Our Taiwan trip was the first ever trip as 2 best kaki, yep, just 2 of us minus the entourage of family and friends which we are so accustomed with. Our trip was backed in September 2014, a little far-back since is already 2015 but there are just too many good memories not to share with.
Day 1 - Arrived in Taipei - Xinbeitou - Shilin Night market
We didn't covered much of Taipei on the first day as we were busy finding our way around and finalising logistic for the next few days. Upon arrival at the hostel in the wee hours, we found out that there wasn't a room ready for us due to some miscommunication. We were somewhat horrified and somewhat panicking! However, the management was kind enough to look for an alternative hostel for us (Phew!). Thumbs up for the good service in Flip Flop Hostel!
First thing in the morning, we headed towards Xinbeitou after grabbing some breakfast along the streets.
We came across Man Lai Ramen by chance as we spotted a lot of people outside the shop. Not wanting to miss out any action, we joined the crowd too. The ramen was really good, the broth was tasty but not salty, the noodles was springy and most importantly the ingredients were very fresh. It is nothing like those salty and oily ramen we had before!
We headed back to Taipei after our very satisfying lunch.
As a visit to the night market is a must, we headed to Shilin Night Market. The crowd was still light and it was easy to move around as we were early. We were not too sure what to look out for except the street snacks that Taiwan is so famous for. In fact, it reminded us a lot of the Taman Connaught pasar malam back in Malaysia. Honestly speaking, the night market was a little overrated of a must visit place.
Day 2 - Jing Tong - Pingxi- Shifen - Jiufen
We headed out early towards the Pingxi railway line the next day. It was pretty much the same scene like many cities around the world, people rushing around to start off the day. As we rode further away from the city itself, we were surrounded by beautiful mountainous scenery.
Jingtong, Shifen and Pingxi are old towns adjacent to each other along the rail line. We disembark on the last town which is Jingtong and continue back towards Jiufen without getting off at Shifen and Pingxi. Reason is, we just want to enjoy the train ride and not rush from one tourist point to another tourist point.
Continuing the opposite direction of the street, we were greeted with a string of bamboo stems blown against each other which added a unique feel to the street. We bought the bamboo stems and wrote our wishes from a friendly uncle who sat down to chit chat with us.
We hopped on a bus in front of Ruifang station to Jiufen and caught this beautiful sea view on the way.
In Hualien, we hired a car to take us around. Our lady driver cum guide was a charming and cheerful lady. As we cruised along the country road to Taroko National Park, we were in awed by the breathtaking views. We stopped by at Qingshui cliff to admire the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean was indeed a class of its own. The ocean was so beautiful with different shades of blue and it looks sparkling from afar!
Thereafter we headed towards Taroko National Park. Taroko is famous for its spectacular mountains and marble canyons. It is a national park in Taiwan. The waterfalls characterized Taroko National Park and the most famous ones are Baiyang Waterfall, Yindai Waterfall, Changchun Waterfall, and Lushui Waterfall. Swallow Grotto (Yanzikou) and Tunnel of Nine Turns (Jiuqudong) are the most impressive natural scenes in Taroko and the canyons here are the narrowest.
Hats off to our lady driver cum guide who skillfully maneuver the car through the winding roads. Although it was a heart pumping and palm sweating ride, the beauty of Taroko just took our breath away.
Besides the renowned Taroko National Park, a not-to-be-missed in Hualien is the mochi. A recommended place is the shop opposite the train station which sells on-the-spot made mochi and readily packed mochi.
Day 4 - Alishan
What better way to enjoy the island's scenery was to take a 6 hours train journey from Hualien to Chiayi. We'll leave it to your imagination the aftermath of 6 hours train journey.
Alishan is the main tourist attraction in Chiayi. It was late evening when we arrived Chiayi. We were dead quiet on our way up to Alishan as the fog was really thick and the roads were dark and winding. But oblivious to our state of mind, our driver chatted happily away. Thanks to Hu Ah Yi's driving skills, we managed to arrived Lauya Homestay in a piece. Our initial plan was to view the beautiful sunrise and hike around the Alishan forest but our homestay itself just blew us apart. Here's why we were or are so in love with Lauya Homestay.
We had a long talk with our newly met Shanghainese friend during the night in Lauya homestay over a warm cup of plum tea served by the lady boss herself. We were sharing our traveling experience and exchanging views about our home country. Our conversation came around how she wished her forefather had came to Malaysia long time ago so she could be like one of us and how lucky we Malaysians are that we speak various languages and live in harmony. Like we say, diversity is our strength, moderation unites.
Day 5 - Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall - National Palace Museum - Yongkang Street - Taipei 101
Our last day mainly covered the city of Taipei. From the historical museums to the modern trendy streets, Taipei is no short of excitement.Yongkang Street was a last minute discovery. The street itself offers rows and rows of traditional and trendy eateries and many retail shops as well. Great excuse for us to do some serious retail therapy.
Our Shanghainese traveler mentioned to us that a visit to NPM should not be missed as it housed an important part of the Chinese history. Thanks to her, we understand and appreciate our culture and heritage in a deeper sense after visiting NPM.(2bestkaki was struggling in a Chinese medium school to keep up with their peers and now they thank their parents for it :P )
We went to Taiwan mainly to the great advertising strategy of the media and all the oohs and ahhhs received from our friends. Despite that, we still went to Taiwan without much expectations.
Till today, we can still remember vividly our first night in Taiwan. Due to some miscommunication, we did not have a room and the last thing we wanted was to spend a night on the street in a foreign land. But, stranger 1 approached us to sort things out with management. Stranger 2 offered to find an alternative hostel. Stranger 3 who was on his way to a midnight shift, offered to help and walked us right to our hostel door step which was located in an alley. That night itself was the starting point which we truly experienced the kindness and the wonderful hospitality of the locals.
Throughout our trip, we were stuck with some challenges here and then. We are grateful for the extra help and hospitality extended to us by the locals. Back when we were so caught up in the rat race and man-eat-man world, it was truly a humbling experience.
Life's little pleasure can be found through a simple act of kindness towards a stranger in a strange land. Thank you Taiwan, you've touched our hearts!
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