SS Quah's Anything Goes: Taiwan travellogue, Day 5 Part 2 (Alishan)

Maybe it was too much for me to expect, this being Taiwan and not Japan, but the bus was late and we only managed to board at 11.30am. After an uneventful journey through the long and winding road, we reached the entrance into the Alishan National Forest Reserve at about 12.45pm. The building was bustling with people but it turned out that they were waiting to leave Alishan, not going in like us. At first, I thought that after alighting here we had to push our luggage to the hotel - it was only a mere 500 metres away - but my daughter stopped me. Let's phone the hotel and see whether they have a shuttle service, she said, which turned out to be a pretty good suggestion because I noticed with some consternation that the route, had we walked, took the shuttle bus through some rather steep terrain.

We opted for lunch at a place known as Shan Bin Restaurant. Their signature dish was the stone hotpot, featured in a standard menu that included offerings like deep-fried sea bass fillet, grilled bamboo partridge and an array of stir-fried delights such as wild boar, king oyster mushroom, mountain vegetables and bamboo shoots. A staff member recommended their set Menu B, but realising we were a party of only four diners, she graciously reduced the serving amount and charged us a discounted rate. Such a thoughtful service! Consequently, our bill, originally priced at NT$2,200, amounted to only NT$1,500 at the conclusion of our meal.

At four o'clock, we decided to catch a shuttle bus to the Alishan Shouzhen Temple (阿里山受鎮宮) which marked the starting point of our journey to the Sisters' Ponds (姊妹潭). Despite the numerous steps along the way, the path was a pleasant stroll through a cedar tree-filled forest. While the pond wasn't vast, the atmosphere exuded tranquility and serenity. During our walk there, we encountered several individuals walking back from that direction. The main pond itself appeared somewhat deserted, with only two additional visitors besides my family. Very likely, this was due to the advancing hour. As we ventured among the trees and a damp atmosphere, we sensed a drop in temperature and observed a subtle dusk settling over the surroundings. It was time to retrace our way back to the starting point.

By the time we reached the Shouzhen Temple, there were no more shuttle buses in service. Now faced with the task of walking in semi-darkness, we began our way back to the Alishan main park area. Along the journey, we were treated to the enchanting colours of the sunset, witnessing the last rays of light disappear. Soon enough, we found ourselves at the 7-Eleven outlet in the park, and adjacent to it, the Shan Bin Restaurant was busy with a lively crowd. Fortunately, we had no intention of joining the evening bustle, choosing instead to retire early. Tomorrow would greet us with a wake-up call at 4:30am for a train ride.