Leon's Boulevard of Unspoken Dreams

Day 93 (Tues) *Taipei Day 4*

Rain Rain Rain...Rain probably sums up the whole of today...in fact rain is actually an understatement...severe tropical storms is probably the right word...and actually there's a weather report saying a typhoon is building up somewhere near Taiwan...oh man doesn't sound too good...if the home flight is gonna be delayed due to the typhoon and we end up stuck in Taipei...there's is seriously nothing i can say man...what can happen already happen...a typhoon delaying my trip back home is really the last straw...plzz typhoon stay away...

to add on to the spooky trail from the previous day...it was another night of spasm for me...haha...and Ken also saw it this time...happened like close to sunrise though so still not so bad for JK's sleep...and this time to top it off...i was even talking in my sleep and according to JK...this was what i said which i found to be amazingly funny..."H.O.T Hot!" hahahaha...in the middle of the night i juz exclaimed that...hahaha...and i actually spell out the whole "HOT" word...they say prob sun rising than getting warmer to the ghost...or maybe it's not some ghost on me in the end lah...prob i was juz having some ludicrous dream in faraway Malibu Beach filled with bikini-clad bronzed tanned babes...LOL...

took some pics of our hostel before leaving the house...the living room painted an errie shade of red

the main hallway of the hostel...so many clocks but lucky no old Grandfather's clock...heh...

the kitchen...small but has every necessary stuff

the laundry area...next to the kitchen

the bathroom...3 in total...so more than adequate

one of those cheeky notices by the manager

our bedroom...very small and cramped...lucky got aircon

relaxing in the living room while waiting for the rest to get ready...ermm wrong magazine to start the day

At the main door of the building which housed my hostel

on this rainy and gloomy day...we still decided to go ahead with our plans...to scale up the tallest building in the whole wide world...Taipei 101!! i muz really take my hats off to the pple who dare to conceptualise, design andden build the tallest building in the world in an highly earthquake prone zone...though the weather is not kind to us today...we still decided to try our luck and go up to take a look...so after another heartwarming chinese breakfast at a nearby kopitiam...took the MRT to the financial district of Taipei...the Taipei City Hall MRT station...and true enough...the stubborn rain refuse to cease and we end up stuck with the Taipei business crowd seeking shelter at the MRT...waited for like 15 minutes before spotting there's actually a free shuttle from the station to 101...damn lucky...hopped on the mini bus but too bad the rain still can't be avoided in the end...got ourselves drenched coz there was no shelter at the bus stop...wah kaoz...

a rainy day...not the best day to go up the world's tallest building

hang ard the shopping center of 101...wah the shops all quite high class one...reminds me of Paragon back home...found a counter selling Taiwanese dried Bak kwa and pork floss...decided to buy a few packets and bring home on Thursday...the guy selling bah kwa was quite chatty...asked us why come visit Taipei during their typhoon season...haha...we didn't know now is their typhoon season in the 1st place and the past few days of weather has been fine what...

the interior of Taipei 101...1st 5 floors are mainly designer boutiques and branded shops

made the decision to still go ahead and buy the tickets after the rain has simmered down a bit...don't know is the bad weather or simply the lack of attraction...like got no pple going up the 101 like that...so unlike Empire State where we had to queue like hell and pass thru many layers of security before we got up...here we simply walk to the counter, got our ticket, passed by one zhuo bo security guard and we are up watching the Taipei city skyline from the obsevatory...

the observatory ticket counter...empty queues apparently

the Taipei 101 observatory tickets

taking one shot with 101 before going up

inside the world's fastest elevator

the weather is still quite dull but overall still can get a rather clear view of the Taipei skyline...at least this time they give u the audio tour for free unlike the Empire State...as you walk from point to point...the audio talkie u r holding will tell u some of the famous landmarks of Taipei city and their brief history...more informative than Empire State...but to be honest i am not as impressed as i was compared to the Manhattan skyline...Taipei city seems to be more complex than Manhattan and a little bit more messier...unlike Manhattan where the roads and avenues are clearly defined...and also not much of sea view unlike Manhattan which was surrounded by the picturesque Hudson River...but the mountainous lushes of greens that dot the cityscape prob made up for that...or maybe unlike Empire State the observatory is indoors so u don't feel shiok without gushes pf strong winds hitting u...or maybe the Manhattan skyline had last such a lasting impression on me that the view from 101 seems so inferior now...ahhhh whatever i was much more charmed by Empire State...prob that explains the lack of tourists even though it is like the tallest building in the world...

ladies and gentlemen...presenting Taipei City from the world's tallest building

the weather has been kind to us...still manage quite clear views from on top 101

Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall from 101

this is the 4 beast mountain...the 4 beasts are namely leopard, tiger, lion and elephant

Taipei is much more complex or messier than Manhattan

the world's largest dampener...the trick to building the world's tallest building in an active earthquake zone

another remarkable feat having the world's fastest elevators

the sparse observatory of Taipei 101...with hardly any one...

so disappointing...i am even shorter than the miniature 101

"yah help me release the 500 lots asap..." talking to my broker while admiring the city view of Taipei

what are the 3 peeping toms looking at??

with Ken at Taipei 101

and Ms Kerrine...the lady of our Taipei travel group

a Group shot up at the world's tallest building

stomaches began to growl aft staying up at the observatory for abt an hour...we decided that's it for 101 and went down to the foodcourt for lunch...had a damn superb meal for lunch...wah very fufilling though it's not that cheap by singapore's foodcourt standard...but it's indeed $$ well spent...

fantastic lunch of tepanyaki squid and chicken chop

yeaah baby!! thumbs up for this meal!

We decided to head to the Presidential Palace, Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall and Chang Kai Shiek Memorial Hall aft lunch if weather permits...Ken decided not to join us knowing him as an english potato and typical AC boy...for me still got some interest aft merging myself with chinese literature during my cat high days...haha...so the plan was for him to go hang ard at Xi meng ding while we go these places den at nite i will meet him for Shilin night market while JK and Kerrine go to the temple since it's the 15th day of the lunar 7th month...

but the plan was not to be...the rain got heavier and longer...we end up stuck at New York New York the shopping center next to 101 for like close to 2 hours...we simply cannot go anywhere with such heavy rain...even umbrella would not have helped much...but at least we bought some taiwanese delicacies like muay chee, plums and sun biscuits (directly translated from tai yang bing) at NYNY...so change of plans...decided to go tml instead...while Kerrine and JK go off to the temple straight...i will go back put the stuff andden go and meet ken...

Taipei 101...from right underneath it this time

New York New York...where we seek refuge from the torrential rain

stuck with our taiwanese snacks at NYNY for a good 2 hours

a rain-soaked Taipei Tuesday

was juz thanking my lucky stars as i walked out of zhong xiao xin sheng MRT with 4 paper bags in hand...the rain had simmered down to a drizzle and i decided to juz walk back...nb who knows suddenly got heavier midway and i was not even halfway to the hostel...was completely defenceless against such strong boutf of rain coupled with winds...and here i was standing underneath a broken tree desperately counting down the seconds for the green man again...ran as i might...finally got back to the hostel...drenched from top to toe...haven't been caught in such inclement weather for a long time...i don't mind if it is juz me but i was holding on to 4 paper bags with fragile bisuits inside...thank goodness the bags managed to hold all the way until one tore when i got back to the hostel...andden i realise something...my shades are gone!! wah kaoz i hang it on my shirt and muz have dropped it while running...wah lau the shades got sentimental value one loh...bought it frm Wilmington right aft my accident and now it is gone...sighzz...should have juz hang on my head like i always do den it won't get lost liao...sighzz

took a warm shower and took the train to Jian Dan where i was supposed to meet Ken at 8pm...got there early and we made a deal if whoever don't turn up in half an hour the other party will juz go ahead to shilin...wait wait wait...8.30pm liao...was all prepared to go shilin myself on this drizzling nite...walked over to the next platform den realise there are actually 2 control stations...and juz saw ken in time as he was abt to leave too...end up waiting for each other at both ends for an unnecessary 30 minutes!! wah kaoz...

went to eat the must-try chicken chop...wah superb!! super big piece for only 2 sing dollars...walk ard the food market andden to the shopping district...rain was to interrupt our night at shilin incessantly...rain den stop...rain den stop repeatedly...end up didn't really shop much also...and shooting basket at a pao pao cha shop...haha...2 clowns shooting basket at shilin...blame it on the weather...decided to call the night early at ard 11plus and head back to rest...after what is a literally rain-interrupted day...