Breakfast shocker

We set the alarm for 7am as we wanted to be first in the queue to get train tickets on the Alishan Scenic Railway.

Breakfast was a shock. There was a buffet laid out in the rather dingy and damp lobby restaurant. In my dreams breakfast buffets have Bran Flakes, skimmed milk, freshly squeezed juice, chopped fresh fruit, yogurt, porridge and hot croissants. Real buffets are never like that (apart from at the Oriental in Singapore). This particular buffet was the worst case scenario. So bad, we didn’t stay: plain rice (ok) oily stir fried vegetables, dark beans in a gelatinous sauce, egg soup and what looked like sawdust. We went out into the rain instead to find the espresso bar we passed the previous day. Horror! It was closed until 11am. Never mind, tea stand… also closed! We surveyed the options. There were street vendors hawking fried fish patties, the turkey rice place and McDonalds. You’ve guessed it. In we went to embrace the golden arches for breakfast for only the second time in my life. I’m not proud of myself. I’m not normally the type of traveler who resorts to McDonalds, but I’m not particularly adventurous eater, especially when it’s 8am. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot cakes, but wondered whether I should give the Chinese breakfast a go next time, after all I used to turn my nose up at Japanese breakfasts and now I really like rice, fish, seaweed and raw egg for breakfast from time to time.