A Day in Yunlin

Yunlin -- February 13, 2016

2016 HAL Volendam Asian Adventure -- Pre-cruise

This would be our last full day in southern Taiwan before we fly out to Singapore. Again, we woke up in the middle of the night not only because of jet lag but also had some itchy mosquito bites. We tried to stay in bed as long as we could before getting up to get ready for the day. For breakfast, we took a short walk to the 7-eleven at the street corner and got some milk and baked goods. We actually got more than we needed because the 7-eleven in Taiwan are quite different from the ones in the states. They are filled with interesting things we don't usually see at our local convenient stores in California. There were so many things I wanted to buy but I know I wouldn't be able to eat them all. We have been eating non-stop everyday already and it's only the 4th day of this trip!

After breakfast, ChC and I walked across the street to the little 'supermarket' to see if we would find anything worth buying. In a village like this, checking out the 7-11 and this supermarket is the best entertainment we could have. We took our time looking at things but at the end only bought a couple bags of Lays potato chips that had unusual flavors. We carried these to Singapore and then on to the ship before we had a chance to try them out.

Around mid-morning, we were picked up and started our drive to Huwei, Yunlin. This would be a day spent with MOR's brother and sisters. FIL was most excited having all of his children around him for a whole day. It was quite an unusual event, I was told. The weather was amazing, clear as a bell! Yu Mountain, the highest mountain in Taiwan, was in view even from miles around.

In four separate cars, we drove up to a place called Hua Shan (華山), in the Gu Keng (古坑) area in Yunlin. We arrived at a restaurant called "Shi Jin Yeh" (喺真吔), I suppose that is in Taiwanese. I was amazed at the spectacular view that we had when we settled down at their outdoor dining area.

It was absolutely beautiful! Miles and miles of flatland in the Chia-Nan Plateau displayed fully right in front of our eyes.

A beautiful day in Hua Shan.

Zooming in the amusement park nearby--Jen Hu Shan Chuan (劍湖山莊).

This is more like a cafe that serves coffee, tea, and light refreshments with a short list of hot pot items on their menu.

Their 'mascot'--the old friendly golden retriever roaming around greeting guests.

Menu in Chinese only.

ChC's milk and cheese hot pot. Not as thick as the cheese fondue but a soup base of milk and cheese.

He had beef with the hot pot.

My order of curry and milk hot pot. A little like the laksa except not in coconut milk.

Ingredients that came with the hot pot. Cook your own food in the pot. I ordered lamb with my pot.

Some vegetables and seafood on the side.

These hot pots run around $10 USD per set. A real bargain!

A delightful meal!

Waffles and coffee, a nice ending to a great lunch!

After lunch, we drove back down to town and headed towards the "Green Tunnel", which is a weekend market type of event in the area. Our family members thought that it would be a good idea for us to see this so we went. It was very crowded on this Saturday. After walking around a little we decided that it was just too chaotic and time to leave the place.

Fishing game

many many vendors selling different food items

the indoor stands

and the outdoor vendors under the 'green tunnel'

The last place we went to was a beauty product factory. Apparently, this is a very popular destination for tours and locals alike.

A tour bus runs by Christian owners?

The factory was not really open for the public but you can see through the glass windows of how they work.

Natural fragrance soap

Nephew bought a bag of these for us to take home.

A small fountain in the garden.

Bars of soap drying out.

We bought quite a few of the facial masks and were eligible for drawing of prizes.

Oh well, we only won some hair pins, etc.

Not Bali, not Hawaii, just a made believe 'beach' on the factory ground.

It does resembled a tropical island though.

Nephew and girlfriend

Newlyweds

We had a relaxing day visiting these places and our day ended with a dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Actually, this is more like a Taiwanese style Japanese restaurant with food served family style. This has to be the first time I had family style Japanese food but it was all very good!

As you can see from the photos, the dishes were like a mix of Taiwanese and Japanese instead of authentic Japanese, but we enjoyed them nevertheless. 

日之初平價日本料理

640 雲林縣斗六市明德路103之3號

BIL arranged our stay at the motel in Huwei that evening which saves us a trip back to Chiayi. We would take the high speed train up to Taoyuan the next day and spend a night at the Novotel near the airport before flying out to Singapore early on Monday.

The decor of the motel was kind of unusual, but I guess it is normal for Taiwan. As long as we can get a good night sleep, that's all it matters.