South Korea & Taiwan Blog 9: Taipei
Day 17 – Sunday, 23 April Taipei
Cloudy, hazy, breezy, 26ºC
T$20 = NZ$1
Up at 8:30am, downstairs for breakfast then out the door at 9:45am, MRT to Taipei Main Station then to Longshan Temple station on the Bannan / Blue Line. Out of the station and walked through Bangka Park ( here were a few homeless around, another noticeable difference from Korea/Seoul ) then to Longshan Temple at 10:30am. Longshan Temple is dedicated to both Buddhist and Taoist deities, and was built in the 1700’s. We walked around the temple ( quite busy ) and took a few photos; it is a very ornate and ‘real’ feeling temple, well used by the many people in attendance. We left the Temple at 11am.
We walked through the old part of Taipei ( Guangzhou St ) with a more ‘real’ Asian feel, bird bird shops, people eating on the street etc. We walked through Bopiliao Historic block, Xinfu Market then down to the Botanical Gardens at 11:30 and walked through ( nice quiet space , with squirrels ), walked out the north end to Bo ai Rd and north to Xianonanmen Station and north to Beimen Station to see North Gate ( another roundabout ) then walked through underground walkways and malls to Taipei Main Station to find lunch.
The station had been taken over by Indonesian Muslims celebrating the end of Ramadan, so was very busy. Had lunch at Starbucks ( croissant, cakes and coffees $T600 ), left and picked up tickets for train to Hualien at ticket counter, then caught blue line metro to Zhongxiao Fuxing and changed to the Brown ( Wenhu ) line. This is an above ground, elevated, driverless train system ( like the DLR in London ). We went south east through outer suburbs into the hills to the Zoo, arriving at 2:30pm
We walked out of the station and along to the Maokong Gondola Station, bought 2 tickets ( they only sell 1 way tickets so we would need another ticket to get back down ) for T$120 ea.
We waited in the queue for 15 minutes outside then inside the station then into the gondola for the 4km/20 minute trip up and over multiple ridges and valleys, over the zoo, and through 2 intermediate stops and a 90º turn, and finally to Maokong. In our gondola we had 3 Filipinos, one of whom lives in Melbourne and had been to New Zealand; they left at the second intermediate station as one of them wasn’t enjoying the heights and needed a breather.
We arrived at the top at 3:20pm and walked down the road to the Sunning Teahouse for tea in fancy tea pots ( no coffee on offer ).
Walked back up to the gondola station at 4:15pm, bought tickets for the downward leg, then onboard and down to the bottom again at 4:50pm.
Back on the metro and back to Daan Station, then walked back to the hotel, arriving 5:30pm.
Out again at 6:30pm, metro to CSK Memorial then to Ximen Station, walked out to a modern shopping area with street performers, Nike Stores and restaurants; quite a contrast to the area we were walking through this morning which is only a couple of blocks away.
We walked around then had dumplings for tea (T$350 ), then walked around the shops. I bought a cap ( T$390 ) and we got silicone cases for our Ipod headphones ( T$390 ea )
Wandered back to the station and metro back to the hotel at 9:15pm
Day 18 – Monday, 24 April Taipei / Jiufen / Shifen
Cloudy, rain, 26ºC
Up at 7am, breakfast at the hotel then left at 8:15am, metro to Taipei Main Station and then to East Gate 3 to meet people from Klook for our bus trip to Jiufen and Shifen. Mavis ( our guide ) arrived at 9am, and we checked in. Onto the bus at 9:15am and then out through the traffic ( and rain ) along the motorways to Ruifang then on up the hill to Jiufen town( in the rain and mist ), arriving at 10:30am.
Jiufen is an old mining town that sits on the side of a steep hill, with views out to the ocean ( but we couldn’t see anything ). The bus parked at the bottom of town and we walked up the steps to get to Main Street ( 15 minute steep climb ), we walked along main street ( Main st runs along the hill and the steps are in the middle of the length of Main Street ). It was pretty quiet at this time of morning, but it got busier at more tour buses arrived. We bought a ceramic teapot ( T$1500 / $75 ) and carried on walking Main Street. The shops in Juifen are a slightly odd mixture of souvenir shops, high end clothing / bag shops and local food vendors ( chicken feet, stinky tofu etc ).
We stopped for a waffle / coffee ( T$400 ) at 11:30am, then carried on walking to the other end of Main Street, then back to the steps and down again, and back to the bus for 12:57pm departure (Mavis is very precise with her times! ). A few people were late back, and 1 person was missing completely but we left anyway.
We drove down the hill to Ruifang ( then waited for the missing person, presumably they caught a taxi down ) then on along the valley, then up over/through the range of hills to Shifen, and got off the bus at the Shifen Falls at 2:00pm. We walked down across a swing bridge to the falls, took some photos then back to Mavis at 2:45pm, and then back on the bus.
Short drive to Shifen town which is famous for 2 things: a train line down the centre of town, and Chinese lanterns being released ( after being paid for and painted ) from the train line. We had seen the left overs of these lanterns at the falls where they had landed.
We walked along the shops on both sides of the railway then grabbed a coffee, and watched people lighting lanterns, try to avoid getting burnt in the process from the kerosene soaked wadding in the lantern, and then scramble when the trains came through every 1/2 hour or so.
Back to the bus at 15:53pm (!) then over the hills and back into Taipei Station at 5:00pm, metro back to hotel ( topped up our cards with extra T$100 ea ). Today was a good trip and ( apart from the weather ) worth doing to see these areas, even if they were a little touristy.
Out at 6:30pm to Dongmen for tea at Yangkong Rd again ; Japanese tonight ( 1 Donburi Chicken, 2 beers: T$400/NZ$20 ), walked around the area a bit then back to the hotel.