Chacheng

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If you are brave enough to tangle with the lack of English at the train station in Taichung, you can grab a train to Chacheng, the last stop on the Jiji branch railway. You get to travel through amazing mountain scenery and then you find yourself immersed in the history of the lumber and coal industries, with views of the Mingtan Dam (which is within walking distance). I admit that the history didn't mean as much as the lovely people and their dogs and cats (yes, cats) that I met on the train. The fact we didn't share a language meant nothing as I showed them photos of my dog while cuddling theirs. Smiles and laughter broke down minor barriers such as the language difficulties! And then there was the shopping. There are plenty of tiny shops selling all sorts of unusual goods. My favourite was the one selling beads that you could turn into very cheap gifts to take home, eg necklaces and bracelets. There was also an ice-cream shop. The rose ice-cream and the lavender ice-cream were definitely not something I would ever try again but the mint one was great. I was very fortunate to have 2 young Taiwanese friends take me to Chacheng as I wouldn't have bothered to attempt it on my own. It is definitely worth the effort if you have a day to spare (we actually did it in an afternoon).

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