Travel, discovery, and everthing in between.
In July, I went on a mini vacation to Canada. This was my second time in The Great White North as I’ve visited Vancouver (BC) back in 2012. This time around, I explored the Eastern Coast and hit up Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. A lot happened during my week in Canada and I don’t want to overload you with a super detailed post, so here’s a summary of my trip.
Continue reading “Travel Diary: Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, & Montreal)”
My second trip to Asia was supposed to be all about Japan. I was not planning on visiting Seoul, Korea but the idea of not going back to this vibrant city didn’t sit well with me. I left for Seoul on the 25th of May after spending 4 days in Tokyo. My flight to Seoul was pleasant but I was feeling a bit anxious about getting to my Airbnb apartment. Last time I came to Seoul, my friend Hailey picked me up at the airport and accompanied me to my hostel. This time, Hailey was out-of-town and my other friends weren’t available to pick me up, I had to figure it out on my own. In addition to stressing out over transportation, I had to pick up my pocket WIFI and get a T-Money card (subway card) before catching the last train to the city. Luckily things went smoothly and I made it to my place in one piece.
Before I left for Japan, I promised myself I would blog daily. However, I had an overwhelming itinerary and jet lag was super brutal, especially considering I had 2 long layovers prior to flying to Japan. With that said, I still want to document my trip, even though this post won’t be as detailed as my previous travel ones. Without further a due, let’s find out how spent my time in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
Continue reading “Travel Diary: Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, & Kyoto)”
I landed in Newark airport last Thursday evening and I was welcomed by the frigid embrace of winter. Feeling the cold winter air all over my face and body reminded me of my time living in Brussels which brought a warm smile to my face… “Good times”, I thought to myself. After a couple of minutes of wandering around, I managed to find my friend, Felicia, and we headed to her place. Felicia had to work the following morning but we made plans to crab dinner with another friend at a local Cuban restaurant. After dinner, we went to a nearby coffee shop and listened to live Jazz. We ended up staying there for almost two hours before calling it a night.
I spent my last day in Taipei exploring the city and shopping for some gift. After going to back to my hostel to grab my luggage and to change, I headed to the airport. Unfortunately, I got miserably lost at Taipei Station and ended up missing my train and my flight. Luckily a very kind Taiwanese man who spoke English helped me get in contact with an agent from my airline company. He reassured me that I could still catch my flight back to the USA in Manila (Philippines) via another flight that was leaving Taipei later that evening. Long story short, I made it to Manila in one piece and I was able to get to catch my flight back to the USA.
My stay in Taiwan was a bit overwhelming mainly because I didn’t know the language and much about the culture. However, I am glad I went because it was a wonderful experience! I met so many wonderful people and learned so much about myself! Next time I go, I will make sure to go with someone who speaks Chinese fluently and who knows all the cool spots because I feel like there is more to be discovered.
I did a lot of exploring on my second day in Taipei with some of the guests from my hostel (one of them was one of my roommates). We weren’t supposed to hang out together but we ended up running into each other at a market near the hostel. I was super glad to see them because I was having the hardest time finding my way around and communicating with people (the little bit of Chinese I learned for a semester was no where to be found).
We ended up having breakfast together and exploring the city. We went to Ximending (a popular shopping district), Bopiliao street (known for its ancient architecture) and had lunch together. After that we parted ways for the day and I went to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. There, I met a Korean tourist who was super sweet and we ended up doing a bit of sightseeing together. We had tea together and we chatted for a while. Later I went back to my hostel to get ready to meet some of my friends who live in Taipei. Once I met them, we ended up having dinner together and we had a great time.
I arrived in Taipei in the evening after a two hours layover in Shanghai. After purchasing my bus ticket, I headed outside. The bus didn’t take long to come which was a relief because the air was super humid and muggy. Despite enjoying the pleasant bus ride, I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed because I started to realize that I wasn’t prepared to be alone in Taiwan; I had forgotten most of the Mandarin I learned for a semester (expect for a few greeting phrases) and I wasn’t very familiar with the Taiwanese culture.
My fears were confirmed when I was on my way to my hostel. It took me a while to find the correct subway platform because I kept getting lost. Once I made it to the correct platform, I was having trouble buying a ticket from the ticket machine. I wouldn’t take my money for some reason and I quickly started freaking out because the machine was now only speaking in Mandarin and there was a line of people behind me! Thankfully, a young girl came to my rescue and explained that I need to use coins instead of bills (we mainly communicated by pointing at things). Before she left, she suggested that I go see the clerk at the ticket booth, which I did.
