|
Taiwan + Beijing 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 2:17 PM Finally able to update on my trip! [Taiwan, Taipei Day 1: 15.11.2009] My 1st time taking flight alone. Initially my plan was to take a flight back to Singapore to meet up my girls (Ailing, Peili, Kaijing & Wenbei) and take the flight to Taipei together with them. But after booking the air ticket, I realise it's much better and less time consuming to fly direct from Hong Kong. Afterall it's over for 1 hour plus only! I was lucky to be able to book a ticket from Hk to TW from Eva Airline. Arrival timing is only 10 minutes difference from the girls. Supposed to take the airport express from my place to the airport. I keep reminding myself to get off T2 but in the end guess what? I got off T1 instead and gotta drag my super heavy luggage over to T2. -_- The flight was okie and I was knock out almost immediately after the flight took off. Thou it's only an hour plus flight, I manage to eat sleep and play games on my iPhone. HAHA Reach Tw and got a call from Ailing mei and realise that they are already on the Freego and coming towards T2 (they were in T1) to pick me up! Alamak I was still waiting for my baggage at the belt and so I ran all the way out to the bus stop and saw Ailing mei walking towards me. So we both ran together with the blardy heavy baggage and up the Freego we go!  After approx. 1 hour journey on the bus, we checked into Rainbow Hotel @ Ximending. Next stop was the Taipei Train station to purchase tickets to Hualien the next day. Had dinner at the steamboat restaurant in the train station. After dinner, we went back to XMD and walk around abit before we call it a day. [Taiwan, Hualien Day 2: 16.11.2009] Woke up extremely early that day, worrying that we might missed the train. Had breakfast @ the Hotel (which was goddamn pathetic -_-) and took the subway to Taipei main station for the train to Hualien. IIRC, the ride was about 3 hours so we spent alot of time doing silly things, sleeping and munching. Didn't manage to eat their 火车便当 because by the time the the trolley reaches all, they are all sold out. :/ Reached Hualien and when we exit from the station, we saw the lady host of our Minshu, 石头之家！ 刘阿姨 is a super nice lady! Together with her is 何先生 who was our tour guide for 2 days. We went to tour around Hualien even before going back to the minshu to place our stuff. But I think the arrangement was good because we only have 1 day in Hualien and we shouldn't waste any precious time!  We visited the Taroko Gorge, and the entire place is about rocks and mountain. Thou it's only rocks but we spent alot of time there. Haha... sorry to say I am not much of a sight-seeing person but it was still quite enjoyable! And of course how can we go on without food? Ling mei will be the 1st to complain! Haha... we ate so much that I have already forgotten what we had! >< I can only recall: Muachee, 小笼包, bao, bubbletea, pork rib noodle, 鲁肉饭， 葱抓饼，大肠包小肠，臭豆腐 and Sashimi! Before going back to the minshu, our tour guide brought us to some shop and bought lotsa firecrackers and fireworks! I always love fireworks but able to set them off ourselves is quite out of the world. Especially in HK and SG. HAHA! No pictures of the playing of firecrackers and fireworks with me thou. We had a blasting time there but I was too afraid to stand near them. I ran away each time I lit them up. T-T After fireworks, we get to release 孔明灯 also! How fun! We scribble lotsa wishes (and rubbish :P) onto the lantern before releasing it up the sky! It flew really high up and took a loooooong time before it disappear completely from our eyes! Lastly before we called it a day in the super big and comfortable minshu, we get to paint and deco our very own pebble. Aiya needless to say I drew Rilakkuma on it. :P 刘阿姨 said that the view from our room can see the sunrise around 6am? (Can't remember the exact timing). I was quite determine to shoot the sunrise so I couldn't really sleep well that night worrying that I might missed it. >< But too bad. The sky was dark and rainy at 6am so sunrise was almost out of sight. :( [Taiwan, Hualien X Taipei Day 3: 17.11.2009] 刘阿姨 prepared our breakfast the next day! It was simple but yet tummy filling. We visited her little farm and had a good laugh at the animals that she kept. :P We were set to go pick up jades at this pond area in Hualien. It was rainy and the water was icy cold but that didn't stop us from stucking out hands into the water and look for jades. I pick up aloooooot of stones but only a few of them are jades. They were really small so not much of a value but for keepsake. We had last minute shopping for muachee and lunch before heading to the train station for our train back to Taipei! :) Thou it was only for a day but I am sure Hualien left a really deep impression in us! Minshu - Stone Home (石頭的家): http://www.sutohome.com/  Back in Taipei in time for dinner! :) But the rainbow hotel really screw up our booking. 1st night we got the room for 5pax. But after we got back from Hualien, they gave us a room for 3 pax and forcefully placed a pathetic additional bed. Then another 1 pax how!?! After a long "talking" with the hotel recep, they compensate us with an additional room for me and ling mei and promised to give us a 5-bed bedroom the next day. UGH After dinner, we decided to go for KTV! Initially wanted to try cashbox but the place looks really intimidating plus they charges are rockethigh! In the end we chose Holiday KTV which was much family style, reasonable priced and comes with freeflow DRINKS & FOOD! Woohoo! KTV ended around 12plus am, we make our way back to the hotel and call it a day. ZZZZ! [Taiwan, Taipei Day 4: 18.11.2009] Planned to go Wufenpu tat day but during the day time, we made our way to some major shopping mall and shopped hours in HANDS. I was down with fever but recovered quickly with panadol. (damn blardy expensive because I bought it in the shopping mall O:) Made our way to Wufenpu in the late afternoon and shopped till nightfall. Must really give in to the rest of the girls when it comes to shopping. HAHA! I AM THE OLDEST AMONG THEM OKIE!? Can't blame me la.  After Wufenpu, we made our way back to the hotel and place down our 战利品 before making our way to Shilin night market. We were all famished when we reached there. So we ate... 大饼包小饼, Oyster egg, chicken backside (my fav!!), superbig chickenchop, mango ice and much more till I can't recall. HAHA! Since Shilin also has shopping area, the girls went frenzy again. I was literately dragging my feet because I have used up all my energy for the day! [Taiwan, Taipei Day 5: 18.11.2009] One of the must-visit place for the girls. Hello Kitty Cafe! We took a weebit long time to get to the cafe because we mix up the correct station to alight. :P The place is gorgeous! I remember going to another Kitty theme cafe a few years back but it's in Danshui instead. The cafe is definitely not bimbo-stic at all! The food is really good and the portion is super huge! I don't think anyone will go there without a camera. Haha we say this lady taking picture throughout our meal. I wonder did she manage to eat her meal at all? Nothing stops me from getting cute stuff! I bought their signature kitty plush! That day was Kaijing & Wenbei last day in Taipei so they have to grab the chance to do last minute shopping in Ximending! We sent the girls to where they wait for the Freego bus to the airport. We bade goodbye to them and make our way to 阿忠 for their famous 面线！ We decided to dabao back to the hotel together with bubble tea and braised chicken wings. Yums!   After dinner we made our way to Raohe night market and spent the rest of the night there. The girls bought a whole lot of stuff and I only bought a hair accessories IIRC. :P So proud of myself! [Taiwan, Taipei Day 6: 19.11.2009] Decided to try their salon for a haircut. The place seems rather "wulu" but service was superb! I didn't cut mine too drastically but Ailing and Peili both had really nice cut! Ailing even got tempted and booked to have her hair permed the next day. Hee After the hair cut, we made our way to SOGO for a little high end shopping. I bought a blusher from Jill Staurt (OMG THE CASE IS TO DIE FOR!) and had afternoon tea + late lunch @ AFTERNOON TEA TEAROOM. LOL. Left Sogo before sunset thinking that we can catch the sunset @ Danshui but it was raining and super cold that evening and we missed everything! >< Can't even go near the 码头 because it's dark and it was rainy with strong wind.  Danshui was the last place I thought I will buy anything but in the end the girls bought quite a bit of stuff. Haha! I am impressed with their shopping instinct! We had a little supper there before heading back to the hotel in a cab. Drop dead tired! >< [Taiwan, Taipei Day 7: 20.11.2009] My last day in Taipei! Because I will be taking a different flight from the girls, I have to leave about 2 hours ahead. After breakfast, Ailing went for her hair appointment while Peili and me wonder around Ximending aimlessly. Still manage to do some last minute shopping before Peili sent me off to take the Freego bus. (Thanks babe for accompanying me! :)) Didn't managed to see Ailing's new hairstyle. Hopefully soon! :) Flight back to HK alone was smooth but lonely. Because I didn't chose my seats online, I requested for aisle seat and was given the last seat on the last row. How nice. :/ I miss the Husband terribly because he is always there with me on a flight holding my hands and making me smile. Sigh. The Husband was at the HKIA to fetch me and I can't wait to see him after being away for almost a week! But the airline sure hates me because my baggage was the last to arrive! BAH! Saw The Husband and I can feel tears in my eyes already. Miss him so much! Thou I brought my netbook along and the hotel has internet but nothing beats hearing his voice and seeing him in person! (Oh I just got back my mobilephone bill and our phone calls chalk up to SGD200! *gasps!*) It was a really fun trip overall and I am really happy to be able to travel with my besties! It was like a dream come true. A graduation trip that finally fulfilled after a long while! :) Thanks besties for giving me so much beautiful memories! I love all of you and looking forward to many trips together with you all! <3 After settling down back in HK and finally managed to finish washing all my laundry, the Husband and I were set to fly to Beijing from 28 Nov - 5 Dec. He went there to attend some training but stayed in the hotel provided while I decided to tag along but stayed with my relatives instead. My main purpose of going there is to celebrate the Husband's birthday while he insisted of me joining him because he doesn't want me to be in Hk alone. <3 Nothing fanciful in Bejing other then the crazily cold weather and non-stop eating and shopping. I gained an obscene amount of weight in Beijing instead of Taiwan and now I am still trying to shed them off! T-T   That's it for the trips! OMG I can't believe I spent 2 days to write this super long entry. I hope it doesn't flood your screen with my wall-of-text and pictures and many typo which I am too lazy to check! Sorry that blogger doesn't have cuts like wordpress and livejournal! :P xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Labels: friends, hk, marriage, travel
|
visitors since 2007
