Cand goes to Taiwan 2014: Part 3 - Taipei City (Extremely Belated)

Hello!!!!! 

It has been a while!!! I have finally decided to upload the rest of the pictures from my Taipei trip in 2014! Took me two years... Long enough... I'm only uploading this because my roommate (HELLO MICHELLE) said I should!! And I thought I should complete my travel posts somehow. They're always incomplete. LOL! 

Anyway, the previous posts can be found HERE (candgoestotaiwan label). 

It's been so long, so I've forgotten the full order of what went down in Taipei. So the remaining pictures are ordered according to my camera dates and I will try to record the events to the best of my abilities! LOLOL! 

We visited a night market, I believe it was Shilin - aka Taiwan's most commercialised night market. There was nothing to buy but loads to eat!!! 

I loved this! Da chang bao xiao chang! 

Fried Milk - I know this sounds soooo weird but it was strangely good!!!

My fav - fried chicken!!! Love it! It was soooo good! 

I think we tried to go to one night market every night in Taiwan since there were TONS of night markets. But it didn't work out somehow and our favourite was still the first night market we went to in Taichung. LOL! Fail??

We visited Taipei National Museum the next day - photography wasn't allowed inside the museum, so I only have pictures of the outside! 

I think my camera lens was slightly dirty hence the blurry spot on the center right! I really need to take better care of my stuff!!

I think the museum was a little boring because I don't really remember much there LOL! 

We went to Taipei 101 that night. I should have taken a picture of the building, but I didn't because my camera wasn't focusing properly... Hmmm or I just didn't know how to work the camera. LOL!!!

The elevator up was so fancy - this was on its ceiling! LOL!

Blurry night shots were all I got - because I lack the abilities to focus my camera properly..... LOL! Maybe I need a super camera, which has a great "auto" function. 

When in Taipei, SNACK all night, EVERY night!!! Seriously, we would buy loads of food back every night!!! It was the best and the 7-eleven was my favourite haunt. Look at that humongous Yakult drink!!! I couldn't finish it in 1 day! Lolol! Looking at this picture now makes me hungry and I want to go back! 

On our second last day in Taipei, we went to the Taipei Zoo. I think we really went to Taipei to eat. The rest of our activities were a little bit, erm... "What the hell were you thinking??" 

It was bloody hot and I honestly don't know how I managed to survive that day. The whole day in the sun. I ran into air-conditioned places as often as I saw one. LOL! 

Cand, the illusionist. LOL

Bringing my fav pose to the Taipei Zoo. LOL!

We wanted to go to Maokong Gondola but it was drizzling for a bit, so the station was closed. SUAY Cand is #SUAY... But it reopened after an hour and a half I think? And we managed to go up! Yay!

Loved the colour of the sky! I think I might have liked the views here better than the views from Taipei 101! But don't take my word for it and come visit yourself! Especially if you're from a city, you might like Maokong's view more since the views from Taipei 101. But that's my personal opinion and I might be wrong. Hahaha!

After days of eating (and more eating), I was beginning to look too chubby for my own good... BUT food was my priority! We bought some squid and the some tea ice cream which was really good but for some reason, I have no pictures of them. A little bit regretful but, oh well! 

More food once we got back to Taipei. And then we just walked around Taipei City at night. I loved how everything is still bright and running at night. Love it! 

Our last day in Taipei, and I kinda forgot how we spent it. I think we went to some park after lunch. LOL! Anyway, we went to have the famous beef noodle soup for brunch/lunch. But as you know, suay cand is #suay, so the place we wanted to eat at was closed. So we ended up at the store next door! They had really good beef noodle soup too, so we wondered how good the other one must have been if the store next to it served such great noodle soup as well!!!

We then visited the flower market, which was extremely lovely! But obviously didn't buy anything because it would have been too impractical and a waste of money. There was a jade market next to it too! And a guy selling muah chee in the middle of the two markets. Seriously, the best muah chee I had in a while... No pics though. LOL. I'm really bad at documenting my travels. hahaha!! OOPS

Dick ice cream guys... Just looking at it is awkward. HOW TO EAT??? It would be the most awkward thing EVER. 

Our last night we went to Rao He night market - we got there after a long walk... It was my favourite night market in Taipei City, but unfortunately we didn't walk all the way in, which we should have done. But oh well, food here again! 

Fresh oysters!!! I remember them being really cheap too! SLURP. I love oysters! 

This was a strange dessert and until today I can't decide whether I like it or not. It's a mash of ice cream and peanuts and cilantros wrapped in something I don't know how to describe. LOL! A pretty weird combination - some love it and some don't. I'm on the fence, but would probably try it again if I had the chance. 

They had beef in different flavours and I can't remember what we got. They had rose flavoured bbq beef I think. I wish I had liked rose flavour as much as I love it now. Then I would probably have bought it!!!!

Here's me at the train station, looking very satisfied after days and days of eating... LOL! 

We went to Chia Te to buy some pineapple biscuits home for friends and family. I didn't bother taking pictures on the last day. It was a pretty lazy day, we simply went around buying the biscuits, then eating before we headed to the airport! 

I wonder why I don't have pictures of the smelly tofu I had at one of the night markets. Would definitely have it again! I hope I get to go back to Taiwan some day, when Michelle is there muahahahahah! I might go back with my family for a cousin's wedding this year or next! HOW EXCITING!!! Can't wait to be back! 

Anyhow, that ends my post(s) on Taipei!!!! Next, I hope to complete my Seoul photo diary and hopefully get to document my Hong Kong and maybe Penang travels from mid 2015!!!!!! Lol! SEE Y'ALL in my next post (and by y'all, I mean Mich and Connie - probably the only people reading this LOL)!!!

XX, Cand

2015 LA Photo Diary

Despite this year being my 5th year living on the West Coast, I visited Los Angeles for the very first time last December. Los Angeles is the epitome of America's West Coast. Tickets from Vancouver were extremely reasonable especially since we did not have any checked luggage. We arrived in LA just before the super peak season (aka Christmas), so everything was slightly cheaper! 

I had a final that afternoon, but it was my last final (for the semester), and I was already excited for my trip! I thought the most stressful part of my year was over and now all I had to do way enjoy... Seeing how the 3pm and 5pm ferries were cancelled due to bad weather, I scurried to reserve my spot for the 9pm ferry. Basically, I HAD to take the ferry out to Vancouver that day because my flight the next day was at 8am. There was no way I could make it if I left the next day - even if I took the earliest ferry at 7am. 

Then...

They cancelled the 7pm and 9pm ferries too! What... Thank goodness I checked, but I also started panicking. I was literally on the verge of pulling all my hair out. After complaining and whining (and also brainstorming) for a while, I decided to make my way to Victoria's airport. THANK GOODNESS I DID. The West Jet lady was extremely nice and she helped me change my ticket, so instead of flying YVR-LAX, I took a de-tour YYJ-YYC-LAX. This definitely increased my traveling time by at least 2 hours, but hey, I made it to LAX and that's what matters! It wasn't expensive to make the change either, so I'm extremely grateful. 

Upon arrival, we went to check in at our Airbnb - we stayed with a lovely lady called Bangja. Then we headed out for food! It was much colder than we were expecting it to be in LA. It was a little bit disappointing since we wanted to get away from the cold and wet weather in Vancouver/Victoria. Nevertheless, the trip must still go on!

The Commissary.

Walt Disney Concert Hall

In N Out - We missed out on the animal fries!!!!! :(

The Larchmont Bungalow

Red and Blue Velvet Pancakes (YUMMM) and Lobster Cobb Salad (EVEN MORE YUMMM). 

LACMA Lights Exhibition - honestly I was a little bit disappointed. I expected it to be whiter in colour than the grey you see in these pictures. I also expected them to be much taller. I'm not too sure why I had those expectations - but I did! We still hung around for quite a bit and took lots of pictures though.

After, we uber-ed to Santa Monica. And if I could mention, Uber is the best damned thing ever. Extremely convenient, efficient, great customer service. 

Santa Monica Pier in the golden hour.

Pier + me - See how I was so bundled up?? And I was still freezing!

Bottega Louie for Brunch - 100% would return again. Loved it here.

I loved their macarons and desserts counter. To the obnoxious, self-righteous man, UP YOURS BITCH. 

LA Public Library.

We made our way to Anaheim and prepared ourselves for DISNEYLAND.

We woke up late the next day, had breakfast at IHop before heading in at 11am. We were terribly late, but we stayed till it closed, so I guess we kinda made up for being late?  

Sleeping Beauty's Castle decked out in Christmas AND their Diamond Anniversary decorations! Sooo lovely.

Saved this T-shirt for Disneyland!

A delicious Dole drink.

Teacup with an awkward hole in the middle.

I didn't upload any more pictures for the rest of Disneyland because I didn't really want to clutter this post up. (Although I suppose my blog could use some clutters of pictures once in a while.)

That's all folks!

See you when I see you - aka when I'm procrastinating.

Check here to view Mich's version of the LA trip!! 

XX, Cand