New York City. That’s when I start to hear Alicia Keys’ “concrete jungle where dreams are made of…”. The song literally played in my head when I first stepped on NYC’s floor and yes, it was like seeing a movie star for the first time. I just couldn’t believe that I was in the same place where Godzilla, King Kong and other weird creatures once put their feet on.
Getting through the "jungle" was never easy. As what New Yorkers and Sinatra say, "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" - a quite intimidating statement not only for workers, but also for us first-time wanderers. That being said, I want to share with you the 4 important things we applied during our trip to the city:
PLAN. This actually does not need emphasis. Yes, spontaneity is very much exciting but for a place as swarmed as NYC, a prepared list of places would be a great help. (not unless you’re going to be there for at least half a year to explore). A full week in our case, really needed a lot of planning. So download the subway and bus maps before even getting there, preload your Google Map, make a list of places, talk to someone you know who’d been to NYC, and some other stuff that would save you lots of time. SAVE. Not that you have to allot whole of your earnings for your trip but you can set a certain amount for your baon so as not to overspend during your stay. That’s right, an average wage (or below average hahaha) employee like me could afford to fly to NYC. J When you try to find something over google, make sure to type along “CHEAP” lol. Plane Ticket – Go to a travel fair. So much cheaper than the regular one. Stay – Airbnb!! We got the whole apartment just for the 3 of us. Also, it’s not bad to spend a lot on food because that is what’s so good in here so don’t deprive yourself; eat hotdogs, burgers, pizzas, pretzels, bagels all you want as long as you limit other things like transportation. We bought a 7-day Metro Card for $31 which gives unlimited train and bus rides until midnight, saves me a lot. If places aren’t very far and you brought enough Red Bulls, then just walk. Believe me, with everything that you could possibly eat, you wouldn’t mind walking a mile or two just to shake it all off. Info: small hotdog’s average cost is $3. That’s like what, one full meal here in the Philippines. SELECT.I was in NYC for just a little over a week – not enough to see everything. So I did the stuff that I thought were “must-dos” and crossed out those that I seldom heard about. Well, my sister and husband did a great job picking places so I pretty much did what I wanted to do/ see such as:
Times Square
Broadway show
Yankees game
Statue of Liberty
Wall St.
Ate lots of hotdogs, burgers and pizzas
9/11 memorial and the new One World Trade
Brooklyn Bridge
4th of July Fireworks
Local beers
Empire State
High Line
Battery Park
Central Park
SO MUCH MORE
LASTLY,
ADAPT. In NYC I saw the diversity - neighborhood, food, buildings, and most of all, people. There were loud, quiet, polite, rude, helpful, snub and everything you could think of. Just one thing… Go with the flow! J I have been to quite a lot of places and I would say that being in NYC brought me to a whole new level. I am very glad that I experienced the city’s chaos with Trina and Alvin. Happy to say that we survived New York!
Just remember these -- dream place and great company. Soooo where’s next?
So we thought of having our last trip for 2014 outside PH. We only had a really short prep and we made sure that all activities were squeezed in to make our stay worthwhile.
Since we’re only having this on one weekend, we thought of a closer city, which of course has lots of things to do and beers to drink. The first place that we pictured….. Taipei! So for all of you who no longer have leave credits in the office and plan to spend a weekend here, hope this writing helps. :)
First thing to do is get your Taiwan visa. For more info, visit the embassy’s official website at http://www.roc-taiwan.org/PH/mp.asp?mp=272. If you have a valid US entry visa, you may skip this part. It helped us do away with the paperworks with our so little time. You just have to go to this link - https://niaspeedy.immigration.gov.tw/nia_southeast , enter your personal info and poof, get the travel authorization approval.
Next is find a flight and hotel. Us cheapskates chose Cebu Pacific and Agoda. I just have to rant however, how the airline changed the return flight schedule on such short notice – just when you thought you’d have enough rest. Anyway, thanks still, they’re able to bring us there and back safely.
Once all is set, prepare yourself for a leg-breaking and literally breathtaking journey. I had like three (3) Red Bulls to keep me going and going and going. Plus make sure that you preload your Google Map as it is big big help in getting directions.
Before we go to the spots, let me say that this place is close/ comparable to S. Korea. At least as to people, building structures, lights (yeaa a lot of LEDs), and transportation. Just from what I’ve seen.
Food and Drinks. Street food here goes so well with the Taiwan Beer. Became my favorite! As for the stinky tofu…. Uhm, by the time you smell it, you won’t continue imagining yourself eating it. It smells exactly like p*op. I heard it’s good though – that’s all I need to know. Also, Milk Tea is everywhere!
People. Very nice and accommodating. Ask them a direction to somewhere, they’ll walk you there with a smile. When you talk to a person who does not understand English and someone who does hears you, he’ll answer right away. They are also calm and disciplined. Yes, MRTs have long lines, but they do not rush going into carts because they know that another train is arriving just few minutes after one leaves -- they do not have habits of cutting queue on platform.
Transportation. One of the most convenient ones I’ve experienced. We bought this 1 day pass for TWD150 (abt PhP255) which gives unlimited rides to all trains and buses within the city. We took advantage of this to get around Taipei. It is recommended for tourists who won’t be staying that long.
Taipei Metro One-Day Pass
Hate to tell this but, if only Philippines has the same system and discipline, NO ONE WILL EVER BE LATE FOR WORK! When??? When??? When??? Are they really that ahead of us??
Haaanyway, now you know what to expect, let’s start this weekend itinerary:
Late Friday
We arrived past midnight at Fu Chang Hotel. Its cost, room and location… Surprisingly GREAT! I wasn’t looking for a very spacious room but this hotel provided a comfy stay for the three of us. The best part of it was it’s within Ximending, a famous night place in Taipei.
Saturday
Longshan Temple
Chiang Kai Shek Memoral
Yongkang Street
Taipei 101
Pingxi
Shihlin Night Market
Ximending
Sunday
Peace Park
Xinyi Shopping District
Miramar Entertainment Park
We went back to Ximending to go around and have some beer while waiting for our trip back home.
Sadly, airport and then back. BTW, always be cautious of people around the airport. Yes, you may be sleepless, tired or disoriented, but don't just agree on someone's favor. This guy wanted us to carry one of his bags because he did not have check-in baggage. He said his bags are too many that attendant would for sure call his attention. Of course we disagreed so he looked for someone else who's "kind" enough to take it.I’m not saying that ALL guys who do that have bad intentions. Sometimes it’s just obvious that something’s not right – not to judge but mann, why would you bring too much stuff when you already knew that you’d be apprehended by doing such. Hmm, wonder what’s inside that bag.:)
Just like Vietnam, I never expected Taiwan to be that exciting. I wish I could spend as many weekends there. I don't know if my pictures justified how beautiful the city was, but one thing's for sure, it is not a lot like Philippines. :) Well there are some things that are "fun" to do in Taiwan, but "more fun" to do in the Philippines --- yes, some. :)
So if you guys go there, tell me what you think. :)
