The Hsu Times: Adventure in Taipei with Monica

12/12/16 We fly United to Taiwan

Check into Home Hotel Da-An

This is Monica when we saw Family Mart next to our hotel.

Day 1

Pingxi and Jiufen trip from Taipei with Sky Lantern Experience

Our tour guide Ryan picked us up from our hotel,

It turns out it was just 2 of us, so we have a private tour!

First he took us to visit Shuinandong area (North coast) to see the unique blue and yellow color swirls in the “Yin-Yang Sea”

Then he took us to visit “Golden Waterfall”

As a bonus, he took us to the temple

Then we went to Jiufen. Ryan was an excellent driver, we drove thru streets I never thought car can go through…

Then begins our food adventure in Jiufen J

Shrimp and veggie ball

Veggie Taiwanese meatball and mushroom ball soup

Fried squid

Bittermelon juice

Famous taro ball

Famous peanut with taro ice cream wrap

After Jiufen, he took us to

Shifen waterfall- specular sight! Since it was raining, the sound of the waterfall was especially loud and amazing!

Suspension bridge near Shifen waterfall.

Then he took us to Pingxi to have our lantern experience.

First we got to choose a color for the sky lantern, then we decorate with words and pictures using chinese calligraphy pen.

Then we released our wishes to the sky. So awesome!

Meet the local women who made lantern years ago. It was a tradition that faded, then recently came back.

Explore the town of Jiufen with it’s cobbled street, a town that’s famous for having been an inspiration for the Miyazki classic spirited away, and its coastal views

That night, Lansing took us to eat beef noodle soup and showed us around the neighborhood, and then we got a massage

Day 2

We had Taiwanese breakfast.

Tea tour

Learn a lot of tea today!

Tea master Chang Nai Miao memorial hall

It’s a museum run by Henry Chang, grandson of Chang-nai miao

Their specialty is Tikuanyin Tea

First we had a tour of museum which has the history of how tea leaves are different from China and Taiwan. And it has display of teapots and pictures of tea making process. The tea plantation is run by the family.

We had tea tasting sessions to introduce Tikuayin tea and white tea. The Tikuayin tea was sipped 5 times, it is about 50% fermented, more tannin. The white tea was more sweeter and has flora smell, it was sipped at least 10 times, each time, the color gets darker, which is kinda cool to see.

Afterwards we went to check out their plantation.

Then we ate at a tea house. Longmen restaurant

Then we took Maokong Gondola to Taipei zoo station. The crystal cabin was very cool! We got to see view of Taipei

Then our tour guide Helena took us to the thousand island lake. (Qiandao)

Bagua tea plantation is next to it. It’s sad to see one side is good, but the other side is being tear apart since the land is owned by the government.

Then we went to another tea tasting place. Here the lady Ms. Huang taught us tea ceremony.

The location is Shihting old street

That night we had wonton soup for dinner

Day 3

Breakfast at Paul’s

Sun yat sen memorial hall with 6th Aunt and cousin.

Udon for lunch

Original bubble tea for dessert

Din tai Fung for dinner

Ice monster for dessert

Day 4 U Bike with Lansing

We had taiwanese breakfast sandwich with milk tea and Voodoo donut this morning. And decided to make coffee in the hotel without coffee maker.

Then we went biking with Lansing!

Afterwards we waited in line for the best eel rice in Taiwan

Then we check out farmer's market and the art scene in Taipei

That night, Monica and I went to get papaya milk

Then we took a taxi to Tonghua night market,
For just 400 NT, mommy and I got Taiwanese sausage, oyster omelette, stinky tofu, winter melon drink, sugar cane drink, wax apple, and BBQ corn on a stick.

Day 5 Taipei Zoo with Phoebe to finish our last day adventure in Taipei

Afterwards we stopped by Sogo to have lunch, then Monica and Phoebe head off to Ximending while
I stayed and explored our neighborhood.
That night, I had Comebuy plum drink