Friday, July 06, 2007
the one about the details of my Taiwan trip
Yoo Hoo!! I'm back! Touched down at Changi at around 2300 last night. And now, I'm feeling exhausted and a little disoriented. Didn't get to rest alot during the trip as I only got to sleep like after 1am every single night. Still, I enjoyed the shopping. Alas the weather was similar to that in Singapore. Well, Shu Hui wants details of my trip as well as photos, so here goes!Day 1 - 27 Jun 2007
We arrived at Taiwan at around 1730. 刘伯伯 and 厂长 came to fetch us. We drove back to 刘伯母's DVD shop where we met up with her and 厂长夫人. They are all friends of my parents and have been very hospitable to us through the week there. We had dinner, watched TV there and went to walk walk at the 桃园观光夜市. This is the first 夜市 I walked at and was the 夜市 I frequent the most.
On my first day there, I bought a top. But I didn't felt like shopping mainly because the rain has just stopped and my dad and 刘伯伯 were around. Do you know how stressful it is to shop with some men? Anyway, after we 逛完夜市, we went to this 24 hours fruits place to buy some fruits back. According to our Taiwanese hosts, Summer is the best season to be at if you are a fruits lover.
Day 2 - 28 Jun 2007
We woke up. Ma & I packed because we were going to stay at a hotel in Taipei for the next few days. It was to facilitate my shopping spree. We sent 厂长 and 厂长夫人 to 台北火车站 and then took a ride around the city. Finally chose our hotel which was the 皇朝大酒店. You won't believe it! Guess where it is situated??? It is DIRECTLY opposite the 台北小巨蛋!!
Ultra cool right? Hah, now I know where it is actually. After checking in, we went lunch at Asiaworld Shopping Centre. Ate my first bowl of 豆花. It's like super smooth and it melts in your mouth. Hmmm... After lunch, 刘伯伯 sent Ma & I to 五分埔 where I started shopping and shopping and shopping. Bought 4 t-shirts, 1 pair of shorts, 1 jumper suit. It's a great place to shop at coz it's cheap but the clothes there are abit too flashy for my liking. After shopping for 3-4 hours, Ma & I got lost at the alleys of 五分埔. We finally got out of the maze and took 捷运 back. We took from 后山埤 station to 忠孝复兴 station to change line and finally alighted at 南京东路 station. It's very cheap coz we spent less than S$1 even though we alighted after so many stops.
Ma & I went back to hotel to meet up with my dad who happens to be SLEEPING while we were shopping. Washed up and left to go to 台北101. This time, we took my dad sit 捷运to 市政府 station and walked to 101. You won't miss it coz you can see the building from any corner of the city.
Went up 101, but in truth we only got to the 89th level. We couldn't see much coz it was dark but the city looked very pretty with all the neon lights. We were at the observatory till 8 plus and the 3 of us were starving. Wanted to look for the eating place Sher said was at New York New York but couldn't find. Btw, NYNY is directly opposite 101. We then took 捷运 to 剑谭 station to eat at 士林夜市.
I was starving so I bought the gigantic 鸡扒. It was 1.5 times the size of my face. Imagine that! That night alone, we ate 蚝仔面线，蚝仔煎，臭豆腐 and 香肠. After dinner, we went to walk at the 夜市 away from the eating place. I bought belts and socks there. Couldn't stay for long because my dad was feeling a little uncomfortable so we took 捷运 back as soon as I was done.
Day 3 - 29 Jun 2007
We woke up. 刘伯伯 came to fetch my dad to go play golf. OF ALL THINGS TO DO AT TAIWAN!! Ma & I went take 捷运 to 台北车站 station to shop at the 地下街 shopping place. Couldn't find anything nice there coz the taste was abit too "auntie" for me. Only managed to buy one top, so Ma & I took 捷运 back to our hotel. As we were walking back, I bought another top from those stalls by the streets.
After resting, we took 捷运 to 西门 station to shop at 西门町.
There were so many things to look at until I went abit blind. In the end, I couldn't find something I really like. Only managed to buy a skirt and an anklet. And since I wanted to go look see, Ma & I took one stop to 龙山寺 station to walk at 华西街观光夜市.
It's like a drastic change in target audience. At 西门町, it was the younger crowd; at 华西街, it were the uncles and aunties. HAH!! And they sell ALOT of snake soups. My mom & I literally ran away as fast as we could.
Day 4 - 30 Jun 2007
We checked out. 刘伯伯 & 刘伯母 came fetch us back to 桃园. We stopped by 南坎 for lunch which happened to be a HUGE BOWL of 牛肉面.
We sent 刘伯母 back to the DVD shop and then 刘伯伯 dropped Ma & I at the high-class shopping centres at 桃园. Of course we couldn't find anything GOOD & CHEAP, so we went back pretty fast. Dinner was at this high class restaurant which sells alot of seafood. Check out this lobster, it came to us raw with lots of sashimi. After we're done with the raw part, they took it back to cook it with soup. It was so fresh that the lobster head was still moving when it was served.
After dinner, Ma & I went back 桃园观光夜市 to really shop shop. Bought 2 pairs of shoes in the end, because I was eye-ing them since the first day. I realised that it was so difficult for me to buy shoes at Taiwan because my feet were too tiny. In the end, I had to put extra support for my 2 new pairs of shoes. Darn.
Before we went back to 刘伯伯's house to rest, he brought me to the expressway and let me drive. WOW!! It was my first time and perhaps my last time driving on the left side of the car. It wasn't that difficult on the expressway, only a little different when I had to turn left and right. According to my mom, I fared better than my dad when he drove that for the first time coz I could stay in lane whereas my dad couldn't. I drove all the way from 桃园 to the airport, the whole journey to and fro took like 30 minutes. Like WOW again...
Day 5 - 1 Jul 2007
We woke up super early, went to eat 永和豆浆 & 油条 for breakfast, and then drove up to 乌来 to 泡温泉 & 冷泉. We stayed there from 1030 to 1630. It felt so good to just bask in the sunlight, with the mountains and rivers surrounding you. Hmm... excellent. After that, we went to walk at the 乌来老街. Tried the 温泉蛋 and the 山猪肉香肠. Drove back to 桃园 and had another seafood dinner at the 渔港. It was the same with the lobster. Hah, the Taiwanese are infatuated with the lobster.
After dinner, we went to 刘伯母's brother's house to sing karaoke. Goodness, I think my dad enjoyed himself more than I did. Maybe it's because we belong to different generations and the majority of them were singing their hokkien songs. *yawn* Didn't really enjoy myself as much as I had hoped.
Day 6 - 2 Jul 2007
In the morning, after breakfast which was 豆浆油条 again, we drove up to 宜兰 using the newest 雪山隧道. Apparently, it helps to shorten the travelling time from 4 hours to 1.5 hours. We reached 苏奥 and went to 泡冷泉. It actually felt more like a swimming pool with super cold water.
After that, we met up with 厂长 and had lunch. We then drove to his house to rest, relax and chat. In the end, all of us ended up sleeping. Woke up and drove back to 桃园 where we had a short dinner eating 台湾小吃 at 桃园观光夜市. We then went to 刘伯伯's friend's house to drink tea and chat. Well, my parents chat while I watch Taiwanese drama which happens to be very very interesting.
Day 7 - 3 Jul 2007
We woke up later than usual. After breakfast which was 豆浆油条 again again, we went up to 虎头山 for some morning exercise. Walked all the way up and looked down at 桃园 from the top. After that, 刘伯伯 dropped us at 桃园高铁站. 高铁 is their bullet train and it just started operations a few months ago. To experience the Taiwan experience, I wanted to try every single thing possible so we took 高铁 to 台北 which only took 20 minutes compared to a 40 minutes drive.
We ate lunch at 台北车站 vincinity. Then we took 台铁 back. 台铁 is their name for their train service. It stops at more stations and takes a longer time. Not to mention that it cost 4 times lesser than 高铁. 高铁 costs around S$8 while 台铁 costs a little more than S$2 for the same ride from 台北 to 桃园.
We went back to the DVD shop to rest and chill. Pa & Ma decided to go back and take a bath while I stayed back at the shop to learn baking from 刘伯母. When they returned, we went to 中枥观光夜市 to walk our final 夜市. Ate 台湾小吃 for the last time. Didn't get to buy much things coz I was pretty much done with my shopping.
Went back to the shop, more friends my parents met years ago came over and they started chatting while I watch TV again.
Day 8 - 4 Jul 2007
We're going home today! Woke up the latest of all my days at Taiwan. After we washed up, we went out to the streets to buy some foodstuffs back for our friends. Then we went for an international buffet lunch at this hotel in 桃园. Apparently, 刘伯伯 bought my brother there when my bro was in Taiwan for training 2 years back. We ate from 1130 till 1400, the entire duration of the buffet. PIGS! After that, we went back to the shop where I picked up more baking tips.
We went back to pack and then off to the airport!
Well, it pretty much sums up my iternary for those 8 days. It was very fulfilling and fun, not to mention a satisfying shopping trip for me. MUHAHAHA! And now, I'm typing this in pain after my wisdom tooth extraction & operation. Fainted just now but I'm feeling much better now. Really felt like I was dying just now but it's a different story altogether.