“She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails”
~Elizabeth Edwards
After two days of clouds and rain in Taipei, I headed for the mountains today-Alishan Forest Recreation Park, to be precise. As one of Asia’s most famous mountain ranges that boasts one of the world’s best sunrises, I knew Alishan was a must for my itinerary well before I came to Taiwan. I had my fingers crossed that the weather would cooperate, and it did. Just not in the way I had planned for.
Originally, I had a ticket booked for a 9 am train, and since jet lag means I’m still unable to fall asleep before 3 am my time, I was worried I’d sleep through my target 7:30 wakeup time. Luckily, The High Speed Rail is very flexible; if you want to get on an earlier or later train than the one you’ve booked a ticket for, you can feel free to get on one of several cars specifically for non-reserved tickets. Since I ended up waking around 7:20 and made it to Taipei Main Station in perfect time, I was actually quite early-and managed to jump on an 8:36 train that dropped me off in Chiyai at 10 am on the dot.
As I typed my previous blog post last night, I sat on a Starbucks in busy downtown Taipei, happily sipping a Green Tea Cream. This morning, I was back in Starbucks, but in Chiayi as I waited for my 11:40 am bus to Alishan. That bus ride’s not for the faint of heart. It was pouring buckets as we rode up winding hills and the windows all fogged up. Whenever I looked outside, all I could see were bottomless pits (Alishan sits 2,000 meters above sea level). I don’t consider myself scared of heights, but I’d be lying if I said that trip didn’t make me nervous. Or nauseous. Two and a half hours later, I was ecstatic to be off that bus and standing in the lobby of Alishan House, my fantastic hotel.
The rainy-but lovely-view of Alishan from my hotel balcony.
When I was searching for hotels in Alishan before my trip, I came up short of options. The one that was repeatedly recommended online was Alishan House-and after just a few hours here, it’s not hard to see why. Anyone looking for a luxurious getaway in Alishan has it here, and although the price for a night ate a significant portion of my NYC travel budget, it has been well worth it.
My hotel room at Alishan House. Can I live here? Please?
In addition to my ENORMOUS room, complete with a dining table, bathtub, and private balcony, the hotel has two delicious restaurants, a gym, foot masseuses, and my favorite feature of all-the spa! Completely exhausted upon arrival and looking at the rain outside, I ventured through an outdoor garden to the spa to take a look. Of course, a “look” turned into me getting a 90-minute stone massage-my first, but certainly not my last!
A traditionally Native American remedy for aching muscles, hot stone massages have expanded globally as a detox method to sweat toxins from your body. My massage was broken into 30 minute intervals. After dressing in a two-piece kimono, I lay in a tub filled with hot stones that had a towel over them. For the first 30 minutes, I lay on my stomach. After a short water break, I spent another 30 minutes on my side. Another water break led to the final installment-30 minutes of lying on my back. I had been planning to take a nap and hot bath at the hotel on the bus ride up to Alishan, but I ended up doing two in one-the stones were so relaxing that I dozed a bit during the massage! I felt a million times better after I was done. The nausea and sleepiness I had during the bus ride had cleared up, and the heated rocks felt great on my spine and feet.
The primping room of Alishan House Spa includes flavored waters, eye liner, hairbrushes, and a blow dryer.
The attendant took my vitals (weight, BMI, and caloric intake) before and after the massage for measurement. After it was done, she told me that my BMI had lowered by two points-“Very good!” in her words! She then gave me a special tea that is also used as a detox. I followed that treat with a fantastic dinner of salted pork (a traditional indigenous dish) with rice, garlic, and vegetables before calling it an early night. Can’t miss the sunrise tomorrow morning!
Me with my tea. Perfect cure for a rainy day!
Much as I’d hoped for a sunny day, the rain was a blessing in disguise. So far, my Taiwanese trek has involved lots of play, but the work aspect of it will be full on next week. I wanted a weekend away from the hustle of city life to relax off my feet, and Alishan House has given it to me in spades. I can’t wait to explore the park tomorrow, starting with tomorrow’s sunrise.
New spa addict.
Speak soon,
Lauren
"The World is a Book": My Trek Through Taiwan 