EP.2 of The Planners - Off-Plan Travel

This thread will take everyone to explore

Sun Moon Lake!

Following our visit to Alishan in Episode 1,

You can follow the updates at https://pantip.com/topic/36544600

(And there is also EP.0 https://pantip.com/topic/36539261 as well.)

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Next, we will continue our journey to Sun Moon Lake.

Sun Moon Lake (SML)

It is the most beautiful lake in Taiwan.

Located in Yuchi Township, Nantou County.

Sun Moon Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Taiwan, covering an area of approximately 5.4 square kilometers. Surrounded by numerous mountains, the lake boasts a unique landscape. The eastern side resembles the sun, while the western side resembles the moon, hence the name "Sun Moon Lake".

Let's embark on the journey of the little bear and the little pig.

Traveling from Alishan to Sun Moon Lake

That was very easy. We both chose to take the bus for 328 TWD / person.

From Alishan to Sun Moon Lake.

There are two bus schedules:

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1:00 PM

And

2:00 PM

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During our journey, we will encounter unique and captivating scenery.

The landscape is diverse, with mountains, rivers, and villages, keeping us constantly engaged.

The journey by car takes approximately 3 hours.

The journey will include a 15-minute stop at a rest area with a souvenir shop.

Note: If you are prone to motion sickness, it is recommended to bring medication, take a small dose, and then sleep for a long time.

"Frankly, the path is incredibly… brutal. It's truly treacherous."

Around 4:00 PM.

We have finally arrived at Sun Moon Lake.

Without further ado, let's book our tickets.

The ticket we booked consists of 2 parts.

1. The section where we will travel back to Taipei

We must take a bus from SML, with the option to disembark at either HSR station for a high-speed train back to Taipei or TRA station for a regular train. The last bus departs at 7:25 PM, leaving us approximately 3 hours to explore the surrounding area.

2. Travel Destinations in SML

We opted for an SML bus coupon priced at 80 TWD, allowing for a scenic loop around the lake.

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In addition to land transportation, there is also a boat trip around the lake that costs 300 TWD per person. Departing from Pier 1 to Pier 2, you can visit Xuanguang Temple and continue to Pier 3 to reach the SML Pedestrian Street.

While waiting for the bus to run around the island, we walked along the path until we came across a bubble tea shop.

The friendly vendor smiled at us, prompting us to inquire about sightseeing opportunities around the lake.

As we thought the boat ride was quite expensive, the lady boss offered us a special deal.

The ticket price has been slashed from 300 TWD to just 100 TWD!

What are you waiting for? Take it out.

Even if you throw away the 80 TWD bus ticket, it's still 120 TWD cheaper because each ticket costs 100 TWD!

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With our tickets secured, we continued our journey to the first pier.

The kind-hearted auntie told us to look for the red boat pier when we arrive at the port.

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We can only guess that it is the one with the red umbrella.

Tadaaaaaaaaaa

Here are the tickets we got for only 100 TWD each.

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Upon arriving at the first stop, we wasted no time in visiting the Xuan Guang Temple to pay our respects. The temple also features a collection of fascinating rocks...

We don't know what kind of stone it is, so both me and the piglet decided to call it the warrior stone.

(However, a fan page later corrected that it is believed to be the burial place of Tang Sanzang.)

Who has any information and can share it with us?)

Upon descending, we encountered a crowd gathered at this restaurant, which we had not noticed during our ascent. We were surprised by the length of the queue.

Driven by curiosity, we joined the queue without hesitation. We spent a long time observing, wondering what they were selling.

Finally, they achieved their goal.

The product that everyone has been eagerly waiting in line to buy, such as Eveandboy, is

25-year-old egg!!!

A renowned local delicacy that is a must-try for visitors to the temple.

It is unclear whether this is for good luck or not.

(The taste is similar to pickled eggs.)

After that, we plunged into the boat to go to the second stop.

The second point of arrival has a large dock with a significant number of people.

While waiting for people to disembark from the port, I had some time to take a few photos.

Translation:

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The pig is very sleepy.

Sun Moon Lake lives up to its name, offering breathtaking beauty that will not disappoint.

However, this depends on the specific time of your visit.

Due to excessive sunlight, the water in the lake...

It may become a shimmering gold instead of a bright blue.

Following the crowd, I discovered that the second stop was a walking street. Upon hearing the word "walking street," my ears perked up and my stomach rumbled. Food! I thought to myself. With newfound determination, we set out to find something to eat.

The dishes we devoured included:

1. Spicy Chicken Skewer Steak, 45 TWD.

2. Yakult smoothie 50 TWD (Highly recommended! If you like fermented milk, you'll regret missing this.)

3. Diced beef steak 200TWD

Full.

555555555555+

Let's continue taking photos.

We need to hurry back to catch the last boat.

5:20 PM

We also need to take the bus back to Taichung City.

We have reached the most intense part of EP.2, friends.

Our return to shore has not been exciting yet.

We stood waiting for the bus as usual.

If a car from the same route arrives earlier, we will discuss it.

I'd be glad to translate the sentence from Thai to English, ensuring a high-quality translation that captures the original meaning and tone:

Original Thai: ก็จะขึ้นไปเลย เผื่อได้กลับไปทำอะไรที่ไทเปต่อ

English Translation: I'll head up there now, just in case I can do something else in Taipei later.

Explanation:

• The sentence is in a conversational style, using the informal pronoun "I" and the colloquial phrase "เผื่อได้" (meaning "just in case").
• The translation maintains the informal tone while conveying the meaning accurately.
• The phrase "ทำอะไรที่ไทเปต่อ" is translated as "do something else in Taipei later," which captures the speaker's intention to potentially engage in another activity in Taipei after heading up.

Additional Notes:

• The translation is concise and avoids unnecessary embellishments.
• The sentence structure is preserved in the English translation.
• The translation is grammatically correct and uses appropriate vocabulary.

I hope this translation meets your expectations. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Translation:

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They chatted and played for a while.

The car is coming.

After getting in the car, we chatted for a long time.

I realized after about two hours had passed.

Translation:

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We are approaching the city center of Taichung.

We must now choose between

1. Take the high-speed rail (HSR), but it costs twice as much.

With

2. Taking the regular train (TRA) is cheaper, but it takes much longer.

Translation:

The provided text is empty. There is nothing to translate.

Coming and going.

Out of stinginess!

We opted to take the train to the TRA station.

We arrived at the TRA station around 8:20 PM.

Go straight to the ticket booth.

Hoping to get a cheap ticket as expected.

However, the results show that...

Tickets are sold out.

At that moment, my head was filled with the echoing sound of…

Translation:

This is an empty paragraph.

Sold out, sold out, sold out, sold out...

How are we going to get back to Taipei?

The hotel has already been booked.

His mind was racing.

But when I came to my senses at the ticket machine,

I double-checked with the ticket seller.

He said that

"The train to Taipei is fully booked."

......................

Hmm!

So you can stand?

So I asked him.

In conclusion, ...

Whoa! I have a ticket, but it's a standing ticket!

Tada has returned to Taipei.

However, the severity of the situation does not end there.

Because of the TRA train

Translation:

The journey from Taizhuang to Taipei takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.

That means we two.

Must stand all the time, really?

However, the staff were friendly and informed me that

If there are no passengers boarding at a particular station, you may sit on that seat.

Until the owner of the place at the next station comes up

And the moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived.

This will allow you to board the TRA train.

Oh my god!!!

Translation:

"I was relieved to find out that we weren't the only ones standing like scarecrows on this train."

Haha, my friends are coming and going. 55555555555+

Okay, we can feel at ease now. We both returned to Taipei in one piece.

This train goes to Taipei.

And it really turned out that way.

Standing for over two hours was not enjoyable at all.

We arrived back in Taipei after 11pm.

After settling into our accommodation, we conserved our energy for the next day's challenges.

---

Translation:

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What we have learned

1. Occasionally, when traveling, we may need to spend more money to maximize our time and enjoy other destinations or leisure activities.

2. Every mistake presents an opportunity for new learning, as long as we are willing to use it to improve and do better.

Translation:

There is no text to translate. Please provide the text you would like me to translate from Thai to English.

Thank you for following.

#theplanners

#Off-the-beaten-path travel