*[[Yun's Coffee Break]]*

Monday, May 26, 2008

Here are the long-awaited photos of the Taiwan trip. Enjoy!!

(Note: Exchange rate is S$1 = NT$22)

18 May

Left Singapore Changi Airport at 1pm

Reached Taipei, we rented a van to go hotel (abt 1/2 hr ride)

Checked in Kingshi Hotel

Went to Ximen station take to Shi Da night market for dinner and shopping.

Check out their normal pearl portion!

Nice!!

Only bought ear rings, mouse pads and eyebrow trimmer down there.

19 May

We had breakfast at Ximen Ding

Meat Ball Soup

Carrot Cake

Went to Taipei Station to take THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) of 1.5 hrs to Zuo Ying in Kaohsiung.

Artefacts at Taipei Station

It can reach a speed of 300km/h

Rachel's cousin came to pick us and took us around the whole day

Took cab to lunch at a Hakka restaurant

Checking in Hotel New Image

Took the KTR (Kaohsiung Rapid Transit) which newly started in April 08

Their children height limit is 25cm more than Singapore!

Went to a shopping street, bought a Tshirt for Dear @NT$500 and a pair of shoes @NT$390

They seal the drinks no matter hot or cold, having there or taking away.
Just need to cover and poke the straw in.

Famous chicken cutlet of Taiwan

We took bus 25 to LoveRiver..
actually nothing much there also..

Me and Eugene busy trying to capture the best shot of this cathedral

Took train again to Ju Dan station for steamboat dinner

Vege carried on "choo choo train"!

The gals were so amazed by the attractive bread shops there

We walked back to hotel from Kaohsiung Main Station. So full~~!

20 May
We had simple breakfast at hotel, back to room to watch tv and set off at 12pm.

Went to a few big malls but all are expensive.

Lunch at Sogo Departmental Store

Weng's special spoon-fork

Warm bubble milk tea! Nice!

Then took shuttle bus to Dream Mall.

Going up to Ferry's wheel at top level

NT$150 for 15 min.

Trying to see the other half of them in the other cabin

Then we took 248 to catch a ferry to Qi Jin.

Motorists waiting to board the ferry

Only cost NT$10 (abt S$0.40) for a ferry trip.

Motorists at the bottom deck of the small ferry

At Qi Jing

Seafood and service there not that nice.

Fountain with chinese music in background

Went to Ruifeng night market and there was nothing!
Maybe cos it's raining..

Took cab to Liouhe and bought 3 pairs of shoes (NT$200 each) + 1 belt for dear and 1 small bag (NT$100 each). Drizzling and cold the whole day.

They sell pigs there?!

21 May

Sun rise from my room window

Had breakfast at hotel. Was Hui Erl's bday!

We walked to Kaohsiung Main Station, took train to Zuoying to take the HSR back to Taipei.

Felt more like home here in Taipei.
After putting luggage and checking back into Kingshi Hotel, we had lunch at Ximen Ding.

Then shopped for 1 hr. Things there are not the cheapest.

Took train to Taipei Main Station and one of the exit has some cheap stuff too!
We shopped so much that we had to put the things in a big locker at the MRT station and collect that night haha..

Then comes the highlight where we took train to Jian Tan station to Shilin night market.

Had tepanyaki there for dinner (very nice and big portion!)

We shopped from 7pm-9.45pm. Really cheaappp...
E.g. guy T-shirts at NT$95 only, and i bought a pair of boots at only NT$390!

Then Zihua called and we went for almost half body + leg massage! NT $800.
Painful but shiok! My back pain problem has been relieved since!

Can watch TV!

22 May

We woke late and proceeded to City Hall Station to go Mr J's restaurant. We took so many photos and were all excited about the "Secret" theme. Food is nice there.

Waitress and waiters in school uniform attire

Lyrics of the theme song

My all time fav dish is seafood pasta with cream sauce

I bought a stack of poker cards.

Walked to Taipei 101.

We continued walking..

"New York New York" which many taiwan idol dramas were filmed in this stretch of street before

haha..

We saw someone that look like wu zun but i think it's just Wang Zi.

i managed to get an eyeliner + eye shadow at Sasa for only S$14 in total.

The facade of a shopping centre

Visited the Eslite Bookstore (7-storeys)

Then we took train all the way to Danshui, the hill and sea view is very nice!

We bought Taiwan food snacks like Tie Dan, Mua Ji etc.

Tall ice-cream

Love the fried mushroom there!

Romantic night view

Dinner was fishball soup

This guy can really do caricature! Nice and fast.

Danshui Station's night view

About 11pm-2am went to new partyworld building at Ximen.

The service is good! They even serve tea in the lobby waiting area.

They are so high tech: this is the queue's waiting alarm.

Quite fulfilled today.. =)

23 May

So happy today! Me, Nat, Meizhen, Hui Erl went to a saloon very near our hotel.
Hairstylists there were nice, they serve drinks and got TV to watch.
I dyed my hair (red) at NT$1041.

Wu Fen Pu

Only selective things were very cheap (comparable to Shilin) but we had the most harvest cos it's almost the last lap. I bought a belt (NT$290 i think), a blue+white top (NT$190), a nice big orangey bag (only NT$150!), a small black top (NT$250), a dress (NT$290 i think), a silver top and skirt set and another skirt (NT$100 each!), nice formal short sleeve shirt for Dear (NT$450) etc etc. Everyone left with not much cash by then.

Dinner at a cafe there.

Beef baked rice and a drink at only NT$130.

Then we rushed to put things back at hotel.
Went to the "We Ya Jeans" shop at Ximen that Hui Erl recommended, really cheap! All jeans at NT$350 (S$15.90) only! (after bargaining from NT390) and there's free alteration! Bought 2 jeans and 2 denim pants (for work) and 1 jeans for Dear.

We stayed up in me and rachel's room to finish Bea's "card" - a wind chime designed by me (which looks like a bird cage to Hui Erl haha). It's really "Made in Taiwan" cos every single material is bought in Taiwan.