友♪ souvenirs from Japan
最後の休日、私のお母さんといっしょうに香港に行きました。そして、私の二人の友達は日本に行ってきました！私も日本に行きたいけど、お母さんは私に香港で行くほしいです。しかし、ユカリと雪子は日本で私に色々なお土産を買いました。今日は雪子に会って、このお土産を私にあげました。
☆FIRST STOP: TAIWAN☆
December 26-28 (2010)
My trip to Taiwan was cut short since it was just a stop over for only three days. However, I was fortunate enough to spend most of my time in Taiwan with my two best friends Yukari and Yukiko! First thing's first though, let's get a glimpse at the hotel I stayed in!
HOTEL: Howard Plaza Hotel
Of course, the moment I entered this hotel I was captivated by this beautiful scene (→). This beautiful place in fact, is one of the many restaurants on the first floor and I was lucky enough to have breakfast here on my last day in Taiwan. The food was just fantastic, and I loved the variety they served up for breakfast- not to mention the relaxing atmosphere of the hotel. Although there was no pianist on the day I ate here, I was able to see one play the first day I arrived. Although the hotel wins props for such a beautiful lobby, I was really disappointed with the actual room. The room was quite simple, if not old fashioned (with the Chinese style wardrobes etc)- it didn't really reflect the contemporary design of the hotel. I think the rooms could've embraced a little more of a modern design but with that said the rooms weren't awful, but they weren't fantastic either.
MUST TRY:
Before coming to Taiwan, my friend Yukari said that I must try a KFC egg tart when I arrive. I didn't really see what the big deal was until I actually tasted one myself and oh my good, they were oh so delicious!
I could see why Yukari loved the KFC in Taiwan more than the KFC in my home town- we don't even have egg tarts! So you could imagine my surprise to see KFC sell something that wasn't fried chicken. So for you peeps who want to venture to Taiwan, you have to get a bite of this super tasty egg tart. Be warned though, it's quite fattening- so try not to eat too much (although that's easier said than done)!
IF YOU HAVE TIME: Be sure to check out the night markets in Taiwan, where you will be able to find many local goods such as gifts and food. If you really want to experience Taiwanese culture, the night markets are the place to go.
TAIPEI 101
I suggest if your Tour Group doesn't stop at Taiwan's iconic building- you should just leave it and come see the wondrous building for yourself. Unfortunately not all tours will take you here (my mom had the misfortune of being stuck with her tour group inside a temple), but I think you'd be crazy to miss the chance to see Taiwan's tallest building. Although Yukari, Yukiko, Yukari's mom and I were only here for little less than three hours, it was more than enough time to venture to the very top and see a breathtaking view of Taiwan.
I can't really give much of an insight to the shopping experience I had here- since the only shopping I did was for tea. If you're looking for aromatic and delicious tea- Taipei 101 is your stop! Keep your eyes out for a little tea shop called "Geow Yong Tea Hong"- and their fantastic Oolong tea (I'll post a picture of this up later), it'll make a fantastic gift for yourself or for someone else.
The adventure to the very top of Taipei 101 is a quick one, as you will have the privilege to ride inside one of the world's fastest elevators. You don't really think you're going up so fast until your ears actually start popping- then you realize that you're high above the ground. You will need to purchase tickets before heading to the elevator- which can be done at the counter next to it...(if I recall) and the line wasn't too bad, however I heard people queuing for three hours during the peak of holidays- but it's definitely worth the wait.
INSIDE
Once you're at the top, you can chose between exploring the observatory yourself- or you can opt to have a pre-recorded tour that's given to you. I did have that pre-recorded tour for a while (which was like a telephone you listen into) but I couldn't stand listening to it- it was so boring! I suppose if you're into knowing the history of something, that pre-recorded tour is for you. But I had just as much fun exploring with my two besties. There's so much you can see inside that it's difficult to begin explaining, but I guess I'll start with the food...
Maybe I'm just addicted to anything that's sweet, but the first thing I saw was Bigtom's ice-cream parlor...but in particular, I noticed how rich and creamy their Green Tea ice cream was!! So my friends and I each brought one (I got double scoop Green Tea) and it was as delicious as it looked- if tastier. So I highly recommend for anyone heading up to the tower to grab one of these super tasty ice-creams. It's kind of cool when you think about it- eating yummo ice cream while being at the very top of the tallest tower in Taiwan. Yeah, I know right?
After eating, we ventured to the many displays in the observatory. There were red coral displays...and many more (which I can't remember). In particular there was one display that stood out from the rest was this golden ball. Don't be mistaken, it's not just any random golden ball hanging at the top of the tower. It weighs heaps (and by heaps I mean tonnes!) and it is literally the heart of the tower. This golden ball is actually a giant weight that keeps the tower in balance during an earthquake- if one was to occur. So you won't have to worry about the tower annihilating half the town as it will still be standing! Pretty amazing stuff huh? The further you walk into the building, the more gift shops you'll see so make sure you have a good look around before you leave. There's so many special gifts that are only available there! My friends and I each brought a Taiwanese Aboriginal key chain- I'll also post a picture of that later.
Overall I had a ball in Taiwan. Although the only negative thing I have to say about Taiwan is the traffic there is full on rage! Even when you try to cross the roads, drivers tend to ignore you- even if that little green man tells you to go. So don't rely on the traffic crossings to get you across the road, you'll need to be really focusing and making sure you cross when the time is right (I tell this from experience- since I nearly got hit by a taxi while crossing from a traffic crossing). Other than that, Taiwan is definitely worth a visit and it's on my list of "places to visit again".
I also went to Hong Kong and Macau! You can check out some of the photos here:
http://www.wretch.cc/album/album.php?id=idreamhikari&book=2
P.S I'm still new to wretch, I figured it would be a good place to upload my photos...
My trip to Taiwan was cut short since it was just a stop over for only three days. However, I was fortunate enough to spend most of my time in Taiwan with my two best friends Yukari and Yukiko! First thing's first though, let's get a glimpse at the hotel I stayed in!
HOTEL: Howard Plaza Hotel
Of course, the moment I entered this hotel I was captivated by this beautiful scene (→). This beautiful place in fact, is one of the many restaurants on the first floor and I was lucky enough to have breakfast here on my last day in Taiwan. The food was just fantastic, and I loved the variety they served up for breakfast- not to mention the relaxing atmosphere of the hotel. Although there was no pianist on the day I ate here, I was able to see one play the first day I arrived. Although the hotel wins props for such a beautiful lobby, I was really disappointed with the actual room. The room was quite simple, if not old fashioned (with the Chinese style wardrobes etc)- it didn't really reflect the contemporary design of the hotel. I think the rooms could've embraced a little more of a modern design but with that said the rooms weren't awful, but they weren't fantastic either.
MUST TRY:
Before coming to Taiwan, my friend Yukari said that I must try a KFC egg tart when I arrive. I didn't really see what the big deal was until I actually tasted one myself and oh my good, they were oh so delicious!
I could see why Yukari loved the KFC in Taiwan more than the KFC in my home town- we don't even have egg tarts! So you could imagine my surprise to see KFC sell something that wasn't fried chicken. So for you peeps who want to venture to Taiwan, you have to get a bite of this super tasty egg tart. Be warned though, it's quite fattening- so try not to eat too much (although that's easier said than done)!
IF YOU HAVE TIME: Be sure to check out the night markets in Taiwan, where you will be able to find many local goods such as gifts and food. If you really want to experience Taiwanese culture, the night markets are the place to go.
TAIPEI 101
I suggest if your Tour Group doesn't stop at Taiwan's iconic building- you should just leave it and come see the wondrous building for yourself. Unfortunately not all tours will take you here (my mom had the misfortune of being stuck with her tour group inside a temple), but I think you'd be crazy to miss the chance to see Taiwan's tallest building. Although Yukari, Yukiko, Yukari's mom and I were only here for little less than three hours, it was more than enough time to venture to the very top and see a breathtaking view of Taiwan.
I can't really give much of an insight to the shopping experience I had here- since the only shopping I did was for tea. If you're looking for aromatic and delicious tea- Taipei 101 is your stop! Keep your eyes out for a little tea shop called "Geow Yong Tea Hong"- and their fantastic Oolong tea (I'll post a picture of this up later), it'll make a fantastic gift for yourself or for someone else.
The adventure to the very top of Taipei 101 is a quick one, as you will have the privilege to ride inside one of the world's fastest elevators. You don't really think you're going up so fast until your ears actually start popping- then you realize that you're high above the ground. You will need to purchase tickets before heading to the elevator- which can be done at the counter next to it...(if I recall) and the line wasn't too bad, however I heard people queuing for three hours during the peak of holidays- but it's definitely worth the wait.
INSIDE
Once you're at the top, you can chose between exploring the observatory yourself- or you can opt to have a pre-recorded tour that's given to you. I did have that pre-recorded tour for a while (which was like a telephone you listen into) but I couldn't stand listening to it- it was so boring! I suppose if you're into knowing the history of something, that pre-recorded tour is for you. But I had just as much fun exploring with my two besties. There's so much you can see inside that it's difficult to begin explaining, but I guess I'll start with the food...
Maybe I'm just addicted to anything that's sweet, but the first thing I saw was Bigtom's ice-cream parlor...but in particular, I noticed how rich and creamy their Green Tea ice cream was!! So my friends and I each brought one (I got double scoop Green Tea) and it was as delicious as it looked- if tastier. So I highly recommend for anyone heading up to the tower to grab one of these super tasty ice-creams. It's kind of cool when you think about it- eating yummo ice cream while being at the very top of the tallest tower in Taiwan. Yeah, I know right? 
After eating, we ventured to the many displays in the observatory. There were red coral displays...and many more (which I can't remember). In particular there was one display that stood out from the rest was this golden ball. Don't be mistaken, it's not just any random golden ball hanging at the top of the tower. It weighs heaps (and by heaps I mean tonnes!) and it is literally the heart of the tower. This golden ball is actually a giant weight that keeps the tower in balance during an earthquake- if one was to occur. So you won't have to worry about the tower annihilating half the town as it will still be standing! Pretty amazing stuff huh? The further you walk into the building, the more gift shops you'll see so make sure you have a good look around before you leave. There's so many special gifts that are only available there! My friends and I each brought a Taiwanese Aboriginal key chain- I'll also post a picture of that later. Overall I had a ball in Taiwan. Although the only negative thing I have to say about Taiwan is the traffic there is full on rage! Even when you try to cross the roads, drivers tend to ignore you- even if that little green man tells you to go. So don't rely on the traffic crossings to get you across the road, you'll need to be really focusing and making sure you cross when the time is right (I tell this from experience- since I nearly got hit by a taxi while crossing from a traffic crossing). Other than that, Taiwan is definitely worth a visit and it's on my list of "places to visit again".
I also went to Hong Kong and Macau! You can check out some of the photos here:
http://www.wretch.cc/album/album.php?id=idreamhikari&book=2
P.S I'm still new to wretch, I figured it would be a good place to upload my photos...