Sunday, December 09, 2007

Taiwan : Taichung, Hsinchu, Taipei

23 Nov 2007
An exciting day cause today I am going to Taiwan by Business Class! So I went out from home earlier, so I can relax at the airport lounge before departure. I had nothing to do at home anyway.
But I didn't expect there would be so much ppls in airport today! Oh, I had arrived at airport early, but still, I even didn't have time for shopping the cosmetics in DFS! So don't mention the lounge!

The flight was fabulous. I had a bad experience with Northwest airlines before, but of course, it totally different when you come with the business class. I was surprised that most of the cabin attendants were Asians.
The seat also fabulous which it can recline to any angle, even almost like a bed. They have a massage function on the seat but it didn't works very well. It is the most bad massage chair I ever had haha Of course, it is not the main function of the seat :P


Grilled Fish with Mashed Pumpkin
Yummy!


24 Nov 2007
I joined my friend,YH to her home at Houli this day. There was a family party at her home. It was a party for YH's elder brother cause he was going to introduce her girlfriend and her family to his family. I mean all of his family including his auntie, uncle, etc. So it was a big party with more than 20 ppls. They are not engaged to marry each other anyway. I thought this kind of introduction will be held when you are going to get married? Well, it was interesting to learn this kind of custom in a foreign country ;)

And another interesting thing is I visited a primary school in Houli. You won't list a primary school visiting when you are going to travel, will you? Well, YH's elder sister is a teacher in this school and this day was a sport day so that there were no any class. We even can enter the classroom and seat down on the tiny chair! Haha it was funny but too bad I left my camera in YH's home so I couldn't take the picture.

We were planning to go to DaXueShan (大雪山) but by the recommendation of YH's aunties and uncles, we changed the plan and visited BaXianShan (八仙山). It was funny when they argued to each other for my next destination that I should go here or there. That's is very nice of them.


八仙山」map                    The view from parking area


Inside the park


You need 8 hours to the top! No way!             I think this is a hotel?


25 Nov 2007
I stayed at Hsinchu today. There is nothing much about sightseeing. Just eating and shopping a lot hehehe

I took the new bullet train for the first time from Hsinchu to Taipei at night. The Hsinchu station is very new and big. And I supposed the train is a new train either?! But it looks old to me. It is in white color but a bit yellowish. I think I look too many white and clean shinkansen in Japan, so a bit surprised to me to see Taiwan's bullet train look old! The journey took 30 mins and it costs 290 NTD.

I am a bit surprised that Taipei subway ticket is changed to a coin now. It looks like a game center plastic coin. I have never seen such ticket on any country's subway. So you only need to place the coin on the gate when you are enter and throw the coin on the gate when you out. It is interesting!


城隍廟(ChengHuang Temple)               My favorite dish, "EACien"

About the Hotel
As I had stayed at Hotel Riviera in last trip and I loved it, so I chose same hotel for this trip. But a bit disappoint when I found the bed sheet pilled up badly. This is my first time to see such things in a hotel. Anyway, I had posted the picture of this hotel on previous post, you can see in here.

Due the return flight will depart on early morning, we moved to City Suites Gateway Hotel (城市商旅航空館(桃園)) which is a nearest hotel to airport. Evergreen Transit Hotel had came in my mind at first but they only serve guest who are passenger of Taiwanese Airline. A very strange system. I wonder is there any merit by setting this kind of rule?

City Suites Gateway Hotel is a business hotel. There is seems like no any bellboy in their hotel. I asked for a LAN cable from my room, but they asked me to get it in lobby by myself!

We found only one buffet restaurant in this hotel so we had no any choice and had our dinner in this restaurant. It was very strange that they show you your seat at first, and after you sit down, they will ask you to pay at the entrance! Haha very funny isn't it? I think they should ask you to pay at first. And another funny thing (but I like this one!), they charge me only 70TWD for a beer, which they charge a foreigner 120TWD for same beer! Haha They thought I am a Taiwanese!


City Suites Gateway Hotel
                     

Last but not least, I would like to recommend a nice Taiwanese restaurant in Taipei,欣葉餐廳。They have Lumpia in here!! The waitress told me they Lumpia is a food eaten in ChingMing Festival. Wow! I never know that! Gotta ask my mom about this hehe And they have very tasty oyster omelette's in here which you can get same things in any food stall. It's superb!

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