Day 1 - 12 August 2014
We reach Taoyuan airport around 1plus in the noon. My plan for the first 2days and 2nights will be at Taichung (台中). There are 4 kinds of public transport to reach there, you can choose Coach Bus, Taxi, Taiwan Railways Administration (台湾铁路管理局) or either Taiwan high speed rail (台灣高鐵). According to research online, if you travel by coach bus cost about NT240 per person estimate about 3hour to reach Taichung. By taxi, I have no idea because there are only the 2 of us and is not worth it. By Taiwan Railways cost about NT308 per person and estimate about 1hr 45min to reach Taichung. By Taiwan high speed rail cost NT570 per person and estimate about 30min to reach Taichung. After final consideration, we choose Taiwan high speed rail because we wanted to save the time and spend at Taichung.
In order to take the Taiwan high speed rail, you have to take a bus (NT30/ticket) for a short ride to the THSR station. Look for this signboard when you reach Taoyuan airport. Is easy, there are signboard everywhere or you can ask the customer service counter. Taiwanese people are really friendly and helpful. Travel down by escalator to bus interchange, there are one row of ticketing counter. Just ask any one of the counter will do and they will assist you.
We took the Ubus, each bus ticket cost NT30 to THSR station.
Upon arrived at the THSR station. We bought the ticket from the machine or you can purchase at the counter. Each ticket cost NT570.
Look for the train direction towards Zuoying. Two station away from Taoyuan to Taichung.
Here come the train, there are no barrier but if anybody stand over the yellow line, the security officer will blow the whistle. I can feel a strong wind when the train approaching. =p
Everybody is waiting to aboard, standing in a manner queue. I really like the Taiwanese culture in a way that all the aboard passenger will stand on the right side and left side pathway is for the alighting passenger. We should learn that too in Singapore, perhaps.
We was famished by the time we reach Taichung Station and is already around 4pm. We bought the 排骨菜飯便當 to filled our protesting stomach before we continue our journey. I saw a few of this 台鐵便當 shop around the Railways station. Visit this website to know more - http://www.railway.gov.tw/tw/shop.aspx?n=6835
The hotel we booked, CityInn Hotel Plus Taichung Station Branch. Initially I thought we have already reached the Taichung (台中) Station but I not very sure which direction to the hotel so I went to ask the Customer Service Staff and she told me that we still have to take a Taiwan Railways Administration Trains (台湾铁路管理局) to Taichung (台中) station. So we follow the sign board and look for the TRA, after we bought the tickets (NT15) than I realised that we are at the Xinwuri station (新烏日車站). HSR Taichung Station is connected with Xinwuri station.
Here we are, waiting for the trains. 3 stations from Xinwuri to reach Taichung.
We checked in the hotel after we arrived at Taichung. I love the hotel location because is relatively near the train station.
I planned to go 一中街 (Yi Zhong Night Market) for the first night at Taichung. We checked with the hotel lobby staff, which bus to go and which direction to the bus stop as well. I remember we have to walk back to the train station towards the back alley and there is an underground pathway to the opposite side.
When we reach there, we ask the shop staff if they know the bus to yi zhong market. Very nice of them, one of the staff told me which bus stop. Or you can look out for this pancake stall (车轮饼), the bus stop is located near this stall. I can't remember which bus number anyway their Easycard (same like Ez-link card) can be use at Taichung public buses.
I love pancake especially red bean filling. See how generous the filling granny gave, the filling is already burst out from the pancake before we ate. We try out 3 different flavours - red bean, yam and custard. Overall I prefer the red bean flavour, for the yam has a kind of rubbery taste and custard taste very bland.
Here we arrived but unfortunate it began to rain when we just started to walk for about 5 to 10 minute only.
The rain getting heavier and all the crowd are gone. Many of the people went to cafe and restaurant for dinner to avoid the rain. Pity to those street hawker.
We chance upon this stall when we wanted to start the food search from the first end to the another end. I saw many people crowded around this stall so I assume that the food must be delicious. Is a 滷味 stall, (similar like yong tau foo) we waited for about 45 min to get the food. We bought some other snack food and took taxi back to the hotel to dine. As the rain keep pouring down and we have no place to enjoy at all. Anyway is worth to waited for that 45 min, the 滷味 soup is so rich and tasty.
Day 2 - 13 August 2014
Morning plan to go 日月潭 (Sun Moon Lake) and we woke up early took the TRA train to Xinwuri station (新烏日車站). From Xinwuri station walk to HSR Taichung station, when reach there take the escalator down to the basement and look for the Nantou Bus (南投客運) ticket counter. The ticket for both trip to 日月潭 and back to HSR Taichung station cost NT170 the journey took about 1hr 30min.
The bus will alight the passenger at the Shueishe Visitor Center building and on the right side have a police station building. When reach there, can choose either boat ride or bus ride to 日月潭. We bought the unlimited ride bus ticket (NT80).
We took the bus up to the last station and after alighted, it seem like there are nothing to shop or view and we are so "lucky" that the rain started to fall. We saw one of the bus going down the hill and quickly we board the bus. We decided to visit one of the temple, Wenwu Temple (文武廟).
To me there are nothing much to do and see at 日月潭 or perhaps we do not know how to explore around the area. So we decided to go back hotel and have a rest, from Shueishe Visitor Center we took the nantou bus back to HSR Taichung station.
We saw this honeydew ice cream poster at the 7-Eelven store and I wanted to try. It only limited to 600 cone per day. So we went in and purchase one. There are 3 flavour up to choose.
Here my honeydew ice cream, the taste is so refreshing and sweet and the ice cream cone is crispy.
I'm a waffles fan and I was so lucky that I saw one push cart store selling Waffles near our hotel area. Is a must to buy and try for me. There are a lot of flavours to choose, from sweet to savoury.
Here is my waffles, I choose the Matcha with red bean flavour (抹茶红豆鬆餅）。 The waffles is fluffy and crisp, yummy!
We went to Feng Jia Night Market (逢甲夜市) in the evening, taking the public transport bus and the journey took about one hour to reach there.
After we alight the bus, the first thing we wanted to do is to explore
the food street and we saw a long queue. We went to check it out,
is a store selling 大腸包小腸. Without hesitation we follow the queue and bought
one to share.
PS, didn't take a good picture of the food because it simply piping hot and difficult to hold on with the hand palm. =p Anyway this is a glutinous rice wrap with the pork sausage, garlic, parsley, crush peanut, vegetable and the sweet sauce. This taste really good, the sausage is juicy and glutinous rice is so fragrant and chewy.
Is a weekday and yet is still so crowded. Wish if Singapore have this kind of street night market. *.*
Anyway we continue out food hunt, bf said he wanted to try the stinking tofu (臭豆腐) and I saw this store selling so I bought one.
When you stand near the store, you can sense the smelly smell from the store. Actually is not that bad after I try one piece, it smell sink but the taste not smelly at all. The tofu outer layer is crispy and inside is soft.
Finally I found something that is light and healthier choice, 腸粉 or we call it as Chee Cheong Fun. I order the prawn filling. The texture and taste is quite similar where we get in Singapore. Soft and chewy CCF, nice.
My bf flavour, pork knuckle (猪脚） and he order one small portions to try. I took a few pieces and try too, the meat is tender and it serve with some 酸菜 as the side dish.
Grilled corn (烤玉米), must try. They apply a layer of sweet sauce on the corn and grill. I like the sweet taste.
To end the day with a dessert, we bought the U-shape vanilla ice cream cone.
Day 3 - 14 August 2014
I want to try the locate breakfast instead of having the hotel buffet breakfast so I went to research, where to find delicious breakfast in Taichung and I saw some people recommend this store 老王菜頭粿、糯米腸 and 丁山肉丸。
This store is located at 400,
Taiwan, Section 2, Sanmin Rd, 87號 (就位在三民路入口处, 第二市場的中門門口)。
We took a cab to there, as I don't know which bus to reach. Anyway is a short distance from Cityinn hotel.
We order a bowl of pig blood soup and carrot cake with pan fried eggs. I love both dish, especially the pig blood. Both of us agree that Taiwan chilli sauce is not spicy at all, so don't worry for those that can't eat spicy food. The seat there are limited but luckily is not so crowded when we visited that day.
Next stop, we walk over to the 丁山肉丸 shop, unfortunately the store are closed that day. I wanted to visit 宮原眼科 (Miyahara) but the operating time start at 10am to 10pm. It still pretty early, so we walked around the area but many store not open yet.
We saw one 7-eleven shop that has table and chair for consumer to enjoy food and beverage, so glad to saw that. We bought a cup of drink and chill.
宮原眼科 (Miyahara) building, the shop locate at 台中市中區中山路20號。People might mistake Miyahara is a optical shop but actually is an F&B and souvenir shop. There are people recommend to visit this shop if you are at Taichung because of the shop interior decoration.
Upon arrived, we saw a long queue when the shop isn't open yet. So I walked up and take a look what is it selling, ohh is an ice cream shop. As usual we follow the queue while waiting for the shop to open.
While queuing up, the staff pass us a order slip and choose the flavour. There are so so many flavours to choose.
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| Ice Cream Flavours |
We order 2 scoops of ice cream with waffles bowl cone and it come with 3 free toppings up to your choice. We choose the black sesame with almond and rum & raisin ice cream. For the topping, almond biscuit, cheese cake and the black colour hard biscuit (I can't remember what is the name of that topping). Overall I would said is worth to queue up for the ice cream and topping.
After finished up the ice cream, we walked into the souvenir shop. I notice that the staffs all (almost) look so pretty and slim.
The souvenir packing are very special and extraordinary but I didn't buy any because I will be heading to Taipei for 5 days and the 饼 (Biscuit) cannot preserve for too long.
We need to check out the hotel before 12pm, so we head back to get our luggage. We took the coach bus from Taichung to Taipei.
