Hong Kong - January and February 2020

January was a crazy month re travel. Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei !

Callum came back with me from Singapore and spent a few days with me and Alex, who is doing an internship in Hong Kong at Calibrate by Stephanie.

So nice to be in HK and getting back to relative normality.

Weekends are all about hiking, gym and food ! I enjoy my weekend breakfasts at home.

Panic buying has kicked in due to the Corona Virus. Rice, water and toilet paper...

Ice cream with Alex and Callum at Barista by Givres !

Street scene in Kennedy Town...

Took Alex to my favourite Shanghainese place in Kennedy Town...

We walked back to Central via Instagram Pier...

The virus is having an effect on work and life. We are letting people work from home as are most businesses. Schools are closed and government employees are working from home. Hongkongers are crazy stressed. Expats are pretty cool about it. So much mis-information online...

First wear of my Shanghai-made linen jacket...

Tai Kwun dessed up for Lantern Festival...

Went to Dragonfly Bar in Tai Kwun one night...

My Ikea candle collapsed and made some nice artwork...

One night went to the bar on the Discovery Bay Ferry Terminal. Cool views...

Went to a Thai place in Wan Chai that I had heard about called Samsen. Modern Thai and it was tasty...

And after went to the bar at The Upper House. Pretty swish...

One Sunday I went to Pure gym in ICBC and then to Hong Kong Park which I hadn't been to since I arrived.

Found a new lunch place in Sheung Wan...

Spending a lot of time at gym. Here I am doing core...

My new Esprit shirts...

Taipei - Monday 27 January 2020

Got up and had breakfast in the hotel. Not good. I love Chinese food, but not the breakfasts and this was very local. Checked out and headed back to Hotel Papa Whale in Taipei and left our bags.

View over the park from our hotel room..

Then headed to Juifen by MRT and then bus. It's in the northern part of Taiwan and about a 2 hour bus ride. Took a look at Juifen Old Street and had some lunch. Then had a coffee.

Looking down to Keelung...



That's Mount Keelung in the background which we are about to climb...

Then hiked up Mount Keelung which is nearby. It's very cold but at least not raining today.

We are on the northwest coast of Taiwan now...

Coming back down...

We then headed back to Taipei and checked into the hotel. Had a snack of mango sorbet as Alex was hungry...



That night we headed to Ningxia Night Market for dinner which was walking distance from our hotel. Tried some different foods and headed back. Then had a cocktail at a nearby bar which was done out like a barber shop and I think that's what is used to be...

The next day when leaving I had some black sesame mochi at the Cathay Lounge. Not bad...

At least the Cathay Lounge is generous...

Taipei - Sunday 26 January 2020

Sunday we went to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. Some impressive buildings...

Photobombed !

And again !

After that, we caught the MRT to Taipei 101 and had breakfast. It's miserable and means we can't do the Elephant Mountain hike we wanted to do.

So we checked out and caught the MRT to Beitou the hot springs area in the northern suburbs of Taipei. Checked in to the Atami Hotel which had a hot spring as part of the hotel. It is in a place called Xinbeitou.

We had a rest and a hot spring. That night, we went and found dinner and then went to a bar. It is really cold and rainy and there's not much around to do.

Taipei - Saturday 25 January 2020

Decided to take Alex who is currently staying with me, to Taiwan for Chinese New Year.

I went last year and did Taipei, Juifen and Shifen. This time I want to explore the countryside. However it is Chinese New Year and things may be either closed or busy.

Arrived on Friday night on Cathay - easy 1.5 hour flight. Caught the airport high speed rail to Taipei Main Station and walked about 700m to my hotel with the weirdest name ever - Hotel Papa Whale. But was excellent; cheap, trendy and well located.

Woke up on Saturday and went for a random walk. I have no plans and Alex doesn't arrive until this afternoon.

I liked the look of this. Taipei North Gate...



Then I came to a nice park. It is overcast but not too cold.

Then found the National Taiwan Museum...

Next stop, the Office of the President...

Kept walking. Lots of nice architecture...

Found Huashan 1914 Creative Park and bought some food. It's like an outdoor market but very quiet. To be fair, it is the first day of the Year of the Rat and the whole city is quiet !

This made me laugh...

Then caught the MRT to Taipei 101 to get a coffee at a place I went to last time. Decorations for Chinese New Year look great...

The headed to the Red House area for lunch. This cost NTD100 which is A$5...

Later I picked up Alex from Taipei Main Station. We had a rest then headed to Taipei 101. The weather wasn't good so options were limited.

We then caught an Uber to Lehua night market and had some food. It was pretty busy...

Had an orange juice...

Alex wasn't feeling well so we didn't stay long and Ubered back to the hotel and crashed.