We reached Ita Thao Pier at around 1pm, but then our stomachs are growling already..As usual, we made a trip to the visitors' center to collect information booklet of this place before exploring.
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| Ticketing booth for ferry |
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| Visitors' centre |
We realised there is a street full of shops just beside the pier and decided to check it out. Weather is still gloomy with occasion wind. Was abit worried that it will rain as we gonna take the cable car..
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| Street of shops beside the pier |
Since today is Monday, there isnt any crowd to speak of. Street was quite empty but luckily most shops are open. We took our time to walk ard to search for something to fill our stomachs.
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| Roast quail |
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| Dessert shop!!Love the name |
We saw a stall selling chicken wings stuffed with rice (饭饭鸡翅）and stood there to observe for quite a while before deciding to try it out..
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| Standing from afar to observe |
The wings are 1st roasted and then cut up at the drumlet part. Piping hot glutinous rice is then stuffed into the cut out part. Lastly, a generous amount of spring onions are added to it along with some pepper. Viola, its ready to serve!
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| Preparing our chicken wings |
Juice oozzed out of the wing as we took a bite, it was especially warming under this cold weather. You immediately felt your whole body warmed up...We ate this in record time and then went on to search for the next thing to eat. hehe
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| Up close look |
Next, we came to a stall selling roast wild boar meat prepared by the traditional way of Ita Thao. Mr Love was temped and we brought 1 stick each to try. The stall owner convinced us to have 1 more rice cake to go along and we paid NTD 100 for all 3..
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| Heating up the meat and rice cake |
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| The stall name states "Original Ita Thao tribe roast wild boar meat stick" |
The roasted wild boar meat didnt disappoint. It was tender and tasty and of cuz by heating it up makes it more delicious under this weather.
The rice cake however, was not to my liking even though it is served hot. The outer skin was too coarse and makes it difficult to chew. Inside was tasteless and makes me think that I am eating rubber. I only took a piece and passed them all to hubs who didnt managed to finish. Should have took all 3 roast meat stick.
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| Rice cake cut up |
We were pretty full by now and went in search of the cable car station to get us up to Formosa Aboriginal Culture Village （九族文化村） at the top of the mountain.
Cable car was not the only way up it seems, but we didnt know where to catch a bus up. And since we brought the tickets for the cable car, we have no other choice by to take it.
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| Road signs pointing to direction of cable car station |
Again, we were bluffed by the road signs, it states 600m away from the pier but I swear the walk is at least 1Km, 600m is a straight line measurements lo..There are plenty of turns and bends along the way there..
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| Long way ahead |
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| Station spotted!!still a long way |
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| Empty on a monday afternoon..good! |
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| Looking back to the pier |
The skies were pretty grey as we walked here, in fact it was drizzling oredi. I was praying beri hard in my heart that the weather would not get any worse, wind will not get stronger as we need to be on the cable car for quite a while. If there is strong winds or heavy rain, the cabin would get shaky.
I was already pretty scared by the ride oredi, dun realli need the weather to add to my fears.
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| Waiting for our turn |
There was virtually no other visitors today, only a handful like us and thus we need not queue for the ride. The ride up is around 6.8min over 1.8Km of distance.
There are cable car tickets sold here at NTD 250/pax and NTD 780/pax for entering F.A.C.V. Thus the package deal we brought in Taichung was pretty worth it as it still includes 2way transfer to Taichung and ferry tickets.
There are 3 colours of cabin here that you can choose to take which represents Sun, Moon and blue lake. We didn't have any preference and got into the next 1(Red) that came along.
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| Happie and excited Mr Love |
Before we board, the staff reminded us that last car down is at 4pm and thus we need to take note of the timing. It was near to 2pm when we boarded and there leaves us less than 2 hrs to explore F.A.C.V. Oh well, nothing we can do, I was secretly hoping that we will missed the last ride and can take bus back to the pier to catch the last ferry (5pm) back. Hahah..But but, I did not know where to take the bus from...
Luckily for us, the skies cleared up a bit as we start the journey up. I was relieved but couldn't help to keep praying in my heart.
Mr Love was teasing me all the way, keep asking me to check out the sceneries outside the cabin. In the end he gave up after noticing how nervous I was. I dun even allow him to move to sit with me for fear that the cable will be unbalance with both of us sitting at 1 side only..
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| Scared and nervous me |
I can only endure the ride in silence and it is 1 of the longest 6.8min in my life..Haha
