I want Taiwan!

Taiwan is situated north of Manila and just two hours by plane.  

We were booked on a roundtrip to Taipei via Cebu Pacific at P4,500 per person. great deal huh!

A valid US visa is all you need to apply for a Taiwan visa online and its for free.

Walking through the pages of agoda, booking and hotels.com  helped me decide on my choice of hotel. I opted for a 3 star San Want Hotel at the Zhongxiao East Road which is in the centre of the metropolis.

 It cost P20,000 for 4 nights accommodation with buffet breakfast included.

Taiwan is a very developed country.  I was impressed with their airport during layover on my trips to the US with their aircraft carrier Eva airlines.  I was even more enthused when I saw the city. Taiwan is simply awesome!

Day 1 we strolled around... going to nearby areas of our hotel…Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei's main boulevard. I also collected my race kit for the Nike All Womens run at a nearby mall.

First stop... Sun Yat -Sen Memorial  Hall with a lot of Chinese tourist.

Next is their famous Taipei 101.. the worlds tallest building from 2004-2010 until Burj Khalifa took over.

Having seen both I was more impressed with Taipei 101 because of more detailed ornate outside which is like a tall bamboo-shaped skyscraper.

 Their metro train in getting around the city was a very convenient and cheap way to go around and immerse in their daily life. It cost only P30.00 for the first five stations.

One can also buy one day unlimited pass ticket anywhere in the city for P225.00

Nighttime we tried their famous street food in Ximending and shop our way around the alleys . It was a busy place with shops, restaurants, street foods and youngsters dancing in the middle of the road.

Day 2 we were southbound   to Maokong Mountain by cable car. It was a 5km stretch of greeneries covering the entire route.  Taipei zoo is just nearby but we did not explore the area.

In the afternoon we went to Xinbeitou Hotspring. There was immense heat from the Thermal Valley complete with putrid sulfuric smell.  We soaked our tired body in one if their spring hotels. It was a refreshing treat after a busy day.

Taiwan is also famous for their night market. The biggest is Shalin night market which is a lot better than the Waifu night market  that my kids decided to go back there and explore some more. 

Day 3..One of the reasons I want to go to Taiwan is to see this Jianguo Holiday Flower Market which opens only during weekends. This place is situated  under the long stretch overpass which sells practically all kinds of flora, garden tools and what have you in the plant kingdom on a much cheaper price that here.

If only I can bring them home! Im planning to bring my mom here next time.  This is a heaven for us plant lovers.

 I bought some new pruning scissors. Chose some cactus for my mom

and some bougainvillea plants as this is my current favourite.

I also bought some plants not seen in our local gardens around.

Day 4 My big day as I did a 21k run with the Taipei 101 as my backdrop and Taipei city hall as starting line.

The entire run was delightful and pleasurable as I passed by their stunning temples, sexy hawaiian palms laid out on their road capped with the cool  weather breeze.  All gave the perfect ambience. I did it in 2:31 !

 Seeing my husband and son at the finish line made this run truly memorable .

Even if my legs felt tired I was still in high spirit. We went all the way to Danshuei by train that took us almost an hour. This was a more relaxing place away from the bustling city.  We also went to see their picturesque fisherman wharf and the famous Lover's bridge...location of most taiwanese love story movies.

What a busy and memorable 4 day streak to Taipei.

It was like hitting three birds in one stone as I get to run, collect some plants and explore the city.
Cant wait to go back there. There are still so many places to discover.