Day 5: Exploring Taipei City...

~ 18th March 2014~

Got map, can travel...

After getting a few hours of sleep, we were finally up. The first time when I knew my travel buddy, she would wake up only after 12p.m. This time round, she has changed. She woke up earlier than I do. We got ourselves ready with all my extra baggage and we were good to go. Got map, can travel.

Breakfast.... *slurp slurp slurp*

Those were for our breakfast. There were so many things to buy at 7-11. It was really a convenience store with tables and chairs, a microwave oven to make instant noodles. There was so much to eat at 7-11 and we could spent all our money there buying nonsense. We wanted to try all the different drinks and we thought that's it for our breakfast. Seems like age is catching up on us. We needed solid food for breakfast. My hubby 'trained' my stomach to have breakfast. I couldn't survive without breakfast now unless I was really busy. Working keeps the hunger pressed down and forgotten but the consequence of suffering from gastric pain for the whole day after that wasn't worth living for. For this trip, we promised ourselves not to go hungry but to stop for food whenever we were hungry.

The cold noodles...

We walked passed a few restaurants which were still not open for business. Oh, boy. No coffee shops like back home. Then, we came across a shop selling noodles. There was a list of what they have to offer written on the blackboard. I couldn't understand a single bean sprout words. That's how sad it felt like to be an illiterate. My travel buddy made the order. It was cold noodles, what the locals would have for breakfast? I don't see other patrons walking in. It was just us but the lady was really friendly. You want to know the exact taste? It was just plain cold yellow noodles which you were then given the peanut gravy, just like the peanut gravy for satay minus the spiciness. They have a different kind of spiciness. I would prefer the Malaysian style of spiciness. You mix everything together and start eating. It's cold. Just cold. And I don't like cold noodles. Sorry.... 

The bank which wouldn't accept MYR...

Next, we went bank hunting. We ran out of cash, yeah, can you imagine that? Just one day and we ran out of NT$. Whatever happened to our NT$30 000? Gone.... buying nothing. We didn't have any shopping done right until the last day. No shopping done whatsoever. First Bank wouldn't accept Malaysian Ringgit. It was my first time travelling until we were short of cash. The only bank which accepted Malaysian Ringgit was the Bank of Taiwan. I did not take the photo of the bank, I don't know why, but the exchange rate was really low. We lose out a lot, a lot. Next time we would travel with USD with us to be on the safe side.

Ready to take on the city~!

Finally, we were loaded with cash~! We could take on the world~! We're happy, no longer worried about not having anything for dinner. Pinky was more worried about not having her bowl of rice for dinner later. We just had our breakfast and she was worried about her dinner~!! 

Fruits by the roadside...

Taiwan also has people selling their stuff under the flyover. We saw this before we found the bank. We wanted to buy some fruits but at that point of time, you wouldn't want to know how poor we were that we couldn't even afford to buy a small basket of fruits. If anyone was to rob us at that point of time, we would turn very violent and rob the robbers back. There are two types of people whom one shouldn't disturb. The first would be the hungry ones. A hungry person can turn into the nastiest person you could ever imagine. The second type was the one who has nothing yet you still want to take away what only thing they have. 

Food.... and more food.... nasi kandar of Taipei~!

There was not much difference between Georgetown in Penang and Taipei City. There are stalls being manned by the roadside. Looks like pasembur to me but it was actually a lot of stuff selling in one stall. It was just too complicated for me to comprehend and the smell wasn't really enticing. Well, we just had our breakfast, we could wait to have our lunch next.

The Swiss-rolls that inspired me to make my own...

I couldn't remember what we were doing at Taipei Central but we were mesmerized by the many things that they have. There were lots of delicacies, modern ones to be exact. Even the packaging looked rather attractive. I wouldn't mind buying the empty boxes. And then, we were seduced to buy these giraffe patch, cow patch and leopard spots Swiss-rolls. Damn... it was for NT$399, that was RM40++ for three small Swiss-rolls. I was adamant to make my own when I'm home. If you have seen my Facebook album of 3-D Swiss-rolls, I have made it.

You know my new neighbour mentioned that it is dangerous to have me standing at anyone's kitchen. I would just stand there quietly and start processing what you are doing. Before you know it, I have perfected what you are producing from your kitchen at the first try. That's the mentality of the Chinese from China. The copycat mentality... you can't blame me for that. My grandparents seriously came from China.

Reminds me of home....

We took the Metro Train and stopped somewhere at the Shihlin Station, if I'm not mistaken. We were trying to follow our agenda of the day. In the end, I have to say that we failed doing so. It was just a guideline for us. For our next travel together, we would wise up and no longer spend so many hours doing research because we were both not able to follow any of our plans. It was spring in Taiwan when we were there but the weather has not been really kind. It wasn't raining, which we should thank God for, but it was hotter than back at home. We were really sweating and I do not enjoy walking while sweating profusely. It felt like the sun was just an arm's length away, threatening to melt us in no time at all. All along the way, I was just looking at rows and rows of shop lots. I told myself that I need to start walking the streets at the Heritage Trail of Penang which was so near my house but I wouldn't bother walking. I need to change my homely lifestyle. I love sitting at home and travelling at the same time.

Chowrasta market?

Aww... that's a cute sloppy dog. Taiwan really has it to be a country to attract tourists. 

Me on the heavy side...

Let's go~!!!! This was just our second day.... eleven more days to go and more places to cover on foot~!