A big sigh for myself of my very first alone journey. I usually travel with a big group of people, so here, I can admit with no shame that I'm very lonely. But for those who already decided to travel here, please don't be afraid, it's actually not that bad. From my last episode, I have taken you one full day to travel in Taiwan. For this episode, I will take you to have fresh breath with Taiwan.
2nd Morning...
Today is only one another day in Taiwan as I will go back to Thailand tomorrow T_T. This moring I wake up at 7 a.m. and plan to go to fish market. But then I realize while I was walking from the hostel to the bus stop that....the fish market opens at 9 a.m. So then I'm just wandering around, I'm literally wandering around haha. I don't know where to go....so I just take the metro to the Zhong Shan Station (中山). I try to translate the Chinese character, it means in the middle of mountain. But when I come up from the metro, how come it becomes like this!!! haha. So all of this just happen in my imagination, right? hahaha.
Taiwanese wake up quite late. It's not because they are lazy but because they get off from work really late. I observed from the fact that I usually take last train home and it's fully packed just like day time. I'm wandering around at this time which should be about 8 a.m. already but the atmosphere is still very quiet; only some uncles and aunties are jogging.....
Maokong Gondola (貓空纜車)
While I was walking, I thought to myself that I would like to take the Maokong Gondola at the Taipei zoo (because it's very cheap!!!) Oh no! because it has a very beautiful view and fresh air. So then I run back to Zhong Shan metro (中山) to take Wenhu Line (文湖線) , the brown line there. Let's hurry there before it's too many people.
Maokong Gondola (貓空纜車) has 4 stations with the total distance of 4.3 kilometers.
1. Taipei Zoo (動物園站) (the zoo)
2. Outside the Taipei Zoo,Taipei Zoo South (動物園內站) inside the Taipei
3. Zhinan Temple (指南宮站) (Chinese Temple)
4. Maokong (Sanxuan Temple) (貓空站) (Tea Village)
Let's just enjoy the ride to the end, the fee is about 50 THB (very cheap).
Before arriving at the cable, I took some photos. I really like the metro of Taiwan as sometimes it goes up from underground to the ground and sometimes it goes to the tunnels through the mountains. This is so convenient.
Since I come alone so I have to go with a lover couple of uncle and auntie, haha. They are very friendly and try to talk with me. Sometimes I understand but sometimes I have absolutely no clue but I also try to converse with them, haha. Taiwanese are very kind, they try to make conversation with me all the time. They thought that I'm Chinese, Hong Kong people, Singaporean, or Filipino, all of which are incorrect, haha. When I said I'm Thai, they both cry out oh.....Many Thais are working in Taiwan as labors. Taiwanese thought that Thai people have darker skin so they didn't think I'm Thai.
Actually, I would recommend you to come here during the sunset. It would be much more beautiful.
On the way back on the cable car, I meet another uncle and auntie couple. They are so cute together. They ask me to take photo for them with long lines of Chinese, haha. Then I talk with them until the end of the ride. When they realized that I'm Thai, they smiled and gave me some delicious snack >,< Thank you very much :D
Yangmingshan (陽明山國家公園)
This is the place I wanted to go the most!!! But when I asked Taiwanese, they all said that "do not go!!".
Well??? haha. I'm quite confused, thinking to myself what I should do now. Go or not go? That Taiwanese didn't want me to go is the weather on the mountain during my visit is cold with heavy fog and rains. So we might not see a thing.....I'm thinking for a while and finally decided to go. Yangmingshan and Maokong Gondola is located on opposite direction T_T. I need to take the metro Wenhu Line (文湖線) to Jiantan station (劍潭站) on the red line. It takes approximately 50 minutes. From the metro station, I walk out to take the bus written 陽明山 (Yangmingshan). And it's the right bus, haha. Then it takes about 45 minutes to reach the place.
At first, the sky is quite clear, but the higher we go up, the more foggy with rains and cold.......
Let's say I'm not sure which one is weighted more now.....between the coldness and loneliness, haha.
The more I walk, the more people I meet, yay!!! And when I actually look at them, they come in couple! or family, or some are walking their dogs (in fact, Taipei has so many nice parks, haha, do they really have to come this far? haha).
Before I get down, the weather gets really cold and the fog is very thick. It's also raining and that I'm also wet....While I'm waiting for the bus, I'm shaking.
On the way back, we also take the bus to the metro Jiantan station (劍潭站).
Taiwan at night..
I will be going back tomorrow morning so let's take some walk tonight......
Xin Bei Tou (新北投站)
Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)
Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂)
Xi Men Ding (西門町)
My first time alone journey allows me to know myself more and opens the wider world to me.
I really like Taiwan......I like it ever since I was a child (love their series, haha)
If I have a chance, I will go back....but definitely not alone :)
Aearis
Wednesday, January 6, 2016 10:02 AM