Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan > Taichung via Train

 

My time at Tainan has come to an end. Time to move on. I checked out from the small hotel, and made my way to the nearest bus stop that would bring me to Tainan Train Station, about a 20 minutes walk away. I didn't feel like dragging my luggage with me along the uneven road. Plus, bus fare in Tainan was pretty affordable!

Above is a photo I took looking out into the street from Tainan Station. Did I mentioned that Tainan Train Station is also under renovation? It was quite chaotic inside. It was a lot smaller than KaohSiung's station. But it was cosy. 

Above is the main hall area. As always, I was early. So I hang around at the main hall area to soak in the atmosphere before moving into the platform area. It was a nice old station. I just wish there was less renovation going on everywhere in Taiwan. Oh yeah, there are also a lot of homeless people in the underpass. To get across the the town area, you have to cross the road. And with a luggage, it was easier to just use the underpass. Unfortunately, you will encounter a lot of of homeless there. 

Finally I entered the platform area. Look, the station master is there, next to the kiosk selling train lunch boxes! My train was around noon time, and I was contemplating whether to buy a lunch box. I saw many people buying it. I could also smell it. But it was a short ride, so I decided to just have my lunch when I reach Taichung. Boy, how I regretted that decision.....

Finally, arriving at Taichung Station, it was huge! And very modern looking. It looked like a big MRT station with all the amenities. And you can look out all around is Taichung City. I was pretty impress with it. I walk all the way to my hotel, hoping they will let me check in early.  I was so hungry by then that I even bought a donut along the way, hoping to eat it with some tea in the room before heading out for lunch. Sadly, the hotel does not allow early check in. The receptionist was kinda weird through out the stay actually. More on that later on..... I left my luggage there, and trace back my steps to a shop I saw selling the juiciest braised chicken. 

Here's my lunch. I ordered the drumstick rice, and it was rather affordable. I actually thought it just came with meat and rice, like in Singapore. But the server ask me to pick my vegetable to go with the rice. I asked how many can I pick. He seems taken aback, and he told me I can pick 4 vegetables. I chuckle with my good luck. 4 vegetables!!!! I could hardly imagine such a good deal even happening in Singapore! Hahahaha. Needless to say, I had a very satisfying lunch. Everything was delicious cause I was almost famine! After lunch, I walked back to the hotel and this time, they allowed me to check in. 

This was one of the nicest hotel I was staying in. I pick it solely for the decoration, and it did  not disappoint. Everything look so country like, so dainty. The bed was the most comfortable of the whole trip. The only I issue (besides the weird receptionist) I had, was the thin walls. I could hear the snoring of the guy next door every night!

Anyway, here is another view of the room. It has a bathroom as well. it just looked so lovely, and they gave me quite a high floor too. 

I settled down to eat my donut. I am nostalgic over plain sugared donuts. I got the tea from the lobby area too. The change the tea everyday, so I took some every day when I come back from my wondering. The card has the name of the hotel in it. 

They also provided tea and coffee as well as snacks in the room, and they refill it daily. I kept all the snacks to eat along the way, and no tea or good coffee goes wasted! Usually I keep the tea to myself and gave the coffees away as souvenirs. 

While waiting to check in, I saw this beautiful book in the lobby area. Just thought I mentioned it here.....

Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan Hayashi Part 2, Last Day's Lunch and Dinner

After enjoying my shaved ice at the roof top cafe, I slowly wander downstairs to check out the department store itself. At one of the floor, there was an exhibit about the store itself. Above is what the store looked like from the outside.

There was a whole corner just about the history of the store.

Beside that, the upper floors mainly sell craft and specialty items. Everything was decorated beautifully. It was also very spacious, and lots of interesting to browse. The price was more at the high end side. Even the cashier was fancy. I might have queued up to buy something, but ended up giving up, perhaps due to lack of size or stock, I can't quite recall. But I recall queuing at the casher for quite some time seeing the services of the cashier. 

Again, even inside the shopping areas, lots of vintage chairs and lamps made up cosy corner for you to take a rest while shopping. Who knew shopping was such an exhausting experience!

Above, more chairs, lamps, and vintage TV. This was at the ground floor, where they sold mainly food items, teas and herbs. I think I took a long time browsing here, wanting very much to get a souvenir. But perhaps something was a bit off. I didn't end up buying anything. After visiting Hayashi, I decided to walk back to the hotel to rest.

On my way back, I saw Komeda Coffee! Haha, a review of my next trip! Komeda Coffee is from Nagoya!

See you soon in Nagoya Komeda-san!

For lunch, back at the hotel area just opposite the Chihkan Tower, I decide to eat the God Soup, or at least that was the translation from the chinese character. I've seen it selling in Kauhsiung but didn't try it. It's the soup on the top, and it's made up of pig's intestine cooked in a barley soup and some herbs. It was surprisingly nice and light! Glad I ordered it. As the soup was so small, and I didn't feel like having any rice, I ordered fried bee hoon to go with it. I recall the fried bee hoon it self cost me almost 3.50sgd! Very expensive. But it was filled with egg rolls inside and other stuff, and super delicious that I still miss it till today! I even tried to cook a version of it back home! All in all, it was a delicious and filling lunch at a road side shop. I like blending in.

It was my last day in Tainan, so I went back to pack and rest in the hotel. By this time, I've totally done all my laundry and dry them and reset my luggage, lol. Thank you Tainan and it's hotel oven toilet that makes it so easy to dry my clothes! For dinner, I went out to look for my winter melon soup, but it was closed. How very very very sad. I ended up buying oyster omelette and prawn roll from another store. I also gave away my remaining two mangoes to the lady that sold me my dinner. Sadly, her food tasted terrible! What a waste of my money and calories. Lesson learnt, don't buy food from a stall that is too near a tourist attraction that caters to mainly tourist. Go to an old coffee shop where the locals eat!

Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan Hayashi Cafe

 

This post is on just the Hayashi Cafe. At this time, I was still full from my breakfast, and too early for lunch, but I wanted to really eat something here. Sort of a treat to myself for making it here, I wanted to splurge on something nice in a nice cafe. 

After taking a look at the menu outside, I decided I wanted pineapple shaved ice since it was so hot, so I went in to make my order.

Above is the counter upon entering. A lady was still setting up. She saw me and told me to wait a while. I saw down nearby to wait, looking around the store. I saw the inner part was beautifully decorated with more classy furnishing and tiffany lamps! Anyway, after 15minutes or so, she was ready, so I walked up to order. When I told her I wanted pineapple shaved ice, she said I have to go inside to order that as she only serve bean curd..... Gee, thanks! But I was happy to move further into the cafe.

Above is the classy part of the cafe. Love the lamp.

Anyway, this was what I wanted to order. It was considered a splurge in my travel budget, but I think it translated to only 5sgd? In such a fancy cafe, I thought it was ok. 

After placing my order, I also walked around and soaked in more ambiance like that one above. Love the lamp, love the window, love the greens, love everything! Oh yeah, as I was travelling solo, I had to let them know the table number when I place my order. So I had to look for a seat and put my things there to reserve it, then walk back and inform them where I was seated, even though there was hardly anyone else in the cafe..... 

I picked a high chair bar seat overlooking the window into Tainan's busy street. And above was the shaved ice they serve me, with TWO spoons. But there was only one of me! I didn't minded much, I guess this is just protocol, not personal service, lol. But the shaved ice was so nice and delicious! I slowly ate it all. It was one of the happiest and memorable shaved ice I've ever eaten in my life, so I'm glad I came here and order it even though it was not within my budget.

Leaving you with a menu of the cafe in case you wonder what else they serve. When I travel, I usually prefer street food, or food where local eats. Only occasionally I will go into a fancy restaurant and treat myself. The treat also tends to be at the half way point, or end of the trip as I knew there would be left over money. There is always left over money on my trip, cause I always over budget and under spend. On my solo Nagoya trip, I came back with 50% of my budget still in tact! And I wasn't even being stringy in my meals! Lol. 

Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan Hayashi Department Store Part 1

Finally, the shop opened! And I stepped into Hayashi Department Store, hoping to be amazed by it. It was an old department store with links to Japan, a heritage store. Perhaps something like Tangs in Singapore? There were only a few floors, but the old building was perhaps the star of the whole place.

The place was very well decorated in classic style. The furniture was classic, with beautiful lighting features every corner that makes it cosy. The floor was solid tiles/marbles, and the whole place just felt very warm and inviting. Lots of natural lights shined in from the big glass windows too. Everything was very spacious and airy. Above was a corner at the root top area just outside the old lift.

The lift itself was an attraction, and many people queued just to ride it to the top. Luckily I was there early. But even if you didn't get a chance to take the lift, you can use the beautiful old concrete stairs that is wide and comfortable to climb to, and then take the lift down. 

Above  is one of the stairs connecting the lower floors. There are actually a few stairs in the buildings, so don't just explore the main stairs! What is interesting it, there is a small door next to the window. I thought that was so cool! I wonder what they are used for. In one of the exhibit photos, it seems that they can use it to transport goods up to the upper level from the outside directly without going though the stores. Interesting. But I'm gonna imagine it's a magical door where imps that work in the store lives, and that they only come out at night to work to keep the store in an orderly manner :P

If you are scared that using the stairs is going to be exhausting, fear not, they have placed nice chairs at almost every corner for you to sit and take a rest. I just love all the furniture in this store, as well as the lamps and even old clocks. Everything here just screams classy.

Above is at the roof top area. There is actually a garden there, and a few shops, so don't just stick to the department store when you visit this place. The treasure is actually at the root top!

There are some art installation here, just outside the gift store.

And there is a postbox for you to post any postcard you bought from the postbox. The gift stores sells souvenirs and memorabilia of the place, as well as of Tainan and Taiwan. So it's very tourist friendly.

You also shouldn't miss the Japanese shrine at the roof. You can't miss it, with it's concrete Torii gate leading you to the shrine. It's a very unique shrine to visit!

Lastly there are two cafe at the root top. One sells soya bean curd, and another selling food and desserts. It may look like just one cafe, but when you stepped in and try to order, they will point you to the correct counter to do so depending on what you want to order. A bit troublesome, but still, it's a beautiful cafe, so don't miss it. Will write more about it in my next post.

Lastly, while exploring around, I also found the toilet and was pretty impressed by it. Above is a peek into the guy's toilet. Even the toilet looks classy! 

As all things asians, we love out cute stuff and Hello Kitty. There's a collaboration of Hello Kitty items with the store that you can buy. It's expensive, as all Hello Kitty stuff. But no harm taking a photo to remember it by, that's free :)

Lastly, a photo of me, inside the iconic lift. I love stuff like this! 1932, me and my favourite shoe was here  💖

Solo Trip - Taiwan (July 2023) - Tainan Human Rights Museum, Library and Old Photo Shop Exhibit

After visiting the Confucius Temple, I still had some time, so I walked around town, and found another free museum! It was called The Human Rights Museum. I didn't even knew such a museum existed. But it was free, and it has aircon! So in I went, to learn more about how passionate Taiwanese were about their freedom to fight for their country, their views, and well, their rights. By the way, Taiwan is LGBT friendly, and it is shown proudly on the streets of Ximending, all the way to the Art Pier of KaohSiung, you can find the rainbow zebra crossing there :)  

Here in this museum, again wordings play the center stage. Wordings from leaders and democratic fighters of the country are proudly displayed in vibrant colours of clothe. I read them, and I think about my own country, and I kinda weep..... Such is life anyway....

 At least people here fight for what they believe it...

I have mixed feeling about democracy. I do vote. And I do observe democracy being practised around the world. And I recall one of my China's friend who thinks democracy is a dumb way to rule a country, cause not everyone who vote is capable of making a wise decision. In someways, I look at my own country, and I do agree with him... It is ideal. It has it's assumptions. It is not perfect. Maybe one day, we will get there?

I thought the whole building was the Human Rights Museum. Turns out I was wrong. On the second floor, there was a colourful exhibit of an old photo shop. A very nostalgic exhibit too. 

Apparently there was an old photography shop that is either closing down or going through a renovation. So in order to preserve the olden days memories, they replicate everything here on the second floor, so people will remember the store as it is, preserving a piece of history of Tainan. 

 I can relate to this nostalgic place. Penang has an old fashion photo shop where everyone would go have their photos taken, for IC, for passport, for school magazine etc. It's where you sit, and the camera is old fashion and flashes like a lightning bolt. and it's screen display is inverted. 

Back in those days, I guess studio shots are also a thing? I never had one done. I don't see the point of taking a photo of yourself in a setup room. But I know some ladies do dress up and take such photos to preserve their youth, lol. I've never been one comfortable in front of a camera. I rather be behind it. 

Some old equipments of the dark room?

A black and white photo of the actual shop, with an old bike and old camera carrying case.

Monochromatic photos. I think I have a collection of this on my blog too. Will link it here when I found it.

And lastly, there was a children's library in the same building too. And they have a water cooler and clean toilet here. So I freshen up and refilled my water here before heading out into the summer sun again in search of Hayashi Department Store! So many side trips just waiting for the store to open! That's the magic of traveling on your own and exploring places are your own leisure pace. Every step is an adventure!