Finally continuing to part two.
This is the heart of Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County, Taiwan.
The first two pictures show the importance of the aboriginal cultures of the area. While the building might not be the most important (One was for me;) they show the local tribal designs and importance of government building showing it. The picture are of the public restroom and the post office.
These pictures are from the more modernized old street- if that makes any sense. When I was first here over 20 years ago, there wasn’t much here. Now it’s bustling with all kinds of traditional treats and tourist traps. The picture above shows one of Sun Moon Lakes more traditional treats-tea eggs. This local vendor cooks them along with shiitake mushrooms to add flavor to them.
No location in Taiwan is complete without stinky tofu. While this is common every today, it is still a welcome aroma and taste.
A good comparison for those who don’t travel are these two treats. The first one is a stand that has been here since I first visited selling an assortment of nuts. The next, with my son, is a more modern gelato stand. So there is something for everyone here.
This scene is at the very heart of the cultural and scenic area. This is a cable car that sits right on the mouth of the lake. It gives tourists an excellent view on its way up to a local aboriginal amusement/theme park. Visitors have the chance to see traditional lifestyles of the local aboriginals that have lived here for centuries. And for thrill seekers, there are an arrangement of exciting rides.
Back on the other side of the lake we have a great view that demonstrates why Taiwan is known as the most mountainous area in Asia. From lake level, in a very short distance the hill goes up higher than a six story building and shortly after, higher than a 9 story building. The hills and mountains that sprout out of nowhere are very picturesque and make the lake even more amazing.
This is the Main Street that goes to the front of the lake. It was on a Saturday, so you can feel the popularity and bustling activity of the area. As they say in Chinese “people mountain, people sea.” This means that there are so many people it’s like a sea of heads- it’s so I’m told.
Finally, a farewell from Taiwan. A unique part of Asia. Proud to be a democratically ran part of Asia that has own currency, President, and elections.
