Cute!

Last Weekend at the Pavilion...

Mascots wearing fanciful costumes parading around Tangs...

where there was huge sales going on...

just love the colours!

Back From Taiwan ! (Oct 2009)

Taiwan Trip Oct 2009

Hi Hi...

It's been a week! and I have spent some great time in Kauhsiung city of Taiwan... (and a day in Taipei :p Lucky me! )

Firstly, Let's See what does Kauhsiung has in store for me :)

Apparently the city had just said goodbye to the World Game 2009.

So things were still in tip top conditions, Lucky me!

It was really more enjoyable than the Shanghai trip two months back hehe...reasons being that there were not many places that i could visit in Qingpu District, and i was only in Shanghai city for 2 or 3 days...

Well, I have come to appreciate the great Taiwanese's hospitality here--> the people's friendliness, their very good service attitude, very professional yet passionate, their willingness to go the extra mile to make a customer/tourist happy. Once they know that you are not local, especially when u start to speak, they are often amused when they hear the strange accent, and are likely to ask you where you are from etc...then they will proceed to offer u the help or any information you need. i.e. like places of attraction etc...

I was often mistaken as a China Chinese hehe...they said that i had that kind of accent...

Most importantly, to me as a tourist, i simply love their efficient transport system, new mrt/HSR etc that are really very easy for one to navigate one's way within the city/country.

So I am going to roll out the photographs and let them do the talking of the whole trip...with anecdotes here and there of coz'...

Day1

Departing KL and Arriving at Kauhsiung...

& heading straight for the food streets!!!

Firstly, a peek into our 60th floor hotel room...very nice :)

Night view from our 60th floor hotel room

So after putting down out luggage, we couldn't wait to rush out to sample all the Taiwanese delicacies in their famous food streets that were aplenty!

As we found ourselves walking along this Lingya Street,

about 10 mins walk away from our hotel.

We came across this shop 阿莲河粉...it's offering

Taiwanese-Vietnamese cuisine...

There was a banner from '食尚玩家', one of

the popular local variety programs on food being hang above the shop.

We didnt need much prompting after see it :)

A rather popular eating place among the many food stalls

on that street...customers kept flowing in...luckily we

found a table large enough for 6 of us all...

Our food.... fried spring rools & seafood vermicelli

pretty fast service...

shrimp & mango salad, drunken chicken, fried pork chop glass noodles

most importanly, very nice and hot supper for us all!

Chicken glass noodles, lime juice...yummy!

& later, as we trudged out of the shop satiated,

we came upon this dessert stall...jelly balls

so me and hubbie decided to round up for the night

with one bowl of nice cool macha and red bean jelly

balls :) refreshingly cool and delicious!

Lovely! I cant wait to start on my next day!!!

DAY 2

Bird's eye view of the city in the morning from hotel :)

View of the Glory Pier...see the unique bridge structure next to a radial landscape?

View of the Shopping Malls at Sanduo Shopping Districts...

WALK WALK WALK...it's a day of working my legs...on a really scorching hot day!

From hotel Splendour to all the piers...Sanduo shopping district...Shinjuejiang shopping area...back and forth and back....

From the photographs showing bird's eye views of the city, it seems a short distance to walk from one point to another...I was seriously underestimating the scale from up the hotel...

The glory of height...makes it a good landmark...i even spotted it from the Cijin island...

By this point, i was pretty lost, not sure where i was

heading, though i was vaguely sure that i wanted to

head out to Love River...

This is the True Love Pier(真爱码头)

Walking along Love River(爱河）but hadnt reached its heart yet...

Another Landmark...the dragonhead fish creature...reminds me of Spore's merlion...

Nice Coffee place beside the river...

Walking further...came to this

Central Park of City （中央公园）

An MRT station...Central Park Station

Nice Cascading waterfall...

Me Looking at the Map trying to go to Shin Jue Jiang...

But it was getting late and my stomach growled...Lunch time!

So I found this place offering nice noodles!

Look at my Sumptuous meal!

After lunch, I came upon this convenient store ...

Went in to look for socks and gloves...bough a pair

of long glove to hide my arms from the sun...

I am turning too tan for my liking...

Another Park...

supposedly a Birthday Park...but the restaurant had already been closed down :(

Unique buildings are pretty much a feature in my blogs...as you can see by now...

Tired and trying to head back to hotel...see, its

imperious height souring into clouds...always gives me my bearing...

oh no! i found 新崛江。。。time to shop!!!

But it was too early...many stalls not opened until later part of the day...Here business seems to thrive at night...

Ah, this is the Sanduo MRT Station, one of its exitsentrances...

Sanduo Area...see the shopping malls around?

Pretty tired by now...the landmark beckons...

Couldnt resist taking a picture of these 2...

and these naughty looking things ...called art?

When I met up the others and we decided to head

over to the steamboat restaurant over the street from our hotel...

Called Lemongrass Steamboat...

This is their Lemongrass fairy, so we know the theme is...

just anything Lemongrass...

My personal set...my soup is lemongrass based,

kinda spicy...sauce too...yummy....i love it...

Quite a spread yeah?

Now, the food had been cooked...it's time to tuck in...

Dispenser machines selling shampoos toothpaste etc...any daily basic stuffs...

DAY 3

Going to CIJIN ISLAND

Kauhsiung efficient Transport Systems

MRT ...Ferry...Bus....Bike...

I have more or less studied the map of Kauhsiung city and was sure that this time i wanted to go to Cijin island...for the seafood at least :) I read that they were cheap and good!

Took the MRT from Sanduo to Farmosa(美丽岛）station...changed train to Xiziwan...and came out to wait for bus here...

Took the bus, fare was just 12cents NT,

and arrived at the Gushan ferry terminal...

I stopped by at this shop for its very alluring shaved ice...

Ordered a mango ice for myself...a huge mountain of milk ice topped by a mango ice-cream surrounded by chunks, yes i repeat, huge chunks of mango!!! muah...yum yum...

i couldnt finish all the ice, though i gobbled up all the mango and the ice-cream...

and went over to the ferry terminal to wait for my ferry...see the yellow taxis? they are waiting for customers...

so this was my ferry...

I could still see my landmark hotel from here...can you?

motorists waiting to disembark from the ferry as it approached the terminal ...

We were nearing the terminal at Cijin's side

Another ferry on the sea...

Rickshaws waiting for tourists...

I saw the famous Thian Hou Gong Temple...and went in to pray...

Came across the first seafood place...

impressed by its mechanical fans to shoo away the insects...

asked about the price and decided to have my lunch here...

What i ordered :)

oven baked sea cod fish

Oven baked oysters...succulent! yummmy!

Steam prawns...

and complementary (FOC) from the restaurant, the local orange...sweet!

Saw some cute pets having meals with owners...couldnt resist taking their picture:)

Another temple...

Now, was advised to rent a bike to see the sights on this island...coz it was really too far to walk and this was a rather big island to cover on foot...so i braved myself...rented one for just 100 NT dollars for a whole day...

Start my Biking trails...

Came into this small lanes of residential houses...was told to go to the end, where i would find an old fort and a light house museum...

yes, i found it!

Left to the old fort, Right to the light house museum...

Parked my bike here...

and walked up this slope ...

along the way, taking in the scenic views and cool hilly air...

i could see my hotel in the distance...

right, here is the old fort...

Was a little scared to be out here by myself...then i saw the couple up there...but they left shortly after...i was alone again...but the view from up there was fantastic and i think although it was a little scary at first, soon the cool air and the sound from the distant wave as it crashes against the shoreline...and the romantic combination of all made the place seem rather nice...very private, very romantic ...

walking back down the slope...

Cycled a short distance to the light house museum and park my bike again...

Another slope to overcome...see? how could i not loose weight? which i am mightily glad :)

Lots of flora...and some wild dogs...luckily they mostly ignored me...

and lots of great views...

ah, finally i saw the light house...

It was really not a big one, but i think it was important in history...

Saw this cute creature made out of tin and aluminium, parked outside one of the local residential houses...

More cycling...i was heading for the windmills park...and along the route...

I saw more temples...very majestic looking

one after another...

and the Cijin park that i saw from borchure...but i didnt go in with my bike...

i simply cycled on...

and saw another temple again...

Saw my hotel from this far, amazing!

Saw a group of high school students on their outing here...

they were taking their group photos....really cute, their young energy and enthusiasm for anything...

ah, finally i got to the windmill park, a little disappointed coz they were not as big as i thought ...

But the waves here were the more impressive one...Huge waves of about 2m crashing against the breakwater...

I like this picture of the park and with the sea...very tranquil and romantic...

Time to cycle back...

and after returning my bike, saw this souvenir shop selling cute things...

and fake puffer fish...

Back at the Farmosa Station via bus...

there was there famous Dome of Light beneath the station...

Lovely !

As it was still pretty early...i decided to head out to see RuiFeng night market...

Came out of the mrt station and saw the sport stadium...

Cute bus stop

The market in the distance...

Unfortunately, it was still too early for business and most stalls were not set up yet!

I walked and window-shopped in the area for a while...

and decided to rest my tired self at this Crown Coffee place, bought some hot cocoa and a piece of strawberry cake...

Nice way of chilling out!

At the evening, i met up with my husband and the others again and we decided to head out to the Liu He night market....

We were taking the mrt to get there...

An exhibit along the gallery of the mrt station...

Liu He Night Market

Upon arriving...

I was so hungry and being greeted by sights of food...I went banana...

Couldnt resist the dumpling here...

so we got a box to share around...chomp chomp!!!

My husband's fav!

We decided to try this shop!

The interior...very cozy...

Got us beers!

and our food arrived! pretty fast service

Satiated at last, we now wanted to shop for a while :)

or window shop at least...

Saw some cute birds in a cage, i had never seen birds like these before...they looked like toys!

K gave an old lady selling chewing gums some 100 NTdollars and she gave us this!

Some kind of sweet smelling flower...

Romantic Love River Walk & Cruise with K

Beautiful night views of the city...

the lighting made the place come alive!

We went for a boat ride for a feel of the river and to see the city's many bridges...

The boat rides lasted only 20 mins...

very nice...

Eating sweet and juicy fruits bought from the market prior the cruise...

cheap and good enjoyment...romantic for me & K :)

Cruise over, we headed ashore and decided to catch a cab to our hotel...

Day 4

Going to Taipei via High Speed Rail

Clothing stores--pretty and cheap

XimenDing Shopping Arena

Day 5

Going to Zuo Ying

Many Temples surround the Lotus Lake...

a huge Lake which took forever for me to complete

even one round of it...

And the many amazingly huge and decorative

and impressive temples of all Gods ...

Day 6

it's another sunny day! I have almost visited all the tourists' attractions in the city!

Where else have i not gone to yet?

Day 7

Flying Back to KL...

At Kauhsiung International Airport...