San-Yi, Miaoli

San-Yi, well-known as "wood-carving" town in Taiwan. The people here were doing wood-carving for all the life, however, young guys do not carve anymore, the carving are mostly imported from China.

Every year around April to May, Tung flower festival is in Sanyi. Tung flowers are white flowers that present in where Hakka people live.

Hire a scooter or bicycle around San-Yi rail station, price is around NT$ 250~400 for one scooter. Do not expect to hike around San-Yi by walking.




Old Shang-Xin Rail station, most famous spot in San-Yi. It's a rail station which is not operation anymore, you can walk on the railway, or just have a lunch or tea around the station. Follow the road in front the Shang-Xin station, you will arrive Long-Teng Bridge. Longteng Bridge is an old railway bridge, which broke by earthquake several years ago.















Having some snack in Sanyi downtown; You must try "Ban-Teo", most representable Hakka food. Then ride the scooter to Tong-Lo, a neighbor town of Sanyi, and go along with the way to Jiu-Hua-Shan. You might enjoy the forest and tea farm around this mountain road.















Related websites:
Miaoli county travel information 苗栗縣觀光旅遊網
Taiwan: Touch your heart
San-Yi information 三義觀光資訊

Gaomei, Taichung 高美濕地

Gao-mei wetland (高美濕地): It's far from Taichung city, and the best time to come here is around 4~6PM, sunset time.













台中火車站→中港路→東海大學→靜宜大學
到了靜宜大學繼續往前走，會發現一個很大的路口，
有向好幾個方向走的路，沿著「台中港」的路標走就對了；


靜宜大學→童綜合醫院→台中港區藝術園區→高美濕地
沿途會經過童綜合醫院，可以在這邊稍作休息，
可以上個廁所或買個糧食喝個咖啡去金石堂看本書XDD
不然從童綜合到高美沿途真的沒便利商店，
也沒有像樣的地方可以上廁所，除了加油站和藝術園區。

第一次去的人，可以學我在童綜合醫院的大廳服務台問怎麼去高美；
出了童綜合繼續往台中港的方向走，
會看到一個高架橋（應該是西濱快速道路？）
這時候往右轉沿著上高架橋旁邊的路走，
在這邊和往台中港的路是同一條的，
之後就開始數高架橋的大柱子編號，
數到大約52號的那個柱子的紅綠燈就會看到高美濕地往←的標誌了

在數柱子的途中可以又轉進入港區藝術園區，很大的一個公園，
裡面可以拍拍照，喝個咖啡休息，花園造景滿中式設計的。


From Taichung rail station to Gao-mei by car or scooter:
Taichung rail station→Zhong Zheng Rd.→Zhong Gang Rd.→Providence Univeristy→Tung's Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital→Gao-mei wetland


Related website:
Gaomei village
Taichung County Tour Guide

The Days

Days in Miaoli are nothing surprising. Fortunately, I have some friends who are together with me from elementary or high schools till now in Miaoli.

Riding scooters in mountains, enjoying the air and speed, chatting and drinking beside sea with friends, those are most wonderful night life here.

Secret 不能說的秘密

Secret (不能說的秘密), the first movie which is directed by Jay Chou (周杰倫).

I did not have any expect about this movie before i saw it at Vieshow cinema, however, this movie is nice, even better than the movies from other Asia countries.





A love story between two music students from different era, the connection for both of them is a piano. If you would like to taste again the sweet and sour of high-school-love, come to cinema for this movie.










不能說的秘密 官方網站 ( Secret official site)
http://www.sonypictures.com.tw/movie/secret/

Be Taiwanese again

July 13, 2001, i left my country, Taiwan. And now on Aug 22,2007, i left my 6 years university life country, Philippines.














6 year international student life is a different experience from staying in Taiwan, and there were diversity tastes from every moment.















Welcome music playing by Manila international airport band when tourists come.














I appreciate everyone of my friends who helped me in these years and also those people who let me know what the craftiness is.

Friends, teachers, classmates in my school, and the people that i met in travel, the air, view, and the beach in Philippines, i would miss all of you anytime.

Good bye, Philippines

Egay Typhoon Day

This typhoon cause 3 holidays for schools in Manila. Heavy raining, flooding, and dipped of my shoes.

I went to the symposium of Philipine College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery today with some of my classmates. The topic was "Pre-prosthetic surgery"; the lectures were not so interesting, however, at end of the symposium is "live patient surgery case", that's really nice, they done the surgery right with live video showing.


After that, we went to one of famous Japanese restaurant in makati. The boss there is a Japanese, the food there are yummy and orthodox of Japanese food, but a bit expensive.


Little Tokyo
address: 2277 Pasong tamo, Makati square, Makati city, Metro Manila

Pagudpud, Philippines

The most north point area of Luzon island, 2 hours trip from Laoag city; only few tourists would come here.















All beauty in Boracay you can also have them here, beside night life and shopping streets.














Take a bus from Laoag city, the bus station is near Hotel Tiffany. The earliest bus is 8:30AM, and the last bus is 7:00PM. Be aware of that, the last return bus from Pagudpud is 3:00PM. When you arrive Pagudpud, you have to take a tricycle to go into Beach area. Saud beach is most pretty beach in Pagudpud. The tricycle fare is P40 for one tricycle.























The resort price here are much pricer than in Laoag city, so I did not stay in the resort here. If you don't stay in the resort here, then you have to pay the guest fee for using beach here, the guest fee is different between every resort, mostly among P30~P200.














The beach are white, clean, and quiet, it's not a well-known place. I prefer pagudpud than boracay for vacation. The sea are also clean and the waves are calm. Enjoy the time here.















=====Resorts in Pagudpud Saud Beach=======
Villa Del Mar Ivory Resort
Phone: +63-920-553-4161, +63-919-899-5673

Standard A/C room: P1700
Fan room: P1400
Family cottage: P3500
Capiz A: P1800
Capiz B,C,D: P2500
Dungon room: P2000
Sawali room: P4000
Sagat room: P2500
Bamboo room: P2500
Anahaw: P4500
Pavilion: P6000

Saud Beach Resort&Hotel
Phone: +63-2-928-9853, +63-920-270-6075
Email: mkh@saudbeachresort.com
Web: http://www.saudbeachresort.com

Laoag, Philippines

However, Laoag city is not so interesting for most tourists, you still can stay in Laoag city for those peripheral travel spots.

Laoag is located on northern Luzon, the urban area almost in north point of Luzon. There are a international airport and lots of bus stations.














The hotels here in the city are cheap, and you can economize your money by staying in Laoag city, then going to Paoay, Batac, Pagupud by one day tour. I recommend tourists to stay in "Hotel Tiffany", a hotel which is cheap, new, clean, with cable TV, private room, it's easy to go St. William church, Bell tower, other tour spots and bus, jeepney stations by walking.














All tour spots are in the same area near Hotel Tiffany, go allover those place can finished within 1 hour, then you can go to Paoay or Pagupud in the same day.














Going to Paoay by jeepney, it took me about 40 minutes to Paoay church from Laoag city. The church is really nice, take some pictures and relax by lying on the lawn.














Take a tricycle to Paoay lake and Malacang Palace of North, and be aware, the palace is not opening every Monday.














Batac, a city only for transportation and visiting Marcos Mansion. You can see Marcos' corpse here.

========Hotel Tiffany========
Phone: +63-77-770-3550
Email: tifhotel@lycos.com

1 single bed room: P580
2 single beds room: P870
1 Matrimonial bed: P870
Junior suite: P990
Family room: P1260

Vigan, Philippines

Vigan, a city which fuse classic and pretty; it's about 2hrs bus trip south to Laoag.

Going to Vigan, you can take any bus to Laoag from Manila, Baguio; or the buses to Manila from Laoag. The transportation to Vigan is frequently, even at night time.























You must be here during night time. The night Vigan street is so beautiful; i arrived Vigan at midnight, the street is quiet, nobody was on the street beside me, and no tricycles, no cars, no scroungers, you can walk along the street and enjoy the time here.





































The hotels in Vigan are quite expensive than Laoag. I stayed at La Feliza Tourist Inn, just behind the Vigan Cathedral; a room with only cool shower room cost me P900. The price of some well-known hotels are not so fair to their room quality.














In daytime, Vigan is not as much pretty as in night time. Lots of tricycles, cars, carriages on any streets in this city, streets are so crowded and the air is so polluted. The tour spots are mostly in the city, and walking around those places are enough. If u would go Hidden Garden and Zoo, you have to hire a carriage for P150~200 a hour; you might enjoy the way to these two spots.



















































Partas Transportation:
Telephone: +63-2-725-7303, +63-2-724-9820

Farinas Transit:
Telephone: + 63-2-731-4507, + 63-2-731-4375, + 63-2-743-8580

Sagada, Philippines

A small town about 160km north to Baguio. Not a well-known travel spot for Taiwanese travelers, but western travelers. You can go to Sagada by two ways, one is from Baguio, about 6 hrs distance; and take jeepney or bus from Banaue to Bontoc, then transfer to other jeepney to Sagada.














I went to Sagada from banaue. The first jeepney from banaue is 8:30AM, it stay and wait passengers in front of banaue market, look for the jeepney to "Bontoc". If there are only few passengers on the jeepney, they would ask you to wait for the bus which usually arrive banaue around 10-11AM to Bontoc. The last bus to Bontoc is 3:30PM, and you have no jeepney to Sagada if u take this bus, u have to stay in Bontoc for one night.















I stayed in Sagada guest house for one night, it's onyl P150 for single person ordinary room with shared cool water shower outside the room. I don't recommend people to stay here because here is so noisy, and i can't sleep even i was very tired after uncomfortable jeepney trip to sagada and caving in Big cave in one day.















Most tourists are only stay here for one or two nights, and prefer to go caving than trekking. Try to look the register book in tourist information center, more tourists go caving than trekking; however, my guide told me that trekking is also a nice tour here.
























You can see some famous coffins here on the way to Big cave.















I can't describe how beauty inside the Big cave, and how nice feeling when you make something that you thought impossible to yourself. You have to go inside the Big cave at least one time in your life, it is a really nice place. Hire a guide for P400 to guide you inside Big cave. It is about 2 hours tour, and be careful in the cave, it's quite dangerous and slippery. Heavy guy is not recommend to go because there are some small tunnels and holes that you have to pass.
















======Bus and Jeepney schedule========
Sagada to Bontoc: 6:00AM, 6:30AM, 7:00AM, 7:30AM, 8:00AM, 8:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM, 11:00AM, 12:00AM

Bontoc to Sagada: 8:30AM, 9:30AM, 10:20AM, 11:10AM, 12:00AM, 12:50AM, 1:40PM, 2:30PM, 3:20PM, 4:10PM, 5:00PM, 5:30PM

Sagada to Baguio: 5:00AM, 7:00AM, 8:00AM, 9:00AM, 10:00AM, 1:00PM

Bontoc to Banaue: 7:30AM, 8:00AM, 8:30AM, 9:00AM-11:00AM, 12:00AM-1:00PM

Banaue, Philippines

Although a famous travel spot for many backpackers, here is not so popular for travelers. More than 2000 years history of rice terraces here were recorded in UNESCO ten years ago.













Go to Autobus station near University of Santo Tomas, this is the bus going to banaue. The station is on the corner of Tolentino st. and Espana blvd. The fare is P416 from manila to banaue, and the promo fare is P390 from banaue to manila. You can also choose another bus liner, "Florida bus", a littler pricer and newer bus.















The bus leave manila at 10PM everyday, and arrive banaue about 6:30AM or 7:00AM. From where u get off the bus to banaue town is a bit distance, u can pay P10 for tricycle to town or go with any guy from the hotel u want to stay.















Trekking map is sold for P10 in any lodge and hotel. in fact, u don't have to buy it. Just see it, and ask for your driver or guide, they all know which place should go.
Download here http://www.badongo.com/pic/4877535
























Hire a tricycle or jeepney to go around those places from town. Banaue view points and Batad are two places that most worth to go.















Old people at banaue view point. You can take pictures for them, and pay a little tips. I paid P20 for taking this picture.















The drivers hold a price list of fares for getting those travel spots. You can still ask for lower price, try it, they mostly would accept.















People in banaue are friendly and kindly. Talk to them , don't be shy, they will help you much in your tour. Most tricycle driver are trustful, they live there for long time and know the mountains very much, drivers can be your guide as well.















He was my driver, also my tour guide for my two days travel in banaue, he's a nice guy and he guide tourist during 13 years old until now 40 years old. You can contact him and consult the travel plan with him. Adolfo, cell phone number+639059049887. 跟他說是他之前的台灣顧客推薦你來的，可以跟他要求折扣XD















From banaue to batad is long distance, you have to hire tricycle or jeepney. If u take a tricycle, u have to hike from batad junction, and if u hire a jeepney, they can go beyond the batad junction and drop u on the mountain saddle.















I went out from my lodge at 6:30AM and finished the batad tour at 4PM. Hiking all the day, however, the view is pretty nice. DON'T MISS HIKING ON BATAD!!


























Some traditional filipino native house are still here.















Continuous hiking from batad rice terraces for 30 minutes, u can get to Tappia waterfall.








































Autobus transport system:
tel: +63-2-7358098

Florida bus:
tel: +63-9066251652

Greenview Lodge
tel: +63-74-3864021

People's Lodge
tel: +63-74-3864014


====Bus schedule====
Florida bus:
manila to banaue: 10:45 PM
banaue to manila: 08:00 PM
station: ernshaw,a.h.lacson, espana, sampaloc, manila

Autobus:
manila to banaue: 10:00PM
banaue to manila: 05:00PM
station: Dimasalang Street Cnr. Laong Laan Street, Sampaloc, Manila

Ohayami:
banaue to baguio: 06:00AM, 04:00PM

KMS:
banaue to baguio: 07:00AM, 05:00PM

Puerto Princesa, Philippines

Paradise of Philippines, Palawan island. "Puerto Princesa is the most clean and peaceful city in this country", people in this city told me.













I took a plane from cebu to puerto princesa, and went to half day city tour after i took a rest in my pension house. Palawan museum, Bay walk, Butterfly garden, Crocodile farm, and other inconspicuous spots in this city.















Only three or four tours for this city, City tour, Underground river boating, Honda bay island hopping, and dolphin watching. Tourist come here mostly for 4 days and 3 nights, then go back to manila or continuous their travel to El Nido .















Philippine Government insist that St. Paul Underground river in Palawan is the longest underground river in the world.















You have to take 1.5 hr bus or van to Sabang beach and transfer to the boat for going to the underground river. It's a half day tour. Looking for a local tour agent is much convenient.















Ever seen pure, clean sea ,and a white, uncrowded beach? You can see all of these on the islands in Honda bay. Buy some food and hire a boat at honda bay for island hopping three famous islands there; or refer any tour agent in city.











































Albon Pension House: albonpension@yahoo.com
Ellen's travel&tours: ellens@pal-onl.com
Cebu Pacifice Air: http://www.cebupacificair.com
El Nido Boutique & Artcafe: http://www.geocities.com/elnidoboutiqueandartcafe