Welcome to Taipei (Part 6) - 龙山寺+Farewell

It was our last morning here so we thought we would make a trip to 龙山寺, a famous temple in Taipei.

There's a Long Shan Si Underground Shopping Mall opposite the temple but it had not opened when we were there as it was too early. Still, I would never associate a temple with a shopping mall so I thought the link was quite ... err...

L recalled that there's an interesting herb alley next to the temple so we decided to venture there as well. To say that it's a herb alley is no joke. There are tons of different types of herbs and herbal drinks sold there. It's quite a small, twirling walk but we had fun browsing around.

Mousie's mum sent us off to the airport that afternoon. Felt really bad to trouble her but she was very kind and insisted on doing so. It's like we had already given her so much trouble putting up at her place for one week.

Food for Thought
I enjoyed my trip to Taipei very thoroughly, thanks to Mousie and L. It was great catching up with my old friend again... and I enjoyed my daily night chats with her. It's the first time that I went on a trip with a friend so I was very excited + L turned out to be a great holiday planner! She had a good sense of direction too which helped since I am "direction-less".

Taipei is a very vibrant city, with lots to see, shop and eat. However, it didn't come across as enchanting compared to Rome or Florence. Perhaps the city is too similar to Singapore. I guess it's also partly because we didn't get to see the scenic sights like 阿里山 due to the typhoon. But it's a city that I would love to visit again. This time, I would not hesitate to enjoy the yummy snacks. I can always go on a diet when I come back. :p

Welcome to Taipei (Part 5) - 淡水+士林夜市

Mousie was very sweet and took leave on the Tuesday that we were going to visit 淡水 so that she could go with us. That morning, she also brought us to eat the famous 永和豆浆. There are several branches of 永和豆浆 in Taipei (even in Singapore) but this, apparently, was THE authentic one. I remember the taste of the hot soya bean milk (served in a bowl) was really good.. silky and smooth with a slightly burnt, fragrant taste. We ordered a few side dishes to share and all tasted good, except that we ordered too much. It was only when I had finished all the food that I realised I forgot to take a few pictures!

As it was still quite early, we went to a nearby Sogo departmental store to take a look and managed to catch a miniature performance of "It's a Small World". Reminded me of Disneyland!

I saw this at the entrance of the shopping centre and couldn't resist taking a picture. See how safety conscious the Taiwanese are?

The train ride to 淡水 was close to 1 hour. When we arrived, it was fairly crowded as it coincided with the school term break.

We walked along the old streets of 淡水 for a while before my stomach started growling. I think it's the holiday effect but I always get hungry easily when I go overseas. Mousie introduced several famous local snacks to us, such as 阿给, 淡水鱼丸, 酸梅汤, 桂花汤圆, etc. I think I was the only one who was eating non-stop. :p


After a satisfying round of food hunt, we took a bus to 渔人码头. This place is quite popular with young couples as it's considered a romantic haunt. Well, with three 30 years old girls, the romance is not quite there but it's definitely a scenic place worth seeing.


In the evening, we took a speed boat back to 淡水车站 to begin our next food journey to 士林夜市.

士林夜市 is one of the most famous night markets in Taipei and has undergone refurbishment in recent years such that all the food stalls are now located under one roof while clothes and other accessories are sold a street away.

I guess I ate too much that afternoon so I wasn't that hungry at 士林. Tried the 生炒花枝 and 姜汁番茄 which were average.


It could be due to my not-so-ravenous appetite then. :p

We took a long stroll along the street to look at clothes and fashion accessories. It was interesting though I wasn't quite in the mood to buy stuff that day. Perhaps I was coming to terms with the fact that my holiday in Taipei was ending soon. We were leaving for Singapore the next day so decided to go back earlier to pack and chat. The usual girls' practice. :)

Welcome to Taipei (Part 4) - 故宫+五分铺+饶河夜市

On Monday morning, L and I headed off to 故宫博物院 in Taipei, as it is one of the most famous museums. It turned out to be big and we expected to be there for around 3 hours to complete all the exhibits.

As we were not allowed to take pictures inside the museum, I was unable to upload any into my blog. However, the museum was slightly disappointing for me. There were a lot of displays on artefacts found during Stone Age times and artistic displays which sadly, I was unable to appreciate. It seemed more like an arts museum to me.

After a quick lunch, we headed to 五分铺 for our shopping spree. 五分铺 is known to be a wholesale market in Taipei where one can get trendy yet affordable clothes. I have been warned to bring lots of $ there. :)

My conquests for that day were shocking as I ended up hoarding bags and bags of clothes around. It was fun exploring the small shops, lane after lane.


Some of the clothes were definitely too fashionable for me but there were many other stylish yet cheap apparels. I also managed to get a few T-shirts for my brother.

It was already evening when we decided to call it a day at 五分铺, nearly exhausting our pockets. As we were a little hungry, we started to head towards one of the famous night markets nearby, called 饶河夜市. The 夜市 or night markets in Taipei are known to sell a wide variety of delicious local snacks. What more can a foodie like me ask for? I couldn't wait to try!

The baked black pepper chicken pie was really v good!

The braised spare ribs with herbs and pan-fried kueh.

We tried a variety of snacks together and nearly stuffed ourselves full but there was just too much to eat! We also saw an interesting scene at the 夜市. Little shops were located along the way where you could ask to 挽面. It's an old beauty practice where the beautician will take a few strings and help to smoothen your face by plucking out your facial hair. Some people said it's a comfortable experience while others complained that the pain was intolerable. My mum said she used to do it when she was younger and totally hated it.


It was already quite late by the time we completed our snack tour but before we went back, the two of us crazily hopped on a cab and headed to another 夜市, called 公馆夜市. Our intent was to maximise our night in Taipei. 公馆夜市 was much smaller in scale compared to 饶河 and dispersed across a few streets. So in a way, it did not look as "happening" as 饶河.

We went back to Mousie's house quite late that night and I felt bad that Mousie had to wait up for us. But before she could say anything, I was busy showing her the purchases that I made on that day. Shopping just has this positive effect on girls. As we were going to 淡水 the next day, we did not chat long that night. I was looking forward to more good food the next day! Yeah!

Welcome to Taipei (Part 3) - 慈湖和西门町

It just struck me that I have yet to finish my entries on my Taipei trip (long outstanding since I went there in August last year) so here I am, furiously blogging away to complete my recollection of the entire trip. :)

On Sunday, Mousie and her bf were kind enough to offer to drive us to the outskirts of Taipei for a day trip. We were quite excited and set off early in the morning after a quick breakfast. Initially, we wanted to go to 拉拉山 where there were lots of ripe, juicy peaches. But after a long drive, the roads were getting quite dangerous so we decided to turn back and head to 慈湖 instead. 慈湖 is a park built to commemorate Chiang Kai Shek and his mother. It's a very scenic place and right at the end of the park, is small memorial hall to pay our respects to the late Chiang Kai Shek.

This picture was taken at a temple near the eatery where we stopped for lunch.

The exhibition in 慈湖
Pictures taken at 慈湖. Bottom right shows the memorial hall.

Saw this huge butterfly at the park...

After 慈湖, Mousie suggested that we go to 西门町. There is a very famous oyster mee sua stall there called "阿宗面线" which she wanted to introduce to us. When we arrived at 西门町, it was drizzling but the young crowds filled the streets. We inched our way towards the mee sua stall as Mousie said it would only get more crowded nearing dinner time. Each bowl of mee sua cost around $2 for a small bowl and $3 for a big one. The taste was good though it was too carbo-heavy for me. Not a strand of vegetable could be found in this dish. :p

Busy busy...

See the long queue...

After our meal, we walked around the bustling 西门町 to shop and admire the night scene. It really reminded me of our Orchard Road on weekends, with throngs of people on the street.

When we came to a junction, a signboard called "甜不辣" caught my eye and I dragged L and Mousie to yet, another eatery. I always thought that 甜不辣 means "Tempura" (after being conned by watching one of 吴宗宪's show) but it was not. It's a combination of fish cakes and tofu mixed with a slightly sweet sauce.

I ordered a soup version to try as well. It's like our yong tau fu...


The night ended pretty fast as Mousie needed to work the next day. Guess as tourists, we never have enough of a new city...

Welcome to Taipei (Part 2) - Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and Taipei 101

Our second day in Taipei began with a highly recommended lunch at the original 鼎泰丰 (the restaurant that left Singaporeans in a craze for 小笼包) in Taipei City. It's located 2-3 bus stops aways from the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, where L and I planned to visit after lunch. Mousie suggested that we have an early lunch, at around 10.30am, to avoid having to wait, and so we did.

When we arrived at 鼎泰丰 (a three-storeyed shop house), we were shown to our seats immediately. The menu in Taipei was pretty much the same as the one in Singapore, though we caught a few special dishes here and there. We ordered a serving of 小笼包, 卤豆腐, 海藻小菜 to share and I had a 蛋花汤 while L tried the 酸辣汤. I quite liked my egg soup though L's soup was not spicy at all! In fact, it should be more aptly named the "sour" soup as I tasted nothing but vinegar. The 小笼包 was quite "juicy" and delicious but my favourite was the braised beancurd (卤豆腐). It was very well done! The seaweed salad was alright though not fantastic.

Top left: Braised beancurd; Top right: The famous dumplings
Bottom left: Seaweed salad; Bottom right: The snaking queue formed outside

We noticed quite a number of Japanese tourists in the restaurant, in fact, more than the locals. Perhaps the fame of 鼎泰丰 is more attractive to foreigners. When we came out after a sumptuous meal, I was shocked to find a long queue formed outside the restaurant. It was so crowded that we could hardly move! Mousie really wasn't kidding...

On our way to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, we browsed through a few shops to satisfy our shopping craze. Because of our "shopping anxiety syndrome", we forgot to dry the mango ice (芒果冰) nearby which was apparently quite famous. Well, girls will always be girls...

As the name goes, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall serves as a monument to the First President of Taiwan. The exhibits detailed the journey of his life: including his army days and life with his wife, Song Meiling. We took our time to browse through the artefacts before rushing out to catch the "changing guards" ceremony. Unfortunately for us, it had started raining and the ceremony was cancelled! What a disappointment!

The miniature version of CKS Memorial Hall...

And the real thing!

Snapshots of other pics taken around the memorial hall

Entrance of the CKS Memorial Hall train station

Inside the train station.. Along the walls..

Very impressive decor huh?

Our next destination was to 台北车站. You might be thinking now what was so interesting about a train station right? Actually, our objective was to shop at the numerous underground shopping malls at the vicinity of the train station! Alas.. things didn't go as we planned.. because what happened was that we ended up spending close to 4 hours at the underground malls instead, and emerged on the surface only in the late evening! By then, the rain was quite heavy due to the typhoon so Mousie's mother, who was afraid that we would be trapped in the rain, invited us home for dinner. Thus our Friday evening was fairly quiet.

The rain raged ferociously the following day, spoiling all our plans. We had to stay indoors at Mousie's house and ended up playing Wii as well as watched "The Day After Tomorrow". Was a little disappointed at having to stay indoors as we were on holiday! But well, there was nothing much we could do since Mother Nature was against us.

By evening, the rain had subsided slightly so Mousie, L and I decided to brave the intense drizzle to 台北101, where we would see the tallest building in Taipei. We had dinner at a Japanese restaurant and it was there that I had my first taste of Mister Donut, a Japanese donut franchise. The donut was yummy! We shopped at a few shopping malls around 台北101 and of course, I made victory purchases again! It was really hard to resist the draw of fashion in Taipei.

On our way back home, Mousie suggested we make a day trip to the outskirts of Taipei City since the rain was still pouring. We tossed around a few possible destinations and eventually decided on one. So where did we head off next? Keep reading to find out! :)

Coming up.. A mystery drive in the outskirts of Taipei City

Welcome to Taipei (Part 1) - 十分瀑布和九份

Yes, it's another travel blog again! This is long outstanding as I went to Taipei in August this year but well, better late than never. It was mainly a shopping cum relaxation tour and also to catch up with my old friend, Mousie. It would have been a fantastic trip, if not for the typhoon, as we had to cancel our trip to 阿里山and 太鲁阁. But all was made up by the wonderful snacks and shopping that I enjoyed thoroughly. :)

夜市初体验
L and I arrived in Taipei on a Wednesday evening and Mousie came to pick us up from the airport. It was great seeing her again and she actually claimed to have dressed up to meet me! Ha! Anyway, she looked as sweet as ever. It was a 40 mins' drive from the Chiang Kai Shek International Airport to 板桥, where Mousie suggested that we dine at 南雅夜市, one of the many famous night markets in Taipei. Being a foodie lover, I was naturally excited. We tried the 麻油鸡(chicken in sesame broth) which was one of the popular items in 南雅夜市. I found it too oily for my liking though.

南雅夜市的麻油鸡-很有名哦！

看起来很不错吧。

The next dish that we tried was 麻婆臭豆腐. It was a spicy hot pot with fried "smelly beancurd", pig's blood and assorted vegetables. This was more to my liking, unlike those really smelly ones in Hong Kong, and I ate quite a lot.

好吃的臭豆腐

We walked around the 夜市after dinner and I continued to indulge myself in various snacks like red bean mochi, honeyed sweet potatoes and sour plums. It seemed as though I had been starved for years! As we were a little tired after our flight, we decided to go back to Mousie's house early to rest before "cheonging" around Taipei the next day.

十分瀑布-惊险时刻
Actually I was really thankful to have gone on the trip with L because she practically planned everything! I was literally "travel-loafing". We wanted to go somewhere further the next day so 十分and 九份 were on our radar screens. From 永宁车站, we took a 4o mins' ride to 瑞芳, before changing another train to 十分 to see the biggest waterfall in Taipei. A little hitch occurred along the way as we misread the map shown at the train station and alighted one stop earlier, at the deserted 大华车站.

Since the next train was a 1.5 hours wait (believe it or not!), we decided to walk to 十分瀑布 to save time. It was a 30 mins trek along the railway and across a dark tunnel. I was worried as I walked and it didn't help that a small snake came crawling out halfway and scared me out of my wits! But we had to brave through the journey (as shown in the picture on the left). When we finally reached 十分瀑布, I decided it was well-worth the "danger" that we risked. Of course it was not comparable to a scale of the Niagara Falls but it had a unique charm of its own. We took the opportunity to sit there and chat, take a few pictures, before trotting our way back to the correct train station aka 十分车站 to complete the second part of our planned journey to 九份.

You should have seen how my eyes lit up when I saw this sign!

This is the prelude to the fall...

Now you see it!

The "aftermath" of the fall... Serenity...

Doesn't this waterfall look like a pair of spectacles? It's called 眼镜瀑布.

The famous hanging bridge or "吊桥"at 十分.

On our way back to 十分车站, we saw an interesting sight. There was a team building exercise going on and the employees wrote their wishes on 天灯 or "sky lanterns" before letting go of the lanterns into the sky. It is said that if your lantern is launched successfully, your wish will come true. We also walked through the old streets of 十分 where we saw a few old handicrafts stalls and a "mama" shop selling ice cream and sweets.

Top row: Launch of the sky lantern
Bottom row: Shop selling sky lantern, the old "mama" shop and handicraft stall

Top row: The pretty 十分车站
Bottom row: The platform where we waited for our train

九份老街-又吃又买
Due to the unexpected delay in trekking towards the waterfall, we reached 九份 in the late afternoon. For those who are not aware, 九份 is a famous tourist attraction in Taipei because it is an old town so you get the nostalgic feeling as you roam along the small streets and enjoy the busting atmosphere. It was one of the highlights of my trip, especially since the food there was really yummy. Well, the pictures tell it all!

It was late evening when we arrived at 九份, located on top of a hill...

Left: The scene where the movie "悲情城市" was taken
Middle: A teahouse where you can sit down and relax after a long walk
Right: Rows and rows of unique shophouses selling snacks and soveniors

Assorted fish cum meat ball soup (top right).
Braised beancurd. (bottom left)

芋头粉圆汤-超好吃！

It was quite late after we had our dessert and time to head back to Taipei City. We bought a lot of things at 九份, almost 2 bags each and had a hard time lugging everything back to Mousie's house. I took a picture of 瑞芳车站 before we boarded the train. Really enjoyed the trip here lots and would definitely recommend this place to anyone who's visiting Taipei. Trust me, you will have lots of fun and food here. :)

Coming up next... Visit to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall