Letters to Taiwan: Day 6

The 13th of March was our first full day in Taiwan city. We bought concession cards, topped it up with 2,000TWD, and took the metro. But first, breakfast!



First, we were strolling the streets looking for some 滷肉飯 (Braised Pork Rice)that Alvin wanted us to try, but we discovered that the store closed down, so we continued walking around for somewhere else to settle down for brunch. We came across this little pancake store along the way, and got some for ourselves. The guys got the custard/milk flavour, while I got the traditional red bean. It was not bad, but I regretted not getting the milk one instead hehe. I actually kinda like red bean (which makes for another reason why I should really visit Japan) desserts, unlike a lot of other people I know.



We alighted at 大安森林公園站 (Daan Park Station), which is apparently one of the richest parts of Taiwan. I only found that out after Googling, but it was no wonder we saw lots of Caucasians jogging around that morning. The area also had a couple of expensive hotels. 


While walking down the streets, we actually came across these litter of pups that were up for sale or adoption, we couldn't be sure. But they were probably up for adoption. They were just squealing and barking at each other, playing around, but there was quite a group of people crowding around them. They were sooooo cute, all wearing doggy clothes because the weather was pretty cold. But my heart went out to them.... It was really hard to walk away without adopting every single one of them. Some were already quite old, but it seemed like there were others who were only maybe a month or two old. I hope whoever adopts these puppies treats them well, and doesn't abandon them halfway. :(



On the way to the Taipei 101 Tower, we popped by the South-side shopping area of Taipei, which is apparently the 'hipster-haven'. There's stores with cool neon sign boards, K-fashion all over the place, and even a Honey Creme! If I'm not wrong, it's the 忠孝敦化商圈 (Dunhua Shopping Area), and you'll need to alight at the 中孝敦化捷运站 (Zhongxiao Dunhua Station), Exit 4 to get to the district. We walked there by foot from Daan Station though, but we were able to catch a glimpse of the city that you wouldn't normally get to see unless you walked.



I mean just look at how cool the streets looked! There were loads of young people there too, so I assumed that this was were they usually come to hang out. It was a Sunday that day, so the streets were super crowded. There were shops there that sold stuff from Stussy and Cheap Monday, just to name a few. I wish I shopped more hehe. There was also a massive Forever 21 right outside Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, so obviously, some damage was done. I actually regretted not buying more, because the stuff there seems to be cheaper as compared to Singapore's F21 outlets.

After a while of walking, we finally made it to Taipei 101! We didn't go in though, because it was expensive, and because it's just an aerial view of the city. But we snapped some shots outside. After which, we just strolled around the area (because it rained) and settled at a night market. I can't remember the name of the place already, but I remembered eating a hot plate steak hehe. 

Anyways, I guess that's it for now. I've been really busy these past few weeks with work, so the updates have been really slow. I really just want to be more regular with my posting (also so I can just edit all the photos, post them, and stop procrastinating), but time really hasn't been on my side these days. But it's alright, at least I'm doing something else that's more productive. :)

Letters to Taiwan: Day 5

Leaving Hualien on the 12th of March felt like leaving home. We stayed just two nights there, but I felt used to the life there. Well.... The comfortable room was 70% of the reason why I never wanted to leave haha.

We said our goodbyes, petted the animals on the compound one last time, and took a walk around the area before we went on our way, back to Hualien Train Station.




I was honestly so in awe with the beauty that surrounded us in Hualien. The streets rarely had cars passing by, it was almost as if we had the whole street to ourselves. Mountains were also in view wherever you looked, and the was chilly but comfortable. It also didn't really rain that morning, much to our delight!



The ride from Hualien to Taipei city was about 2 hours long, and I was falling in and out of sleep the entire time.... Something about train rides just take me right to Snoozeville.



The Taiwan Metro was surprisingly clean! Living in Singapore definitely sets high standards for the other train stations and general public areas all around the globe, but Taiwan didn't disappoint. In fact, I would go so close as to say it is almost like Singapore. The route maps for the Metro was also quite easy to understand. We got from Taipei station to Ximending pretty quickly.


One of the worst feelings is staying underground where its warm, and then coming out to 12 deg weather. Complete with chilly winds, and a slight drizzle. But Ximending was beautiful nevertheless, we were finally back in the city! That meant there are toilets all over the place and we don't need to worry about having a full bladder haha.



Our Airbnb was pretty close to the Ximending market, about 5 minutes away. The apartment is also surrounded by quite a couple of convenience stores, a Starbucks outlet (which we never bought from), and a couple of Gua Gua Le stores.



The weather was, as usual, rainy. But thinking back, I'd rather have it be cold and wet rather than scorching hot. It made walking around a little bit inconvenient, but at least we weren't sweating buckets.

Ximending was full of so many stores, shopping opportunities are endless. If you're feeling for some Western food, there's Saizeriya, or some A++++++ Ramen if you're feeling more Japanese. As for shoes, Nike, Adidas, and ABC Marts (a brand carrying loads of sport shoe brands) lined the streets. We walked around for a little while, before sending Yong Jie home. He felt a little under the weather, thanks to.... well, the weather LOL. So he had to rest at home, while we continued walking around the streets of Ximending.

About the A++++++ ramen I just mentioned....... It was called Negi Ramen, and it was in the building that you'll see the gigantic Uniqlo outlet at. I forgot which floor it was on (was it 6th?), but their ramen is a MUST-TRY while you're in Ximending. MUST. TRY. It must've been one of the best ramen I've ever tasted, and I'm not even exaggerating. I went for the Basil Cheese ramen, and everything from the broth, to the texture of the noodle, to the taste of the chashu pork was.... heaven, to say the least. This is the only shitty picture I took, but Google it for more proof.



Here's the address to make life easier:
108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Hanzhong St, 52號6樓

Ximending was crowded, probably because we first visited on a Saturday afternoon. There was little to no space to walk around the walkway areas, especially with tons of umbrellas knocking us from all over the place, but hey, we were surrounded by so much shopping, so all was good.


And we also stumbled across this store called Mini Melts, which I knew I had to try. They were these little mini ice cream balls that we used to have in Singapore. I remember there being a little store in Lot One, many many years ago, before it finally disappeared and we couldn't find these anywhere in Singapore anymore... It was good to finally taste them again! I got the mixed fruit one, which I regret a little, considering I wanted to go for something more creamy. Maybe I should be less adventurous the next time and just stick to Cotton Candy haha.

We didn't take much photos after that, mainly because the streets were too. Damn. Crowded. After which, we went back home and chilled while watching TV before going to sleep.

Having nothing else to do besides resting and fully relaxing felt amazing.