venNeEXpress: hot summer in Taiwan : day 3

This particular day, the entire Chen family set off to a hot spring vacation inn at 苗栗县(MiaoLi district).

It was like a tour group, with 9 families from 3 generations. Each family drove a car and meet up at the holiday inn. Unfortunately, it rained the whole day because of typhoon. A hot summer vacation turned into a wet, wet day.

Nevertheless, it was still an interesting trip. Before we checked in the inn, we went for lunch at a secluded Hakka restaurant. It was hidden inside the housing areas along narrow, winding roads. To tell the truth, we would not have known the place if it wasn’t suggested by one of our relative’s friend. There were a lot of dishes; some were rare, like sour pig intestines(which I dislike). But the others were nice. The dessert was exceptionally tasty and out of ordinary. Its actually mashed sweet potato covered by a thick layer of sweet black glutinous rice. It was warm, compared to most desserts. I really loved it.^^

After the meal we checked in at the 大湖云庄 (Zenn Inn). It was my first time going to a holiday inn. The place was like a garden, with individual huts such as restaurant, gift house, coffee house, etc spread all over the place. Each hut is given cute names like 巧克力屋(Chocolate House). Stone pavements lead further down to the lodgings. These lodgings are modern designs for comfort. Each house is 3 storeys. The lower level is a twin-sharing bedroom with a semi-open spa pool. The pool overlooks the see-through rooftop so you can enjoy the starry night sky. The mini pool is made of dark stones, which emit a serene feel. I think it’s a cool design.

Upstairs, is the 2-level lodging for 4 or more people, like my family.^^ It’s less romantic than the downstairs room. The main idea was a family-style hotel room, with an overlarge bathtub to soak ourselves in. =P The only eerie thing I felt was the huge glass wall in the bathroom. I wonder if anyone would soak with the blinds rolled-up. But anyway, maybe the effect was to allow plenty of lights in, which cheers up the place.

In the late afternoon, we set out to the Forest Reservation Centre for short movie clips on the Protected Forest. In the summer, the Forest is opened for trekking. But nowadays it’s closed due to the wet weather. We saw 2 movie clips on the park and on the protected animals of the forest. Then during dinnertime, we went up to the restaurant. We booked the top hall level and made a huge din. >.<>

That night I experienced the hot spring bathtub spa. The water was pale blue and had a faint odour. Perhaps it was the sulfur commonly found in hot springs. I heard they’re good to soak in; though I haven’t really did any research on it. =P

The next day, we had breakfast at the 巧克力屋(Chocolate house). I LOVE the place. The walls are painted in trees and birds. Teddy bears adorn the whole place. I would love to have breakfast outside under the willow trees, but it was raining—as usual. Breakfast was ham, bread and butter, and scrambled eggs. When you’re done, the waitress would ask if you would like coffee or tea served with a slice of biscuit.