Taiwan Day 2 - Still in Taipei

Day 2 was a sight-seeing day comprised of cultural places and scenic landscapes {can never get enough of those}!

Breakfast - Traditional Breakfast as recommended by Susan

Breakfast place was a walk away from our hostel, behind Kmall {where we also dropped by Daiso!}. It was a simple, but lovely and fulfilling breakfast. I had a chicken sandwich, which is not pictured here, and somehow their sandwiches are like the kind you feel like you can't just wrap them up yourself at home. They add some magic dust to it I swear.

Edit: I do have a picture of my sandwich afterall! Phew!

1st stop - Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall 國立國父紀念館
- Alight Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station from Taipei Main Station

We came here to watch the guard changing procession that happens twice a day. Pretty eye opening, watching them stomping their feet and applying their guns to the ground with much force and vigour. It's the kind of thing that you see once and it leaves an impression because everything is just so controlled and precise, it's scary. Gotta give it to the guards, standing in the same position for heavens knows how many hours {or you, if you bother finding out}, bet they really look forward to the procession cuz it's a rare chance for them to stretch out their limbs.

Go watch it for yourself I say! Pictures will do nothing to represent the intricacies of the march.

2nd stop - Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall 中正纪念馆
 - Alight Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall Station from Taipei Main Station

I've already posted a pretty spectacular picture of said memorial hall to open this post so here instead, is the National Concert Hall found on the left side of the memorial square grounds, facing the memorial hall. (Opposite would be the National Theatre but they really look quite the same so I didn't take a picture of it) The sun was excruciatingly bright that day, with hardly any cloud cover, and it was impossible to walk around without either an umbrella or shades. And if you walked around with just shades you still risked getting a good toasting on the shoulders.

Lucky us, we were treated to a surprise performance by a school band practising around the premises, as also can be seen from the opening picture. Certainly added to the grandeur of it all.

We spent only about an hour or so here, and only because we were waiting for Chair to meet us from her bakery rendezvous. Any longer and we would surely have been fried like eggs on a car hood on such a blistering day.

3rd stop - Fisherman's Wharf 淡水漁人碼頭

 - Alight at Dansui Station from Taipei Main Station (Last stop!) Take bus red-26 to last stop

Sometimes I can't believe these are my own pictures. Anyway, a place meant for lovers is a place where lovers are meant to be because truly, this place was lined from East to West with lovers of all ages and shapes and sizes, and certainly with the right atmosphere for lovers to love free. Just look at that landscape! 

We came here for the sunset and the sky was just magnificently cloudless and the wind was just mercifully soft on our backs already scalded from the heat of the rest of the day. The only thing that the group of us lacked was lovers by our sides lol. But how gloriously wonderful was that sunset, don't think I've ever watched such a clean sunset, the sun being sucked down into a slit square upon the horizon and then vanishing and all darkness pursues. Okay, so it wasn't that dramatic but it certainly felt like it as I watched the day dissolve away.

And of course, if you have your partner beside you, this is a great photo opportunity. Otherwise, it still makes good scenery!

4th stop - Old Street at Tamsui 淡水老街
 - Just behind Tamsui Station

Guava pic credits Chair

Heh, again, the focus... food!! Tamsui Old Street was like a night market place again and we had hotpot here! The hotpot shop is right at the end of the street opposite a cute little bear shop. 

Left photo credit: Chair

The drinks and desserts were decidedly strange though, so we barely touched them. At this point Susan was at the height of her sore throat so she was spared from these weird tasting foods!

Reasonably priced at NT498 for 4 people, inclusive of 1 hotpot, 2 set meals and 4 different desserts. T'was alright considering we were already stuffed from the earlier food trail. 


We also got a $2 giant carrier bag to put all our nonsense that we had bought over the past... 2 days {What! Running out of luggage space already??} and I think this had to be the best deal on the entire trip! $2 for a huge carrying bag! Should have bought like 10. Also got my bunny bag from here. Saw it at Bugis Street for $35! Was so tempted to get it that time but I'm glad I didn't cuz i got it for S$20 here muahahha.

Bunny bag with the next morning's 7-11 breakfast

5th Stop - Really?? Another stop?? Taipei Main Station


Okay, maybe this doesn't count as an actual stop but we still had time in the night so we decided to shop here for a bit! Very cheap clothing found here ranging from S$5- I don't know how much. But starting at $5 is good right? I bought 4 bottoms and 1 top which I gave away as a present.


And this ends the second day of the Taiwan experience and is also our last day in Taipei!