Taiwan Day 6 - Taipei (Guided Tour)

I started the day in full anticipation of good fun but then the day didn't go the way I wanted. The boys were getting restless with the endless walking and sightseeing, it wasn't their type of holiday.

But breakfast at Taipei was special as the driver took us to this handmade noodles shop. It was a mixed of our kway chay with laksa lookalike chor mee hoon. The norm would be soupy noodles with side dishes such as braised tofu. The unusual would be served as dessert with shaved ice, like our ice kacang. 

icy cold noodles

lotsa goodies after the ice melted

Syrup laded with red and green beans, grass jelly and the "pearls". It was actually quite refreshing as breakfast. After breakfast, our first stop was at the 十分. This is the place where you catch the waterfall and the opportunity to 放天灯。

waterfall backdrop

the scribbles on sky lantern

group photo with driver

The children didn't like the idea of walking under the hot sun just to glimpse at the waterfall. When we reached the shop to get our own lantern, they refused to listen to instruction and dribble ink all over the floor, their pants and hands. The mess totally freaked me out and both weren't at their best behaviour either.

the still functioning train station

While travelling to 九份, the boys took turns to nap and only myself and mum got down for photography session.

yin yang sea

mineral enriched waterfall

Soon we reached 九份，the driver gave us specific instruction after alighting because that place was notorious for parking. After alighting, the boys needed to use the washroom and as usual, they broke into a fight for a trivial matter - who got to wash his hands first. That was a terrible day, with sun, lots of walking and a pair of quarrelsome boys. Their bickering distracted us from walking the right way and we had to backtrack terribly to find our way out.


If you have been to 九份, you would know it is a place with steps and more steps. We hadn't lunch and the boys although had milk were getting extremely cranky from the walks and tiredness. We finally got a place at 阿妹茶楼 but I wasn't in the right mood to enjoy my tea leisurely.

I was also dismayed to know they don't serve proper food but tea and tea snacks which of course not to the delight of the boys. After resting and recovered from the hot and humid weather, we proceeded to find our way to the right spot to wait for the driver. By then, it was already near dinner time. The driver had planned to bring us to Rou He night market.


I had actually wanted to return to apartment instead because of the terrible crankiness from the boys. But they promised they would walk without fussing and eat without fussing so, we made it to our 2nd night market.

group photo

the other end of the night market

We had dinner at one of the eateries at the night market and then bought snacks along the way. Rou He night market was of a smaller scale than Feng Jia and Shilin but that was fine because our energy level was not high to begin with. A smaller night market suited us perfectly.

That night also marked the end of the driver service. I thought he was rather good, patient with the children and he doesn't recommend us expensive dinning joints or places of interest. So that day, we bid him farewell and gave him a red pocket (tip) for his service.


We didn't have a good time during the day with all the fussing, tantrums and terrible humid hot weather. But once back at the minsu, it was relief for us with the space and aircon. I prep-talked the boys on their behaviour because it would be a free&easy day for us the next day. We had made plan to visit Taipei101. By the time we all turned in, it was close to midnight and 2 more days to the end of our holiday.