8AM: Breakfast
Even though a lot of businesses are not opened yet so early in the morning, this does not apply to hole-in-the-wall breakfast stall like Yonghe. Yonghe could be easily located at every corner in Taipei. If you like to experience traditional breakfast of Chinese fried culler (re: you tiao) and soya milk, you can simply pop by any hole-in-the-wall breakfast stall. For a start, there are some of them located along Ximending and Shida Road. The size of the you tiao is humongous.
10AM: Strolling
I personally think that the best activity to do after eating is taking a stroll. While you are enjoying a nice sight, your stomach has a good time to digest all the goodies that you enjoyed during breakfast. There are so many nice sightseeing places to see in Taipei. One of my favourites is Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, which is located only a stone away from exit 3 of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall MRT Station.
If you come to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall during spring, you will be able to see a row of sakura trees in full bloom. Do check out their website for the timing of changing guard ceremony which is held every hour at level 4 of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.
1PM: Lunch
If you want to avoid office lunch crowd, you should probably try to avoid lunching at exactly 12PM. The crowd at 1PM is still a lot but relatively lesser than 12PM. Taiwan is known as the country where Din Tai Fung, a famous Xiao Long Bao restaurant, is originated from. So, if you would like to taste this delicate Chinese dumpling at its best, do visit Din Tai Fung at either Yongkang Street (the original place with amazing long queue) or Taipei 101 (which relatively shorter queue).
Occasionally, Din Tai Fung in Taiwan will roll out special menu exclusive only in Taiwan. Use this chance to grab that special menu because you really will not be able to taste it anywhere else. Really.
3PM: book-worming
I have never thought that the Taiwanese loves reading so much up to the point I heard about the 24-hour book store named Eslite. My Taiwanese friend told me that this place is a haven for those people who are waiting for their morning train, students who need a better place to study for exam (other than their own house) and those who got nothing better to do. Wait, do you mean that you can read the book that Eslite sells for free? Eslite provides samples for the reader so that they can check out the book before they decide to buy. If you decide to be opportunistic and read the book until the end, I guess nobody will blame you. In fact, a lot of people is doing that leisurely in Eslite (for example, by sitting on the floor like it's their own house). Notwithstanding your motive, this place is a heaven for book-worm like me.
7PM: dinner time
Night time means a fun time in Taipei. There is no foodie in the world who will miss the chance to have a go at Taipei's famous night markets. Since I was at Eslite before dinner time, I decided to take the subway to go to Raohe Night Market. There are so many yummy food you can find in Raohe Night Market from the black pepper pork buns, sausage sticks, stinky tofu, pig-blood cakes and even, snake meats. I gave the last one a miss, though. #notadventurousenough
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