South Korea Day 3-5: The Misadventures of Jeju-Do

From Gimhae, I took Air Busan to Jeju domestic airport which was less than an hour away. I had packed a haversack and wanted to store my luggage at the airport. Sadly, the locker facility will be closed on the day of my departure due to renovation. Darn, effort wasted for packing and I had to drag my luggage along.

From Jeju Airport, I have to get on the Airport Limousine bus to Seogwipo where the hotel is located. The bus service was English friendly as it announces the upcoming destination in 4 different languages. It cost SGD 5 from the airport to Seogwipo where it passes many great attractions and hotels.

Night view

Upon reaching Seogwipo, it was already dark to a point I can't see some building from a far. I lost my bearings even when I had to refer to the iPhone navigation. Thanks to my poor Hangul, I managed to get directions from a convenient store to the hotel which was on top of a freaking steep hill. With a luggage in tow, it was not an easy journey. I was panting like a dog when I reached the front desk of Daekuk Isleinn. After settling down, I looked out the window into the darkest. It was quite bare and dark all over. No wonder I got lost without the help of any building to navigate from.

Day view

Day breaks, the city was well illuminated and I can see buildings that disappears at the break of light. I was up at about 0530hrs in hopes to get to Seongsan Ilchulbong early to view the sunrise, which is also known as Sunrise Peak. But at 0530hrs, the sun has started peaking out. Dang! So I took my time and find some breakfast and made my way there.

I did my research on getting around Jeju island by bus but upon arriving at the bus terminal, it wasn't as straight forward as I had researched. Sure I can read Hangul but I can't translate well. Worst when I have to ask for directions. I speak like a freaking 2 year old. Given up, I hailed a cab and venture on to Seongsan Ilchulbong. Based on the map, it seems like getting to PasirRis from Vivocity but Jeju is like 1.5 times bigger than Singapore. I ended up to an equivalent of SGD 40 fare.

But once I alighted the cab, I totally ignored the fare as the view was mesmerizing. Screw the $40, the view worth more than that. Before venturing up, armed myself with at least a bottle of water and remembered to take a leak. Entrance fee is only SGD 2. Review states that the journey up would take about 20mins but I took longer, admiring the scenery. Once at the peak, the view was truly stunning but bare. After a couple more shots, I made my way down towards a valley were the women divers are located. The view there is mesmerizing too. There would normally be demonstration of the women divers around noon but I was there at freaking 1000hrs.

Satisfied with my first adventure, I wondered on journey back without taking the cab. I went to the bus stop and waited almost 20 mins and ended taking the cab again. I told the driver my destination, Jeju World Cup Stadium but he didn't understand my English. I don't know the translation of the place in Hangul so I showed him a map which still doesn't help because it was in English. I had to inform him of the attraction which was mostly in English till I remembered a Carrefour equivalent, E-Mart. That he understood. So off we went to my next destination.

As we exit Seongsan, I noticed that the driver took a different route, a more scenic route. I thought it was ok as it was beautiful ignoring the fact that the driver is knocking me off till I realized that the route went further from the destination based on my iPhone navigation. I then realized that I showed him the map inverted, facing the north and there is an E-Mart up North. Not wanting to create another miscommunication and a higher fare, I continued the journey.

As I alighted to God-Knows-Where E-Mart, I wondered around the area and got bored because there was nothing. I managed to have a Korean lunch and then took a cab to the airport (less than SGD 5) to ride the limousine bus to my actual destination.

The main reason for the World Cup stadium was actually to check out The World Eros Museum. In all there are 3 sex museums in Jeju and the one at the stadium was the least favorite. The others were quite inaccessible especially after my misadventures with the cab from Seongsan. The exhibition were mostly in Korean but I can sure make out the illustrations and figures.For SGD 7, it was okay and nothing spectacular or bizarre unlike the Health and Sex Museum that I've been researching on.

While I'm at the stadium, I did went in to take a look. Not much of a soccer fan, so I left quite immediately after some shots.

The bus is just a stop away from my hotel and there are 2 attractions nearby. Since I took the bus the night before, it wasn't that far so I decided to walk back and enjoy the scenery which was mostly dark the night before.

Along the way was Oedolgae, and I didn't expect an 8km walk from the stadium. Yup 8 freaking kilometers. I even encountered a nice chap offering me a lift on his moped while walking but I pleasantly turned him down in Hangul. He was shocked too, after knowing that I'm a traveller that speaks Hangul. Both of us had an awkward moment and continued our separate journey.

Oedolgae is just 2km away from the hotel. It's an off shore rock formation and a place where Daejangguem (Korean Drama) was filmed. Nothing fantastic but beautiful nonetheless.

At the base of the hotel is a waterfall attraction, Cheonjiyeon Falls. Based on the map, there is a road leading down but based on the sign at the intersection says otherwise. I followed the signed and didn't expected another 2km walk down a winding path. However I ended up to another attraction, Seoseum, an island meant for tracking. Beside the bridge to Seoseum is the submarine terminal but I do not have the time for it. I just crossed the bridge and took some pictures as Cheonjiyeon Falls will be closed within the hour.

Cheonjiyeon isn't that far from Seoseum, it was practically a stone throw away. Entrance is SGD 2 but you have to walked further to view the falls. The falls wasn't as wide as documented but I had 2 great views, the waterfalls and the ladies visiting the area.

By then it was 1800hrs and I needed to get dinner. There is a market in between the route to the hotel. Jeju is known for its tangerine and huge red strawberries. Again I dare not try due to my stomach condition which led me to the hospital after eating an orange back home. I called it a day after dinner.

I did planned to complete my itinerary by visiting Jeongbang Falls before checking out the following day but the weather wasn't friendly. It was raining and fogging at the same time. So I spend most of the time in the hotel till check out and then took a bus back to the airport for lunch.

Jeju is definitely a beautiful island. Getting around can be such a bitch. Best is to travel by tour, rent a car or charter a driver. I did planned to rent a car because it was cheap and the road are fairly easy but as a single traveller, it's not advisable. Plus, it's a left side driving which I'm unfamiliar with.

More of Jeju-Do.

Time to "Fly to Seoul 나와 Let's dance dance"...

South Korea Day 1-3: Amazing Busan

I was pleased to get a cheap flight by SIA to arrive at Incheon on 21 April at approximately 1545hrs. I wanted to venture out of Seoul first but the connecting flight to either Busan or Jeju Island was very tight. Furthermore, the most affordable flights are situated at Gimpo Airport about 15mins away. I would not be able to catch the last flight out to both cities.

The next best way is to travel by KTX from Seoul station to Busan. The speed train journey is about 3hrs. I booked the luxury of first class just to avoid interruption by other commuters but that was where I noticed the worst attitude of the Korean elders. They are rowdy, pushy and crude. Let's not forget unhygienic. I soon realized the Korean culture where elders are the most respected and somehow they are taking it to their fullest advantage.


After almost 12hrs of throbbing journey, I finally checked in to Toyoko Inn which was just beside Busan Station. An excellent location for convenience to find food and transportation.

Getting around Busan is quite easy with the vast subway system. I wanted to get the T Money card, a cashless payment system to use for transportation and even purchases at shops. However I was unable to find it while in Seoul. Busan uses Hanaro card similar to T Money but can only be used in Busan. So I had to pay by cash for all my transportation. All fares cost below SGD 2.

My first stop was Haeundae Beach. There are about 3 major beaches but the most popular is Haeundae. Of course no one was in the water due to the coldness of spring but the view is spectacular. Busan Aquarium is also located there but the sealife exhibition wasn't that impressive. Entrance fee was about SGD 20.

Along the way, I noticed the much talked about Haeundae Market however many shops were closed. Majority that were opened were the diners or some clothings store.

Moving on from Haeundae, I've planned for a spa treat in Busan's largest shopping center, Shinsaegae Centum City. The mall is huge with many great brands. I was reluctant to go into the spa(찜질방) due to time constrain. I was awestruck by the mall that I enjoyed shopping instead. I shopped like crazy at the very start of my trip.

Once I completed my shopping, I returned to the hotel to drop off my purchase and a change of jacket as the day grew hotter (still below 20 degrees Celsius) and headed out to Yongdusan Park where the Busan Tower stood. The attraction is 3 stops away and on top of a hill. Thank god there are escalators to get to the top.

The entrance for the tower is approximately SGD 4 and the 360 view of Busan is spectacular. Since it's spring, cherry blossoms were blooming and it was gorgeous. Many were taking photo with it and so I did too.

At the foot of Yongdusan is a great shopping street Gwangbok-Ro which I have to walk pass to get to Yongdusan Park. Many great brands were lined up along the street but none of the luxury type. The highest end I encountered was Calvin Klein Jeans which had a great sale (up to 70% off) similar to majority of the other stores. In the alleys are night markets stalls selling fake luxury goods which I have to admit are very close to its original counterpart.

Gwangbok-Ro is also an avenue for movies where Pusan International Film Festivals (PIFF) are normally held. There are a number of cinemas along PIFF square together with tons of street food delights. Majority of them are either deep fried or spicy which I'm unable to savor due to my stomach condition.

Across Gwangbok-Ro is another Lotte departmental store. There aren't many high-end brands but the prices area still 5-15% cheaper than Singapore. Longchamp however is way cheaper than Singapore.

A metro stop away from Nampo (where Gwangbok-Ro and Lotte is located) is Jagalchi station where the Jagalchi market is located. It's actually less than 5 mins walk away from each station. Jagalchi Market is known for the freshest catch and also fresh cuisine. I was searching high and low to try the raw baby octopus but unable to find a place that serves it. I managed to get it at Seoul instead.

Toyoko Inn check-out time is at 1000hrs and my flight out at Gimhae is at 1700hrs. I went to check their other shopping district Seomyeon which was a disappointment because a lot of the shops were closed on Monday. So I just sat at Starbucks waiting for the time to pass when I realized that there's a Chinatown across Busan Station. 

I made my way back and was let to another disappointment. There wasn't much hype at the Chinatown. There are chinese eateries and some shops but majority are closed. Seems like Busan is mostly closed on Monday. Luckily like most Chinatown, there is a massage parlor where I continued to waste my time. They were Chinese owned and they got me right as a Malay instead of Filipino. They were even amazed that I spoke to them in Mandarin. So I managed to relax for an hour for about SGD 30 and returned to the hotel to collect my luggage.

Gimhae airport is accessible by subway and transfer to monorail but from Busan Station, I have to transfer twice which is tedious with a luggage in tow. With the excess expense for Busan, I decided to take a cab over and it cost me approximately SGD 18 for a distance from Orchard to Changi Airport with traffic.

I love Busan as it was quite laid back. Check out more photos of Busan. Moving on to Jeju-Do where the misadventures begins...

South Korea Birthday Getaway

I've been crazy about K-Pop music especially those of SM Entertainment. The music are catchy and dance friendly. SM Entertainment artistes were endorsed to promote Visit Seoul by a bunch of music video, theme "Infinitely Yours, Seoul". My top favorite Super Junior paired with Girls Generation in an MV "Seoul" which features many great sights of Seoul.

Inspired by the MV, I've made plans about visiting Seoul for the longest time and finally managed for my 2012 Birthday Trip. Since I'm in South Korea, I've added itineraries to venture the other parts of Korea such as Busan and Jeju Island and probably

Planning 5 months ahead had it's benefits. I got cheap fares by Singapore Airlines at almost 50% of regular price. As my flight arrives at 1530hrs, I wasn't able to connect my flight to either Busan or Jeju on time. So the best option is by KTX.

Getting around South Korea is easy by train or by domestic flights. Majority are below SGD 80 except for my first class train ride to Busan which was almost SGD 100. The speed train KTX took 3 hours to reach its destination, Busan. Since I arrived in the evening and my train is at 1800hrs,  I was not able to view the magnificent Seoul countryside.

Flights from Busan to Jeju and Busan to Gimpo were by Air Busan which is easy to book online and is relatively cheaper with some discount.

Toyoko Inn Busan Station 1

As for accommodations, I was able to search those within SGD 50 since I would be out most of the time. In Busan, I stayed in Toyoko Inn which is right beside Busan KTX station. There are 3 Toyoko Inn in Busan in all. Toyoko Inn is a Japanese hotel chain and you can expect some Japanese appliances for you convenience. Staff here are able to converse in English with a slight difficulties but most of my queries were met.

Daekuk Isleinn Hotel

Moving to Jeju, I managed to booked Daekuk Isleinn through Agoda.com. It's situated in Seogwipo, the southern most city of Jeju which is also where most attractions are at. I was prepared with maps to get around but upon alighting the limousine bus, I lost my bearing due to the darkness of night. Asking help was difficult but thank god for my poor Hangul, I managed to get the direction to the hotel, which is on a freaking hill. A luggage in tow is no easy task to conquer the hill (I wasn't able to store my luggage in the airport because the storage store will be closed on my departure day due to renovations). The staffs in Daekuk Isleinn speak little to no English, so it was quite troublesome to ask for help.

Seoul Backpackers Namdaemun Branch

Lastly in Seoul, I stayed in Seoul Backpacker which is at a super convenient location. It's near most attractions and shopping heaven Myeongdong (dropped by almost everyday). Since it's a hostel, the staffs were fluent in English and a great help with all the queries and recommendation.

After a total of 8 nights in South Korea (2 in Busan, 2 in Jeju and 4 in Seoul), I was thrilled that I completed majority of planned itinerary especially the Seoul MV location hunt. There were some that I didn't managed to visit due to weather/transportation constrain in Jeju and time constrain in Seoul. Yet I'm satisfied.

The culture there is not worth visiting unlike Japan's unique culture. The culture in Korea is respecting the elders and somehow they are taking it to the fullest advantage. They are rude and love to push you aside. While in Busan and especially Jeju, I've experienced the worst attitude from them. At least Seoul was friendlier.

To add, majority of the younger people in Korea are great to look at. They sure know how to groom themselves. Even if they underwent plastic surgery, they are still great to look at (that's the point of plastic surgery right). I soon realized why most of the men's hair are unkempt because the wind there is crazy. It blow all direction and messed up your hair. Their hairdresser did a great job to maintain an unkempt hairstyle.

Food here is not easy for me as there's tons of pork. Street food are either deep fried or spicy which I don't dare due to my stomach condition. So most of the time, I had my meals in cafes, restaurant or fast food with with occasional Korean cuisine.

Given a chance to revisit Korea to either complete my itinerary or for another holiday, I wouldn't want to because there wasn't a great impact during my stay. Even though shopping was great, traveling to Korea is expensive. However, I sure did enjoy my time there. For more of my itinerary, keep a look out for my future post.

안녕하세요

Long Time No See

Hey all! It has been awhile since my last entry, approximately 4 months. Gosh, it's really that long. 2011 came and gone and now it's 3 months past the start of 2012.

2012 didn't start well for me. My stomach problems kept resurfacing in the month of January that I was hospitalized thrice within a month period. After a biopsy, that suffering moment reduced dramatically. There's is some discomfort but I'm recovering well under proper routine medications.

Work always been a bitch. My hospitalization leave took up almost half a month of January. Poor colleagues of mine. But a bit of compliments and some sugary treats, all seems well. Though things are not getting any better but I'll still be staying due to the scholarship that I applied. Praying to get the admission which will be out in late May.

Time is very tight nowadays, so I made a new year resolution to properly organized my daily itinerary. That would surely help once I start school. I forecast my schedule to include work, school, studies, game, reading and workout. So friends, please tell me in advance should you want to plan some events. I would dearly loved to attend where possible.

Judging by SIN, I've been spending tremendously a lot. Seems like I'll be doing a monthly visit to H&M and be glued to the TV with the tons of games I've bought especially with my new impulse-purchase-by-work-stress PS3. To date, it's still MISB.

After getting the PS3 and a monthly H&M spree, I noticed that I don't really have much space in the room. Partly due to my roommate's stuff but I do find I have many unused items as well. My 14 years of collectibles and VCDs and DVDs were the culprit. It is a waste to just dumped them so I managed to pawned the BFC  approved VCDs and DVDs for some money. The "unauthorized" were simply dumped away. As for the collectibles, there are great value but not much. I gave some off to my nephew and put up another blog (and now I have 4) Rydikulez Collections as a catalog of collectibles I'm letting go. They are quite reasonably priced. So if you have interested friends, please direct them there.

2012 will definitely be a busy year once I start school. I'm not sure whether holidays would be possible. Then again even without school, I only managed 2 holidays to Penang and Taiwan in 2011. This year, I've made my way up to KL with Hakimbo, Bob and wife Norlin, a new tolerable travel companion. I've also done arrangements for a Birthday Trip to South Korea. Plans for Busan, Jeju and Seoul are completed, just waiting for the day to come. I hope I can still slot in a holiday before school starts or during school break. That would really help for a breather.

3 months past 2012 and all seems well. Let's hope and pray things turn out well for me and others. I finally managed a sideline for extra income through Rydikulez Collections. I'm even in the midst of extending the services to assist others in their "junk" once I get a good traffic.

Live Long and Prosper!!!

Taiwan: Day 4

After a long day of trekking, one should relax for the day. And after all itinerary has been covered, it's time to shop and once shopping is done, it's time to gorge down all the great food. That is what Day 4 is all about.

Waking up late was the plan but we ended up waking early. Another breakfast out of the hotel and we made our way toward Beitou which is known for the hot spring resorts. Beitou is about 45mins train ride from Ximending and is connected to another line to Xinbeitou. Eventhough it is just a stop away, the train has an interactive service which took the journey longer than other services. It was about a repetitive 10 mins ride.

Besides hot spring, other attraction would be its natural hot spring known as Hell's Valley. The hot spring is at 100 degrees Celsius so it's not permitted for entrance except the surrounding path. Gazed upon the steamy natural hot spring which trailed down a stream towards a cooler temperature where local will dip their feet into. The stream runs further towards the Beitou Library which is quite a stunning view

There is also a Hot Spring Museum which is a free admission but we did not enter due to no shoes permitted. Someone was wearing stylishly in boots which was a nuisance to remove.

Main intention for the visit to Beitou was the hot spring. I did not managed to experience a communal hot spring in Japan and upon hearing that Taiwan has one, I went to try there instead. There are a few hot spring resorts and an outdoor hot spring which is overrun by the elderly. I did my research and was excited to visit Asia Pacific Resort. I did not made any reservation as the reviews mentioned that walk-in public bath was effortless. I was disappointed when I reached the venue.

Facility as shown on the website

But arrived to this

Asia Pacific Resort has been demolished. I've just checked the website the day before but there wasn't any updates of it closure. There was a guard there and he directed us to a sub-company hot spring which was just across the street, Poetry Among The Trees. The resort has the same rates and facilities as Asia Pacific Resort. Thankfully I ended happy again.

Even though we had a communal bath, we were the only one present. So I did managed to snapped some photos. Check it out in the Beitou album.

So after a rejuvenating bath, we ventured out to our sins desire - SHOPPING. We went to Taipei City Hall again for a quick lunch at Agnes B cafe and then onwards to Eslite and ATT 4 Fun for bags and shoes, Dun Hua for another bag and Lomography stuffs, and to Ximending for some last grabs. We went back to the hotel rooms with tons of shopping bags. 

After all the shopping and expected that we'll be hungry, we set out to Shihlin again to fill our tummy's desire. We made ourselves famished to enjoy the street food available. 

Curried Fish balls

Famous Crispy Chicken

Spicy Shrimp Balls

Not sure but something like Kaya Balls

Massively huge Herbal tea to cool down the many spicy treats

I had a blast with all the food though I had a slight disappointment with the crispy chicken - it has bones unlike Singapore which does not. The taste is superb still, better than Singapore nonetheless. The chili powder of the chicken burnt my lips but thanks to the massive herbal tea, I managed to cool it off. I had multiple rounds of the fish balls and the shrimp was too darn good that I did not remember which street I got it from. I had the intention to try the smelly tofu but didn't managed to fulfill the crave. After all the foods, the smell of it nearly made me throw out all the good food. Hence there was no regret.

Day 5 was mostly lazing around before flight. So there won't be a Day 5 entry however I would like to add that I had the worst returning flight. Firstly, it was delayed due to a long taxi in Taoyuan and secondly, every seats are fixed to it's upright position. I can see the discomfort of all the passengers especially those who transit from Osaka. I was actually happy when we've landed in Singapore.

I had a great time in Taiwan. It could have been a great solo trip but to have someone is better especially during dining. I would really enjoy to dine with someone so that I can savor many foods and share it with them. I understand the Chinese conversations but I have a problem replying so thank you Hakimbo for being the translator. Given the chance to go Taiwan again, I would revisit Taroko Gorge for the trail with permit and to travel to the western and southern side of Taiwan.

Next up, it's a quick get-fat getaway to Kuala Lumpur in mid January and a Feb-Mar-Apr trip to Korea. Let's hope my Hanguk would be good by then.

Taiwan: Day 3

With the early retreat from a day of exploring Taipei City, we had to wake up early in the morning around 5am to prepare and catch the earliest train out of Taipei to Hualien County.

To get the a confirmed seating of the train with Taiwan Railway, booking has to be done 2 weeks before departure but that depends on your luck. Passengers can make reservation online but must collect the tickets within 3 days unless an online payment is made. If no payment and no collection are done, the reserved ticket will be put up for sale once more. I couldn't get the ticket exactly 2 weeks in advance but managed to get it 3 days after, knowing someone did not make payment nor collection. A return ticket to Hualien county cost around SGD45.

There are several trains en-route towards Hualien under the Tze-Chiang, an express non-stop service or Chu Kang services, a slower and a lower class service.

I've managed to book the Tze Chiang express service departing at 6.30am which was approximately a 3 hour ride. So much for an express service as it stops almost at every stop. Uniquely though, we were surprised that our seats were taken when we board the train. Upon checking, the passengers were students going to school several stops away. Their ticket was without seats so they will take every opportunity for an empty seats. No way I'm going to stand for the next 3 hours.

The journey is a scenic coastal route with plenty of open sea, mountain and valley views. The scenery is nature at it's greenest. No wonder Taiwan was known as Formosa,  a Portugal word for Beautiful Island. I was exhilarated to reach our destination

After a three hours of snapping scenic shots, we finally reach Hualien. It feels like a lonesome town from the long distance to the previous stop. The mountainous view from the station was stunning.

I've did an intensive research on Hualien or more notably Taroko Gorge. I read about moving around Taroko, by public bus, by bicycle, by tour coaches which are mostly in chinese, and by personal guides. I've read great reviews of some guides from Tripadvisors.com. I would settle for a female guide but initial solo plans may cause an awkward moment throughout the trip. So I made reservation with another notable guide who is great in English, Tonny Teng. His charter service cost around SGD 120 for 4 heads. No matter the headcount, you still pay him the amount. I almost paid that amount as a solo traveler but thanks to Hakimbo, he shared the cost. 

Tonny actually drives a taxi but made it into a charter service for Taroko Gorge. He also planned the best itinerary for the whole tour and it was quite organized. Upon reaching the entrance of the the gorge, we stopped for a scenic view and a photograph of the legendary gate.

The start of an awesome adventure

Next on the itinerary was the start of our first trail. From the entrance was about a 5 minutes drive through tunnels and cliffside roads.  Shakadang trail is a truly a magnificent trail alongside crystal clear stream. The trail is a 4km long hike and is truly breathtaking at every inch. The trail ends at a cabin and requires a permit to pursue further. Tonny mentioned that we do not need to complete the 4km but to our own discretion on the turning point. We trailed up to 3.2km as the path gets too repetitive and we covered majority of the scenic location advised by Tonny. The Shakadang Trail took us approximately 1.5hrs for a total of 6.4km plus all the stops for photographs.

Next on the list was a short stopover at Eternal Spring Shrine. There is a trail there but Tonny advised that it would best be the last hike. So for then, he recommend to take pictures of the clear area as later during the day the place will be overrun by China tourist hogging the best view. After a few snaps, we ventured on to another location. We had a quick stop along the way to view and snap some gorgeous scenery such as waterfall and rock formations. There was also a road block that opens every hour due to construction and clearing of landslides. 

The next trail would be the Swallow Grotto which is a tunnel roadside trail. There were nesting formations in the tunnel for the swallows alas the name. Opposite the cliffs were potholes formations and a pretty waterfall. Halfway of the trail, Tonny was waiting for us to show some unique formation - an Indian Chieftain and a gorilla. Check out the picture on the left and spot them.

Tonny left us again and we continued on the trail. There wasn't much interesting things to see but the beauty of the area is just captivating. Not sure how long the actual trail was but Tonny awaited at a very wide cliff formation. Cameras can't capture the vastness of the cliff but we were awestruck when he brought us to view it from a different location. We were practically tiny.

Too sexy

There were many more stopovers for stunning cliff and rock formations, and also waterfalls. A usual planned itinerary would be the Tunnel of Nine Turns trail but the trail has been closed for quite awhile due to the constant rock falls. Moving on to the next trail before we return back towards the Eternal Spring Shrine is the Lushui Trail which is a 2km nature trail. Approximately 1km into the trail is 30m long tunnel which is pitch black. A torchlight is recommended but you'll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel after a turn in the tunnel. However, if you're walking behind someone, all the best because that person will block the entrance light until you get nearer. Tonny waited us at the end of the trail and brought us back to the intended last hike.

As Tonny previously mentioned, the Eternal Spring Shrine was packed with rowdy China tourist. Even he was irritated by the commotion. Since we had a clear shot earlier, we pursued the last trail which was an inclined trail of 2.4km long. There were 4 sections to the trail, the bottom, middle and top shrine, and lastly a temple which is hidden behind the cliff as pictured below.

Eternal Spring Shrine

The trails were mostly stairs indented along the cliffs. The steep steps from the bottom were gruesome till Hakimbo experience cramps. As we get higher, the steps became broader. We kept on walking not realizing that we passed the middle shrine which was lower than our current path. We decided to forgo due to the thought of re-climbing the steps so we ventured on towards the next location which was the top shrine. The view was amazing, overlooking the accomplishment from the start of the trail to where we were standing and also the end point - the hidden temple. The last obstacle is a suspension bridge (worst idea after all the climbing) where Tonny awaits our arrival. Our legs were like jelly but Tonny didn't let us through, explaining the beauty and history of the trail. And as a reward, he gave us a wild plant which was quite refreshing with all the natural fibre and moisture to refresh yourself. 

The wild refreshing plant

That marks the end of Taroko Gorge. We ended earlier than expected which Tonny was impressed. With all the military training, the trail was an ease. We completed it earlier than most of his other groups.  Taroko Gorge was my main highlight of Taiwan. Everyone was shocked that I would go trekking on a holiday but it truly was a great experience.

Tonny has been a great guide - with a great itinerary and an excellent English speaker. He even help to re-book our train back to Taipei as we had to wait 3hours for our purchased train ride. With his help we managed to board the next approaching train.

Do check out the photos of Hualien and Taroko Gorge below. Also if you are truly interested, I would recommend Tonny as your guide. Below are his details.

Taroko Gorge Part 1

Taroko Gorge Part 2

Tonny Teng

Whatsapp/Mobile: +886 975 101232

Taiwan: Day 2

After a good night sleep on a uber comfortable bed and excellent hot shower, the day became dark and we equipped with an umbrella each. Sadly, the day was bright and windy the whole day so we were carrying a redundant umbrella the whole day.

Breakfast at the hotel was not that great. Firstly, there isn't much of a variety and secondly majority of the variety are with pork. Not that it matters but it was not that appetizing hence we had breakfast elsewhere.

First stop on the itinerary was Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. It's just 2 stops away from Ximending and upon exiting the station, we're blown by the chilling wind till my hair was messed up. And as we walked through the garden, we were greeted by a square in view of a concert hall and a theater by the sides, and the CKS memorial hall up ahead.

The view up ahead - Chiang Kai-Shek

View from CKS

The Guard of Honor stationed at the CKS hall will conduct a changing of guards ceremony every hour. With an hourly ceremony, I won't expect it to be like those in Singapore which is only conducted every first Sunday of the month. The ceremony was quite simple but the precision marching would put some shame to Singaporean GOH. I know because I was one of them.

After checking out the exhibits, we made our way toward Taipei 101by MRT to Taipei City Hall. There is a shuttle to Taipei 101 but as a traveller, we walked towards the tower. But it was a wrong thing to do because we were greeted by great shopping mall. Eslite was one of them which was on my itinerary too. The main objective was the tower so we continued onwards but keeping our mind to return to Eslite.

Taipei 101 is a shopping centre with a tower observation deck on the 89th floor. Entry is SGD17. The queue on weekend are crazy but they had a queue timing, every 100 visitors for every 20 minutes.

There are 4 levels to the observation deck. First is the main observation floor on 89th floor which has the 360 views of the city. On the higher floor is the outdoor observation deck. Still the same windy day, my hair messed up in another direction.

Moving lower to 88th floor is the world largest and heaviest wind dampener. The dampener was coated in yellow which look like a huge luxurious golden ball. Moving along towards the exit, you'll go through the souvenir store which sell jewelries made of coral reefs and attractions souvenir shops. That was the best opportunity to get stuffs for back home and work.

As it was past lunchtime, we went down to the shopping centre in search of food. Majority of the food stores are located at the basement floor and compact in one huge dining area. There were many variety of stalls including 2 halal stall which were either Indian or Mediterranean.

We made our way back towards Taipei City Hall MRT station and visited the malls that we past. Still succumbing our desire to shop, we took note of all the items that we aimed to get.

With Hakimbo's passion of analogue photography, we decided to visit the Lomography store in Taipei at Dunhua. Without any research of Dunhua except the location of the Lomography store, we were amazed with what Dunhua has to offer.

Dunhua is a much more trendier place than Ximending and Shihlin, housing many well known brands such as Lomography, ABC Mart, and Porter International to name a few. More window shopping and an extending shopping list.

Due to a very long event the day after, we headed back to the hotel for a well deserving rest.

A mix of Day 1 and 2