11 August 2017-Pinglin Tea Museum, Bagua Tea Fields, Choose Me Cafe, Ximending, Shilin Night Market

- August 31, 2017

Taipei Day 3 - 11 August 2017

1. Pinglin Tea Museum, Bagua Tea Fields (Thousand Island Lake)

2. Choosme Cafe

3. Ximending
4. Shilin Night Market

1. Pinglin Tea Museum, Bagua Tea Fields (Thousand Island Lake)

Read so much about Bagua Tea Fields in the internet.

Got the address from https://www.rtaiwanr.com/new-taipei/shiding-bagua-tea-fields. Luckily, there is an address stated :Shizaitoukeng Ln., Sec. 6, Beiyi Rd., Shiding Dist., New Taipei City 223, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

I booked a taxi (NT2000) from our Hotel to go to Thousand Island Lake. It seems that this is not a very popular place for tourist yet. So Hotel staff was a little surprised with my request. Initially, when I told him about Thousand Island Lake, he cannot get me. Then when I showed him the map, he understood and told me this place has only started to become popular last year (2016). But still, not very well known as it is still relatively new.

So the next morning, when the taxi driver told me he have not heard of this place before, I am not that worried. Taxi driver requested me to give him a exact address so that he can fetch us there. Since we need to travel at least 45mins to Shidings District, I requested the taxi driver to drop us at Pinglin Tea Museum since we need to pass by this place.

Pinglin Tea Museum

We paid a little entrance fees to go into this museum to see the machines that makes tea and write out for history of tea.

Different kinds of tea

Next to the museum, there is this small plot of land with tea garden. It free to walk about.

I think it is stop over for a visit if we need to pass by here. People like us who never seen tea leaves before, I think it is good education for us.

Bagua Tea Fields (Thousand Island Lake)

Shizaitoukeng Ln., Sec. 6, Beiyi Rd., Shiding Dist., New Taipei City 223, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

While waiting for us at Pinglin Tea Museum, the taxi did some homework checking with his taxi driver friends on this place. Then he told us that this place was actually a river. The government block the river to create a dam. The Bagua tea field is an eatery with such great view.

So I disturb the taxi driver that if not for us, he would not know this place. From now, he can bring visitor to this new find. LOL. By the way, the old street were closed as it is on a weekday. However, I later learnt from the Hotel staff that he went here last year during weekend. It was so crowded that cars cannot go all the way here. So they need to hike to this place.

It was summer, so water were shallow. Not as nice as those I read from website

The steep steep road. We need to run inorder to walk uphill

On top of this tea garden, there is a eatery

Cost us about SGD20. Very oil food

Not so fantastic tea

Our left over

Overall I like this place. However, not recommended to come during summer. It is sooooo hot. Better to come during cool weather.

We direct our taxi driver to stop us at Choose Me Cafe after this place. We reach our destination exactly exactly 4 hours from our departure from Hotel. Thus NT2000 for 4 hours of taxi rental.

2. 初米咖啡 Choose Me Cafe&Meals

https://cafechooseme.mymy.tw/

中山區錦州街423號之1號

Taipei, Taiwan 104

The Taxi driver told us that he drove a blogger to this place recently when I told him I wanted to try out this place. He also told me it is quite a popular place. I came across this cafe write out from FB. The cheese cakes look so tempting. So decided to try out.
The shop was quite crowded when we arrived at 2pm. Shop also encourage patrons to take picture there. So you can find props for picture taking just outside the shop.
The funny thing is, you see youngster no willing to consume their purchase. Kept taking the picture of the cakes for at least half an hour. I find it quite amusing.

Wanted to order the saseme flavour. But was told it was out of stock.

Ended up with chocolate Peanut flavour

Hot Fruit tea

Mochi filled cheese cake. Very interesting and nice.

3. Ximending
Time for visiting Xixmending just like any other tourist.

We bought socks at 6 pairs for NT100. Other than that, its the usual shopping, plenty of shaved ice, street food to eat etc etc. Only the following 2 interest me.

The famous braise duck store

Look at the crowd

Not that impress with the product. The bean curd tasted so chewy. Like rubber. Not used to it.

We spotted this man

He shaved some peanut candy from this peanut candy block.

Popiah skin, peanut candy shavings, 2 scoop of yam ice sherbet plus 2 leave of coriander leaf

Taste like popiah but its ice cream. Very delicious

4. Shilin Night Market

We have been to this place before. Decided to go there again for shopping. Plenty of shop for clothing and plenty of street food to eat. But we only ended with the Hao Da chicken and grilled octopus.