Wonder.Food.Travel

In this edition of my Taiwan trip (Day 4 and Day 5), i traveled around using the public transportation- which now i can comfort you by saying that its convenient and reliable to use. There are many lines and routes of Metro MRT so make sure that you are on the right one, heading the right direction. Breakfast in the hotel became routine, and we wanted to explore something more. Outside the hotel on our way to the Taipei Main Station (about 10 minutes walk), there are shops open for breakfast, Chinese style. I liked the fried carrot cake, soya bean with 'yoo tiau' and the Chinese pancake sold next to our shop. After that, we continued walking to taste a rice roll, like sushi, with various choice of flavours and ingredients, noticing the long line. Beitou Park, Library, Ketagalan Culture Centre, Hotspring and Geothermal Valley Our first destination of the day heading to the northern region of Taipei brought us from the Taipei Main Station to the Beitou Station then Xinbeitou

A tiring day in Taipei, the next day (Day 2) called for adventure in the Eastern side- one i was looking forward to most. Keelung Harbour and Zhongzheng Park The second and final half day tour, we were first brought to the Keelung region and passed by the harbour. It was raining- but it did not dampen my traveling spirit. The stop in this region was the Zhongzheng park, located slightly on a hill side. In this park, there is the white statue of the Goddess of Mercy, at incredibly 25 meter high which overlooks Keelung city and its harbour. You can find this statue on your way up to the park. What welcomes you first, however, upon your arrival is another statue then a gong- i tried to ring it! A temple sits behind the Goddess of Mercy statue, and on the viewing platform of the park, you can use the pay-per-use binocular to view. Also, there is a wishing well with rotating hands, each bearing a different meaning. Something extra here is that you can enter the statue and climb fligh

Before i dive into my experience in Taiwan, allow me to briefly share some tips and guides of traveling to the country. Language Definitely Mandarin speaking. It was a challenge for me to communicate with them, what more bargain, with the most basic mastery of the language. But it was fun and ultimately, do not let your fear of the language discourage you from visiting the beautiful country. Some of the Taiwanese might know Hokkien, and if you are in luck, you might bump into some English speaking ones! Weather My experience in Taipei, Taiwan stretched over 6 days in the first week of December. The weather varies from chilly to cold- a jacket was fine for me. Possibility of rain is moderate to high (3 out of the 6 days were raining) so prepare raincoats or umbrellas when traveling. Sky may be gloomy and overcast. Day becomes dark earlier. Otherwise when sunny, traveling is easy. Currency The money used in Taiwan is the New Taiwan Dollar, NT- lowest 1 dollar to 10