Taiwan | Taipei Day 2

There is a fulfillment in doing things that make you tired. Let’s take our day 1 of traveling around Taipei as a good example. Before we doze off and call it a night, I was on my phone the whole time and admiring all the pictures I took with my camera. Taipei gave me the infinite sense of wonder. I even forgot that I was super tired and have been asking for bed the entire day. LOL. Tossing and turning. That’s exactly how I would describe my excitement to start and kick off our second day with so much energy and positive vibes.

Our day 2 started with a Mcdonald’s breakfast. We were looking for a local restaurant that morning but almost everything were still closed. Life in Taipei doesn’t start until 10AM, I guess? And then we headed to Taipei Main Station which is the first stop of the Taipei Double Decker Bus Tour. This time, we are following the Blue route. We had several stops and our first destination was the National Palace Museum.

We have been roaming around the city via the double decker. We’ve enjoyed too much of the air-conditioning that we decided to just take photos from the bus, instead of taking stop overs. It was scorching hot that day. Like MANILA hot! But we also roamed around in some parts like what normal travelers would do. LOL

And of course, Taipei 101 wasn’t enough for us that we had to go to the Elephant Mountain to see the amazing view of the whole city of Taipei. You will basically see the same but from a different outlook and this time, the view includes the monumental Taipei 101. I did not hike all the way to the top when I saw a good spot where I can already take good photos and have a clear view of the surroundings. I could honestly spend an entire afternoon looking at the city.

This day is a bit toned down compare to what happened on our first day since we have seen most of the major tourist spots in Taipei. What’s just left on our list was the Raohe Night Market which I highly recommend especially if you are a foodie. This is the place where you will find the BEST street foods in Taipei all lined up and waiting to be devoured. All I can say is EXPECT the UNEXPECTED! Also, many thanks to the Singaporeans I met while in queue for the Hot Star Chicken. Life savers! They helped me talk to the vendor as to what spices I should get on my giant slab of fried chicken. Goodness gracious! Getting here, you need to ride the train and go to MRT Songshan station.

You can also roam around Songshan and you’ll find some ‘pasalubong’ or souvenir shops whether it be food or stuff from Taiwan. We also passed by at Ciyou Temple which is just right in front of the Raohe Night Market. You will notice this temple right away because it’s grand like it seamlessly catching the eyes of its beholders. Wait until you get inside! It has the WOW factor that most tourists are looking for. Sorry the photos do not give the justice it deserves. LOL

Day 2 (04/08/2017)
07:00 AM – 07:15 AM Wake up!
07:15 AM – 08:30 AM Get ready to leave
08:30 AM – 10:00 AM Go to Taipei Main Station and grab breakfast anywhere
10:00 AM – 02:00 PM Double decker bus tour (BLUE LINE)
02:00 PM – 03:00 PM Grab snacks and go to Taipei 101 (for Elephant Mountain)
03:00 PM – 05:00 PM Elephant Mountain hike and experience
05:00 PM – 06:00 PM Grab dinner somewhere (Maybe Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101)
06:00 PM – 06:30 PM Go to Raohe St. Night Market

• By Taipei MRT:
  Take Taipei MRT-Bannan Line (捷運板南線) to MRT Houshanpi Station (捷運後山埤站). Walk towards Yongji Road (永吉路) from exit no. 4 of MRT Houshanpi Station (捷運後山埤站) and make a turn at Songshan Road (松山路). Raohe St. Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市) is reachable after passing the overhead bridge of Songshan Railway Station (松山火車站) to Raohe St. Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市)
• By Bus:
  1. Take bus no. 28, 53, 63, 203, 204, 205, 256, 276, 306, 518, 531, 605, 622, 629, 668, 675, 711, Blue 7 (藍7) or Brown 1 (棕1) to Songshan Railway Station (松山火車站).
  2. Take bus no. 32, 232, 281, 284, 286, or 611 to the Songshan Railway Station front stop (松山前站), and pass the overhead bridge of the railway station to Raohe St. Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市).

06:30 PM – 08:00 PM Raohe Night Market & Ciyou Temple experience
08:00 PM – 09:00 PM Go back to AirBnB (via MRT/Bus)

Tips:

1. Save energy for the Elephant Mountain. If you can do the hike in the morning, better.
2. Always bring water because things can get a little bit tiring and it’ll make you thirsty.
3. Bring small towels to wipe your sweat off.