Sunlight or moonlight?

• Date: 22 February 2017
• Place: Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan
• Accommodation: 24US$ (1 night)
• Food: 129NT$
• Transport: Bus (TPE<–>SunMoon Lake): 820NT$

 

 

Day 4. Day 3 in Taiwan.

This morning after waking up but rolling on bed for a few hours I decided to do something productive with my life (for a change). It was then that I remembered that Minwen told me a place called Sun Moon Lake. With no plans and so on I decided that that would be my stop today.

When I got to Taipei Bus Terminal it was already noon, I bought my bus ticket and there I was, on the way to one of the biggest lakes in Taiwan if not the most.

The bus ride was quite long (270km in 5h) and maybe the most terrorific one I ever had… (my dad’s driving is not that good, you know…)😖
The bus driver would ride with the door open, no seat belts, sudden stops on the middle of the street to buy himself some food, high speed on country roads, at some point I did ask myself “How did I even got here? And why?!”

Around 5h  something after with fear…I got to the lake. Safe and sound.

I got there after 7pm and I still had to find a place to sleep…Lucky me I found a hostel called Yué Lake Hostel that still had some beds left at the female dormitory, I slept there.

I did not do much more after that, I went for a night walk to the nearest temple (Long Feng Temple), took some photos, walked around for a little bit and went to sleep.
The night view from that small temple was beautiful and it’s illumination too… If you ever go to the Sun Moon Lake I recommend spending the night and even a couple of days to relax.

Tamsui is the first stop

• Date: 20 February 2017
• Place: Tamsui, Taiwan
• Food: 170NT$
• Accommodation: Free (Couchsurfing)
• Transportation: Train (TPE-Tamsui): Free
• Others: Easy Card (transport card Taiwan): 500NT$ ; SIM Card (8 days): 800NT$

Day 1 of the trip. Day 1 in Taiwan.

I spent my the night at Taipei’s airport and I got to the first train in the morning which, for my surprise, was free. They were promoting something so it was totally free. I bought an Easy card. A card you can just charge and use as a transportation card.

First stop is at a city call Tamsui. I couchsurfed there, my host, a university student, Minwen Cheng let me use an extra room they had at a shared house. I got a SIM card before getting there and as I got lost it took me longer than expected to get to her house…

At night time, she offered me to get me a ride around the night market on her motorbike and, of course, I said YES!

That was my first time on a night market. She took me out to eat tooand she was super helpful and super simpathetic. We ate in to different places. A local vermicelli shop anda place where students usually go. After we ate we went for a walk next to the river and after all of the experience, back to the house, she introduced me to the roommate and dogs and back to “my room” to sleep.

I have to be thankful to her for lettig me surf in her house.

Thanks.

 

Taipei Station

Taipei Station

Taipei Station

Tamsui Station

Tamsui night market

Vermiccelli

Tamsui

Tamsui

Time to fly

• Date: 19 February 2017
• Place: Taipei, Taiwan
• Accomodatio: FREE (I slept at the airport)
• Food: FREE  (brought some from home)
• Others: Flight price (KIX-TPE): 150€

I love travelling but I’ve never had the opportunity to do it until recently. And this time my trip started with a “Goodbye”. 

 

 

Kansai Airport

Taipei station

Way to Taiwan from Japan

A friend of mine went back to his country the same day I departed 💔

His name is Dayan and I had a crush on him.

After living on the same College Residence in Kyoto for half a year he went back to Holland and like a good girl who have a crush on someone I choose the departing date to be able to say goodbye to him (though I never thought it would  same day same hour).

So this was my start. The 19th was the day I said goodbye to him and promised myself I would forget him, I got into a plane from Japan to Taiwan and started a 2 months backpacker trip around East Asia: Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and the Philippines.

It was time to forget and search for something more meaningful. I wanted to get lost and at some point I found a little bit of myself.

The trip started after midnight and it started with a flight deleyed  (that’s why it became the same hour of departure) a short plane ride of (around) 3 hours brought me to Taipei’s Airport where I spended my first night. Quite confy and with great Wi-Fi. I called my mum to say I got there safe and back to sleep.

Should I count this as the first day?…Nah, let’s call it Day Zero.

Travel bought to budget

My last trip around East Asia was for about 2 months, 5 counries, and less than 2000$ (planes included)

Want to know how? Keep it up!