Taichung was the base for our last "must-see" destination in Taiwan - Sun Moon Lake, the largest lake in the country. Unable to buy our transportation/visitation pass ahead of time in person from the bus station for reasons we couldn't quite understand, we anxiously showed up day of at 6:00 am for a 7:45 am bus and breathed a sigh of relief when we gained two passes (seriously - the weekends at this place are apparently swarming with tourists and as we had already learned, you don't procrastinate on your transportation purchases in Taiwan!) A couple hours later we arrived at the Sun Moon Lake area, which might be described as a bit Banff-esque? Included in our pass was unlimited rides on the "Round-the-Lake" shuttle, which dropped you off at different trail areas around the lake, and a trip up the ropeway for some stellar views up high above the trees. Sun Moon Lake is still home to the Aboriginal Thao group, and as you walk around the trails, you can read placards outlining the spiritual stories behind different features of the lake. It is just a really lovely, peaceful environment to be in, and although it is an extremely popular tourist attraction, the lake is big enough that it doesn't feel crowded at all.

While in Taichung, we managed to squeeze in a day trip to Lukang, an old town that reminded us a bit of Tainan with its historical buildings. We loved "Nine-curve lane", a twisty narrow street with traditional buildings that is named so because its design helped shelter residents from the fierce Autumn winds that blow down from Mongolia (sounds dramatic and exciting!) A town that would be well-afforded a night's stay. We did not see much of the actual city of Taichung where we stayed, but it recently passed Kaohsiung as the second biggest city in the country, so there is likely plenty to explore. Each morning when we walked through the park on our way to the station, we passed people smiling, saying hello, practicing tai-chi, and with this strong evidence, we are going to conclude that Taichung is a healthy and happy city. Also, 7-11 (and 7-11s in Taiwan are even more ubiquitous than Tim Hortons in Canada) sells delicious matcha green tea lattes at a very reasonable price, and Clare thinks that these should be more readily available at home as well on every street corner.

Taiwan was a great, spontaneous little splurge. Now having planned and executed a trip around the whole island, we think that our itinerary would be better enjoyed over 2.5-3 weeks instead of the 2 that we had as it did feel a little rushed. There were a lot of early mornings and jam-packed days, and we would have liked more down time just chilling at a night market or tea house; two very important Taiwanese experiences! But for now it is time to return to the trusty home base of Bangkok before moving on to some Thai islands, Malaysia, and our eventual southeast Asia end in Singapore.