Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

I visit this city to do the inspection on one of our supplier’s factory. I use the HSR (High Speed Rail) from Taipei to Kaohsiung. The ticket price is NTD $1630 / person. Let’s skip the inspection, after my work is done, there are some free time that I can use to travel around Kaohsiung City before I go back to Taipei. My choice is to go to the infamous Twins Pagoda in this city. 

This is the temple or shrine in front of the twins pagoda. I really like the temple or shrine building in china, they have a nice and unique structure. 

The Infamous Twins Pagoda.

You can come inside pagoda through the mouth of statue. He..he…he…What a big mouth. This place didn’t take a fee for the entrance, but if you give the donation to the keeper inside you will be given a postcard. 

Inside the mouth, there are some stairs and wall painting in each side of the wall. I think it’s look like a chinese history, but I don’t understand the language so I didn’t bother with it. 

In this place it’s not only have twins pagoda, but there are four or five unique statue or building in the middle of the lake. Ancient chinese people really like to build something in the middle of the lake or pond. Is this to create a romantic atmosphere ?

This place makes me want to take picture in every corner. 

Ah, here is another building beside the twins pagoda though I don’t know the name. 

The mouth is used for the entrance door too.

After go through the entrance, you will find the pagodas and the pathway that lead to the gazebo in the middle of the lake. 

Here the view from the gazebo. This place is really good to lazy around. The wind makes me want to sleep here. 

Actually, there more buildings in this place but because of the limited time I have, I can’t visit them all.  And today my last day in Taiwan, bye bye Taiwan~ I'll visit again in the future to explore more place in this country. 

Modern Toilet Restaurant, Taipei

This place is one of the infamous restaurant that you must visit when you come to Taipei. Its located in Ximending, you can go there by using MRT and alight at Ximending Station Exit 6. It’s lucky that my hotel near this restaurant. As the name suggest, this restaurant is toilet themed restaurant. At first I thought how it’s disgusted when I have to eat in toilet, but after come to this place, all my thought was vanished.

The restaurant is on the second floor.

Here is the menu. The menu looks like a “p**p”.

After choose my menu, I looked around the restaurant and took some picture. The interior it’s really good. Here is the receptionist and cashier table. 

And here is the tableware. It’s look good right ?

After waiting for a while, my menu is coming. I choose seafood hotpot and vanilla shake here. 

At first I don’t know that the menu set here already including the dessert, that’s way I choose another menu for dessert. Here is the dessert that was included in the menu set.

Here is the another dessert that I choose before. It’s really big ! Actually I am already full, but all the menus here can’t be take away. T_T

I took some picture inside. 

Event the marshmallow on the dessert looks like a p**p. 

On this restaurant, we meet some tourist that come from Malaysia. We took a picture together. 

I really want to come again to this restaurant. The food is really good and yummy~

Visit Taipei, Exhibition and Travel --> Second Half

Back in the day on 13th April 2014. I plan to visit the list of places that I have been creating before coming to Taipei. Since today is sunday, the day I can move freely not tied by work. Here we go the list of places that I visited today.

1. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall

You can use MRT and alight at Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station, an go to Exit 5. There are four unique building in this Memorial Hall, here is the big entrance. 

Ah, for women I think you shouldn’t use heels if you plan to explore the city. The ancient building have a really wide place, and you have to walk, especially for Indonesian people who rarely walk far. And I think you should bring water or food, cause there are no food stall here. Don’t forget to bring you umbrella or hat, cause it’s really hot here.

Ok, let’s go to the next building. There are twins building in the middle of this memorial hall. As you can see in below picture. 

It’s really far from the entrance. You can see the twins building. 

Next is the main building of this memorial hall. Here we go ~

Inside this building you can see the Chiang Kai Shek statue. 

There are some attraction too from the soldier inside this building, but unfortunately I didn’t record it.  :(

After I walking around in this memorial hall for a while, time to go to the next place. 

2. 2/28 Peace Park

This place only one station away from Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station. You can alight at NTU Hospital station and go to Exit 1. This park is built to commemorate the incident on 28 February 1947 that killed civilians around 10.000 - 30.000 peoples. (may they rest in peace)

This is the entrance of 2/28 peace park.

As you can see, here is the monument of this 2/28 Peace Park.

This park has a beautiful garden, you can brings some food with you and have a nice rest here. When I go to this place, I seen some people have a practice for chinese drama in this place, cause they have a beauty chinese building here. I really like the ancient chinese building. ^_^

3. Martyr’s Shrine

This is the third place that I visit today. I made the list of the place based on the mrt line here so I can have an easy travel. When you go to the Martyr’s Shrine you can board MRT train and alight at Yuanshan Station. Use exit 1, cross road to soccer stadium side and walk to Zhongshan N Rd Sec 3 to board bus Red 2, 21, 208, 247 and 287 (northbound traffic). Bus fare: NT$15 

Here is the main entrance of Martyr Shrine. The gate is rather similar with Chiang Kai Shek gate, but they have a different structure. I always adore the historical places and buildings that’s way when I go somewhere I will always visit they historical sites. 

This is the main building of this shrine. They have a lot people today, maybe because this is sunday. 

In this shrine, the soldier have some attraction too. Lucky I took a picture of it. 

Go….go….go….

After I finish watch the attraction, I continue my exploration here. Each side of this shrine have a twins building, you can’t visit this building because they only allowed the staff inside. (sorry for a bad picture)

Each side of this shrine have a twins pagoda too. 

 

At first when you look on the main building of this shrine, the looks small outside, but it’s really bigger inside. Inside the shrine they have 3 separate part, one in the middle and two for each sides. The middle one is bigger than the other two.

Inside the main part of this shrine, I don’t who rest here because I didn’t understand the chinese language.

Here is one of the two separate building. This is the left one. 

Inside these building rest a hundred or more soldier that have a title in the past. Maybe if in Indonesia, this is like the tomb of heroes in Kalibata. 

In chinese building, they always have an aisle that connects to back yard or garden. Each side have an aisle that surround the main part of the shrine.

Back Garden.

The ceiling looks beautiful. 

After I am satisfied to look around and take a picture everywhere in this shrine, I decided to go to the last place. 

4. National Palace Museum

The Martyr’s Shrine and National Palace Museum are quite near to each other and should be visited consecutively to avoid unnecessary travelling. Bus 213 serves the direct link between Martyr’s Shrine and National Palace Museum. Bus frequency varies from 20 to 60 mins. But because I am really tired today, I use taxi to go to this place. 

There are many stairs here, even though not so many if you compare with the King’s Tomb Imogiri. But because I have a lot walking today, this stairs is really a challenge to me. My sister already give up to explore this place, but I really curious to explore this museum.

There are so many people that comes to this place, because this place is one of the main attraction that was scheduled by travel agent in Taipei. 

Oh no !!! More stairs ?!   T_T

Finally, here is the view from the highest place in this museum. As you can see, it’s really far from the main gate.

This closed window reminds me of the story romeo and juliet. 

Cause it’s already late, I decided to go back to hotel. Let’s meet again next time.

Visit Taipei, Exhibition and Travel --> First Half

It's took three months to prepare all the stuff for my trip to taiwan, this is my first time to visit exhibition in another country. I was a representative from our company to look for a perspective supplier. Of course, beside work, I'll look some times to explore around the taipei city. My plane depart on 9 April 2014, I use MAS - Malaysia Airlines, to go to taiwan.  This is my first time using this airlines, actually I am very afraid, because a few weeks before my flight there was a news regarding the lost plane MAS MH370. 

Thankfully, all my negative thought flews away after I board the plane.  The flight attendance was nice, and the service is good. 

My plane was departed on 19.35, got my boarding pass.

Oh ya, this is the food that was served in my trip from Jakarta to Kualalumpur. 

Because I need to transit before continue on my trip to Taipei.

Got my chicken curry with fried potatoes. 

After waiting around two hours at KLIA, It's time to board my plane to taipei. Hoaaam....I was sleepy cause it's already 01.25 AM. I was in a deep sleep when the flight attendance wake me up for my meal to be served. OMG, I think I prefer sleep rather that meal right now, in the end, I woke up. 

Here is my meals. 

Day 1.

I arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 6 AM, our driver from exhibition's pick up service already waited to get us. 

Arrived at our hotel. 

After reached hotel,  I plan to rest before visit the exhibition today, but all my plan was shattered because I can't check in before 3 PM. I was tired but I didn't know what to do, still 8 hours away,,,,, -_-'

In the end I decided to visit the exhibition. The exhibition was held in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. In front of the exhibition center, here is the unique hand statue.

My face looks bad, I haven't even took bath and eat anything  -_-'

After walking around at exhibition, at noon I decided to come back to hotel.

In the evening, I walking around hotel. It's lucky that my hotel in ximending area, so there are many shops and restaurants.

Ximen 

The Red House at Ximending. If you want to go there, took mrt and get off at ximending station exit 1.

 Inside the red house

Ximen area looks like the shibuya or harajuku in japan. There is many youngster that dress up in this area. So if you come to this place, dress up a bit ok ?!! ^_^

Because I wear hijab, everyone in this country always look at me, ha...ha...ha...(I become a celeb)

Grilled squid. I really like the taste. It's good ! There is so many little food that I can eat in this country. Hiks...hiks...hiks.... (because there are many food here that used pork as their ingredient)

Ahh, I think you should try the ice shaved in this store. It's really yummy~~

Here is the shaved ice that I ordered. Looks yummy right ?!

Day 2

Today I visit the exhibition again, it's the Taipei Ampa Exhibition.

I wish I can get my hand on these awesome cars. ^_^

Of course I didn't forget to took a picture. He...he...he...

Today I went to Taipei 101, wooow, the building looks great.

There is a mall inside the building, you can do the shopping or find many restaurant here.
At least since I arrived on Taiwan, I found some decent food that I can eat in Taipei 101 food court.

I don't know the name of this food,  but I ate squid...and squid again.

Public transportation in Taiwan is good, it's neat and clean. You don't have to worry even though you can't understand chinese language, because tthe announcement using 4 languages including English. Here the picture that I took inside the MRT.

At night, I decided to go to Raohe Night Market. You can get off at Housanpi MRT station. 

Here is on the way to night market. 

After I arrived on site, wooooowww......beside the night market, there is beautiful temple, but I don't know the name of the temple. Look gorgeous right ? 

The night market on the left side.

Raohe St. Night Market.

Basically, in this night market was focus on food. There are some accessories, but not really good. If you want to buy some souvenir, I recommended you to go to Tamsui Old Street or Taipei Main Station.

Here is the squid again.... This food is really good. You should try the berbeque sauce or blackpaper sauce. I can't forget the taste. It's really good. 

They preparing my order.

Ah, when you come to night market, of course you can't forget the main food that you must it.

That is.....Choudofu (Smelly Tofu). The taste is good, but the smell was bad.

Day 3

Today, I was planning to go to tamsui. They said tamsui has an amazing views. You can use MRT, took the red line, and get off at tamsui station. Here is the views behind tamsui mrt station. This place is really good for walking around, cycling, and hangout. The views on sunset will be amazing. ^_^

There are few attractions in tamsui district that you mustn't miss to visit, such as fisherman wharf. But if you go there at noon, I think you should bring umbrella because it's really hot there. After you get off in tamsui station, just go to the bus stop and go to fisherman wharf. 

Fisherman Wharf

It's really hot here...

Lover's Bridge. There is the common belief of local people, they said if you crossed the bridge with your loved one, they will breakup afterward. Wanna test your love here ?

After test your luck at the lover bridge, you can always have fun activity such us feeding bird. 

I think you should go back to tamsui station before sunset, the views behind the tamsui station were so beautiful, I think you shouldn't miss it. I return to tamsui station at 3 pm, he...he...he...got so much time before watching the sunset. I go to tamsui old market, if you want to buy souvenir in taipei, here is the best place for hunting. The price is more cheaper and the product has many variation.

Of course there are so many foods here, one of the is the fruits sweet. You should try it. 

The Fried Squids.

Many people gather here to watch the sunset, you can do the jogging, rent a bicycle, or walking a dog here. 

Ah there is a living statue too here, he has a great pantomime.

wow, there are many fun things to do in tamsui, one of them is below game. If you has a bad day, I think you should try this game, it's really good to release your anger on some balloon. 

The girl try to break some balloon.

Time flew so fast, the sun had set.

It's time to go back to hotel, today was a wonderful trip. Let's continue our journey in the second half. Cai Jien...