Nothing beats good, lasting friendships, especially when things don’t go as planned…
The day’s grand itinerary was supposed to be kicked off by a visit to the Yangmingshan National Park, where we expected to be deluged by pretty pink cherry blossoms. The mountain, however, had other plans and instead, we said hello to strong winds and the chilly rain. We didn’t stand a chance in our laughable winter attire. Here we are in our best I’m-trying-not-to-look-like-an-icicle smiles, in the lone sakura spot that we managed to find. We ended up riding the loop shuttle bus around the mountain, wherein we found out that driving blindfolded is probably one of the many talents of the drivers in Yangmingshan, as ours calmly put the pedal to the medal in zero visibility on the mountain’s winding roads.
And the best part of our visit to Yangmingshan? It was when we ducked to the nearest coffee shop to hide from the biting wind, and had 1-for-1 Starbucks coffee! It was so cold outside, we didn’t mind waiting for almost an hour to get our drinks.
… also, when stars align and things actually go as planned…
And in the category of Things-That-Did-Go-As-Planned, our merry band made it in time to the Floral Expo for the Taipei Lantern Festival festivities. What a sight!
In my humble giddy-glutton-tourist opinion, the night food market outside practically outshone the fete. There were so many savoury and sweet treats to check out, and so little time!
Yup, the candied strawberries were definitely a winner.
… and above all, when you have no plans at all except to enjoy the time with people you’d never get tired of spending time with.
Here we are, literally horsing around as we stumbled onto a nostalgic kids’ toys exhibit at the Taipei Heritage Center behind our hostel. Clear proof that we were never meant to grow up. 🙂
You know that a place has scored a special place in your heart when you walk away with the perfect jump shot! We love Taipei!
Looking for more pics, maps and cost breakdowns? You can find them all here in my previous Taipei-lovin’ post.
.: ishcapades 
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