Travel to Taiwan: The Land of Meteor Garden and Milktea

If I visited this country ten years ago the purpose would be to rekindle my love for Meteor Garden (MG), which versions I have completed watching and the series that got me hooked on the whole Asian series shebang. People my age would definitely get what I mean. Hailed as the Queen of Asian drama, because it was what started it all in the Philippines, MG was a drug that people can't get enough of resulting for it to last for more than a decade. Honestly, I could still watch the whole series again and drool all over it - the only difference now is that, I'm older. And the whole teenage feels kind of sets me back from people younger than I am who would still look cute giggling and squealing. I feel like I need to forego those childlike acts now. LOL

But yeah, I admit I am way past that stage of MG but it still has a special place in my heart. The cast are the orginal, no one can replace them despite all the remakes made over the years. But they are all in the past, new things get discovered and digital media is quick to accelerate their spread. Those places or things that are once tucked in unreachable areas in the world no longer escape the internet. And for Taiwan, new stuff are in. What rings on most people now when they hear it are probably- milktea and Jiufen. And, yeah, I am one of those people who think the same way. 

So setting aside my love for MG, I decided to head over to Taiwan to have a taste of their milktea (I literally made it my water lol) and see for myself Jiufen which was the inspiration of the Studio Ghibli movie "Spirited Away." And of course, the trip wouldn't be possible without the free visa the Taiwan government has granted to Filipinos. Every traveler has to take advantage of that. 

I set for a five-day trip just enough to explore the northern part of Taiwan and Taipei City. My love for train rides got me into booking a three-day unlimited MRT pass, which was significantly used throughout my trip. I enjoyed it so much that I got to ride four MRT line systems. I didn't mind going back and forth from one attraction to another because I didn't have to worry about sweating too much (which preserves my make up) and trains were so efficient - they come and go every now and then. Passengers don't have to wait for long and squeeze in to get in.

What you need to get/have:
1. Pocket Wifi (4G) which you can get from KLOOK or KKDAY (for people who want to be connected 24/7)
2. Taipei Fun Pass (if you are keen on traveling by MRT and Bus)
3. Ten thousand (Php 10, 000) pocket money should be enough
4. THSR ticket back and forth or you can opt to ride the public bus (but I recommend THSR since it is way more convenient). The THSR two-way tickets would cost around 400 TWD while bus tickets at around 300TWD.
5. KKDAY voucher for a tour around Jiufen, Yehliu, and Shifen.
6. Accommodation. We got a cheap dorm type room with breakfast at Ximen Corner Hostel, which location is very strategic as it is near the temples and famous landmarks around Taipei. I recommend this for backpackers or those who don't mind sleeping with other travelers. If you have OCD, just look for a fancy nice place for yourself. :)
7. Credit card (for unpredictable expenses lols)

Food rundown:
1. Stinky tofu
2. Egg Scallion Pancake Roll
3. Street dumplings
4. Pork Pepper Bun
5. Boneless Chicken Stuffed with Egg Rice
6. Taro Bowls
7. Ice Cream Roll with Peanut Butter
8. Herbal Rice Cake
9. Noodle bowls at Ximending and Shilin (Sad Super Hot Noodles)

DAY 1: Arrival and Rest

Upon arrival at the airport, we bought a two-way ticket of Taiwan High-Speed Railway (THSR) Train at a counter and picked up our tour vouchers and pocket wifi on our way out. The TSHR ends at the main station and from there we took the green line to Ximen, a station right next to the popular Ximending Teenage Shopping District. Our hostel was just a walking distance from the station which was very convenient. 

The district is proliferated by low-cost to high-cost clothing stores.  Anyone can definitely shop until they drop in this area. Milktea and food stalls are also available at every corner. So right after getting enough rest, we explored the area and strolled to where our feet can take us. Not sure of how big Ximending is but one can definitely explore the area by foot. It flares up with people and bright lights every night. The fun starts in the afternoon at five onwards and then it turns into a ghost town early in the morning. The iconic Chinese red banderitas hanged above the streets to an arch is one's hallmark to get right into shopping district. 

Ate the stinky tofu, which is really stinky but delicious. Also bought milktea on our first day and so on to the rest of the days we were there.

DAY 2: Jiufen, Shifen and Yehliu

The north of Taipei can be a tiring one for a DIY and not to mention, it is an hour drive from the capital so transportation would cost us a lot if we decided to visit all three by commute or private car. A package tour was a good idea so I booked us a day tour from KKDAY and was worth the penny. The tour gave us ample time in each attraction for photos. And an added value for doing group tours is meeting new people too!

I tried out the boneless chicken stuffed with egg rice at Shifen Old Street.

In Jiufen, must eat local food are taro bowls, herbal rice cake, and ice cream roll with peanut powder.

DAY 3: City tour 1

We started with the Maokong Gondola then traveled to Zhongshan for the Miniature Museum. Ate lunch at Moss Burger then headed to Taipei Zoo. The highlight of the visit was the Taipei 101 and we capped off our night at Rainbow Bridge after shopping and eating streetfood at Raohe Night Market. The Rainbow Bridge is suspended across the Keelung River. I really pushed through with seeing the bridge after knowing that the river is one of the shooting locations of MG.

Managed to have a taste of the famous Pork Pepper Bun at Raohe Nigh Market as well as their street dumpling.

Day 4: City tour 2

Started late on this day because it was raining hard. As soon as the rain slowed down, we head out and visited Longshan Temple. We didn't go to all the temples as planned because my friend said that they all looked the same so we diverted and headed to Dr. Sun Yat Sen Temple. We went to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall next then to Shilin, where we ate lunch at a really nice noodle house and rode the bus to National Palace Museum. The tour ended with a train travel to Tamsui, where we were suppose to ride the wharf but didn't push through because we needed to be home early. We stayed at the park instead and listened to a Chinese performer singing love songs. 

I did some shopping at Ximending on my last night. 

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I need to warn those who would like to use the train as their main transportation around Taipei that it takes a lot of walking. But I enjoy walking so much that it suited me well.

I measured my steps in the days we were on tour and it reached 21k. I only do an average of 4-7k on a normal day. How I wish I lost some fats throughout the five days if I didn't eat much noodles and pork buns.