Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 4 - Taichung Day 1 (Lunch, Lavender Farm, 逢甲夜市)

So this is Part 2 of our Day 1 in Taichung. ^^

After setting down our luggage, we met up with A先生, who's super nice to make his way down from 台南 to spend the day with us! *SWEET!* I was told that he usually don't drive around as the car is with his GF, so we're extremely honored to be able to sit his car! *LOL!*

Anyway, it was lunch time so he brought us to a posh Japanese BBQ restaurant, Umai. It's inside some hotel, so the first impression is very classy. :)

We ordered a 3-pax meal, and that's the amount of meat served to us. HAHAHAHA!

Imagine how shocked we're when we see this! O.O""

We spent a good 3 hours there trying to finished all our food 

:) We managed to empty those plates but the stomach was filled to the brim (almost)!

After lunch, it's a long drive to the Lavender Farm! *YAY!* It's one of the reason why I wanna dropped by Taichung. We chatted all the way to keep each other awake while Mr. Lin is having his sound sleep behind. HAHAHA! 

The journey took about an hour plus to reach, and I was extremely glad that A先生 fetched us here. It's so deep in the mountains that I seriously wonder whether those information I got online really can bring us to the farm. O.o!!!

Be prepared that it'll be cold since it's deep in the mountains. About 20C + lots of wind!

Lots of purple signage along the way to lead us right to the doorstep. :)

First impression: It's a very serene place, very quiet and peaceful.

Admission fee is NT$200 / pax and it's fully redeemable at their souvenirs shop. ^^

It was quite cooling when we reached there, so a jacket is a must. Lot of DIY stuff inside, making the whole place feel like a cosy home.

Not a lot of lavender as to what I was hoping to see. But nevertheless, I do get to see these lavender at such good range! And I didn't know there's so many different kinds of lavender, cause they look the same to me! ^_^!

A wishing tree and a small carousel to pint our memories there

:) Our wish up on the trees! And the owner is extremely friendly to let us play the small carousel. 

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RIDE! ^_^

 

They have a cafe which serves coffee, cakes, ice-creams, etc and also a bigger kitchen that serves main course. We had the lavender ice-cream even though it's a cooling day. 

And did I mention that the sun set super early in Taiwan? It's only 5 plus in the evening but it looks as though it's already 8pm in Singapore. We didn't stay too long as we did not want to risk driving back in the dark. 

Back to Taichung City, our first night market is the famous 逢甲夜市 which is just outside the 逢甲 university. Thus, you can expect lots of students around that area. From clothes, shoes, bags, accessories; of course, fooooooodddd!!!!

We eat and shop at the same time, so our hands are always occupied! Didn't snap much picture of the food though cause when it's served to us, we immediately opened our mouth and take the first bite! ^^

The famous 大肠包小肠 and my favorite 臭豆腐!

大肠包小肠 is actually a glutinous rice roll wrap around the 小肠 with your choice of sauce and some cucumbers and mashed garlic. Supposed to be a 小吃 but it's super filling. :) 

Had the 臭豆腐 all by myself! HAHAHAHA! Mr Lin doesn't like the smell and taste so I had to finish the whole bean curd by myself. But it's too good to give it a miss. I think it only cost me NT$50 for 2 big pieces. I requested only 1 piece so I have some more space for other food. ^_^!!!

Anyway, we went back to the same market on the 2nd night too after our Sun Moon Lake trip! There's too many food to try out and we didn't want to give it a miss! :):):) 

Day trip at Sun Moon Lake on the way! ^_^_^!

Taiwan Escapade 2012: Part 4 - Taichung Day 1 (W Apartments)

:) For this post, content will be slightly different as compared to the previous posts. Mainly will touch on the accommodation I had in Taichung - W Apartments.

Anyway, found this service apartment through a local blogger too, and I was told by the Taiwan owner that this local blogger has recommended a lot of Singaporeans there. HAHAHAHA! So I promise I'll help to advertise a bit for her when I'm back in Singapore! ^^

So we checked out slightly earlier from Kindness Hotel so that we can start the day earlier in Taichung. Took the HSR which cost about NT$790/pax. Traveling time about 50 minutes. Super fast! :) 

Reached Taichung, weather is slightly cooler! :):):)

Something to take note of is that in Taichung, there isn't any MRT. So the most convenient to travel around is by taxi. Well, honestly it will be slightly more expensive than the MRT, but I can assure you that the fares are much cheaper compared to Singapore.

Cabbed down to our "hotel" to settle our luggage and stuff. On our way there, we were told by the cab driver that the apartment area is quite high class and it's a safe district, so we were quite 安心. About 15 minutes drive from the station to the apartment, cost us about NT$200 (if I didn't remember wrongly).

First impression of the apartment: it's similar to our condo in Singapore. HAHAHA!

The owner has quite a number of apartment units in this block, and each apartment is specially decorated with a special theme. For the different themes, you can refer to their website here. 

I took the 浪漫房型 (Sweet Romance theme). The design of these apartments are all-in-one, meaning that the living room, toilet, bathroom, kitchen is all in this 1 room. There's only 4 walls, so you can see everything just by turning 360° around.

Kitchen with very simple appliances (not that you'll be cooking there with so many night markets around), a big fridge, and next to the fridge is the door to the balcony. :) The apartment comes with the washing machine so you can do your laundry and hang the clothes at the balcony to dry them. ^_^ Lucky I prepared the detergent before flying off.

Our bed and the see-through toilet. :) Right in front of the bed is the tv, so we can turn to face the tv or the sofa. It's the see-through toilet that makes us very shy. LOL! I mean I don't usually have people able to see me doing my business. So whenever I need to use the toilet, I insist Mr. to go somewhere further. WAHAHAHAHA!

The see-through bathroom! O.O!!! HAHAHA! You actually have to climb over the small height to get into the bathroom. It's a bathtub cum shower room and there's only 1 wall (with the shower head on). The other 2 sides are see-through glass, and the last side is for you to look outside. Through we're facing the main road and no other tall building opposite us, we still feel uncomfortable to open the curtains.

:) I wouldn't say it's a very big apartment, but for the 2 of us, it's pleasantly spacious enough for our luggage and still have spare space for us to put our loots :) The furniture are clean and well maintain, which makes the whole experience even better. I'm sure you guys wouldn't like to go into a hotel room with old and dirty furniture too. 

Breakfast is also provided by them. It's just a 3 minute walk from the main lobby and cross the a small road. A small Chinese style restaurant that serves noodles and bread. Simple fare, but it's enough to keep you full till lunch time. ^_^!!!

Upcoming is the 2nd part of the day! Met up with Mr. A followed by a drive up the mountains and of course ending off with delicious night market food! ^^

COMING RIGHT UP!! *I promise!*

I see snow for the first time in my life! ^^

:) Started 2013 with an overseas trip to Korea! Yes, I specially wanted to go during the winter time so that I can see snow and of course to get my butt frozen! ^_^!!!!

I was on tour package this time round instead of F&E. The top reason being language barrier. I practically only know a few Korean words (which I learnt from the drama) and I'm definitely sure won't get me anywhere.

Signed the package at the NATAS Fair in August and cost about $2k+ / pax with air ticket, accommodation, food inclusive. Initially we think that it's quite expensive, but after the whole tour, we realized that it's quite worth it! :):):)

It's a 8D6N trip, quite packed and tiring, but seeing those snow on the ground and wearing thick layers of clothes make me super excited! I'm a winter girl, not a summer lover at all! ^^

Itinerary as followed:  

5th & 6th Jan: Jeju Island - Pacific Land, Shangri La Yatching, Teddy Bear Museum, Seongsan Sunrise Peak, Tangerine Orchard, Trick Art Museum, Yongduam Rock

7th: Seoul - Lotte World, Yeoju Factory Outlet, Oak Valley Ski Resort

8th: Gangwon Province - Banana Boat Snow Ride, Cheese Making, Mount Seoraksan National Park with cable car ride, Gwongeumseong Fortress, Shinhungsa Temple, Aqua World (Spa)

9th: Seoul - Seaweed Gallery, Ginseng Showroom, Cheong Wa Dae, Dongdaemun Markets & Shopping

10th: Seoul - House of Cosmetic, Amethyst Gem Factory, Natural Health Showroom, DFS, JUMP Show, Myeongdong Shopping Street, Namsan N Seoul Tower

11th: Seoul - Gyeongbokgung Palace, Provision Shop (Korean food), Home sweet Home :)

Some favorite shots from the whole trip, more can be found on my Facebook page! :):):) 

At the Pacific Land, waiting to check out the animal performances.
On the tour bus trying to get away from the strong wind outside! ^^

At the Seongsan Submit Peak! :) That's me with the 石头爷爷!

It's super cold but we braved it and climb all the way up for a magnificent view of the volcano! :):):) 

石头爷爷 is considered as one of their 神像 in Jeju Island. You will see this pair (usually) even outside their shops, which I think it means prospering business.

 

:) At the Yongduam Rock, meaning the rock looks like a dragon head. 

HAHAHAHA! I guess it's the constant wind erosion that cause the rock to shape like that. 

Spent 2 days in Jeju. Indeed it's a beautiful place, well-conserved! Definitely coming back here again. This time round I'm planning to go up the Hallasan, the tallest in South Korea! 

Took the flight back to Seoul, and the first stop is to Lotte World! It's a theme park, with indoor and outdoor rides. You must be wondering who will want to play the outdoor rides in this butt freeze weather! HAHAHA! But you're so wrong, lots of kids will brave this kind of weather to go get their heart popping in those rides! ^^ I'm no exception!

Our first ride of the day: 海盗船! It's not as scary as I thought, and can you imagine throughout the whole ride my legs are trying to hold on to my bag. 

PS: They allow us to bring our bags on the rides which is weird since in USS, no bags are allowed for most of the rides.

I never miss the chance to play the carousel! :):):) 

PS: Do you know this carousel is where 天国的阶梯 is filmed at? :)

Spent almost half the day in Lotte World and after that we rushed on to the highlights of the whole trip!!! :):):)

S.K.I..I.N.G!!!

It's about an hour plus trip up the northern side (which is colder!). We got our rented ski clothes, gloves and ski masks are a must (at own cost) and goggles (rental, about SGD10)! :) The shop owner is friendly and has 2 lovely dogs! 

Our stay for the night is at  Oak Valley Ski Resort. 

First impression: A high class chalet, with the basic necessites! 

That's until you see what's the room like! HAHAHA! It's a house with 2 bedrooms (1 with a normal king sized bed, the other is tatami style), a kitchen, living and a balcony! ^^ DAMN SHIOK! Heard from our guide, January is the peak season for the Koreans as the kids are having their winter holidays. Thus, most of the rooms are booked and we're fortunate to be allocated to this super big house! 

Make a guess how much this house cost per night??? ^_^_^

........

SGD500++ O.O!!!! *OMG!* More photos on the resort can be found on my Facebook Page! :):):)

1 night stay and the next day is our first try at skiing! :) Initially I thought how hard can it be? I mean you have 2 poles to help guide you right? HAHAHA! Trust me, as a first timer, you'll be surprised how hard it is to move, stop, change direction and go back up the slope. HAHAHA! Even though it's damn cold, I'm actually sweating underneath. -_-""

But it's super fun (though tiring), and Mr. is so interested in going up those intermediate slopes that he actually ask to come back to Korea for skiing! OMG x100 times! HAHAHAHA! 

P.S: It's the first time he initiate going overseas! 

Enough said about skiing, our next destination is Mount Seorak National Park! :) It's even further up north, and according to our guide, we're about 2km away from North Korea! *WOW!* Unfortunately, you won't be able to see any part of N.K even at the summit. 

:) After a 5 minutes cable car ride, we're at the top!

It's a very windy day that we have to force a bit to walk in the wind. HAHAHA! And after this trip, I honestly can say that wind can blow you away! -_____-" 

See the amount of snow! *LOVE IT!*

Next day, we are back to Seoul and it's time to shop and spend money! For the past few days, we didn't get to shop much as it's purely scenery and skiing trip. 

Now that we're back in Seoul, we were brought to some of their famous shops like the Korean Ginseng, Seaweed Museum and House of Cosmetics. 

Also, the popular shopping district like Dongdaemun Markets & Shopping & Myeongdong Shopping Street. 

We even make our own way to the N Seoul Tower (which is very near to Myeongdong Shopping Street)! Told the guide that we'll make our way back to the hotel! ^^ Beautiful scenery up there! *ROMANTIC!*

Last day before we fly back, we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace. It's a place full of history and I'm definitely going back there to take more photos! :):):)

Some of the shots inside the Gyeongbokgung Palace! :) 

Seoul is full of different palaces, and if you're visiting, do plan a day just to visit these old structures. You'll be surprised that these old palaces are well kept to pass down the long generations of history.

This is supposed to be a very short post, but in the end too much words to tell you guys how much fun we had! The 2K is totally worth it! *Trust me!* ^_^_^_^

And now that I'm back in Singapore...

I really wish that the weather would be a bit (or should I say a lot) cooler than now? -___-"

Girls' night out with a splendid view of Singapore

:( Took half day just to queue for the Lim Chee Guan Bak Gua but to no avail! In the end decided not to q again the next day, so we went to get the 金福源肉干 instead. Taste about the same, much better than some other brands! :)

Anyway, met up with the dearies' for a mani & pedicure at Far East Plaza to get ready for Chinese New Year! ^^ Right after that, we decided to try our luck at Level 33 at Marina Financial Center for dinner and drinks! :)

 :) My first time at Level 33, and also my first time to have dinner at such an altitude!

First impression of the restaurant: Fine dining with formal dress code. :) HAHAHAHA! I'm serious! It's like everyone dressed up nicely, and I'm like wearing a dress with open toe flats. =.=|| Luckily, we were not rejected by the staff. 

As we didn't managed to reserve a table, we were brought to the bar table and on the waiting list for those normal tables. We ordered some small sides first while waiting for QL to come. 

Bread dips with various sauces, Fat Chips w ketchup & my non-alcoholic drink: Sour Fizz

 Main Course + Seafood Patter

:) We ordered more food when QL arrived,  a main course that taste exactly like Char Siew! HAHAHA! :) But it's delicious! A seafood patter which I couldn't recognize most of the food on it and a big bowl of salad! ^^ Very big portion, so we shared among ourselves! :)

 Chit-chatted the whole night, and boy, am I glad to have these girls in my life. ^_^!!! 

Oh and did I fail to mention that the night view up there is fabulous? :)

 It's was super windy that night too! :)

Shall arrange any dinner with these girls there someday, since they opened till 2am in the morning! :)