Shadowing Practice: 🇹🇼 Taiwan Travel: everything I ate, Fenqihu old village, A-Joy Buffet, vlogging with insta360 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

In this vlog, we are back in Taiwan.

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In this vlog, we are back in Taiwan.

Two years ago, I came as a solo traveler and could not stop talking about it.

This is Wa's first time and there is so much we want to do.

We visited a night market, ate delicious food.

Oh my god, the food!

Taiwanese food is the key to my heart.

Like, if you ever want to kidnap me,

you could probably lure me in with Taiwanese food.

We also visited a few cafes and I think I might have had the best latte of my life.

We also had delicious douhua and we even got reservations at the famous A Joy buffet inside Taipei 101.

Taipei may be known for its skyscrapers,

but the nature that surrounds it and the historic old villages are also worth slowing down to appreciate.

If you're planning a trip to Taiwan,

I hope this video gives you some ideas on where to stay and what to eat.

So let's go back to the day we left LA for Taiwan.

The journey begins at LAX where we would fly to SFO for a short layover,

then be on our way to Taipei.

We flew United Airlines this time and I used my travel credits towards a premium economy seat.

The seat had a lot of leg room but it did feel a bit narrow.

Here I'm using the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 camera.

It has a wide angle lens so I can really show you the space.

I'll be vlogging a with this tiny camera throughout the trip

so shout out to insta360 for sponsoring this video it made vlogging

so fun this trip and it's so small and discreet it's perfect

if you're shy about vlogging in public i actually don't think

the guy next to me even realized i had a camera out as for the food it was well seasoned

but girl the chicken was

so dry it almost took me out i watched a few movies struggled to fall asleep

but 14 hours later we made it to taipei we stayed

at the mgh mitsui garden hotel in the Daan district which had a MRT station right outside.

So this hotel was very convenient.

It was also very clean and we booked this room with our Amex points.

So it was basically free.

Am I right?

Being close to the MRT is key because it makes getting around very easy.

So if it's your first time in Taipei,

Daan is a central place to stay to easily explore the city by MRT or by bus or walking.

This is a door stop.

There were like two, three cards.

And then it magnetizes to your phone.

Oh, but it opens, you get a mirror?

It's a mirror and you get an extra card.

It does it?

You can try it.

No, my phone doesn't.

This is so cute.

and it's just small like that

so you have to get a total of three

that first one was corn and then we also got black sesame and peanut oh my god so hot

if you want something super sugary and sweet this is not it it just tastes chewy

it doesn't taste like they loaded it with sugar just so just so you get addicted to it

we got to the night market a bit late

so many stalls were closed or starting to pack up

so after walking around a little bit we stumbled upon this restaurant the menu was plastered outside the walls

and what caught my eye was the chicken rice

and soups we ordered a few dishes

and in taiwanese fashion it came out quickly and the food was nice

and hot when wa and i traveled together we tend to like to eat different things.

And what I love about Taiwan are the small portions.

You can order a bunch of small dishes for yourself or to share.

That way you get to try a little bit of everything.

I personally recommend to always order a side of veggies because girl, you are traveling.

You better get some fiber in if you know what I mean.

I don't know if you guys can hear the audio,

but the kitchen started playing Zheng Ho Giao.

Okay?

I was not expecting to hear Cantonese music on my first day here.

That made Juan and I very happy and it really added to the vibes as we were eating dinner.

that's good prepare for the popcorn chicken tomorrow

that's exactly what I thought about when I ordered this

the next morning we got in line for the famous Fuhang soy milk

or a classic Taiwanese breakfast the line was long

so I decided to get my camera settings ready

while we wait I got the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 camera right before this trip

so I played around with the settings quite a bit at home to get familiar If you're thinking about getting this camera,

these are the settings that I personally like to use.

First off, the flip touchscreen is great for vlogging.

There are lots of different modes,

but the ones that I use the most are photo,

video, and pure mode.

Pure mode is meant for vlogging in low light,

like you saw from the night market,

but I also like to use it when I'm indoors,

when I know the lighting is not great.

It captures so much detail, as you can see.

This camera is made in collab with Leica,

so you've got these Leica picture profiles to play around with too.

I have found that I like to use flat the most.

To me, it's easiest to work with when I'm editing.

Then I set it to 4K,

60 frames per second, but it can go up to 8K as well.

Okay, I'm going to try to set this up.

This is the pocket printer.

So you basically just put this,

the camera, into the cage.

It just snaps right in.

And then this piece goes on here.

Then you slide this in.

Ta-da!

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So you go into the settings,

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Bluetooth, connect the pocket printer.

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The other day, I took some photos,

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so I'm going to try to print one.

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Oh, that's pretty cute.

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This is so cute to bring on a trip.

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You can print your photos right away.

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The quality is so nice.

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I love it.

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Fuhang soy milk has been around since 1958,

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serving classic Taiwanese breakfast, and was featured in the Michelin Guide multiple times.

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We ordered some of the most popular items like salty soy milk,

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regular soy milk, and flatbread with egg and yu tiao.

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I loved the flatbread because it has this soft and chewy texture.

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If you haven't noticed already,

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I am a sucker for soft and chewy food.

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Going from the sweet and savory to this chewy bread.

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So what do you guys think of this camera so far?

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I really like it because it makes vlogging so effortless.

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It's not heavy, so I find myself reaching for it more than my other camera.

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If you want to get this camera,

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use my code or check the link in my bio.

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Yeah, yeah.

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And after you're finished with breakfast and your heart is calling for some sweets,

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do not sleep on bonbon.

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This flan was the best flan I've ever had.

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Wall wanted some coffee after breakfast,

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so we stopped by a really cool coffee shop called Noon.

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The entrance looked like someone's house and it's really easy to miss,

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so make sure you look for these doors.

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I kind of loved how mysterious it felt and once we went inside,

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we were transformed into this beautiful space.

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Waugh ordered the tasting menu,

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which I thought was so fancy.

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It came out in three separate courses,

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and each one, they explained the thought behind it.

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I loved the storytelling through coffee,

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so I highly recommend if you are a coffee lover.

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Me, on the other hand,

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I ordered an oat latte.

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Basic, I know, but I believe in ordering the basics,

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or should I say classic, items on a menu.

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And girl, I don't know what kind of oat milk or coffee bean they use,

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But this was hands down one of the best oat lattes I have ever had.

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It was smooth and paired with a thin glass cup that they served it in,

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everything from the way it tastes to the way it feels on my lips were perfection.

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From the cafe, we took a stroll to Da'an Forest Park.

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And this park spans over 60 acres,

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so it was huge and it was the perfect place to enjoy the day outside.

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I loved seeing all walks of life hanging out in this park from parents with young kids to grandmas and grandpas,

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the cute dogs, the wildlife.

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It was so peaceful.

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What I love about traveling is the way it stimulates my mind.

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I want to slow down and pay attention to all the little things because when I'm at home,

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I find myself rushing from one place to the next.

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Do you guys feel the same way?

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I would hardly ever stop to take a photo of some flowers, you know?

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But when I'm traveling, I feel so much more creative and present in the moment.

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And it nice to see everyone in the park enjoying it as well.

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It was so wholesome to see.

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What's that carps?

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The type of fish?

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Kind of like koi?

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Not as fancy as koi but in the same family.

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It's

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our favorite type of store.

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It's the first candela of the trip Wow Wow there's cilantro too Oh wow.

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Yeah?

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Mmm.

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Wow.

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The cilantro too.

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Mm-hmm.

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Oh my god the cilantro.

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So good.

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Wow.

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we made reservations one month in advance for ajoy

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which is a buffet located on the 86th floor inside of taipei 101 i've heard

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that this buffet books up quickly so i highly recommend making a reservation

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and i can see why because when we first walked in the view was stunning and after taking it all in,

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Wanai went to the bar to grab some cocktails to start the night.

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Starting with the drinks.

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It's not for me.

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Taiwanese fru colada.

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Oh, this is my type of drink.

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This is the best drink.

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Mmm, smells mincy.

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Let's first go on a tour, shall we?

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I like to take a lap around the restaurant first whenever

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I go to a buffet just to see what they have, you know?

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It can feel a little overwhelming in the best way when you're presented with so many options.

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I was also a bit overstimulated by the people rushing to grab food

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because we were one of the first groups to be seated for the dinner service and people were hungry.

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The aunties and uncles are not playing around, okay?

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You better stay out the way of their crab legs or else.

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In case you're wondering, we made our reservations on Klug,

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so they did charge more compared to what it would cost if I was able to book over the phone.

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It was a whopping $150 per person,

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but I heard locals pay around $120 per person for dinner.

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Although bougie, this was truly a fun experience from the Wagyu station to dim sum to sushi and even the salad bar.

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Honestly, I did not see one person touch.

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I mean, it was pretty,

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but I think we were all a little distracted by everything else.

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Okay, now I'm gonna have sweet shrimp and strawberry jam.

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I thought that sounded so unique,

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so we're gonna give a try.

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but I can't say I like it.

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The shrimp with the strawberry jam.

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Oh.

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This was delicious.

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I love the pickles inside.

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It just melts in your mouth.

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That is a good soup.

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So good.

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What is that?

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Mushrooms probably?

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It should be mushrooms, yeah.

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Finishing off with dessert and a coffee.

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I have to try the ice cream before I go to try the ice cream before I go.

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You want to try peanut?

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Mm-hmm.

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Oh, it's like peanut butter.

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Try it.

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On day three of our trip,

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we are leaving the hotel for Alishan.

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It was super early and the hotel had a breakfast buffet

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so we thought why not we just had buffet the night before

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but i can never turn down a buffet that's one thing

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i feel like we don't have enough of in america good

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quality buffets like where are they i can't seem to find any besides the ones in vegas

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if any of you know of good buffets in america please comment them below the dining room may be small

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but the breakfast assortment here was great it was a good mix of western

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and asian food over in the corner they had a little

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station where you can make your own bowl of savory soy milk

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or rice with a protein

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so that's where i started i got this it's like a curry oh

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and then this is a salted soy milk we are having

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breakfast at a hotel we were supposed to have breakfast somewhere else

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but this morning i woke up super early i think i have a little bit of jet lag

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and after i woke up i just decided to look up the bus times for our trip today to alishan

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and i'm so glad i did

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because turns out there's only four buses from the chile station

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that takes you up

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which means we have to bump up our trip we meant to leave from taipei at around 11

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but

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that will turn out to be way too late we have to leave the hotel in maybe about an hour

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and so we just came downstairs to the hotel buffet breakfast it's 660 taiwan dollars

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so it comes out to be about like 20 usd

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and they have so many options they have like western breakfast and taiwanese breakfast

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after we checked out of the hotel we headed out to

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taipei main station to buy a high-speed rail ticket from Taipei to Jiayi.

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Jiayi is the closest stop to Alishan and it was about a one and a half hour ride.

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You can reserve a spot on the train in advance

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but you could also just purchase a non-reserve ticket at the station for same day travel.

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Depending on the time of day,

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the train could be pretty busy so if you have a lot of luggage,

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I would recommend reserving ahead of time.

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Once you get on the train,

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there is a section where you keep larger suitcases.

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You can also keep smaller luggage by your feet or on the shelf above your seat.

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Once we arrived in Jiayi,

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there was a few options to get to the hotel.

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We could either take the bus,

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Uber, or call a taxi.

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We opted for taking a taxi because the line for the bus was already super long when we arrived.

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The bus also would have taken two hours because of stops,

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so we saved ourselves an extra hour by calling a taxi.

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It was definitely more expensive,

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around $63 for the taxi ride up the mountains,

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but this was so worth it because it gave us extra time to explore the village of Fenxihu.

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We are currently at Fenxihu and this is a very old village.

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They have all sorts of little restaurants,

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little shops, and I am not wearing the right outfit.

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Am I in a trench coat?

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We dropped off our stuff.

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We just came right over here because the rooms aren't ready yet.

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We just came from the city.

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This is the warmest day of our trip so far.

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Less than two hours here before the shuttle brings us home.

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So we are going to go get some food.

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These are one of the best inventions for purses.

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It folds down into like a little tiny square.

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I keep it in my purse so that I can hang up my bag when we get to places.

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You can even put it on a table or just anywhere you can hook it.

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Big doggie.

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He's so cute.

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Oh yes, first up we got mapo tofu over rice.

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This is in English, it's tea leaves egg.

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And in Chinese, it is cha yip jin tan.

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At first I thought it was like cha yip tan where it's stewed but this is actually pan fried.

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Oh that is so fragrant.

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There's a lot of um in Chinese it would be called wok hei.

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I taste a lot of wok hei.

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It doesn't even feel like we're at a restaurant.

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It feels like I went to a like a family member's house.

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There are lots of bed and breakfasts in this area

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but we opted for IHG Hotel Indigo

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because we had amex points to book with this hotel was really nice

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and luxurious we loved that they had a shuttle service to feng chi hu

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and alishan so we didn't have to rent a car

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or call a taxi once we were here since we're up

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in the mountains it's harder to get around without a car there are buses

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that run through here though so

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that is another option then i think the jet lag finally hit us

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because we took a long nap after we got back woke up just in time for our dinner reservation

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which which was another buffet.

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We were so tired at this point and almost didn't make it to the reservation.

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If you're planning a trip to Taiwan,

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please subscribe for part two of my Taiwan trip.

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In the next vlog, we'll be going to Alishan to see the cherry blossoms.

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Then we made our way back to Taipei for more city stuff.

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I got a perm.

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We explored more night markets,

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did a bit of shopping in super cute neighborhoods and visited a few more cafes.

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By the way, if you also want to document your life,

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I'll have a link for Insta360 below.

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You can use my code when you check out.

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They have super cute and fun accessories like this Polaroid printer where you can connect the camera

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and print your photos right away It's so fun with friends so you can physically share your pictures.

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All right, that's it for now I'll see you in my next video for part two of my taiwan trip

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You

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Shadowing Practice: 🇹🇼 Taiwan Travel: everything I ate, Fenqihu old village, A-Joy Buffet, vlogging with insta360 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Shadowing Practice: 🇹🇼 Taiwan Travel: everything I ate, Fenqihu old village, A-Joy Buffet, vlogging with insta360 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Common Pronunciation Traps

What is the Shadowing Technique?