Sun Moon Lake

With its east shore resembling a sun, and the west side resembling a moon, Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's largest body of water, and is also the traditional home of the Thao tribe, one of the many aboriginal groups of Taiwan. In the center of the lake lies an island (which has since been mostly eroded by earthquake), that serves as the spiritual home to the Thao people as they believe that is where their ancestors reside. 

Note the Thao island in the background. It is tiny now, and no one but members of the tribe are allowed on it.

Sun Moon Lake was a favorite vacation spot for modern Taiwan's founding leader, Chiang Kai Shek, and still remains a beloved treasure for the Taiwanese people. The place is beautiful! Unfortunately, word has also gotten out to the mainland Chinese who come here in droves. Trying to navigate around these big crowds turned out to be a real trick, but for the most part we were able to plan around them. 

Arriving there on a Thursday afternoon, we bought tickets for us to hop on/off some boats that stop sat different locations around the lake. This was lovely, as it afforded a refreshing and varied view for each corner of the lake. The kids loved the breeze.

On the left is our friend, Alan, who came with us for the weekend. He is the nicest guy, and I don't know how in the world we didn't get many other photos with him. 

The view from every direction was lovely.

Even if sometimes we really had to work to see it.

A typical scene for us in Taiwan. At least Buggas' stroller is light.

As always, we were part of the scenery for others. Notice how excited even the Chinese men get over little kids. We laughed about the fact I could never imagine seeing American men get giddy over getting to see a baby. Then, when I thought about it, I felt it was a sad commentary for how little they see children there. If mainland Chinese people get to become grandparents, typically they only get one grandchild, with whom they must share with another set of grandparents. Therefore, we were a natural spectacle.

Buggas in his throne.

With his adoring fans.

Coco in another photo shoot.

More Chinese paparazzi.

After perusing the lake, everyone was famished and ready to eat. Therefore, we searched out a place that offered traditional Aboriginal food. Here's some of the local fare, none of which any of us had tried before:

Bamboo sticky rice -- filled with beans nuts and spices. Really yummy.

Shrimp cooked in wine. Too strong for me.

Local mushrooms in the most amazing, meaty sauce.

Salad made from the flower of the betel nut tree. Such an interesting, light texture, but incredibly delicious! I've craved it several times since.

Ostrich meat. I can honestly say, it did not taste like chicken, but more like beef.

This picture cracks me up. In front you see the Sun Moon Lake president fish, something raised there locally. It has the most tender texture, but an insane amount of tiny bones. I wouldn't let the kids eat it as a result. (Jamin got a bone sliver from the thing, actually.) I also love Buggas' expression in the background as he drinks his favorite beverage -- papaya milk. (Ah! The love!) In the forefront you can see our favorite beverage--guava juice. Why we don't have these two beverages in the states will always remain elusive to me. They taste fantastic!

Following dinner, we noticed the sun starting to wane, and hopped into our car to visit a temple on the other side of the lake. Though we never got to the temple before closing time, the drive and resultant view was spectacular. I wish the photos did it justice.

It was a calm ending to a lovely day. And the best part?
We had the view to ourselves this time. :)

On Friday morning we awoke early to visit the Aboriginal Cultural Village, a center more/less dedicated to the preservation and education of Aborigines in Taiwan. Though I expected something akin to Hawaii's Polynesian Cultural Center, I was a bit disappointed by how much the cultural elements of the village had been watered down and instead replaced with carnival-like attractions. (The entire bottom half of the park is an amusement park--all of which is completely Disney knock-off, by the way.) 

Um, hello? Who do you think this is trying to be and not be all at the same time?

It felt like a very Chinese move to me, and felt as though the local owners/management didn't allow the aborigines who work there to really have full reign over the real purpose of the park. Perhaps they lack any management who are actual aborigines. Who knows? It just seem to lack a certain authenticity, which is unfortunate because learning about their cultures and history is the real reason I wanted to go. With that being said, we still had a decent time, nonetheless. 

Here are some of the highlights from our day there:

As we walked in, the village started off the morning with a traditional fire ceremony, for which Mr. Bitts was chosen to participate. 

Carnival rides. (Yay! Alan made it into another photo).

A gondola ride up and over the mountain to the lake, and then back again. For me, this was the highlight.

The view looking back down towards the park.

Why they add teddy bears to each gondola, one can only guess. It is seriously so Asian to add a stuffed animal to any venue, just for good measure.

The view up the mountain.

The old fashioned way up the mountain. Any takers?

The view of Sun Moon Lake once you come up and over the mountain.

The view is seriously insanely pretty. 

I'm always amazed at how much the art, music, and dancing of the Taiwanese Aborigines resemble native American cultures. These totems look almost interchangeable with the totems we saw last year in Alaska. 

Cooking like the good ol' days.

Many of the Aborigine tribes were known for being headhunters. This display is supposed to resemble the heads of enemies placed at the front of a village entrance. 

Big-O sits in on a warrior ceremony.

More aboriginal dance performances.

Trying our hand at their music.

Hearkening back to the old practice of tattooing that was outlawed when the Japanese came to power in Taiwan.

This girl was the most wonderful dancer/performer. She always had an enormous smile on her face and always looked like she wholeheartedly enjoyed what she was doing. 

Buggas is not so sure of what to think.

Following our time at the Aboriginal Cultural Village, we rushed over to the famous Wenwu Temple that overlooks Sun Moon Lake from high above--a beautiful (and huge) example of Chinese temple architecture, and in such an amazing setting. We tried to get family photos...

If you look closely you can see the lake in the background. It was hard to capture it on the camera at this late hour of the day, but the view overlooking the lake is amazing.

Before the road was built to the Wenwu temple, the only way to reach it was by docking by boat at the bottom of the mountain, and then climb upward. It was a long way up--366 steps, in fact. Because of the number of steps, each step corresponds with a famous person's birthday. These bells hanging from the side are prayer bells--each one placed there by a separate pilgrim. As you walk up the steps, the breeze gently brushes past these bells, creating a haunting sound.

Spontaneous moment of joy for Coco.

Our sunset at the Wenwu temple ended our lovely experience at Sun Moon Lake. It seemed to be a fitting way to conclude, however. Between this and some classic noodles and dumplings that night, we couldn't ask for a better day.