Day 5 In Taiwan

Woke up to a cool day this morning and we are all set to check out other interesting sightseeing in Taiwan.

Our driver Mr. Wang decided to bring us up to the Yang Ming Shan today and we heard from him that it is home to numerous parks, hiking trails, interesting plants and wildlife, and the internationally famous hot springs.

When we arrived at Yang Ming Shan, we stopped to take some pictures and the kids were amazed by the tennis ball thingy which the aunty was selling. She was really nice to allow them to play and even taught them how to use it. They kids had so much fun and decided to get one set for them to share.

We continued our journey up to the mountains and Liu Huang Gu. With its growth as a centre for sulphur mining in northern Taiwan, many Han Chinese such as the Hoklo from Fujian and the Hakka began moving to the area to cultivate tea plantations and other agricultural products, and today, wide-scale agriculture has been replaced by more boutique-style agriculture with a tourism focus, such as the Calla lilies at Zhuzihu (竹子湖). 

It was certainly an amazing view up there and we could smell the Sulphur and some restricted areas have boiling water on the ground. I felt like I was on a volcano… hahahaahahah. 

We went to a small local town which is not very far from where we were for lunch. The old streets were really cool and looked very old. He recommended us to this restaurant that served food with a twist. We arrived at the restaurant and managed to get a big table for our family. He then took us to the open kitchen which you have to walk for 2 minutes and from there, you pick up the plates of food you wished to eat. I was obviously shocked! The kitchen area was so busy and you can see cooks cooking speedily and at the other end, a few ladies were preparing the ingredients at the same time. 

Hubby took a quick look at the food and picked up a few and returned to the restaurant for our lunch. I wasn’t being picky but I was really shocked and speechless on how they handle the food. The dishes were okay but never the best I have tasted. It was very simple and comfort food for the locals I trust but for us from a modern city, I am totally not used to it.

We continued our tour to explore the Shihmen (Stone) Arch Park is located at the north tip of Taiwan amidst many famous northern coastal scenic spots. It is named after a huge rock by the seashore. After years of sea current erosion, a hole is formed on the rock. As the earth movement pushes the rock further ashore, the entire piece looks like an imposing arch from far. 

We continued to explore one of the most famous locations in Taiwan, the Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf is well known for its beautiful sunsets, seafood, and, more recently with young people, its high amount of party boats.

Within the past few years, the wharf has gone through a major renovation process, building several new buildings including restaurants, hotels, shops, and the Lover Bridge of Tamsui, completed in 2003. At night, the bridge illuminates with a wide variety of colours. We did not climb up the bridge as it was too hot to handle the heat and given those stairs were not too friendly to our knees too…. Hahaahahah

Before returning back to hotel, we went to the Tamsui Old Street. Tamsui Old Street is a boardwalk-like area full of shops, carnival games, restaurants, cafés, and xiaochi snacks. The waterfront area is a great place to watch the sunset over the Tamsui River. Vendors will generally start in the afternoon and stay open until the last MRT train at 12 midnight. Visitors who arrive early can first walk around the town area and visit other local attractions. The kids had a ball of a time wasting grandparents’ money on the vending machines while I was busy shopping for souvenirs.

After settling the elderly and kids at the hotel, hubby & I went to Ximending to do a quick shopping and pack dinner for them as father in law wasn’t feeling too well. We hurried down the streets and found an eating place selling food that might boost the appetite of the elderly and kids after a few rounds of disappointing food the last few days.

We returned to the hotel with fried rice, pan fried carrot cakes and some other street food which is quite similar to those we can get from Singapore for the young and old. They seemed to be quite happy with the food we bought and enjoying themselves.

Hubby & I went to the hotel lounge to watch the World Cup game and had our dinner there. The dinner was awful and I ended up eating more chips as my dinner while watching the game. My burger tasted like the washing detergent and it was absolutely disgusting! I feedback to the waiter about my food and they wanted to replace my burger but I was already disgusted by the taste so, I rejected their offer.

We thoroughly enjoyed the soccer game with our good wine and chips. We will be back here tomorrow for another ‘live’ game telecast but not for dinner definitely.