Taiwan Day 5 : Taipei 101 + Jay Chou's Deja Vu Restaurant

7D Taiwan trip December 2012 : Kaohsiung + Taipei

First stop - Taipei 101

Taipei 101 was the highest building in the world until it is replaced by Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

It is quite a distance between Taipei city hall station to Taipei 101. I usually walk and enjoy the CBD area from train station to Taipei 101. 

There is also a free shuttle bus with 15 minutes interval at Taipei city hall station exit 2. 

You would be surprised to know that Taiwan is a very dogs friendly country. I mean you can see dogs everywhere, even in the shopping malls and in the shops where the shop attendents bring their pet dogs to work! Unlike Taiwan,  most hawker centers in Singapore do not allow animals in.

random pet dog in a shop

random dog on the street

;

Dogs everywhere....

Taipei 101

View from Taipei 101

Taipei 101

Address: 89F, No. 7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City

Nearest train station: Taipei City Hall station 市政府站

Entrance fee: Adult - NT$500, Children - NT$450

Operating Hours: 9am - 10pm

Next stop - Deja Vu restaurant

This fine dining restaurant is a joint venture between 2 Taiwan celebrities - a singer, Jay Chou 周杰伦, and a magician, Liu Qian 刘谦 - Magic Themed Restaurant : Deja Vu.
Out of three restaurants that Jay owned, I like this the most. I was kind of hoping to see him there but I guess I will meet him in my dream instead.

You will see Jay's bat mobile, antique piano, bike, many century-old furnitures and many props used by Liu Qian in his magic shows.

Deja Vu Restaurant

One of his proudly car collection - The Bat Mobile

Jay Chou's Deja Vu restaurant

Address: No.1, Sec. 1, Bade Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei city 100, Taiwan (台北市八德路一段一號  華山1914文創園區  中四A館 )

Nearest station: Zhongxiao Xinsheng station 忠孝新生站

Phone: 02-2396-8296

Hours: 12 pm- 12 am

Back to Taiwan Day 4 (Part 2) : Jiufen 九份 + Shifen 十分

Back to Taiwan Day 4 (Part 1) : Yehliu Geopark + Nanya RockFormation + Yin Yang Sea + Golden Waterfall
Back to Taiwan Day 3 (Taipei) : Xi Men Ding 西门町
Back to Taiwan Day 2 (Kaohsiung) : Fo Guang Shan 佛光山

Back to Taiwan Day 1 (Kaohsiung) : Dream Mall + Liu He night market

Go to Taiwan Day 6 : Yang Ming Shan Tien Lai Hot Spring +Fisherman Wharf

European Day of Jewish Culture -- Today!

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

This post also appears on my En Route blog for the LA Jewish Journal

If you're in Europe today -- Sept. 29 -- chances are that there are Jewish cultural events going on for you to visit.

Today marks the annual European Day of Jewish Culture, a pan-Europe festival that this year, with hundreds of events taking place in two dozen countries. The Day usually takes place the first Sunday of September, but was move to the end of the month because of the timing of this year's High Holidays.

Many synagogues, Jewish cemeteries and other Jewish heritage sites are open, and there are concerts, exhibits, lectures, food and wine tastings, guided tours, and more.

Depending on financial support, volunteers, local organization and other factors, some countries boast a dizzying array of events -- in Italy, arguably the most enthusiastic participant in the Day, there are events in about 60 towns, cities and villages up and down the peninsula, with Italy's president taking part in kick-off ceremonies in Naples.

In other countries there may be a few events, or even just a token event or so. I'm in Poland just now and -- despite the wealth of Jewish cultural events that go on all over Poland throughout the year -- there are only a couple of events, in Krakow, listed in the Culture Day program.

The first full edition of the European Day of Jewish Culture took place in 2000. It grew out of a 1999 conference in Paris on managing Jewish heritage in Europe. One of the presentations there was on a local “open doors” to Jewish heritage initiative in the French region of Alsace begun in 1996 as a partnership between the local tourist authority and B’nai B’rith.

After the conference, meeting of experts and activists, which I attended, decided to expand this model on a European level.

The EDJC is loosely coordinated by the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), a body formed now by B’nai B’rith Europe, the Red de Juderias de Espana-Caminos de Sefarad, and the European Council of Jewish Communities.

Each year the Day has a theme -- this year's it's Jewish Heritage & Nature. The web site puts it: "This topic gives us food for thought – is there a link, and if yes what is it between these categories, what is the interaction between them? In order to find the answers to these questions it is necessary to look for arguments and examples and define a concept for the link between them."

This year's country participants include:

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND LINKS TO ALL THE NATIONAL PROGRAMS

(Part 2) Taiwan Day 4 : Jiufen 九份 + Shifen 十分

7D Taiwan trip December 2012 : Kaohsiung + Taipei

Continue from Taiwan Day 4 (Part 1) : Yehliu Geopark + Nanya RockFormation + Yin Yang Sea + Golden Waterfall ...

Itinerary: Yehliu Geopark 野柳 -> Keelung night market 基隆廟口夜市 -> Nanya rock formation 南雅奇岩 -> Ying Yang sea 阴阳海 -> Golden waterfall -> Jiufen -> Shifen 

Next stop - Jiufen 九份

When we were in the cab heading to Jiufen, the cab driver told us a little background for Jiufen. It was initially nine families staying in this relatively isolated village on the mountain. Whenever these village people went to the town for grocery shopping or anything, they would always buy in portion for nine families. Slowly, this has earned the name for this village until today. 

Narrow Jiufen Street

Our cab driver recommended two must-try-foods in Jiufen that we must not missed.

1) 賴阿婆芋圓 + 草仔粿 (Lai ah po taroballs + taro glutinous ricecake)

2)  九份張記傳統魚丸 (fishballs)

Authetic Lai Ah Po taro balls

Taro glutinous ricecake 草仔粿 (left),  fishballs 魚丸 (right)

Local snack

Traditional Teahouses along Shuqi Street (豎崎路) - towards the end of Jiufen and is perpendicular to Jiufen

Lavender Shop

Customized made / Recycle denims clothes and bags

Roads up to Jiufen

Breathtaking scenary from Jiufen

Several movies chose to shoot here and the movies won international acknowledgement. A film "A City of Sadness" has won first prize in Venice Film Festival and awakened people's memory of Jiufen.

Jiufen 九份

Address: Ruijin Hwy, Ruifang District, New Taipei City

Last stop - Shifen 十分 (Sky lantern)

Took the rail train from Houtong station to Shifen train station. Around 20 minutes ride for NT$15.

The main tourist attraction here is to put sky lantern 放天灯 ! Both stretch of shop houses mainly sell sky lanterns with railway in the middle where train will be passing by anytime. 

Train railway in the middle

Whole street of sky lanterns

Up up in the sky

mini light lantern souvenir to bring back homeland

My cab driver bought fire crackers and put for us to see. Never knew they can have fireworks whenever they want. Too bad, we were busy admiring the fireworks till we forgot to take any pictures.  

Till next time...

Shifen 十分

Address: Ping River (Pingsi) Township, New Taipei City

Back to Taiwan Day 4 (Part 1) : Yehliu Geopark + Nanya RockFormation + Yin Yang Sea + Golden Waterfall
Back to Taiwan Day 3 (Taipei) : Xi Men Ding
Back to Taiwan Day 2 (Kaohsiung) : Fo Guang Shan 佛光山

Back to Taiwan Day 1 (Kaohsiung) : Dream Mall + Liu He night market

Go to Taiwan Day 5 : Taipei 101 + Jay Chou's Deja Vu Restaurant

Kampua Mee 干盘麵 from Intat Restaurant at Taman Indahpura, Kulaijaya.

The Intat Restaurant 运达茶餐室 (N1.64242 E103.61460) is located at Jalan Kenanga 29/17 of Taman Indahpura, Kulaijaya. The restaurant is behind the back row of shop lots which do not facing the main road, and it's take time to search for it sometime...

Intat Restaurant

The shop is a simple and traditional Chinese kopitiam style, and they are popular with the Kampua mee 干盘麵 and Sarawak laksa. The owner said they started the business since 12 years ago...

The environment of Intat Restaurant

The Kampua mee is originated from the Fu Chow of Sibu - Sarawak. It's a bit similar with the local wan tan mee (云吞麵), similar topping...but the noodle is more eggy, hard and springy. Normally the Kampua mee is serve with minced pork, BBQ pork and shallots with dark soy sauce. But the version from Intat Restaurant was slightly different where they added some crunchy roasted pork on it, we like it very much!

Kampua mee (noodle) originated from Sibu - Sarawak

Beside the Kampua mee, we also won't miss out the Sarawak Laksa which also selling from the same shop.
The different with Sarawak laksa and local JB laksa is the gravy without Santan (coconut milk), and it taste with mild curry flavor. Normally the laksa serve in yellow noodle or mee-hoon (vermicelli) with prawns, bean sprouts, fish cake and eggs. The taste was above average, I like they serve the laksa in the clay pot where the heat is maintain until the last drop! It's another dish worth trying!

Sarawak Laksa from Intat Restaurant

I would like to thanks the Gourmet group from Facebook - 吃的平台 where I got the information from, and thanks to Joell Choo too.

Do try out if you happen in Taman Indahpura of Kulaijaya, it may suit your taste bud! :)

Intat Restaurant 运达茶餐室
531, Jln Kenanga 29/17,
Tmn Indahpura.
Kulaijaya
7am - 5pm daily
GPS Coordinates : N1.64242 E103.61460

Location map of Intat Restaurant at Taman Indahpura, Kulaijaya - Johor.

View Larger Map

(Part 1) Taiwan Day 4 : Yehliu Geopark + Nanya Rock Formation + Yin Yang Sea + Golden Waterfall

7D Taiwan trip December 2012 : Kaohsiung + Taipei

Today's itinerary is all along the north coast of Taiwan where many national scenic areas are. We booked this local cab uncle for today. Highly recommended from HWZ forum. One full day (8 hours) for TWD3,700. If you are travelling in a group of 4 people and above, booking a cab is relatively cheaper,more convenient to travel around and more time saving.

If you are travelling in a smaller group, there is  Taiwan Tourist Shuttle service you can consider! This shuttle services pick passengers from many train stations to main tourist attractions. 

My cab driver: 姜長旺

Email add: chiangtourguy@yahoo.com.tw

Tel:  0937869509

Yehliu Geopark 野柳 -> Keelung night market 基隆廟口夜市 -> Nanya rock formation 南雅奇岩 -> Ying Yang sea 阴阳海 -> Golden waterfall -> Jiufen -> Shifen

First stop - Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公园

Reading from wiki, Yehliu is mainly composed of sedimentary rocks. These formation of sea bays is due to the impact of sea erosion on rock. They have been given creatives names based on their shapes. The most well-known is the "The Queen's Head" (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan. Others are fairy's shoes, peanuts rock and etc..

Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公园

Mushroom Rocks

Queen's Head 女王頭

Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公园

Open daily from 07:30 to 17:00 all year round

Entrance Fee: Adult ticket NTD50

Second stop - Keelung night market 基隆廟口夜市 (opens whole day)

Lunch at Keelung night market 基隆廟口夜市

Third stop - Nanya Rock Formation 南雅奇岩

This is worth stopping by since it is just by the road side. You just have to tell the cab driver and he will bring you there. 

Nanya is famous for its fantastic rock formations and sea eroded coral shore. There are two strange beautiful striped pattern spires standing firm from the shore which are formed by the eroding forces of seawater, rain and wind. You can walk all the way down to the shore and enjoy the amazing view. 

南雅奇岩Nanya rock formation

Coral Shore

Fourth stop - Yin Yang Sea 阴阳海

As we travelled along the northeast coast road, we saw this strange scene whereby a bay of sea is a mixture of yellow and blue. Our cab driver explained to us that it was initially believed that it was due to water pollution by company but it was actually due to high amount of mineral pyrite that does not dissolve easily in water. Hence, the intense comparison of this yellow acidic water and blue sea water resulting into this strange but beautiful sight of Yin Yang Sea. 

Yin Yang Sea 阴阳海

Fifth stop - Golden Waterfall 黄金瀑布

This name speaks for itself. Golden Waterfall located near Jinguashi 金瓜石 mining area where substantial amount of iron has oxidised been into golden yellow sands. This is one of the sources that causes Yin Yang Sea. 

Golden Waterfall 黄金瀑布

I love visiting scenic areas. The beauty of nature really enticed me. One phrase to end this - 世界真奇妙

Back to Taiwan Day 3 (Taipei) : Xi Men Ding 西门町
Back to Taiwan Day 2 (Kaohsiung) : Fo Guang Shan 佛光山

Back to Taiwan Day 1 (Kaohsiung) : Dream Mall + Liu He night market

Go to Taiwan Day 4 (Part 2) : Jiufen 九份 + Shifen 十分