Day 2, we’ve no proper itinerary planned, except to know that we wanted to get some scenic views of the city before going crazy shopping on Day 3 & 4.

I heard from colleagues that Yangmingshan was a good bet to experience nature at its beauty. So to Yangmingshan we went. Took a train to Taipei Main Station before switching to bus 260 at the bus-stop right aside the HSR (HighSpeedRail) station. If you’re unsure, just ask the information counter at the Taipei Main Station, they’d give you easy to follow directions. :)

Waited about a good 20 minutes for the bus under the scorching sun. The weather in Taipei has been rather erratic, it was supposed to be autumn but for the past few days it was at 31 degrees celcius! Managed to land ourselves a seat right at the back – thankfully – because we later realized that the Taipei culture of always being ready to give up seats to the elderly, preggy, and those with kids was starting to put us in a spot. Especially when we needed a seat BAD. And in Taipei, they actually have the priority seats in another colour (which usually occupies about 60% of the bus or train carriage). So we were so glad that we managed to land a seat on the ‘normal’ seats.

55 minutes bus ride later, we reached the entrance of Yangmingshan. Didn’t quite know what to make of it because we were stopped at a bus bay, and the other routes were either to take a 2.4km stroll to the visitor centre under the hot sun, or to wait for a shuttle which would take us to the various stops around Yangmingshan. We opted for the shuttle of course, despite the queue. Was a little taken aback when a siao (small)-bus came along instead (those that can only sit 10 pax), with the rest of us squeezing for a standing space. P/s: the frequency of the bus is about 20-30 min so we really didn’t want to wait for the next round, because even if we did  get a seat we would prolly have to give up to one of the many old foggies visiting the park as well.

And just like the Trip Advisor reviews, boy the bus ride really sucked! If you can opt for a private driver, or rent a car to drive around Yangmingshan – please just go for this option. The roads were extremely windy, throwing us to the right & left (even with both hands grabbing the bars) each time it turned. Roads were very narrow with 2-way traffic which nearly got the bus off the cliff at one point when one of the cars from the oncoming traffic steered too much into the other direction. #(!)@!*@!.

I was getting rather irritated from the lack of air-conditioning in the bus, windows shut and cramped space. I don’t think I’ve ever been so claustrophic before. So glad when we finally decided to stop at one of the destination: Er Zi Ping. And trust me when I say that we had no friggin idea what this destination was about, except that we saw a lot of people hanging around. Hence we assumed that the place should be popular. 2nd p/s: they don’t have a friggin’ visitor map nor english description of what each place is about

this sign freaked me out a little as we begun our walk. 'Snakes??' I exclaimed.

start of the 1.6km route.

We walked for about a good 2.2km before contemplating if we should make a turn back. Didn’t know what we were supposed to look for, plus we were not in proper trekking attire. A lady we stopped along the way encouraged us to walk right till the end because she couldn’t exactly explain what the destination was about. Besides, we were left with about 30 more steps hence we went for it.

And here’s what we saw:

copious amount of mist. apparently the perfect balance of air known to the locales and known to have relaxing benefits

 But I suppose for a couple whose seen the beautiful Swiss mountains and taken in the fresh air of a LOTR lookalike venue, this wasn’t quite what we were expecting. But nevermind, we were on a holiday anyway…so open minded we left ourselves to be…

We decided to catch the rest of YMS park using the small bus but when we finally managed to board one some 20 minutes later after our long & disappointing walk out to the busstop – lo & behold we saw a group of older folks. And we knew what that meant – giving up all seats in the bus and standing as the bus driver took on the winding road like he was in some competition. ppppfffff !

The entire jouney up and down YMS takes about 35-40 minutes and it was only when we were at the foot of the mountain did the husband lament how he didn’t manage to snap any shot of a good view due to a lack of recommended lookout points. We decided to hop on the bus for the 3rd time, this time seeing if we could stop elsewhere to take in the view. Only to our horror when we realized that the bus stop to our soughted lookout point would require a 40 minutes WALK although the bus made it seem too short a journey.

As I mention, both of us were NOT in our hiking wear and that included footwear. I was whining and grumbling as I took on the upslopes and steep stairs. Brrr.

just before that long 40-minutes walk in the heat

the walking begins

time for a break

the long, long road

please don't rain! we didn't bring a brolly!

how far more do we have to walk??

 After several brush with near-death experience either from motorists who weren’t keep to their lane, or near delicate-looking cliffs, we finally ended at where we wanted.

 It was the prettiest view at YMS alright, and we even attracted other motorist on ‘em scooters to stop for the scenic view at one point. While I wished that we were here during the cool Spring, where one would be seeing colours and colours blooming from the mountains and trees, looking at this view which was facing the sea did it for me too.

Thereafter, it was another 40 minutes of hiking to find a bus stop to get ourselves down. Oh boy, my feet were killing me.

i was huffing & puffing

We did get to our destination in the end (thank goodness!!!). I told the bobo that the next time we want to do something like this, we had got to be more prepared – and that includes hiring our own private transport or renting a car or something!

We also managed to grab a cab at the foot of the mountain, to the dismay of other passengers who were also waiting for cabs. But hey, we were willing to pay the cab driber +20% additional as he quoted because there was no way we could withstand another trip in the bus!!! And boy we were famished.

we finally reached civilisation again!

heading towards Danshui for dinner

serenity at Danshui

husband's fave

allegedly 'King'

Danshui was not too bad. Gave us a sense of old Taipei as we walked through the night market, sat by the wharf and took a boat to the ‘Lover’s Bridge’. Gave out an ‘old-school romance’ vibe.

Ended our night by taking the train back to Shilin for our favourite snacks again (its only 3 stops away from our hotel) before heading back for more Taiwan variety drama on the hotel TV (it’s an addicition!).

If only Singapore TV entertainment could inject such ingenuity…

The first of a series of travel notes & experiences I hope to jot down in this blog, hopefully to provide some idea, inspiration & feedback to others who may be interested to read another opinion of my vacation destination outside of trusted Trip Advisor reviews (which I intend to participate in the community really soon too – look out for links!). And of course, photos to do the talking best…I hope my little way of contributing to like-minded travellers will help in some way!

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Here’s my first attempt.

With my limitation of only being able to take 4 days off for a short getaway due to the current work arrangement, I decided to treat the bo & I to a city getaway (we were still pretty much OD-ed from the beach in Bali), to take a step back from everything else, and spend some time alone together.

We decided to head to Taipei for few reasons. (1) Jetstar was offering reasonably priced tickets, (2) both of us haven’t been there for a vacation before, (3) we could definitely understand the local language which meant no problem getting our way around, (4) plus we heard lots of rave reviews on the street snacks (one of our fave foods to munch on in Singapore (5) beach vacations wasn’t really on our list next after our recent indulgent trip to Bali.

If you’ve anything more than 3 days to spare, it may be worth the while to take a short day trip out of Taipei city during your vacation. This can be done via a 40-min train ride to TaiChung, TaoYuan, SunMoonLake or anywhere nearby to take in the sights instead of coping yourself up in a city, which (imho) can get a little too much like Singapore especially on months when its neither Winter, Summer or Spring (when you don’t get to see the colourful flowers in bloom from afar such as Taipei 101 on any mountains, nor at the mountain itself such as Yangmingshan). You may end up hanging out at XiMenDing, which attempts a mini version of New York Times Square but is more of a Bugis Junction with a much higher chance of celebrity spotting. Or shopping at Sogo or Taipei 101 which is every bit glamourous and sufficient for fifth-avenue lovers but every bit the usual flare which can be spotted at any other shopping meccas of asia such as HK & Japan. And by that comparison, there is already a lack in excitement. Coffee is not as lovely an affair as in the western countries but you’ll find your dose of Starbucks and other ‘trying-to-be-different’ boutique cafes nonetheless (we’re quite the sucker for prime locations to people & sight watch).

So back to our itinerary.

Day 1: departing for Taipei

Wake-up call was at 4am (can’t complain when you opt to travel via a budget carrier) as check-in was 5.30am – 5.45am. I was barely 70% awake and was practically stoned as we settled for a light breakfast & coffee at Starbucks Terminal 1. All shops at the departure lounge were closed, with only DFS cosmetics, liquor, tobacco & a bookstore open so that didn’t excite me at all…until 6am when the shops started opening one by one. With 30 minutes left to scurry from shop to shop, I fell in love with a Gucci Heritage bag but could only do as much as to give it a second glance as we hurried to the gate realizing that we were way past the final call for boarding. Boo.

light breakfast before boarding

After 4 hours and 35 minutes of flight, we finally landed at Taoyuan International Airport. Saw hordes of fans waiting for some Korean superstar which made navigation around the arrival hall a little challenging. Got ourselves a pre-paid mobile card for unlimited wireless internet & some minutes of IDD phone calls for just in case before heading for the airport express. We took the ’kuo kuang’ bus as it seemed to sell the cheapest tickets (plus we read several reviews on the exhorbitant taxi fares to Taipei City which could tally to as much as S$60). While a bus ride to Taipei Bus/Main Station would only set us back by about NT$250 = $10 SGD (for 2 pax).

long queue for the airport express

the bus showing the route its taking

After a 45 minutes bus ride, we finally arrived at our destination: Taipei Bus Station. There were already a line of taxis eagerly waiting to pick up passengers. We hopped into one and realized that the drive to our hotel was only a short 7 minutes ride which cost us about NT $75 (est. $3 SGD)

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taking the bo taking me :

san want residences

the bathroom was filled with L'occitane ameneties

a flat screen tv faces you for much needed tv before sleep

As the hotel caters  mainly to business professionals and Japanese guests, the toilet bowl came with an advanced system where you can hit a few buttons to dictate the pressure of the bidet spray to wash and dry your arse (like the ones they have in Japan). There’s even a sensor to detect when someone’s approaching the bowl so the lid opens up, warms up and you’re all set to do your lazy business. Bathroom suckers will also enjoy the Japanese-styled bathtub & rainshower head in the shower cubicle, coupled with lovely L’occitane amenities.

The only grouse about the 5/5 hotel that we probably had was the same echoed in most of the reviews on Trip Advisor. It was a 10-15 minutes walk to the Zhongzheng station (which you’d be so grateful eventually as its only 1 stop from Taipei main station and 4 stops away from Shilin Night Market without having to change lines). Which wasn’t so bad since it was really just a straight line walk where you’ll pass Macs, Mosburger and a bunch of shops before reaching the department store (where the MRT exit 3 is as well). So seriously, you won’t feel the distance nor the sun shining directly in your face. It’s bearable.

With famished tummies and taiwan food cravings, we headed for Ximending – the ultimate hangout for the youth. Taiwanese celebrities such as Jay Chou & S.H.E also stage performances here over the weekends (so bear that in mind if you can’t stand the insanity of crowds).

fried street snacks are always a fave

look out for this famed mee sua sign: ah zhong mian zian

ah zhong mian sian

mee sua up closed

bo enjoying his bowl of mee sua

public phones

It was also at Ximending where we saw a very cool 3-storey Starbucks building which. I thought the dark wood accents and furniture was just awesome and wished that Singapore had a similar concept. Wanted to snap some shots…but as I took my first, I was told by one of the staff that no photos were allowed (seriously, Starbucks being such an international name and images popping everywhere in the web, its  ironic that that they disallowed any photos). Boo.

Here’s the only shot I managed to get:

a view of the busy Ximending

After Ximending, we decided to get all touristy and seeing that it was one hell of a weather (but a good one nonetheless), we decided to head to Taipei 101 to get an aerial view of the city.

While sunset is probably one of the best times to get yourself up there to experience the cool breeze as evening gets ushered in, together with the magnificent beauty of the sun setting, you may wish to avoid weekends where possible and of course if you see hordes of tour groups heading for the entrance, let your legs carry you as fast as possible so that you don’t end up queuing behind too many people. There are 3 lifts (the fastest in Asia, so I’ve heard) that will take you up, but the queue to get there can get pretty insane. We waited about 25 minutes when we were there.

admission tickets to observatory deck at Taipei101

aerial view of Taipei

aerial view of Taipei's night

And because we waited and paid quite a sum for the admission tickets, the bo decided that we had to sit out and capture pre-dawn, dawn, post-dawn, evening lights as much as possible. It was really windy at the outdoor observatory, and I did have a little regret wearing a dress instead of a pair of shorts. But all in all, it is quite an experience to take in the various views from the top. And if there’s only one place that you want to go to get a feel of Taipei without having to buy a postcard, this may just be it.

Some 90 minutes later, we decided to hit the road to the Shilin Night Market. IMHO, this night market was probably one of the better ones which offered a good variety of shopping & food without boring or exhausting you out too much.

Thankfully for the existence of the Internet, forums & blogs, we were mindful to get off the Jiantan MRT station instead of Shilin. Its pretty easy to navigate with the assistance of their brightly illuminated directional signs.

stall selling smelly tofu and pig's blood

taiwanese sausages which were so delicious we had them everyday!

one of the many fruit stalls selling fresh & sweet fruits. I practically ate 3 bags full

the famous chicken cutlet

We had so much to snack that these food were practically our dinner for the night. Unfortunately our exhausted feet could only managed half of the market before we surrendered and headed back to the hotel at 9.05pm (on a friday!!!). We decided that if we really wanted to enjoy the rest of our trip, we weren’t gonna screw up our system & legs on the first night.

Good call I must say, to head back to the hotel because we felt so damn good as our heads hit the sofy & comfy hotel mattress.

I also received a call some 10 minutes after we checked into our room. It was a call from reception, and they asked if it was convenient to bring us an anniversary cake. I was quite taken aback by the arrangement as the only time I casually mentioned that we’ve been married for about 2 years was during our email exchange during the room reservations. Nice touch I must say, that San Want actually bothered waiting up for us to arrive before springing a very pleasant surprise.

They held a cute anniversary cake with a no. 2 candle on top, walked in, congratulated and wished us an ever blissful marriage. Offered to help us take a photo on our camera, before taking one on theirs for records, their website, and as we later found out, to print a hard copy keepsake which they presented to us when we checked-out 3 days later.

From san want residences to us

Happy 2nd anniversary!

We were so greedy that we ate half of the cake while watching the many local variety shows available on TV.

Ended the night by looking through the photos we took during the day, watched more TV, soaked in the Japanese tub to soothe our tired feet and jumped right in to the duvet for a good night’s sleep.

Day 1 was good.

Just landed about 40 minutes ago, settled our cellular services, bought bus tickets, am on the way to the city for hotel check-in. People here are extremely friendly & polite, can’t wait to start our day of fun-filled activities!

Bangkok / Phuket, as I searched relentlessly on the web for most of last week trying to get the best price on flights & accommodation.

Not to mention scouring reviews of each accommodation on Trip Advisor, Asia Rooms, Hotels, Priceline etc. and coming up with a shortlist.

I was planning a surprise vacation for Bobo. He has been working long hours for the past weeks, and looked like he really needed a break.

So I asked him one evening: if you could take a break, would you want to go to Bangkok, Phuket or Taiwan? Eeps! I’ve no idea why I even put Taiwan to the equation.

“Taiwan”, he quipped. I frantically searched for air & hotel fares moments later, only to realize it was about 40% – 50% above my budget.

But a break was what both of us needed to re-connect with each other, and to spend quality time without the interruption of the emails/sms/calls.

‘Taiwan’, as I googled, yahoo-ed, zuji-ed and the more I read, the more excited I was to go. We could snack at the Shilin Night Market everynight, do wholesale shopping, do luxury shopping at our hotel’s doorstep, have a dip in the hot spring etc. :))

So there, Taiwan. 14 days away.