Day 4 - 13 July 2019

Technically, I have only half a day as my flight will be in the afternoon.

I had breakfast, back at the "四海豆浆大王". I had 豆浆，油条 and 荷包蛋. Simple affair but it was great enough to start my morning. To get my coffee fix, I went to the 2nd floor of the hotel to have a cup of latte. Ok, I am even more ready now.

I took a cab to Taipei 101 and headed to the Taipei 101 Observatory's entrance area which is on the 5th floor. Having scanned the QR code of my Klook e- voucher at the ticketing counter, I got my ticket. After less than 40 seconds, I reached the 89th floor of the observatory deck. The weather was fantastic; everything that the view affords were so clear. I took my own time to walk around the observatory deck and snapped at the buildings and skyscrapers that look like beautifully constructed Lego sets. The wind damper is impressive. It is this gigantic round ball that stabilises the entire building in the event of earthquake or typhoon.

I got back to ground floor at about 1030am and took a cab to 四四南村 (Si Si Nan Cun Village). It was actually within walking distance but as I wanted to save time and didn't want to unnecessarily get lost, I took a cab and arrived within minutes.

Formerly a housing area for soldiers, what remains now is a quaint village with a cafe and a tiny shop that sells ice cream. There is a museum that shows you the history of the place as well. What I like is the juxtaposition of this rustic-looking village (at the foreground) and the stately Taipei 101 (at the background). It felt as though a time machine had just got me transported from modernity to a historical era within a short time. Indeed, a hidden gem within stone's throw from Taipei 101.

I left 四四南村 at about 1120am and had my lunch at Bellini Caffe (just a short walk from CityInn). As I was having my pizza and beer, I was looking forward so much to going home.

I checked out of CityInn at 1pm and headed to the airport at 115pm. At the airport, I did a bit of window-shopping but exercised a lot of self control from buying any (expensive) stuff. I was tempted by the Bose wireless earbuds but I managed to walk out of the shop without buying. NTD 6,900+ would have been my financial loss had I succumbed to the temptation.

It was a great trip. 4 days 3 nights are just about sufficient. I love every bit of the trip; in fact, since the planning phase when I started my research on where to go and what to do. It's quite satisfying to see your plan being implemented successfully. I love the pace of the trip and the time that I was able to spend by myself. The thought of not having to worry about anything at home or work (barring a couple of work texts) during this trip feels relaxing. And to get in touch with nature - the euphoric moment of marvelling at God's creation and having your breath taken away - that just does it for me.

As I peer out of the window, waiting for the plane to take off, I can't wait to be home. No matter how wonderful the experience was, I miss family connection and honestly, the touch of reality. Though I'd have to brave myself for the real world once I got back home, I'm grateful for this short respite. This trip shall go down as one of the fondest memories of my life.