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Taiwan Trip 2010 Part 1


I am finally back from Taiwan!! Have not been updating but just to summarize my trip... Its like 'Going to War' shopping... LOL.. Its a pity that Keani couldn't join us in the last minute but she would have freaked out at our pace.. To be honest, even I was surprised with myself that I could do all that walking.. keke... When we arrived in Taoyuan International Airport, there was this BIG group of fans... (no... not for welcoming us.. keke..) at the arrival hall waiting for some Korean idol.. So, the moment we touched down, it was screaming all over.. Interesting to stand and watch these fans chasing after I don't know who..


Ok, after the confusion there, we took the U-Bus to the High Speed Rail Station (THSR) to make our way down to Kaohsiung.. I have to say that the train is really cool.. Reminds me of the bullet train that I took in Japan.. Fast and comfortable. We managed to find our hotel after looking for it for a good while.. The reception guy was kinda strange.. I really hated the way he said 'Hi' to us.. Still gives me the creeps when I think about it now.. LOL. We stayed at 'Dreamhouse' which is one of those boutique style hotel converted from residential units. Nice and cute as the rooms all have different themes. We stayed at the one with the 'Country/Farm' theme. That night, we went to Liu He Night Market.. Great street food but the place was relatively small.. Visited 'Qi Jin' on the second day. The seafood was cheap but in my honest opinion... only so-so... Nice island with interesting spots to visit.. Great for those who loves to walk.. keke.. Instead of returning to the port that we came from, we took the other ferry to Ai He (Love Pier).Strange that two women is going there together but what the hell.. since we are already there might as well visit n take some pics of the place.. keke.. We met a nice guide that told us since we will be going to Rui Feng Night Market that will be more 'active' only after 7, we might as well take the bus in which we really did and ended up taking a bus journey of around an hour.. Boy did our butts hurt after that.. keke... The night market was CROWDED.... It was so jammed packed with people that I did not know how to buy things anymore... Took me awhile to get adjusted and started pushing my way around as well.. (If not I will never get anything..) Early next morning, we took the interstate rail to Jiayi where we will be picked up for our 2 day 1 night tour to Alisan... What a big difference.. the train station looked like a scene right our from the 70's.. It had a 'nostalgic' feel to it.. keke..

The scariest part is, the train station did not have any form of elevators or lifts... We lugged our big cases and climbed the stairs.. Gosh!!! Thank God the travel agency was just across the street from the station, if not I think I would have gone crazy.. especially when the sun was scorching... We had our packet lunch bought from the rail station at the agency while waiting for the transport and we kinda hit it off with the girls there. They were kinda surprised that we planned our free & easy holiday on our own. The journey to Alisan let us have some time to doze off a little but the mountains is really beautiful.. Shame that it was quite foggy but we could still see something..

The moment we got off the vehicle, I realized that the temperature dipped by 10 - 15 degrees and I was thinking to myself.. Great.. I think I would have a problem.. True enough, as the hotel we stayed in was quite old, the insulation was really bad.. I had a totally sleepless night due to the cold and had to wake up at 4am to go take the train to the higher part of the mountain to see the sunrise..... Thankfully they were selling hot drinks up there or else I think I would have froze to death... LOL.. Pity that it was too foggy.. in the end, we never saw the sunrise... *Sob sob* I bought lots of tea from there which is my consolation.. I just lurve tea!!

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