Travelogue - Taiwan, Day 7 (Fo Guang Shang Monastery)

Back with yet another day trip out of Kaohsiung. We took a bus out of the city to Fo Guang Shan Monastery. I found it really interesting to just soak in the sights and atmosphere of the monastery. It was a real change from the cathedrals I had visited in Europe. I found the buddha statues really (for lack of a better word) extravagant. The monastery was peaceful and calming, set atop a hill. 

A little R&R in Bali

Greetings from Bali! The trip's been lovely so far and today's my last day here. A little reluctant to head back to SG and back to work tomorrow. Alas, I take joy in the fact that everyday at work is different, and that interacting with kids is so much fun. Their little antics put a smile on my face. 

More about Bali soon, but here's some pictures! 

Bali's been lovely. Our hotel is awesome. 

I can't wait to be back again! 

Travelogue - Taiwan Day 6, Kaohsiung

Second day of my travels in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. We found ourselves waking up to a bright, sunny day. Kaohsiung is much more humid as compared to Taipei! We decided to spend the day exploring Lotus Lake, and boy was the lake huge. 

Travelogue - Taiwan, Kaohsiung, Day 5

Back with the 5th day of Taiwan. We took a long train ride down to Kaohsiung, even though we could have taken the high speed rail. Enjoyed some lovely sights along the way. We reached Kaohsiung in the afternoon, and immediately checked into our hotel. It did not take us long to get out into the sunshine and explore this town. 

We roamed around with no particular stop in mind, our end point being the night market. And we chanced upon a park! 

Travelogue - Taiwan Day 4, Taipei

Fourth day of Taiwan! We spent the day exploring some of the famous sights in Taipei itself. Our first stop was Taipei 101! The tallest building in Taiwan, and a sight to behold. Had to scurry around trying to find decent photo angles to get a nice shot of this building. 

This is home, truly.

As much as I love to travel, nothing beats coming home after a trip. Home is where my family is, my friends are, where the roads are familiar, and memories lurk around every street and turn.

Today is Singapore's birthday! So Happy National Day to us. As much as we complain about this tiny island, it's still awesome. Peace, stability, occasional great sights, and lots of gastronomic food.

:) 

Travelogue - Taiwan Day 3 - Beitou, Taipei

Day 3 of Taiwan! We headed up to Beitou to try out the hot springs. Beitou is supposedly the uprising place where many expats stay. Its easy to get into central Taipei via the trains, and yet quiet enough if you're looking for some peace and quiet. 

We decided to explore a little of Beitou before heading to the hot springs. And I must say, it's a quaint little town. I particularly love the library there! It was designed by a Japanese architect, and has a very zen feel to it. So relaxing! 

Travelogue - Taiwan Day 2, Taipei Day Trip

Day 2 of Taiwan saw us taking a day trip out of Taipei. We decided to spend the day exploring northern regions of Taipei.  Our first stop was Jiufen to explore some mouth-watering Taiwanese delights. We took a train down to RuiFang, and headed on to Jiufen by bus. 

We were immediately greeted by this lovely view upon alighting.