THE WALKING TOUR IN TAIPEI - THE FINAL LEG

28th May 2016 ~ The final stage of the walking tour through the old city of Taipei brought us to Ximen. I could not really understand how we managed to get here because all this while, I had been taking the trains to all the places in Taipei. I really thought the first meeting place, which was the NTU Hospital, was quite far away from Ximen.

street artists

a monk waiting for people to give alms

the replica of the East Gate

Ximen looked somewhat different during daytime

the famous wheat noodle shop

no, I did not get a tattoo

the Red House

There was this spot near the Ximen Station where there were three statues and a map - and I knew of its existence from this tour. The two young guides, Eden and Stacey, concluded the tour here and it was worth the energy and time walking for more than three hours. 

If you want to learn more about Taipei and its history, this walking tour is the activity that you should join. Google for the website and register online beforehand. This tour is free but you are encouraged to tip at the end of it.

[MY TAIPEI TRIP MAIN PAGE]

THE WALKING TOUR IN TAIPEI - TIANHOU TEMPLE

28th May 2016 ~ Another venue visited was this Buddhist temple that was tucked away between shop houses along a busy street in Ximen, which was actually very near to my hotel. People passing by would have not noticed this holy place as it was hidden in a commercial area.

This place is called Tianhou Temple and sometimes referred to as Mazu Temple, and has been in existence since 270 years ago.

there is a library upstairs

The temple was quite small but the peaceful ambience was a contrast to the hustle and bustle city life outside. 

[MY TAIPEI TRIP MAIN PAGE]

THE WALKING TOUR IN TAIPEI - STOPPING FOR ICE-CREAM

[CONTINUATION FROM PART 1 AND PART 2]

After the long walk under the hot summer sun, we were taken to an ice-cream parlour which was situated on the first floor of a block of old shop houses building. Even the decor of the ice-cream shop was classic - with all the wooden benches, stools and walls. Even the shop counter was made from pieces of wood.

I opted for mango-flavoured ice-cream. We were told there were varieties of home-made ice-cream flavours here including ones which I had never heard before, like salty and chicken with sesame oil ice-cream. The girl from Amsterdam chose hibiscus flavour, while the Vietnamese girl from San Diego had pork floss ice-cream.

So did I rate my mango ice-cream? It was not too sweet and creamy, it tasted just like original mango. The best ice-cream ever. It was a bit expensive though. For a scoop, it cost about NT120 so it was like having Baskin Robbin's ice-cream.

The man who operated the shop even thanked me in Korean as we were going out because I was wearing a t-shirt with a Korean flag on it.

[MY TAIPEI TRIP MAIN PAGE]