Spirited away in Taiwan

Taiwan's tourism charm was an understatement. It has a nice airport, socially graceful Chinese people and has delectable street food at night markets. I went there last year to celebrate my birthday and yes, I've traveled alone again,lol . There are just two agendas I have on my mind: drink the legit Milk Tea ( because this is the birthplace of milk teas ) and to visit the place where one of my favorite writers used to hang out. 

Being a #titamode, I did not find it appealing anymore to go to major tourist spots like Taipei 101 building for I really want to have a slow-paced journey which means I want to take on more walking. The MRT system is very efficient like those in Hong Kong and Japan, you only have to memorize where is the Taipei Main Station and you will be all right. 

Food, food, food! All the food in Taipei tasted very good! I love everything even the coriander dessert which makes me conclude that it's my favorite herbs, haha.

The night markets are the best and it kinda reminds me of hawkers in Singapore. 

The OG of Milk Tea! You can find them in every corner of the streets. 

The first things I saw on my way to my hotel are the 24-hr toy shops. And it's everywhere! And like kinain na din ng systema, I tried playing it and even compete to the uncle next to me and I sadly and utterly lost. Bye bye,TWD100 haha. But it's fun, I was never really good at games.

If you want to shop and want to be near the MRT stations, I highly recommend staying along Ximenting District. It's the Harujuku of Taipei where most shops are located and are just 10-minute walk from Taipei Main Station. Best way to save for transport as well since everything is walking distance only.

Rainy season it is

Temple visits are also a good choice when you visit Taiwan but I do not enjoy it fully because of the bad weather. I did buy a cute transparent umbrella though.

Lungshan Temple just near Ximenting

Chang Chai-Shek Temple

How hard it is to 1) travel solo 2) take good photos when it's raining hard 

A 30-minute train ride from Taipei, Beitou Hot Spring is the place to go for some relaxation. Too bad for me to go on Monday where the big hot springs were closed but I still did enjoy the bike ride along the area. 

Stuck to the public hot spring where I spent 2 hours falling in line and 10 minutes soaking the water.

A gem in the middle of Taipei is this artsy street where vandalism looks like art ( or rather made into arts) . Bopilao Historic Block is the place for IG aesthetic photos. 

Cool kid effect wag kang judgy,char

The highlight of my trip was the train ride and hike going to Siufen and Jiufen. I always like rustic and old places because they are quiet and full of histories. 

From Taipei Main Station, ride the train going to Ruifang Station. Be mindful of the platform number to ride and trust the answer of the person in charge of the entrance going to the platform. I got bullied by some high schoolers when I asked them which platform to take going Ruifang. I rode 4B instead of 4A, and I realized its wrong when I noticed there are only two of us ( an auntie and me ) inside our coach. Then I cannot communicate coz of the language barrier. Thank you google translate! I traveled for one and a half hour until the end station to transfer trains, it is a good thing that the auntie is so nice and assisted me to ride the right train after. And the annoying high schoolers so happened to exit the same station and I got them scolded, HAHAHA . Kids nowadays. 

From Ruifang, transfer to the coal collecting train in PingXi line going Siefen Station. The old town was famous for mining coals but since tourism became a hit, the trains now transport tourist and take them to the lantern flying site. 

Painting my lantern my birthday wish and hopes

Another photo before flying my lantern

Saving the best for last, hello Jiufen! Situated on the top of the mountains, Jiufen is the old town where a panoramic view of the sea inspired many writers in South East Asia including the creator of Studio Ghibli's Miyazaki-sensei. 

I always believe in the romanticism of a place is what it makes a place special to someone. the purpose of it, what inspiration she gets from it, what nostalgia or expectations we want to feel when we go there, it will all boil down to what sentiment we are willing to give on it. For me, ticking this off my bucket list is the best present I can give to myself. Visting A-Meis Tea House which is the inspiration of the bathhouse of Miyazaki;s Spirited Away.

A-Mei Tea House a.k.a. The Bath House of the Spirits

Lucky that I was able to grab a seat on the balcony, you have to book in advance to be able to enjoy the tea here. The price is reasonable enough for an unlimited tea and nice view.  My doki-doki heart is dreaming imagining those great writers who used to meet here!

Exploring Jiufen 

Jiufen is famous for the lanterns during night time. I can't wait to spend a night or two here when I go back to Taiwan!

Ready to devour the food along the streets

No Face on the window of a hostel. CUTE.

There are still a lot of things and places to explore in Taiwan, I would really like to explore the Taichung region next time. Nevertheless, this trip kinda reminds me of the joy of traveling solo and bringing back the curiosity to the things around us. It really had me spirited away :)

//emh.