much Taichung differs from what I remember it to be. Somehow everything looks so modern now. Well, more so than before but still not like Hong Kong or Toronto.

日月潭 looking exceptionally pretty in the nice sunny weather

I didn't sleep much last night as I was sharing a twin bed with CLM and he kept turning and almost falling off. Hence I pretty much stayed alert all night. So when I saw that 文生's mom wasn't napping, I asked her to take CLM so I can catch a snooze. Big mistake because she stood up to grab CLM and the bus jerked. She was thrown back and 連人帶 Cur fell into the emergency exit stairwell! I felt horrible! Good thing she only bruised her back and didn't hit her head. CLM, on the other hand, was only slightly scared. That basically meant that she was pooped for the rest of the day, from the pain and not knowing if she was internally hurt, until the tour guide brought her to the hospital for a full checkup. Thank God she's okay and nothing's broken! 

Lunch was a 風味山地餐 in which the word crappy would be an understatement. The restaurant was filthy and the food was not very appetizing. Blah.

One of our stops was a peacock garden in which stopping for 5 minutes would have been too long, lol. Can't believe this place even showcased a few roosters. I mean, really? Who hasn't seen a chicken? Better yet, who wants to see a chicken?

Hardly impressive, ya know?

So, back to 日月潭. The weather was very nice so our cruise on the lake was very enjoyable, if only I'd not listen to the stupid tour guide and took a Gravol! I should have known better. I didn't start feeling really sick until we got to 文武廟, where I unfortunately threw up everything, including lunch despite taking a Gravol. Hence I only hung around outside and didn't bother going in since I'd get more sick from the incense. I hate feeling nauseous.

See that orange covered area to the far right? That's where lunch came up. All of it :(

Last stop before dinner was a quick unguided tour of 埔里酒廠 which was actually a museum-like place where you walk through and look at containers, videos and whatnot.  I was more interested in finding what local food was worth trying as opposed to peering at the overpriced tourist trap of stalls that sell wine jellies/snacks.  That's when I spotted our two tour guides head across the street to a 酒釀豆花 stall, bought a cup each and simply devoured it!  Hmm, I thought to myself, they wouldn't eat touristy crap food if it wasn't good, so I thought what the hell, I'll go get some too.  It was actually pretty good!  Couldn't taste any alcohol whatsoever, but the 豆花 was really 滑.

Giant canteen outside 埔里酒廠 welcoming visitors

酒釀豆花

Yummy! and slurpy too!

Just before 6 pm we arrive at 逢甲夜市 which I visited in 2008. Boy did it change! By this time I noticed CLM has a fever again so when 太上文太 went off to the hospital, I went to get some cold patches for CLM. The poor dude. The 夜市 was a complete madhouse and we had to be back at the bus by 7 pm so once again, I didn't get to buy what I wanted to. The lineups for 大腸包小腸 were at least an hour long each, the streets were so jammed packed it makes the DVP during rush hour look empty. Things are about 30-40% more expensive so I basically left with a papaya milk shake for mom and a couple of rice stuffed chicken wings. Now I know why there was no lineup there lol.

These LOOK good at least!

Um, can we say, LINE UP?!?

We checked into the hotel and for interested parties, the tour guide brought us out for bbt (outside of our itinerary). Apparently it's the place where bbt was invented back in the 80's. I admit, the bbt was pretty good despite the price tag but the food was mediocre. Once again maybe because I didn't eat it fresh. Everyone wasn't feeling well, including me, so I just went out to buy takeout. While I was at it, I walked further to Watson's to get some diapers for CLM but they didn't have any! Had to go even further to a pharmacy and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was after 9 pm, CLM was cranky, my headache was still in full swing, hives flared up again, angry MIL and I was not even hungry anymore.  Poo.

Most expensive BBT I've had in Taiwan!  NT120, four times the cost of an average

Wake up call is 6am tomorrow and I know I'll be cranky. I just hope CLM feels better. (1:21am)

Taichung looks so different. Now, what pharmacy doesn't sell diapers?!?