Thursday, July 26, 2012

Taipei trip and Pre-wedding photoshoot

Day 1
Wake up early to catch our flight at 8.30am.
Since he already have mileage that is entitled to gold krisflyer.
We took our breakfast in krisflyer gold lounge.
The selection of food and drinks not much but since we were going to have a in-flight meal at maybe 11am plus,that was fine for us.
Upon landing Taoyuan international airport, we called the driver as our photoshoot package(with Bluebay Wedding 蔚藍海岸) includes free airport transfer to and fro our hotel and airport.
There were another couple taking the same flight with us and we waited for them in the van as they went to buy Taiwan prepaid cards.
The weather there were much warmer than Singapore since its their summer.
As usual, we stayed in City Inn 2 in Taipei.
They have other hotels in Taipei, you could check the link here.
 
That's our room...
Bathroom is clean and tidy
Oops...Forgotten to take photo of the full bed...
We saw this when we were leaving our room, its in the corner
As our hotel located about 5mins away from Taipei Main Station.
We went out to have our lunch in a shopping centre named at Q square (京站時尚廣場)
Our stomach are rumbling away, we are already very hungry.
We did not have time to be fussy on which types of cuisine to eat.
There were quite a few japanese restaurants, therefore we chose Ramen Makotoya (誠屋拉麵).
We ordered set meal for our lunch.
Both of us had 特制叉焼白湯拉麵. Translated to English is called "Special made Char Siew white soup based lamian"
日式炸鸡.In English is called "Japanese fried chicken"
Gyoza which is a Japanese pan-fried dumplings. 煎餃
Our total course of the meal(main course+side dish+drink) is NTD576 after 10% service charge.
Around S$25.
After our lunch, we went to Longshan Temple (龍山寺).
We took MRT from Taipei Main station to Longshan Temple station.
The temple is located just beside the MRT station but you will have to walk through inside a shopping centre before reaching the temple.
There will be signs around to guide you to the temple, so there's nothing to worry about.
Sign board
Sea Dragon King 海龍王
This way to enter









Design on the ground
Huaxi Street Night Market (華
As my dad asked me to get for him an incense coil.
I went to a nearby shop to buy his stuff.
There are many shops selling incense paper and joss stick as taiwanese are mostly buddhist or taoist.
The incense shop

As we walked back from the incense shop, we have to go through Huaxi Street night market again.
There are 2 restaurants selling snakes soup.
But I only managed to take photo of one of the restaurant, the other restaurant do not allow photo taking.
Snake Restaurant
We saw that this shop have long queue
We realised that they are queuing for the shaved ice mango.
It's the the summer season which is also their mango season :)
We decided to give it a try but seats are limited.
Have to keep a lookout for people who are leaving.
Queue was long but it was fast moving
See how red their mango are
Shaved Ice Mango NTD120
Taste sweet. Yum yum
Heading back to Longshan Temple MRT station, we realised there is a street that sells deity & buddha statues.
I think there were around 10+ such shops.
I took photos of this deities as my dad are interested.






One of the shop










Our dinner, actually there are 6 pieces inside the box.
Ate 3 pieces,the label states that the food have to consume within 3 hours.
Day 2
Today is the day for selecting my gowns for the photoshoot.
Bluebay Wedding Taiwan

A large room for you to showcase the gowns.
There is a small fitting room in this large room.
There will be one assistant that will help you to choose some gowns for you to try.
I tried about 20 - 23 gowns, my package have 5 gowns including a white wedding gown.
After trying all the gowns, finally selected 5 gowns.
And it's hubby turn to try his suits.
Hubby need to choose 1 white suit and black suit
As the men's suits is from another shop, we have to walk about 2mins to another shop.
On the way, we saw Harley Davidson's motorcycle

Hubby stop to take photo of it
Sun sets, stomach rumbling away.
We had our dinner in Q Square shopping centre in this resturant named "Rock Sauce".
Salad

Soup in a cup

Fish and Chips
As hubby forgot to bring his blouses which he need to use it for his photoshoot the next day.
We went back there to pass them the clothes as some of blouses will be wrinkled, they need to iron the blouses for the groom.
So do remember that the day, where the bride selects the gown, bring the groom's clothes and the bride's nubra, heels and the thngs you intend to use on the day of the photoshoot.
Night view of Bluebay Wedding Taiwan
We went back the hotel early.
These bears are the freebies when we register for Swisstoel Vertical Marathon


Day 3
Got up early and need to reach Bluebay at 8am.
Make-up artist's items

Hubby's stuff

Me is having make-up

My make-up artist is 秀恵姐.
The way she styles my hair and make-up on me, I like it, not bad too.
White gowns
Hair accessories and jewellery

One of our shoots is on the beach

Guess what is this place?
A horse turf club
See a brown horse?

We will be using a white horse for our shoot on the beach

Info on conformation
We had a long day for our photoshoot
By the time, the driver drove us back to the bridal shop.
It was already 9pm.
Took a taxi back to hotel.
Ampoules for the photoshoot

A box of 10 bottles cost NTD 4000.
Used 2 bottles each on our faces (hubby & me) and 2 bottles on my body.
The make-up artist advise that after washing our face and apply toner, use a bottle at night and the day after in the morning.

Day 4
Woke up late and it's time for lunch.
We had breakfast cum lunch meal...
Haha...

Went to Raohe night market in the night, temple beside Raohe night market

Going to Raohe Night Market
Raohe Night Market


Day 5
Had Din Tai Fung for lunch...
Yeah....
Din Tai Fung Restaurant

eef Noodles

Xiao Long Bao
Gyoza


Fried Rice
Vegetables

Price list



Soy Sauce and Vinegar

Went to Yong Kang street to try the famous yong kang 15 of the shaved ice fruits.
Yong Kang 15 opens another store which is Yong Kang 9.

Yong Kang 9 is located at No.9 Yong Kang Street

We still went to Yong Kang 15 to eat.
We ordered the one which is no. 8
We check with them the difference between shaved ice and snowflake ice.
They told us that shaved ice is of rougher ice whereas snowflake ice is of refined ice.
I guess they use different machine to handle the ice, maybe that's the reason why the ice have different result.
Snowflake Ice Mango
Day 6
Today we are going to a hot spring hotel at Xin Beitou.
2 years back, we did not have the chance to try hot spring.
Some of you may think, it's already summer and you are going for hot spring.
Isn't it very hot?
But we just wanted to try out the hot spring as the last time we came , we did not have the time to go for hot spring.
We booked a night with Golden hot spring hotel, you can click here for their link.


Beitou Mrt platform
Train approaching
The train from Beitou to Xin Beitou

Inside the train
A intro on Xin Beitou in here

Walking towards our hotel




I done research on this hotel, their check-in time is 6pm and check-out time is 12pm.
At first, I would also think why the check-in time is so late?
As we reached the hotel about 4pm, they said we are allow to check-in at 3pm actually since we booked directly from their hotel website.
We stayed for the night on a weekday.

Finally reached our hotel, just 5 - 10 mins walk from Xin Beitou MRT station.
Golden Hot Spring Hotel (金都精緻溫泉飯店)
When we come out of the lift, their dim light setting
That's our room
親水景觀套房




Hot Spring corner





King Size Bed
Lobby Lights
It's time for dinner, night view of the hotel.
The reception told us there is night market nearby.

 


As we walk, there are hotels along the way too.



In a supermarket
We saw this little shop which serves noodles.
Pricelist of the noodles
I had bak kut bee hoon soup (small)

He had bak kut noodles soup (small)

They cook the noodles outside and we sit inside the little shop
Day 7
We need to check by 12pm today.
Breakfast for the day...
Their breakfast buffet has limited selection.


Food we taken

Display on the table

Salt, Soya Sauce and pepper
After we had our breakfast, we went to Thermal Valley.

Thermal Valley


Dark Night in Taipei

Our Lunch












I must say that their lunch set meal is very worth it.
Makes me very full :)

Total Bill
Guess what are these for?

They are for parking of bicycles
Our late dinner, we went to Bluebay to select our photos.
We forgot to take photos while we were choosing our photos.
This restaurant opens till 3am.






Day 8
Lunch at Coco Curry House, its inside Q Square shopping centre too.






Day 8 was a slacking day for us...
So no photos taken...

Day 9
Last day in Taiwan, sad to leave so soon...
Hope to come back to Taiwan soon ;)
Silver Kris Lounge in Taoyuan International Airport







In-flight meal

View of sunset in the sky


Overall, I like going to Taiwan.
Hope to go other parts of Taiwan in a few years time.