Nepal Trip day 12 - Spending a day in Taipei (Thursday January 3, 2019)

March 03, 2019

Nepal Trip day 12 - Spending a day in Taipei (Thursday January 3, 2019)

Nepal Trip day 12 - Spending a day in Taipei (Thursday January 3, 2019)

Knowing that we were in Taipei, we were on a mission to maximize our eating opportunities. I got up relatively early (before 6:00) to go to the famed breakfast place - Fuhang Soy Milk (阜杭豆漿) to get breakfast. I set out in the pouring rain with GG and MM. I over shot the place and had to find the place in pouring rain. Fuhang is located at a Hua-Shang Market Place in the Zhongzheng district of Taipei. We were staying at the Zhongzheng district which was a close 10 minute walk for us if I did not get lost. We managed to get in line and ordered a whole bunch of stuff. When we left, the line had extended all the way to the stairway that we came up.

Ordering our breakfast at Fuhang

Line extended all the way to the stairway

Storefront of Fuhang in the Hua-Shang Market Place

MM help carrying our order home, passing the long queue of people

MM showing off our order

Drinks and food

Fuhang Soy Milk

Enjoying the breakfast with their cousins

Savory Soy Milk with Yo-Tiao

After breakfast, we drove to the hospital in Da-An district where I grew up to visit my grandmother. My grandmother is now 97 years old and is in a long-term care room in the hospital. We visited her and spoke to her. She is not responsive due to her old age and we stayed for a bit to wish her well. After visiting my grandmother, we talked to a small hair salon across the street. It was our objective for the ladies to get their hair and nails done after the long trekking trip in Nepal. Based on my sister's recommendation, we went to a small salon called Cabello across from the hospital. Jo, GG, and MM got their hair done there. It was a fun experience for the kids to get pampered in Taipei after being in nature for sometime.

MM getting her hair done

GG getting her hair done by the owner

GG getting her hair done

After the hair was done, we walked across the major street of Ren-Ai Rd to the Howard Plaza Hotel for lunch. This hotel has been around since the 1980's. We ate at the Taiwanese restaurant Formosa (蓬萊邨). We ordered just about everything in the restaurant. After lunch, we talked to the busy Zhongxaio East Rd for a mani and pedi for GG and MM.

At the Formosa Restaurant in Howard Plaza Hotel

A little tired

Place setting at the Formosa Restaurant

Yam Congee

Vegetarian Chicken

Ta-Zhi noodle and rice noodle

Stir-fried Pork

Si-Gua

Egg omelette

Stir fried Shang Yao

Tea after meal

Mochi with peanut powder dessert

Cynthia at Zhongxiao East Rd.

MM getting a mani in Taipei

GG's turn

Getting pampered in Taipei

While the kids were getting the mani, Jo and I walked to the East Side Fan-Yuan, a famous dessert place on Zhongxiao East Rd. East Side Fan-Yuan is a must do for all visiting Taipei. We were no exception. We enjoyed two orders of the Fan-Yuan and walked around the busy neighborhood. We got dessert for MM (Ice Monster) and GG (Sharetea).

At East Side Fan Yuan

Two orders of Fan Yuan

Eat it while it's hot

Walking around many of the food stalls around the neighborhood

Fresh vegetables, a stable of Chinese diet

Man-Tao Shop

Getting Sharetea for GG

MM getting her mani

GG getting her mani

GG and her Sharetea

MM getting her dessert - Ice Monster

MM getting her mani

MM getting her pedi

GG getting her pedi

Enjoying an afternoon in Taipei

GG toes

MM toes

MM hands

GG hands

The entire mani and pedi process took nearly 6 hours to complete. By the time everyone is done, it was past 6:00 pm. We were meeting rest of the family at the buffet at the La Meridien Hotel in the Xinyi district. We took a taxi cab there in a bit of rush hour traffic but the the distance is quite close. We feasted on the buffet. After the buffet, we took the taxi back to the Zhongxiao east shopping area and got Ice Monster to go. We walked to the Eslite book store in Duanhau and the kids shopped for stationary. We made it back to our apartment past 10:00 pm. Ate the Ice Monster and talked until way past mid night with the family.

Buffet at the La Meridien, the cold cut section