Location: Yang Ming Shan, Taipei
Time: 6:00am
Date: 2 January 2010

Woke up really early and grabbed our luggage while still shivering in the awfully cold weather. The sky was beautiful back on Yang Ming Shan. I couldn't resist to take some shots before leaving this beautiful landscape.

Our chalet in Yang Ming Shan

Last look at Yang Ming Shan

After some quick shots, we dragged our luggage all the way to the taxi. We had to say bye bye to Yang Ming Shan and take the long journey to the airport.

Fann and her Open

On our flight back to Hong Kong and Malaysia, we had to go back to our ordinary lives, with ordinary economy class flight, ordinary food and ordinary hot weather. But still, you could still see Fann as happy as ever. :)

Me and Fann onboard

Malaysian blue sky

Nevertheless on the flight, I looked out the window, and noticed how beautiful the Malaysian sky was. Til then, Goodbye everyone.

Hong Kong airport runway

Three fireworks Boom Boom Boom

Location: Jiu Fen, Taipei
Time: 12:00am
Date: 1 January 2010

Happy New Year! I know, it's already april, but I love screaming 'HAPPY NEW YEAR' on the mountain tops of Jiu Fen. We waited up at the rooftop, and it was freezing cold. We waited and waited until BOOM! fireworks came shooting up from the city. The sight was so beautiful and the feeling was really amazing.

Big ass new year fireworks

This was the first time I experience fireworks flying up right into my face and on a freezing mountain top. My hands were already ice and I just couldn't stop snapping pictures of the beautiful fireworks that comes from all directions. It was so worth it.

Who has the nicest heart (no pun intended)?

Bowie's B, Terynn's T, Reuben's R, Fann's ..erm... F?

The 4 of us took out our newly bought fireworks to the rooftop and played with it. We wrote letters, we drew hearts, we danced around, we froze still, we burnt a bunch altogether, etc. It was fantastic, spending my new year with Fann. After a while, the motel owner came up the stairs and told us to stop burning his motel. So, we packed our stuff and went back to bed. We were still freezing by the way.

We woke up around 9:30am and the weather was still freezing cold. We had to warm our fingers with our armpits and make breakfast. While eating, we couldn't resist the beautiful view just right outside. As we gobbled our breakfast, we quickly went up the rooftop again to enjoy the view, while Fann sips her coffee from her little paper cup.

I quickly went back to our room and grabbed my camera and tripod. Well, as usual we took some idiotic group photos before we had to leave for Taipei City again.

After packing, we headed down to check out. Along the way to the taxi stand, we bought some mochi and Fann's favourite 铁蛋. As the taxi brought us downtown, he stopped along the way for us to get some shots of the beautiful scenery.

Me & Fann thinking about food

Location: Taipei City
Time: 2:00pm
Date: 1 January 2010

Taipei Sogo

As we reached Taipei, we took the subway to Sogo. Reason? To meet up Bowie's taiwanese friend. Fann & I were excited to meet her friend because it's time for lunch. We were thinking where we should eat, until we found out that her friend was a vegetarian. Hmm.. so, we walked behind Sogo area and looked around for something un-meaty.

Along the way, we came across this restaurant. What attracted our attention, was that it stated ALL YOU CAN EAT for only TWD249! Fann & I were like WOW!!! There were lots of foods to choose from. There were all sorts of cheese cakes, puddings, soup, pasta, salad, fruits, you name it!

Ang Mo Soup

The shop was filled with customers and everyone looked really happy. There were cute waitresses too. Woo~

Well, most of the main dishes were cakes to be exact. The pastas were only available from time to time. You'll hear someone announcing pasta is here then everyone would gather in a line, while a cute waitress will put some pasta on your plate as you gaze at the big tray of pasta. I can't write when there's so much food photos to upload. Aargh, you guys just enjoy the pictures la.

Salad

Pasta

Pizza

Pot of tea

Tiramisu and Layered cheese cake

After lunch, our stomachs felt like bloated balloons. I couldn't stop eating those delicious cheese cakes they have. It was amazing. We took a stroll around Taipei City to help to digest all those guilty food. Fann & I could shut our mouths as our stomach was full of cheese cakes and pastas. After Bo's friend left, we had to catch a taxi and head up to Yang Ming Shan for a nice hot spring.

City life escapade - Yang Ming Shan

We were all tired from last night's New Year celebration. We didn't had enough sleep. So, as we reached the hotel up on Yang Ming Shan, we didn't get to shoot as many photos. But still, the view was beautfiul. You could see that Taipei City is so tiny and far away, which allows me to believe that Yang Ming Shan really is a hideaway from city life.

Taiwanese i-City

We then went down their small town to grab some food, and then head back to our chalet for a nice hot spring bath. The private hot spring was great.

Bo choosing the right food for the other 3 hungry mouths

At first, it was so freakin hot, I couldn't stand it, after spending half an hour to an hour in it, the feeling was so great. I really enjoyed it so much, I couldn't leave that place. After cleaning up and stuff, we packed and headed to bed. It was our last day in Taiwan and I'm beginning to miss it already.

Location: Anping, Tainan
Time: 11:00am
Date: 31 December 2009

Tainan was a really quiet place. We woke up a little late that day, but still the weather was cold. Our plan was to quickly tour around the important and must-go places then leave for Taipei again. So, we took the best transport ever - walking.

Me & terrorist Fann

Surveillance asking people to 'Please Smile'

A flock of surveillance

On our way, we came across a few interesting things. The traffic lights had dozens of surveillance cameras just like birds standing on the electrical wires. I had no idea if Tainan was safe or dangerous. It was a unique sight.

There was this high school with a black Confucius statue. Outside the school, there were these nicely decorated porcelain tiles that had words on it. After browsing through some of them, we noticed that they are some messages left behind by graduated students for the school.

There were temples everywhere. Big ones, small ones, all decorated with amazing sculptures and very detailed bas reliefs. Every temple we passed by, we gave it a little visit with a prayer.

4 idiots at Anping Fort staircase

Walking to our first destination was the Anping Fort. Anping is actually the ancient name for Tainan. This fortress is called Fort Zeelandia (now Anping Fort), which was built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch. The Dutch had ruled this part of the city for about 38 years during that time. Today, it's one of the icons and hottest tourist spot in modern day Tainan.

Canon boom boom

There was also a statue of General Zheng Cheng-gong, a general of the Ming Dynasty who drove away the Dutch with 400 warships and 25,000 men. Impressive enough, his statue was built there, who we mistakenly took for Admiral Zheng He, also from the Ming Dynasty. After walking around the fortress, we got to collect our visitor's card which we could collect at every famous destinations of Tainan.

Glutinous Rice Wall

Next, we passed by this wall. Interestingly, the Dutch built the wall with red bricks mixed with sticky rice, syrup and oyster shell ash. So, don't eat too much bak zhang. Look at how hard the wall is to digest in your stomach? Also, if not mistaken, I twittered here. At this very spot. Yes there was wifi among these walls. Interesting~ Moving on, we walked to the Anping Tree House.

The Anping Tree House is a late 19th century salt warehouse that has been completely overgrown by mangrove trees. Coiling branches weave through the old brick walls and where once was a roof is now a canopy of green leaves weaving a tapestry of light and shadows. There was a chilly feeling inside the house, so we left rather quickly. But I admire how the branches coil around the house.

Coiling branches

Taipei Bus Station

After sightseeing, we rushed our asses to the station once more and now we had to go back to Taipei. There, we catched a taxi to go up to Jiu Fen, one of the coldest places I've been in Taiwan. The ride up to Jiu Fen was rather long and bumpy. We were going up hill and the roads were really narrow and steep. According to other sources, it was rather dangerous to go uphill, so don't drive too fast.

Location: Jiu Fen, Taipei
Time: 5:00pm
Date: 31 December 2009

After an hour's ride, we reached this remarkably beautiful place called Jiu Fen (九份). It is a mountain town located in Taipei. It was so beautiful that I can't take my eyes of every single detail, until this awful smell kept following me as we were looking for our motel. It was the smell of stinky toufu. A local delicacy enjoyed by most of the Taiwanese, you could almost smell this stinkiness all the way in that narrow path throughout Jiu Fen. To me, it smelt like rotten fish or bad eggs. Poo~ it was terrible, the smell I meant.

Stinky Tou Fu in the making

After we checked into the motel, it was already quite dark at 6pm. The weather was getting really cold. So, we after covering ourselves up with loads of coats and clothes, we headed down to hunt for dinner. All the shops were already preparing to close down. Why? well, it's because the next day was New Year. All the people were getting ready to celebrate and welcome the coming 2010.

Extremely huge meat balls

Some nice nice pork

Some real looking fake food, looks expensive though

Beef belly

Huge wanton mee, feels great during winter

Beef Noodles

Cold tofu, just like how mom makes it

Beautiful alley in Jiu Fen

After dinner, most of the shops were closed. We got to buy some mochi on our way back. It looked so delicious I had to grab some home. Later, we were forced back into our motel. So, what do we do? We take my tripod and put it to great use, to take idiotic pictures of ourselves.

Out at the beautiful alley

Outside the main door

After dinner, most of the shops were closed. Therefore, we were forced back into our motel. So, what do we do? We take my tripod and put it to great use, to take idiotic pictures of ourselves. After fooling around, we went back for tv as we waited for the New Year to come. Fann seems to be falling asleep... hehe...

Up on the rooftop, freezing photo of me and Fann