Sun Moon Lake Travelogue — Touring the Lake by Boat

August 6, 2010 — Sun Moon Lake Travelogue, Part 3 of 6: Touring the Lake by Boat

Canon EOS 500D 18–55mm F3.5–5.6 + Speedlite YN-468

We took the elevator down from the Del Lago Hotel. After leaving the lake-view restaurant, it was only a few steps to Shuishe Pier.

Lakeside and pier facilities around Shuishe Pier — Shuishe Pier was only a short walk from the hotel.

Tour boats docked at Shuishe Pier — Shuishe Pier was the starting point for our boat trip.

The hotel brochure listed the boat tickets at NT$300 for adults and NT$200 for children. At the pier, however, the staff wearing the boat company’s vests sold them for NT$200 and NT$100, including insurance. That seemed quite reasonable.

Looking back from the pier, the building in the center of the view was the Del Lago Hotel.

Del Lago Hotel centered in the view from Shuishe Pier — Looking back from the pier toward our hotel, the Del Lago.

Hmm… was this the boat we would be taking today?

A boat moored beside the pier at Sun Moon Lake — There were plenty of boats at the pier, but this was not ours.

Of course not @.@'"

Nor was it the Ming Hong ~.~

The Ming Hong tour boat moored at the pier — The Ming Hong was not our boat either.

Ours was another boat of the same model, operated by the same company—the Long Xing ^.^

The Long Xing tour boat used for the Sun Moon Lake cruise — We finally boarded the Long Xing and set off across the lake.

We cruised past Lalu Island, traditionally regarded as the dwelling place of the Thao ancestral spirits.

Lalu Island seen from a tour boat on Sun Moon Lake — We passed Lalu Island along the way.

Our first stop was Xuanguang Temple.

Pier or entrance area near Xuanguang Temple — The pier and entrance area at Xuanguang Temple.

Path and visitors around Xuanguang Temple — We took a short walk around Xuanguang Temple after landing.

View around Xuanguang Temple during the stop — We paused at Xuanguang Temple to enjoy the lakeside scenery.

From the temple, we could look down over the lake and the surrounding mountains.

Sun Moon Lake and surrounding mountains viewed from Xuanguang Temple — A broad view of Sun Moon Lake from Xuanguang Temple.

View of Sun Moon Lake from the elevated temple area — Another lakeside view from above Xuanguang Temple.

After a brief 30-minute stop at Xuanguang Temple, we continued to Ita Thao.

Arrival scene at Ita Thao Pier — After Xuanguang Temple, the boat arrived at Ita Thao.

The pier had a distinctive design, with a bit of an overseas marina vibe~~

Boat berths and plaza at Ita Thao Pier — Ita Thao Pier had the atmosphere of an overseas marina.

The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway cut a line through the middle of the view. It looked like the first pass of the clippers over a new recruit’s head—a highway shaved straight down the center @.@'"

Sun Moon Lake Ropeway route crossing the wooded hillside — The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway traced a line across the distant hillside.

Walkway or plaza area around Ita Thao Pier — We continued toward the plaza to see what was happening nearby.

In the plaza, a street performer dressed as a clown was making balloon animals, drawing a crowd of children. Balloons really are a child’s weak spot: even though they would be flat by the next day, the kids insisted on getting one every time they saw them.

The performer accepted whatever people wished to tip instead of charging a fixed price, so each child got a ten-dollar coin and joined the line ^.^

Street performer dressed as a clown making balloons for waiting children — The children queued with ten-dollar coins for balloon creations.

He was remarkably skillful and could make all sorts of designs. Later, a grilled wild-boar vendor told us the man had been folding balloons nonstop since morning and was doing terrific business ^.^

It goes to show: master a craft, keep a useful skill up your sleeve, and be willing to work hard—then why worry about going hungry!!