Sunday, August 12, 2018
Just north of Manila, Taiwan beckons with its quiet, gentrified charm. I've always wanted to visit Taipei, thanks to the allure of old town tea houses, character cafés and bubble milk tea. So during one long weekend, I took the opportunity to give Taipei a visit and explore its city and out of town attractions.
Things I love about Taipei:
1. The convenience stores- Just like Japan, Taiwanese 7-11s and local kombinis are full of quirky, cute stuff and affordable take away meals. The assortment of milk tea products on the shelf is amazing as well! They also have gachapon machines outside the the convenience stores. Yay!
2. Eslite Bookstore- One reason I will go back to Taipei in a heartbeat.
3. Character cafés- I love Rilakkuma Café and I hope to visit Gutedama Chef Café and Moomin Cafe the next time around.
4. Tea Culture- Next to Japan, the Taiwanese are crazy about their mountain grown leaf teas and bubble milk teas. Taiwanese leaf teas are beyond delicious.
5. Easy transportation and connectivity- Yes, the hallmark of a true cosmopolitan city likeTaipei.
6. Counting Mercedes Benz cars- I read in a National Geographic Magazine many years ago that Taiwan has the highest concentration of Mercedes Benz cars. It is indeed true. While waiting for the pedestrian light to go green, I actually counted more than 20 Benzes at one time. BMW comes second.
7. Taiwanese people are very friendly, polite and very sweet!
8. Lastly, Taiwan loves cats! If you look at the map, Taiwan is shaped like a sitting cat. Outside Taipei they even have Houtong Cat Village which unfortunately I was not able to visit due to time constraints.
Xie xie Taipei! Till next time!
Xie xie Taipei! Till next time!
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| The 360 degree observatory at the 89th floor |
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The view from Taipei 101
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| Taipei is every biker's dream |
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| Look up! |
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| Jiufen's Amei Teahouse |
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| Teahouse across Amei's |
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| Too many teas, too little time |
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| Taiwanese candy shop in Jiufen |
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| One of the many shops devoted cat lovers |
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| Cute but pricey good at Hands Tailung (Tokyo Hands) |
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| More cute stuff at Eslite Bookstore |
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| Rilakkuma Cafe in Taipei |
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| Coffee with Irvin Walsh |
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| Saving time by booking tours and experiences with KKday and Klook |
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| Souvenir stall at Shine Old Street |
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| Souvenirs in Shifen Old Street |
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| A red hot Tesla |
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Peaches, plums and lychee
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Sunday, July 8, 2018
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| Nice, cushy interiors and cute decor |
When I visited Taipei last month, I made Rilakkuma Cafe in Da'an District one of my must-visit food places. Aside from the fact that I'm a huge fan of this cute San-X character, I love visiting theme cafes or cat cafes wherever I get to travel.
After visiting the iconic Taipei 101 observatory and quick lunch at Mos Burger at the Taipei food hall, me and my friend checked our Google maps on how to get to Rilakkuma Cafe by foot. The summer weather was quite pleasant for walking and we welcomed the opportunity to check out random little shops along the way. On the map, it seemed like Rilakkuma Cafe was a short walk from Xinyi District but it turned out to be almost a one hour walk! We arrived 30 minutes early for our restaurant reservation (conveniently done via EZ Table). Instead of coffee and cake, we decided to go for an early dinner since there were a lots of fabulous main dishes on the menu. Due to the popularity of this cafe as a family and romantic date restaurant, guests can only stay for 1.5 hours.
I had a hearty and very tasty Beef Bourguignon dish and cheesecake for dessert while my friend had Pasta Carbonara and cheesecake too. I had the mistake of ordering a really sweet peach raspberry fizz. Aww, I should have ordered coffee instead! Over-all, it was a surprisingly satisfying meal. Rilakkuma Cafe ( and all other theme cafes for that matter) is quite pricey but then at least the food looks and tastes great. I loved the charming and relaxing ambiance too. Very kawaii!
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| Take your favourite seat |
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| Dessert comes first hehe |
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| Rilakkuma cheesecake with coffee walnut cream |
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| Pasta please! (Excuse the blurry pics) |
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| Raspberry and peach fizz. Too sweet for my liking though. |
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| Cute facade! No wonder visitors young and old troop to this theme cafe |
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| Coffee? Sweet or bitter? |
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| Rilakumma's sweet goodies |
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| How about some Rilakkuma merch on the way out? |
Till next time, Rilakkuma Cafe!
Sunday, May 27, 2018
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Siargao is ideal for surfers but for non-surfers like me, the activities to enjoy are limited to island hopping, hanging out at the Boardwalk, sunset watching, sleeping in and exploring random shops and eateries. It's easy to get bored after a couple of days. The island is not that commercially infiltrated so the choices in retail, cuisine and activities are quite limited. The accommodations are simple and humble, true to the island's primitive, laidback vibe. Overall I had an enjoyable stay and I forgot my cares and worries for a while.
In the meantime, stay green and wild Siargao!
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| Hop aboard my tiny boat |
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Crystalline waters of the purest hues surround Siargao's most popular island hopping destinations- Naked, Dako and Guyam Islands.
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| Docking in Guyam Island's craggy shores |
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| Island kids rollin' in the biggest sandbox of them all |
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| The best vantage point to feel like a real islander is in Guyam Island |
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| Warm tidal pools in Guyam Island to wade and soak in |
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Stopping by Naked Island for a quick dip. Living up to its name, the island (more like an exposed sandbar walkable in 5 minutes) is tiny, pristine and comically bare. Some enterprising people have planted a baby palm tree in the middle of the island. It's not so naked after all, haha.
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| Wallowing in pure bliss in Naked Island |
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| A fiery sunset caps a surfing session at Cloud 9, Siargao |
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| The surfing tower at Boardwalk, Cloud 9 in General Luna is Siargao's iconic structure. Recently closed for maintenance, the tower is a gateway to the island's best waves. Made of old, decaying wood, the structure can only acommodate a maximum of 100 people at a given time. |
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| Riding out into the sunset |
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| Waves are calling like a siren's song |
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| Exposed coral beds during low tide |
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| Non-surfers can enjoy a panoramic view of advanced surfing action during from the 3-storey platform. The area is characteristically dotted with coral beds, making it a challenging surfing area for beginners. |
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| Surfers heading home before the platform closes at 6pm. |
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| The signature Siargao sunset |
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| Siargao's culinary secret spot. The food is good and memorable. |
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| Kermit's Napolitana pizza with DIY toppings |
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| Kermit's fresh salad |
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| Authentic Indonesian breakfast fare at Warung |
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| Super filling and annoyingly healthy Cloud 9 Kook smoothie bowl and coffee combo at Shaka Siargao Cafe Gallery |
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| Plenty of coconut juice for sure |
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| A magnificent view of Pilar's coconut plantations en route to Mapupungko tidal pools |
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| Hey, look up and watch out for falling coconuts! |
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It's best to visit Mapupungko tidal pools during low tide (usually between 12nn-3 pm). It's an hour away from General Luna.
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| Enchanting, ethereal, mysterious natural bathtubs that appear and disappear in the ebb and flow |
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| Cliff diving, anyone? |
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| That Dave Matthews Band song playing in my head |
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| Eat, sleep, surf. Repeat. |
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| Golden hour in Siargao |
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| Japanese cruiser bicycles are a cheap mode of transport. One can rent a bike for Php 150 good for one day. |
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| The friendliest dogs can be found in Siargao Island |
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Habal habal (single motorcycle) and tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) are the only modes of transport in Siargao. The island is also best explored on a bicycle since there are practically no rough roads.
 Yay, we had a great time, Siargao! Thank you for the memories. |
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