With my new found Japanese friend, Ai (愛ちゃん), we made our way to Jiufen. It is her first time there and for me is the second or third time She checked in International Youth Hostel for a night before departing to Japan but the check in time was after 4pm so we placed her luggage there and went to comb around Jiufen. IYH has the same concept as Homey but the room is slightly smaller in size. Hmm. Perhaps I should try booking a room for a night at Jiufen as I heard the night scenary is quite nice though secluded.
Direction to Jiufen:
Take Train to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station (MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Sta. bus stop & board 1062 to jinguashi) From Taipei, take the train north to Ruifang Station. After exiting the station, cross the street to the bus stop next to the Wellcome Supermarket and board the Keelung Transit bus towards Jiufen. The bus trip takes roughly 15 minutes, and the fare is NT$21 during the weekdays and NT$15 during weekends/holiday. If you are in a group of 4, it is possible to take a taxi to Jiufen as they will charge you a fee of approx. NT100 / NT200 with shorter traveling time to your destination.
Alternatively, you can take the local railway (台铁) from Taipei Main Station. Please take note of the train line which you are taking as you need to reach Ruifang (瑞芳) station - orange line to change a bus to Jiufen. Should you take the train towards Keelung, you will have to take bus 788 (towards jinguashi 金瓜石 at Ren Qiang Zhen Suo (仁祥诊所）。
Our brunch!
Next up! Dessert! The famous Ah Gan Yi Taro Dessert! Yummy Yummy and view is awesome. This shop is located at a of the corner of the Jiufen Old Street and you have to climb up the stairs on your left to be able to locate it. There are several stalls selling the same taro balls but trust me ~ this is a gracious stall that gives big portion of chewy taro balls and nice ambiance.
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| Overview of Ah Gan Yi QQ Yu Yuan Di Gua |
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| Stamping time! XD |
We spent first half of the day at Jiufen and made our way to Keelung for the rest of the evening at their night market.
To get to Keelung from Jiufen, simply take any city bus bound for Keelung. The bus will arrive at Keelung train station right next to the harbor and night market. Keelung is the center of Northern Taiwan's fishing industry hosting hundreds of fishing ships catching all kinds of fresh seafood from the sea. Likewise, you can take a bus from Jiufen to Keelung.Attractions in Keelung: Ershawan Fort (二沙灣砲台, also called Haimen Tianxian 海門天險), Heping Island, and Lovers Lake (We did not go there as we did not have enough time)
We had a hearty brunch & dinner at Jiufen & Keelung respectively. If you like fruity beer, you can try buying the Taiwan beer with flavors such as lycee, peach, etc at Family Mart / 7-eleven while enjoying the snacks. We parted at dusk and I took a straight bus from Keelung Bus Station back to my accommodation. If you are using Easycard, you can just tap on-board the bus, otherwise you can purchase a ticket from the counter as shown as above.
Directions to Keelung & its fantastic Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市)
The entrance is located at the intersection of Aisan and Rensan Roads (愛三仁三路口), and is primarily located on both Rensan and Aisi roads.
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