travelogue || Taiwan 2012 - part TWO

Whoa I'm taking ages to update this.

Anyway, I hope this post is much simpler - it has been a month plus since I came back from Taiwan and I'm kinda losing it. Some may not be accurate since it's been 'ages', LOL.


5th Day : Taichung - Taipei 

Kick started the day with the usual buffet breakfast at the hotel and then boarded the bus for another ... CLASSES WITH OUR TOUR GUIDE! Woop woop.

 Showing us where we have went for the past few days.

So we left for lunch + Puppet Show somewhere around Taichung.  It's a "most representative of Taiwan cultural heritage - traditional performance." (quote from Apple Tour's itinerary)

 Having lunch while watching the puppet show.

 The stage.

They passed us each a hand puppet to practice with - and who does well gets some postcards of their dolls.

 For mine, I did Gangnam Style because it's Gangnam Style.

 Bro fisted my sister's hand puppet because yeah we bros.

 UH.

After a good performance, we left to wait for the bus while we played in the park hohoho.

Boarded the bus and on the way we go to Taipei ! 3 hours ride on the bus, since it's 190km.

But before that, we had to stop by 'Tianlu Culture Center' where they begin another brainwashing session. 

This time is - you count the number of strokes in your Chinese name, and if it sums up to a certain number, it's good. If you get a zero or something, then it's bad luck. (I really forgot what's the number because really, I do not care.) 

Then of course, if you get the 'bad luck' number, they'll be all "Oh well, you know if you want to cure this bad luck, you can buy our jade to change the luck yknow."

If you get the 'good luck' number, they'll still try to find a way to persuade you by saying "Well if you want better luck, you could always get our jade." 

PROFIT!!

I sat there painfully for 30 minutes (I think maybe longer because I felt like dying - not literally) listening to something I don't believe in. And that damn place has no WiFi so I can't tweet my misery lol.

Anyway, after that, bus ride continues to Taipei, phew.

First destination in Taipei - Taipei 101 ! 

Vaness Wu, he's almost everywhere!

 On this cloudy day, you basically can't see anything from up there.

 The interior looks pretty much like KLCC.

 We had a small tea of noodles. Because we're too hungry!

 RM4.50 for a HUGE cup of Chatime. This flavour is Taipei Mango QQ.

It has nata de coco pieces and pearls in a mango flavoured drink. Super yums!

Left the building when it's around 5.30pm. The sky's dark because it's winter.

On the way to another night market. I went to too many night markets till I kinda forgot their names! Oops. If someone knows, please do let me know! 

It was raining, booo. But thank god the market was sheltered!

 You do NOT want to know what's this. LOL.

 Expensive fruits!!!

After getting a few t-shirts, we left to the hotel!

That's it for Day 5! 

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6th Day : Taipei Free Day - DAY ONE

So today's a free day, and we don't have to follow the tour! Woop woop!

Dad called his colleague who lives in Taipei and he drove us around today! Thanks Uncle!

Had lunch at The Howard Hotel,  

travelogue || Taiwan 2012 - part ONE!

Taiwan! 

This trip was pretty uncalled for - since we initially planned to go Bangkok at first - but we ended up booking this Taiwan tour. I was still at Australia when all this happened though, so I didn't have any say in this, but hey, I'm not complaining!

Anyway, we start with the usual info!

Information about Taiwan

Currency: NT$100 = RM10.5 (But we thought of it as NT$100 = RM10 for easy counting!)
Weather: Winter and Rainy - 14C ~ 23C. 
Time differences: No time difference.
Duration of Stay: 8 Days and 7 Nights
Date: 7th December 2012 - 14th December 2012.


So this is our third trip with Apple Holidays, my previous ones were Shanghai (2011) and Japan (2009).

Pictures are credited to Jo Ann's Canon EOS550D and Samsung S3 (my sister), and my mum's Olympus!

Word of warning: Since Taiwan is a really good place for SHOPPING and EATING, you might find yourself drooling to some pictures. Read this after your meals! I'm not responsible for your malfunctioned keyboard/computer caused by your drool :P (I'm only kidding :P)

1st Day : Kuala Lumpur Int'l Airport -  Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l Airport - Taoyuan - Taipei - Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭) - Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

Our flight was at 9am-ish. So we had to wake up at 5.30am and I slept at 1.30am that night and I felt like crap. Nauseated and tired, WORST FEELING EVER.

Our cab came and we left to KLIA. Group checked-in and met our other "Apple Pies" (other Apple holiday members, nyehehe.)

And since somehow our flight is a 'small flight', we only get a lousy small MAS plane and a terminal that doesn't require you to take the Aerotrain. WHAT IS A TRIP WITHOUT THE AEROTRAIN RIDE?!

picture not mine!

But we had no choice anyway, we had our breakfast in the main terminal and left to our gate.

"Coffee Time!"

Malaysian Rice, Nasi Lemak!

 And that is when everything went chaotic; apparently our gate caters to another flight to Ho Chi Minh City - and our boarding times were really close to one another and Ho Chi Minh's gate is already closing; it's the Final Call for the passengers. And we Taiwan flight peeps are supposed to board now but the staffs wouldn't allow us because they were crazily calling out 'HO CHI MINH ONLY, HO CHI MINH ONLY!' But sheesh we have to board now gdi.

This whole commotion took 15 minutes. Those Taiwan peeps who sneakily went through the gate were shooed out. I really don't know what to say..

Anyway that aside, we boarded the plane and took off without any further delay. And since I had only 4 hours of sleep, I was really, really nauseated. I could say that this was the worst flight ever. Do you want me to start on how small the plane is? I think not.

5 hours of flight, and we touched down at Taoyuan Airport. Got our luggage, got Subway cookies for a snack (since I totally skipped my in-flight meal) and we met up with the tour group!


Hopped on the bus and here we go, Taiwan!

 yay we're leaving!

We were then introduced to our tour guide, Jackie! (Chen Dao)

He's a really nice man!

The tour guide gave us the guides!

On the way to Taipei from Taoyuan, and then heading to Fisherman's Wharf!

 Where my HTC phone originates :')

Aaaand we're here!

It was already 5pm and the sun is already setting! (Due to the winter season)

Museum of Tamsui fishiegoodies - I really don't get it..

 Cha Ye Dan (茶叶蛋) Chinese Tea Leaf Eggs from OK Mart (a convenience store), just because we were too hungry!

Sightseeing there for half an hour or so and then...

A bus ride to Shilin Night Market! Wooooooooop shopping!

 I love them bus rides!

 Night market!

 These long potato things! Noms! But I think we chose the wrong seasoning..

 Food, food everywhere!

 Don't you feel so tempted to enter these shops right now?! Well I do. D:

Gangnam Style is catching up everywhere, alright.

 After spending a good hour there, we headed back to the hotel! Today our dinner isn't booked or organized so we have a free night tonight!

We were sent to our hotel and we dropped our luggages in our hotel rooms and then went out for dinner! There's a pretty good variety of restaurants and hawker centers outside of our hotel so it was a breeze to find something good to eat. The only problem is that we were spoiled for choice!

Ended up settling for this delicious bowl of Beef Noodles! The icon of Taiwanese food.

And to top it off, we ordered steamed dumplings too!

Had a scrumptious dinner and we head back to the hotel for a good night rest - pumped and ready for the exciting days ahead!

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