For my little overseas trip for 2009, i've picked Taiwan for a short getaway. 7 days of shopping, food and relaxation to blow all my troubles away and have a good time. Nothing beats a good trip overseas.
My choice of airline this year, is Cathay Pacific. Not that its much of a choice but rather a package i took from UOB travel planners. The entire package including airfare and hotel totaled to be about 1.9k for 2 people for return airfare and 6 nights stay at Cosmos hotel in Taipei.
Check In CounterMy choice of airline this year, is Cathay Pacific. Not that its much of a choice but rather a package i took from UOB travel planners. The entire package including airfare and hotel totaled to be about 1.9k for 2 people for return airfare and 6 nights stay at Cosmos hotel in Taipei.
Waiting Area for Flight Departure
It was a little rainy that day
UOB Travel Planners: Generally service was good and the only gripes i had were on the person-in-charge pretty much forever on long leave while the other gripe was on the fact that i could not postpone the trip because the offer i took was on promotion. Other than that, they provided good information, was informative and helpful throughout. However, i did find out that the trip could have been booked from the online website www.zuji.com.sg for a cheaper price by about $100-200 bucks. So maybe aspiring travellers might want to check there.
Cathay Pacific Airlines: After taking Tiger Airways, Singapore Airlines and Silk Air. This time, we tried Cathay Pacific which is said to be the numero uno airline from Hong Kong. Our flights to and fro were pleasant enough despite a rather big bump on our return flight due to our plane flying into the air path of another larger plane. Otherwise, the journey is generally smooth. Service wise, the flight out of Singapore had the best service while the short flight from HK to Taiwan had a more lacklustre service due to the short time frame which causes the service staff to rush many things. Our return flight also had a huge number of Chinese nationals who spoke so loudly and were so inconsiderate that the flight was almost unbearable but otherwise, it was ok. My gripe on the return flight was the entertainment system as well. I was watching Red Cliff 2 when they cut off at the 1 hour 30 minute mark for no reason or rhyme. They need to look into this.
The friendly skies
Once again
Breakfast
Well, this meal wasn't really good. The egg was tasteless and had a wierd texture making it hard and spongy. The potate hashbrown was alright, as is the bacon. The best thing here was the fruits. Nothing more.
Hong Kong Airport
Our Next Plane
Lunch
Our lunch meal on the plane was much much better. Diced chicken with fried rice. Despite the obvious fact that this was prepared hours ago and reheated, the chicken and rice actually tasted decent. Mostly, the sauce did the job by making everything bearable.
The address of Cosmos Hotel
Hotel Room Bathroom
Bathroom
View
Our room and bed
Another look
Cosmos hotel: First thing you'll notice about the hotel is its location. Its right next to the Taipei Railway station and smack in the middle of a busy and bustling part of Taiwan. Shopping malls and underground shopping is minutes away and the MRT is just below the hotel. Food is aplenty and the choice is endless. The room itself is clean beyond fault (no worries on bedbugs here) and has all the amenities needed. Service staff are all excellent apart from a black sheep which didn't agree with us. Otherwise, the hotel is pretty darn good and the location is priceless.
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store
Railway Station
As mentioned, the department store is right across the road and the railway station is just steps away. The department store reminds me of Takashimaya and has prices pretty close to that as well. I wouldn't recommend shopping there. The underground stores are much cheaper and better or better yet. Take the train to any of the other shopping streets for even better shopping and food.
Si Men Ding
Si Men Ding: This place was named Si Men Ding after a direct translation from the time Japanese were ruling the country. In terms of the reason why there are more shops selling stuff for youngsters here. According to our guide, its because this place used to be an execution ground where the japanese killed many people. Thus, the "ying" (evil) powers are stronger here, thus, it is required to have more youngsters come to this place because their "yang" (good) energy will help to neutralize the "ying" energy. Even more intriguing was that before this was in place, Si Men Ding used to sell items for the older generation but it was not sustainable and the shops almost all closed down. It was until the change to selling items for the younger generation that this place started to liven up. Whether you believe this or not is up to you.
Stinky Fried Beancurd
Stinky Fried Beancurd: Now, who would come to Taiwan and not try a stinky beancurd? Its a must try! And its really not as bad as it smells. Just get over the phobia, buy one and eat it. The texture is very smooth and when you couple it with some chili and their special sweet sauce. This is really quite a delicacy. Only problem is that you'll smell like a stinky beancurd after eating it. Still, worth a try at least.
Pancakes!
Custard, Chocolate and Yam Pancakes
Macha with Hokkaido Red Bean Pancake
Pancakes: Simple as it may be, these pancakes still taste better then what Singapore has to offer. Thick stuffings and a crispy yet light pancake layer makes this a great snack. I prefered the custard while my fiancee prefered the Macha Hokkaido Red Bean version. In the end though, this became our dinner because we were stuffed by then.
Si Men Ding on the Saturday Night
Hip Hop Dance Competition
Hip Hop Dance Competition
Hip Hop Dance Competition
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Dance Performances
Si Men Ding: After our makeshift dinner, we proceeded to check out the scene. There were plenty of shops and people at the place with lots of free performances to check out as well. Some legal and some not but all worth watching. The bustle of life here is unbelievable. Nothing you will ever see in Singapore for sure and the talent is incredible as well. Some of these performers really have the makings for making it on television but are just waiting to be discovered. The hip hop dance competition even had an MTV deejay on set to host while the 2 female dancers seemed to just be doing it for fun. The crowd is incredible as well and you'll be amazed at how packed the place can be. There are lots of little shops for shopping and little stalls selling food for trying as well. In summary, this place is well worth checking out.
Day 1 conclusion: Despite some hiccups here and there and the general culture shock of being in a foreign place with lots of things we don't understand. The end result was that it was a good day and we really can't wait to see more of Taiwan. Food wise, nothing really spectacular for this day yet. But the life, crowd, talent and performances were something different and the scale of everything was spectacular as well. Prepare to walk....alot.
Day 1 conclusion: Despite some hiccups here and there and the general culture shock of being in a foreign place with lots of things we don't understand. The end result was that it was a good day and we really can't wait to see more of Taiwan. Food wise, nothing really spectacular for this day yet. But the life, crowd, talent and performances were something different and the scale of everything was spectacular as well. Prepare to walk....alot.
