Taiwan with Family 2012: Day 8

We finally made it to 鼎泰豐 on this last day of our Taiwan trip! We went to the one at the basement of 復興站Sogo as it was the more accessible outlet. Like many other anticipated foodies, we got there ahead of the opening time at 10am. As soon as the basement level was opened, people bolted towards the restaurant as if in a race!

We ordered two different types of 小籠包, 炸醬面, 紅油炒手, 煎餃 and some buns. The food was delicious and the service was equally good. The waitress actually offered to take a group photo for the three of us, obviously recognising us as tourists.

Brunch at 鼎泰豐！

We have a flight to take later in the day so we remained in central Taipei. We arrived at Ximending, the popular shopping and entertainment district which was packed with tourists and bargain hunters. Because of time contraints we did not have much time to explore the area but I really liked the shops inside the Red House and the outdoor market. All the goods were designed by local artists and mostly locally manufactured.

西門町

The display inside the Red House

創意市集

西門紅樓十六工房

 

After a short day, we took the 國光客運 to the airport for our flight back home. The airport is currently under construction so restaurants and shops were still lacking at the check-in counter area. Initially my flight was delayed due to heavy mist. Thankfully it was able to take off one hour after the original time of departure. I could not imagine being stuck in Taipei overnight all by myself!


IMO Eight days is indeed not enough time to experience a country as diverse and vast as Taiwan. I can definitely see myself here for a second time!

Taiwan with Family 2012: Day 7

Another popular excursion from HuaLien city is 東部海岸風景區. Covering a distance of 170 km, it stretches all the way from HuaLien to TaiTung. Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the mountains, the coastline is full of amazing scenery and unique geographical features.

Our first stop was Farglory Hotel located on top of the hill. Overlooking the HuaLien city on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, it is undoubtedly one of the grandest hotels in the province. A windy road took us up the hill to the entrace of the hotel. From there we could see the whole of HuaLien city and vaguely made out the places we had been in the past few days.

Entrance of the Farglory Hotel and the view of the HuaLien city.

Then we made our way through the lobby and out to the garden at the back. With nothing obstructing the view of the sea, this side of the hotel has an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean.

The hotel was built, supposingly, in the Victorian style, completed with sparkling white statues of angels and goddesses, huge vases and oil portraits. In my opionion the deco seemed slightly dated and tacky but the outdoor garden was a nice place to have a quiet walk and enjoy the view of the ocean.

Downhill of the hotel was a water theme park owned by the same company, the Farglory Ocean Park. According to 小萱 the admission fee was quite expensive and most visitors there were hotel patrons. The rides looked quite old from the outside and I was not surprised that it was not more popular.

Leaving the Ocean Park we followed the highway along the coast, with the mountain on our right and the Pacific Oceanon on the left. The scenery and the sea breeze made it a very pleasant journey.
Viewing platforms and shelters were scattered along the scenic area and they all had interesting names such as 牛山海岸, 蕃薯寮, 芭崎眺望台, 磯崎休憩區. 小萱 selected a few to stop by for us to enjoy the view.
芭崎眺望台, the highest point of the highway. The Pacific Ocean and the garden flowers

The grey-ish water of the Pacific Ocean on a cloudy day

石梯坪 was as far as we went due to time constraint. Thie rocky sea terrain is a popular tourist spot due to the unique geographical characteristics. We walked along the bay to watch the strong waves constantly hitting against the rocks, slowly giving them their irregular shapes. There were also a few shelters for people to set up camps. For those who were less adventurous, two 民宿 were located by the seaside. It was a bit rainy on the day but the scenery was still amazing.

A fossil of coral reef

A lonely bird in the rain

On our way back to HuaLien city, we stopped by another viewing spot 磯碕海濱休憩區. We took a short hike up 大鼻山, from where we could see the beach, a small town and a campsite.

We have booked an afternoon train back to Taipei so we headed back just after lunch time. On our request, 小萱 stopped by a place selling take-away bento and we finally got to try the bento of Taiwan! Seating was also provided at the shop and we bought 2 bento to share. They were packed very neatly in wooden cases and we were very satisfied by our healthy lunch.

After getting back to Taipei by train, we did not have much planned for the night so we wandered around the shops around Taipei station and 三越百貨. The Daiso store there was so spacious and had so many stocks tha were unavailable here in Singapore! Shopping in there was like a treasure hunt!

Another cute window display of 誠品站前店

The Oh-so-cool Gundam Base Taipei. I took so many photos there that my camera literally ran out of battery...

Taiwan with Family 2012: Day 6

We got up like early birds this morning to hunt for some breakfast. And our reward was a cozy cafe called 魔豆早餐吧, located right around the corner! Its menu was full of everything that would sound fulfilling on any morning: omelettes, thick toast, wholemeal wraps, toasted sandwiches and burgers filled with chicken, sausages, fish, beans or vegetables. Its latte was delicious too!

After filling our tummies, we walked back to the hotel and found 小萱 already waiting by her taxi. Without further ado, we began the southward journey towards the 花東縱谷國家風景區 along Province Highway No.9 from HuaLien to TaiTung.
The first stop was 佛教慈濟大學, built right next to 佛教慈濟綜合醫院. The campus was a harmonious combination of modern buildings, wooden houses, Japanese style gardens and a grand looking temple. Time only allowed us to explore a few buildings but we already had a taste of the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the university. Not a bad place to study in my opinion!

A bit more driving led us to 吉安鄉慶修院. The temple was built by the Japanese immigrants in 1917 and the only one in Taiwan with such complete restoration. The main temple and the 88 stone statues of deities were the major features showcasing the traditional architecture. Everything from 手水舍, 地藏菩薩, 晴天公仔 and the wishing tree looked just like what they were in the comics and I almost felt like being in Japan!

Entrance of 慶修院 and the main temple

手水舍 and a Japanese garden

The next place 小萱 brought us belonged to a local farmer with a passion of flowers. He grew lotus flowers in a small lake and ran a small shop selling fresh flowers at the same time. He no longer served dishes cooked with different parts of the lotus plants but still offerred lotus tea to any visitors free of charge. The sky and the mountains reflecting on the lake formed a postcard-worthing picture. It was a secluded yet inviting place. If it weren't for the moisquitoes we would have loved to stay a bit longer!

The pictureque environment of 蓮城蓮花園

Tea was made by infusing a fresh flower in hot water for about 15 minutes. It smelled divine and had a mild but refreshing taste. We also bought cookies made with peddles from lotus flowers and pumpkin seeds.

Leaving 吉安鄉, we were back on the highway to 壽豐鄉. With farms and mountains on both sides of the road, the view was beautiful. We reached 鯉魚潭, which is the largest inland lake in HuaLien county at the foot of 鯉魚山. On the other side of the lake was a seminary. It was not a Catholic institute so we did not dwell for long.
小萱 dropped us off at the walking trail, which was a partly shady path just beneath the mountain surrounding the lake. Among the trees and bushes were a lot of butterflies, birds and lizards. A few shelters with benches were scattered on hte track for visitors to enjoy the soothing lake view.
We must be hiking faster than we thought because 小萱 was unseen at the car park as she said. We gave her a ring and 5 minutes later we were on our way once again.

鯉魚山

鯉魚潭

For lunch, we stopped by 立川漁場 which was also in 壽豐鄉. This aquafarm consisted of a clam museum, a culture ecology museum, a fish pond and two restaurants. The museums contained display on the species, origin and the life cycle of the marine life and the technologies used in the farm. Children were free to go down to the pond and try to catch clams. There were even a table and seats in the pond for anyone who wanted to keep their legs in the water! 五餅二魚餐廳 was famous for their 黃金蜆 and 貴妃魚 and we ordered a few dishes recommended by our driver. We had a table by the window overlooking the fish pond and enjoyed a nice seafood feast.

Signature dishes of the restaurant: 炒黃金蜆、清蒸貴妃魚、蜆肉丸湯

The final stop of the day was 新光兆豐休閒農場. The farm was divided into zones specifically for birds, flowers, fruits, deer, dairy cattle and other animals. The ground was too big to visit on foot so transportation within the farm was available. Golf carts and bicycles could be rented with an additional cost and an electrical train took a circular route around the land.

The train and some farm animals

The dairy cattle zone was one of the largest and we got to see the cows in their different stages of life, from newborn to the lactating ones. We were allowed to walk through the outdoor shelters where the adult cows were kept and fed. The younger ones were kept in individual cages and I got to play with one of them. And I learnt that it had a hairy tongue!!
A shop next to the barn were selling snacks made with fresh milk collected from the dairy cattle there, such as egg rolls, biscuits, lollies etc. We tried the popular ice cream and the yoghurt, both infused with rich milky flavour. Although the yoghurt had a consistency that was almost pudding-like, the ice cream was really creamy and smooth and I really enjoyed it!

A one-day-old baby girl and hungry cows feeding on grass

Ice-creams and yoghurt made with fresh milk

The last area we went was the fruit farm but during this time of the year, not much else wase in season, except mandarins. We were free to pick the fruits so we all had a go. Despite the greenish colour on the peel, they were quite juicy and sweet!

Fruit-picking area and a hand-picked mandarin

Then it was time to head back to HuaLien. I was so tired I probably slept through most of it. We returned to 王記茶舖 for dinner that night. It was officially our favourite restaurant in HuaLien!