Taipei - Sunday 12 May 2019

Headed to Ximen MRT to meet the shuttle bus to Juifen and Shifen. Got there early so wandered around Ximending, which is a hip nightlife area. Quite dead on a Sunday morning though !

Ximen Red House in Ximending...

Caught the shuttle to Juifen - about one hour. As it gets very busy we had to transfer to a local bus for the last 10 minutes. Cost of the local bus was NTD15 - about A$0.75.

This is Juifen Old Street which is really just 2 long laneways with lots of food vendors...

Eggs with the shells broken ?

Juifen is at the north of Taiwan and overlooks the sea...

Saw this door and had to see where it went...

The other street was just a staircase...

I had tea at the (apparently famous) teahouse...

Then got back on the shuttle bus and drove to Shifen Waterfall...

Walked over this suspension bridge...

My new hat...

More food stalls !

Then bus took us to Shifen Old Street. I liked it here. Lots of food stalls either side of an active train track. Tradition is to write wishes on lanterns and set them to the sky for good luck...

I felt pretty foreign here. Not many white guys and not much English...

A whistle blows when the train comes through...

Jing'An Suspension Bridge...

Washing the dishes for the adjoining restaurant. This happens in Hong Kong too...

Tried the local delicacy - chicken wings stuffed with sticky rice. It was good...

Painting the lanterns...

Bamboo wind chimes...

Back to Taipei and MRT back to apartment. Tired now so headed to the night market close by for dinner. Tried these candied tomatoes (I didn't know they were candied when I ordered !)...

Found the banana roti. Nice but somehow not as good as the one in Hoi An...

Taipei - Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May 2019

It's a long weekend in Hong Kong so I thought I'd head to Taipei as I have never been there.

Short flight after work on Friday night. Caught the Airport MRT and then the local MRT to Taipei 101 / World Trade Centre MRT. Airbnb host met me and walked me to the apartment. He then took me to the nearby night market (Tonghua) for dinner. He ordered...

The loft apartment was nice. Not big...

Saturday morning I found an Australian cafe close by and had a very good breakfast...

Walked to the start of the Elephant Trail hike. Passed by Taipei 101 which is impressive and visible everywhere...

Lots of scooters, but not like Vietnam...

On the trail...

Then I caught the MRT to Taipei Zoo and got the Maokong Gondola to Maokong... 

Had some tea...

Caught the MRT back to Taipei and then to Beitou. On the way we passed the very famous Grand Hotel...

Beitou is the hot springs area - just a northern suburb of Taipei...

Beitou Library...

Went to a traditional hot spring, Longnice. NTD150 (AUD7) for a soak. It was very hot - about 44 degrees...

Went back to the apartment and changed. Headed to W Hotel for a drink...

Bar at The W...

Then to Ximending for dinner. This is Ximen Red House...

Shanghai - April 2019

First trip since December. No need to go as frequently this year as the project I was leading has completed.

Came in on Easter Sunday and spent Monday with some Sydney friends who are visiting.

Stayed at The Langham the first night as I had a free night and it is still my favourite hotel in the world I think. I then moved to Intercontinental Pudong which is close to my office.

Sunday night I had hotpot in Xintiandi...



Tofu in brown sugar. Yum !

Buffet breakfast was included and it's really good. There's even a noodle making guy...

On Easter Monday, I took my friends around Xintiandi and the French Concession which are areas that I know well.

Had a break at Coffee at Uncle No Names in the French Concession...

Tian Zi Fang in the French Concession...

Street scene in the French Concession...

Headed to the South Bund Fabric Market to have some suits made...

Being measured for a new suit...

Ended the day with a well deserved drink at Calix in Xintiandi...

Tuesday I headed to work. Here's the view from my office...

On the Tuesday night I took my friends to Lost Heaven on the Bund, and Sir Elly's at the Peninsula...

Had a bit of trouble getting a taxi back to our hotel and had to agree a fixed fare in the end. But we made it.

Found a local area on my way to pick up my suit at South Bund Fabric Market...

Love my new suit...

My friends headed back to Sydney and on my last night I went to Flair at the Ritz Carlton. Wasn't a great night but this bar had been on my list for a while. There was some function for the motor show and I only got in as I was by myself. Had dinner and drinks here then walked back to the Intercontinental, 2.4 km straight down Century Ave.

Next day headed back to Hong Kong.