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| The iconic Taipei 101 Source: Wikimedia Commons |
I’m not really sure what happened
but I just found myself booking a short-trip to Taipei. Chances are, the promo made me do it. I was able to book a round trip flight for
about Php4,000. And as I have mentioned
in my previous post, I used the excess funds from my Guam trip to pay for the
airfare.
Why Taiwan? Three things:
WEATHER, FOOD and FOOD!
WEATHER. The flight I booked was in the first week of
December making the weather cold but not so cold.
FOOD. Seriously, do I really need
to explain why?
The initial plan was for me to
travel solo. But after weeks of contemplation, Auntie gave in to my nagging. Auntie was concerned that she no longer had enough leave credits for the year. It did help that the trip was
scheduled on a weekend (shout-out to all weekend warriors like us) because we
only had to take one day off from work. Yes, we left Friday and was back to
work the following Monday.
So how did we design our
trip? We only had two full days and
there are lots to experience in Taipei.
Simple. We only had to answer
this question, “What do we want to do?” And the answer was, EAT!
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| Screenshot of the webpage you'll see when applying for a TAC |
But before we proceed with our
travel plans, let’s talk about visas first. Effective 7 Oct 2016, Philippine
passport holders can now apply for an e-Visa.
Further, Filipinos who possess the following documents issued by
identified countries 1) valid resident or permanent resident card, 2) valid
entry visa or 3) visa that has expired less than 10 years prior to visit to
Taiwan, can enter the country using a Travel Authorization Certificate (TAC).
Click here for
more information. US is one of the
identified countries and both Auntie and I have valid US visas so we just
needed to apply for the TAC online.
Same as our previous trips, I did
the research. I thought it would be easy
because as mentioned earlier, all we wanted to do was EAT! But being a foodie
haven, Taipei alone has loads of night markets and we only had two full days
and our stomachs can only take so much.
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| We kept on seeing this guy all-over Ximending. That's Auntie taking a photo |
Near the Metro or MRT
Accommodation (if you know where to look) is cheaper
The area is lively day or night
It has all sorts of markets (food, fashion, etc.)
Everything is within walking distance
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation in Taipei is not
cheap. The cost of a bed space in a hostel is almost the same as a hotel room
in Hanoi or Bangkok. This will be your biggest expense. Food and transportation are generally cheap.
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| Our apartment as shown on Google Maps. Yey, 7-11! |
In our case, we opted to rent an
apartment through Airbnb. The
good thing about Airbnb is it lets you search places based on your set
criteria. But here’s the best part, experienced hosts really do act as
hosts. If you did the right research and
selection, your host will be your unofficial tour guide, even just virtually.
They will go the extra mile to find you tickets for shows or theme parks, make
reservations for your or simply be your “information center” especially when
there’s a language barrier between you and the country you are visiting.
They’re always a chat away. Then at the
end of your trip, you have gained a new friend.
Auntie and I were fortunate to
get an apartment that was not only right smack in the middle of everything but
it was also cheap and with an ever dependable host, Iris.
Our studio apartment was on the
same street as the MRT Exit, right beside a 7-11 and Family Mart at the next
corner (convenience store junkie here), near the shopping centers, food
markets, restaurants and oh well, just about everything we need!
But the best part of staying in
the apartment was having Iris as our host.
Finding our apartment was not a problem.
She gave us all the details including how to open the door to her
apartment! When we needed to make a reservation at the “Secret Starbucks” she
did not hesitate to lend her help and made the reservation for us complete with
directions on how to get to the place. She was always a chat away
(Whatsapp). Not only did she answer our
questions but she also made follow ups to ensure that we were okay. She made
our apartment stay like staying at a five-star hotel! Here’s the interesting part. We never met her. The key to her house was sent as a package at
the next-door 7-11 where we picked it up.
Yes, 7-11’s in Taiwan are tops!
TRANSPORTATION
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| Nasaan ang tamang "Daan"? |
We booked with Cebu Pacific.
Surprise! Surprise! Our flight left on time. Before we arrived in Taipei, our
initial plan was to take the Taiwan High Speed Rail
(THSR) because it was faster and cheaper. But when we arrived at the
airport, there was a long queue at the immigration. Aside from the tourists, we
think there was a convention of some sorts. Feeling tired and hungry, we decided
to take a taxi instead. You see if we took the THSR, we first had to take the
bus to the train station. After the TSHR ride which stops at the Taipei Main
Train Station we still had to take another train that will take us to Ximending
and then walk to our apartment. So even
if it was a bit expensive (about Php1,700), we took the taxi. We also took the
Taxi back to the airport. The comfort was worth the cost.
We were trying to tell the taxi
driver the address of our apartment.
Language barrier alert! He
couldn’t understand what we were saying.
So we opted to say the next best thing, the metro station nearest to our
apartment, Ximen Station. That, he
understood.
At first, we were not sure if he
really did understand us. Thanks to
Google Maps, we were able to verify that he was taking us to the right
direction. I’ve mentioned this in my
previous posts, Google Maps is the best partner for navigationally-challenged
people like me.
Because I have studied the
Ximending area using Google Maps Street View, it was not difficult for us to
find our apartment. Recognizing the
language barrier, our host Iris, also sent us a screenshot of the message we
need to show to the 7-11 attendants so we could get our package.
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| Easy indeed |
For the areas we visited which
were not in the Ximending area, we used the MRT.
I love their MRT system! It was easy to understand and it was cheap. We got our Easy Card for NTD300 (100 deposit and
200 consumable). Though we won’t be able to refund for the card deposit, it was
a better option than having to line-up each time to get a single pass ticket.
Whatever we weren’t able to consume using the MRT, we used to pay our purchases
at 7-11 and Family Mart.
I’ve tried the metro system in SG
and HK, but for me, that of Taiwan is the best. While using the MRT system, I
couldn’t help but wish that someday, the Philippines will have the same system.
Yes, their technology and infrastructure are more advanced but I believe, it is
the discipline of the people that actually make it work. There was one stop
where loads of passengers alighted and all are heading to the escalator. It was
such an inspiring sight. They observed
the stand on your right, walk on your left. So no matter how long the line was
on the right side, it didn’t take us that long to get to where we needed to
go. Again, I repeat: Stand on your right, walk on your left!!!
We took a taxi back to the
airport. Given our language barrier
experience, we downloaded the name of Taoyuan International Airport in Mandarin
and just showed it to the driver. Using
his hand, he did a flying plane motion and the number 1. Translate:
Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1. And we nodded, yes!
THE SIGHTS
I did a lot of research and
wanted to go to so many places like Jiufen and Shifen or at least the Creative
Park. But I had to face reality that we
didn’t have much time (we tend to sleep and rest a lot) to visit all those places
without stressing ourselves so we instead opted to go to two iconic landmarks
within the city limits: Taipei
101 and Chiang
Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
For our first morning, we went to
Taipei 101. Unless you are going to the
observatory or have scheduled business dealings in the financial center, you
can only reach as high as the 5th floor of Taipei 101.
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| Our best attempt - Taipei 101 Photo by Auntie |
But upon learning that it would
cost each of us (NTD 600 or about Php1,000), we opted to research on
alternative ways and stumbled upon the “Secret Starbucks”.
The Secret Starbucks is the usual
franchise café but with a view of the city from the 35th floor. Why is it a secret? Well, you cannot simply walk-in the café, let
alone go up the 35th floor.
You need to make a reservation at least a day before. They will then give you a control number and
15 minutes before your “appointment” you need to be at the designated area
where their barista will meet you and take you to the café. The reservation should be done in
Mandarin. Thankfully, our host Iris,
took care of the reservation for us.
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| Breakfast with a view |
So you might ask, why Starbucks
when it’s dime a dozen especially in Taipei (there’s one in almost every street
in Ximending)? It was the most practical option compared to paying the NTD600
each to go up the observatory. At the
Secret Starbucks, we get to go up beyond publicly accessible floors for only
NTD200 each, consumable at that! So not only were we able to go get a good view
of the city but we were also able to have breakfast.
After several attempts of taking
photos with the iconic tower without much success, we decided to head to the
Chiang-kai Shek Memorial Hall.
One of the best things about the
Taipei MRT is that one need not memorize much in terms of how to get to a
famous site. Most of the train stops are
named after these must-visit places.
As we emerged from the train
station exit, we were awed by the grandeur of the Liberty Square.
We just stood there trying to take in
the sight. And the weather was perfect.
Though there are other tourists, there was something “zen-like” about the
place.
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| View of the Liberty Square from the top of CSMH |
The square is flanked by the
National Concert Hall and the National Theater. And across the main gate is the
Chiang-kai Shek Memorial Hall (CSMH).
We actually walked a stretch from
the MRT exit to the bottom of the stairs of the CSMH. The national monument was built in honor of
Chiang-kai Shek, former President of the Republic of China. I’ll leave it to you to read more about the
place’s history.
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| This monument is well, er, monumental! |
I knew there was an elevator somewhere but
Auntie and I decided to climb the stairs, all 89 steps (the President’s age at
the time of his death). And boy, it was worth it. In the main chamber, you will see the statue
of the President.
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| Their version of the Lincoln Memorial |
Below the hall is a museum
documenting the President’s life and career.
Yes, we finally discovered the elevator. We also discovered something
else. Part of the museum’s exhibits is a
1955 Cadillac donated by overseas Chinese in the Philippines!
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| Used only once. No wonder it's still in mint condition |
It was already lunchtime when we
finished touring the place. We decided
to head back to Ximending to have lunch and well, you guessed it right, take a
rest. Hey, we walked a lot. And don’t
forget, we climbed 89 steps!
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| Incense, fruits, offerings |
On our last day, we decided to
visit a temple and we opted for Longshan Temple
which is just a station away from Ximen. Because it was a Sunday, the temple
was full with worshippers and tourists alike. It was quite amazing to observe
the different traditions being practiced in the temple. After going around the area for a while, we
headed back to Ximending for last minute pasalubong
shopping. Oh yes, and to eat lunch!
There’s that magic word again,
EAT! I’m dedicating another post for
that part!
