Taiwan

What can I say? Though it is yet another place with Chinese words everywhere, the people are totally different. The girls really dress up like Japanese dolls. The guys are tall and cute. Most of all, everyone around is so polite and helpful, it feels as though I am walking around in a huge 6-star hotel place.

Tired out from traveling around. And since a lot of pple have been to Taiwan, I guess a short photo blog should be enough ^_^

Day1 – Taipei

Arrived on a very nice date, 070707.

First stop, was definitely ximending, as that’s where our hotel is.

Stall selling yummy Taiwan sausages.

Us sweating like mad after eating the famous ahzong meesua. 40NT per bowl. It’s really delicious! ^_^

I just had to buy the packet drink with wuzun on it. 15NT, full of vitamin C!

Enjoying donuts from mister donut. Ooh.. how I wish Singapore has more donut outlets.

Day2 – Hualien

Famous wanton stall in hualien, 60NT per bowl of 11 wantons.

Nice, huge tauhuay stall. Took a photo, which made me realize tt jx looked so much like tong!! >.<

Went to the biggest park, chongcheng park in hualien. View of hualien from the park.

Me enjoying steak and spaghetti for 110NT at a hualien night market

Kids playing with sparklers and fireworks.

Day 3 – Hualien Taroko Gorge

We were blessed with yet another day of good weather to visit Taroko Gorge. We followed a day tour.

Us at the entrance of taroko national park

More mountains and nature to remind me of Tibet. The mountains here are not bare, but full of vegetation though.

Took many nature shots.. butterflies and dragonflies and spiderwebs

Interesting ray-like leaves

‘zhuai’ gorilla?

Swallow grotto

Tunnel of 9 turns

Poem

Chulu cliff, which we were asked to admire upside down. Really nice ^_^

Cihmu bridge

Kids oblivious of dangerous rockfall areas

Longevity trail

Ended the trip with a nice buffet lunch, restaurant with aboriginal theme

Visited the 7-star-lake (qi xing tan)

Day4 -- Taipei

Back to Taipei, we went to the 12-storey Partyworld KTV to sing our hearts out. Each karaoke room has it’s own personal toilet! Shiokness~

Saw Taipei 101, nightview.

Day5 – Yangmingshang and shihlin night market

Visited the xiaoyoukeng, which is an active volcanic site. Lots of sulphur emissions, which got really pungent as we walked closer. (I hated the walk up though. The trail had lots of bugs and blue-tailed lizards that run much faster than the normal house lizards. So gross!)

Nonetheless, we took lots of photos while we were there. ^_^

Interesting Chinese poem to enjoy nature.

Taipei 101 in the day

More good food and shopping at shihlin night market and wufenpu

Day 6 – sightseeing and hotspring at xinbeitou

Sightseeing. Chiang kai shek memorial, concert theatre, istana

Hotspring at xinbeitou. We chose a nice, clean hotel called shuimei. 2 people room costs 990NT for 90minutes of hotspring/coldspring enjoyment. (10 min hotspring, 1 minute cold spring cycles)

Day 7 and 8 – Danshui and happening ximending

More good food at danshui

Siewmais there had more variation. We bought 10, and the auntie gave us 1 free one! ^_^ (the lady behind us saw and requested for a free one, but the auntie refused!! Haha)

Ximending on a Friday night is ultra happening. We first saw a singer-wannabe basking. Then a model in the midst of a photoshoot in the middle of the street. Then.. we caught the crystalball-fireball man. The bald guy who goes on 综艺大哥大? Saw a live performance (and caught on video! Yahoo~) and of course, took photo with him. He’s quite dao.. but oh well. Just take to show our mothers we saw him. Lol.

Saturday ximending even more happening. Early morning girls were already queuing up, waiting for the finalists of 台湾星光大道. Unfortunately, by the time we returned from lunch, we only saw the last bits of fans snapping their cameras furiously, but saw none of the finalists in person. Haha. As we walked along, we saw another large procession. The main leads of a new Taiwan serial.. something 柿子. The guys were really tall.. I think about 1.9m. Then the little Taiwan gals running behind them are so tiny.. what a stark contrast. I was so stunned I forgot to whip out my camera. So.. no photos again. Haha.

Taiwan was a good trip. Good company. And this is what I call holiday. Sightseeing, Eating, drinking, partying, watching tv, sleeping til noon and missing breakfast provided by the hotel, shopping til we’re broke.

Thanks fangers, liqi, junxiong for the wonderful trip.

It’s time to rest. ^_^