But how much can you blog in one sitting?! Haha!

Anyway, my journey to Taiwan was done during Winter  as you know. In fact, while we were there, it was the coldest time of the year cause of the cold front coming in from China. This was an ideal time for me to travel cause I have eczema and they do not appear in this kind of weather. Furthermore, that means its OFF PEAK season, meaning everything is like 99% cheaper, like accommodation, and travel fares. Also, I get to wear clothes in ways that would be impossible and insane to do in Brunei. Haha. Will try to blog as much as I can today so here goes!

Day 1 – The Journey

1. Brunei International Airport

Photo by Gzul.

Yea, many people turned up. It’s like we were going away for 3 years or something. Huhuhu! Thank you my darlings!

2. Kota Kinabalu International Airport

I love this airport. Nice and comfy, compared to the one below. But no wi-fi.

3. Kota Kinabalu International Airport, Terminal 2

This is a taxi ride away from the KKIA, T1. I wish they have regular shuttle services for tourists like us. Taxi services are ok for a Malay speaker like me, but well, the prices are so irregular.

Photo by Gzul.

While waiting for our flight at 6am, I had a very very nice sleep haha. I woke up intermittently though for toilet trips. This was the beginning of my diarrhea. Argh! Was so annoyed. Apparently I ate something bad in Brunei (maybe from Express cause I had dinner there before I left, or maybe from home. I really dunno cause I put everything into my mouth!!!). So the whole time I was in Taiwan I had diarrhea! FML. Thankfully toilets in Taiwan are located like, every 20 metres or so (must be a regulation or something) and they are generally very clean and well equipped (maybe due to the H1N1 scare last few years). Also after my trip to India, I’m really not very picky with toilets hahaha. However, I was not as energetic as I would normally be cause my appetite is not up to its usual standards. I find that I get tired faster cause I don’t eat so well so I walk well behind the rest. 😦 Maybe it’s the cold as well but yea, a damper lah.

Day 2 – Arrival and up up up we go!

4. Tao Yuan International Airport

Yeay! Arrived safely. First thing I did was poop. Check out the temperature! Was pretty cold and windy outside for thin-skinned, tropical weather Bruneians.

We applied for this and saved a lot on our touristy visits and bus rides!

While there we bought a bus ticket to Taichung. It was not in our plans. We were actually supposed to take a bus to Chiayi, but apparently the woman there said we should take the bus to Taichung and then take the train to Chiayi cause it’s faster. But there was no train to Chiayi so technically we were conned. Since when are we so gullible? Since we don’t speak Chinese that’s when.

5. Taichung

Must have been the most comfortable bus in the world! 😀 The seats were so big and plush!

Hahah we look unwilling and lost in Taichung.

Photo by Gzul.

Check out me gloves! Haha. I don’t really like to wear gloves cause it’s quite hard to take photos with them on. But while we were there it was sort of a necessity otherwise my fingers would feel weird and, crunchy.

6. Alishan Hotel

Then we took a taxi all the way to Alishan. We went up up up up.

Photo by Gzul. All shrubs and forest surrounding us. Hehe.

Photo by Taxi Driver. (From Ariffin’s camera)

We stopped for.. as usual, toilet break. My friend says the signboard means “Dangerous Mountain Area: Vomit Everywhere!”. Hahahaha.  Some of us had carsick. I just slept all the way till cannot sleep anymore!!!

Photo by Ariffin. Another stop!

And finally arrived at our hotel! 😀

We love this hotel! Great service. The guy there was so friendly and helpful. 😀

Photo by Michelle.

And so comfy! But it was soooooooooo freaking cold! Hahah. In the middle of the night, I had to wake up for poo poo and the toilet seat felt like ICE.

7. Alishan Town

That night we went around the small, modest town of Alishan. Was really cold (have I mentioned that already????!!!). Actually, according to our Taiwanese friends, Taiwanese  people usually go to Alishan during the summer when it’s really hot so they can escape the scorching sun. Of course, since we’re crazy people who do things inappropriately, we go there during winter, when everyone else avoids the place. Haha. Well, it’s not often you experience such cold weather lah. It’s summer in Brunei after all! 😛

Welcome to Alishan!

Reminds me a little bit of Temburong. Very small, very agrarian and very self-sufficient. I bet everyone knows everyone’s secrets. Hehe.

There’s a famous wolf-dog that Nonnie also saw when she was there. Haha. We avoided it cause em, well its pretty big and it randomly follows people around.

I had some Alishan Coffee, au lait, which was pretty good. 😀 Went well with the cold weather. Yummy.

Bought some tidbits at the mochi bar. Yummy! By the way check out the mochi vendor. Her features looks very malay don’t you think? My friend says she’s an Alishan local. – Photo by Ariffin

There were some clothes for sale. Typical Alishan man’s Facebook photo caption: “In my closet” – Photo by Michelle.

Gasp! They even have cut outs hehehe. Can’t resist these. They’re so touristy! – Photo by Ariffin

Met my friend in front of a Christmas tree. Haha.

Ouh this van was right outside our hotel. Selling hot, freshly baked buns. 😀 We tapaoed some and ate in the hotel. They were so nyaman and fluffy! – Photo by Ariffin

The next day we woke up SO EARLY to see the most beautiful sunrise in the world! Will blog about that in the next post. Before I leave, let me leave you with a photo of a typical ad on Taiwan TV which you’d never see in Brunei. Haha.

Hahahah! Can you believe that this is seriously only Day 2!???!! Stay tuned!!!