0750 : We got to Terminal 1 @ Changi Airport quite early and proceeded to get our boarding pass. T1 compared to the new T3 really feels quite old.

This is the first time our whole family has travelled together since 2002 China Trip(before my sis and myself got married)! This time round, we have baby Celeste along with us.

The plane trip (via China Airlines) was pretty smooth with some turbulence reaching Taipei. With my third visit, everything seems just as it is with the only difference being this would be summer and the weather would pretty much be similar to Singapore.

Celeste was great throughout her first plane trip with her usual curiosity in everything. The trip to our hotel (booked via Chan Brothers) at Hotel Riverview Taipei took slightly less than an hour since traffic was pretty good. This was a short 10 minutes walk to Xi Men Ding although I preferred Wonstar which we stayed during the last trip for its nicer rooms.

1820 : After a quick drop of our luggage, we proceeded to Xi Men Ding to take a quick walk around.  On route, there was a road side stall selling Onion Pancakes (yh loves them) next to a cinema.

Since we were in Xi Men Ding, we had to try the famous Ah Zhong Mian Xian. This delightful soup noodle is great to have in all seasons! We got shared 2 bowls between my parents and ourselves.

1920 : My sis, bro-in-law and Celeste went off to find a place more suitable to have dinner while parents, yh and myself headed down to Shi Lin night market.

While we were there, we had to try Hao Da Ji Pa (fried chicken cutlet) which I never miss out on since tasting it in 2003! Of course, we also made sure to cool off with a bowl of mango shaved ice while my parents had a mixed fruit. See my dad enjoy the cold milk syrup shaved ice in the hot summer.

The crowds in the summer was even more than I remembered during the winter period. Seems everyone enjoyed taking a stroll past the various roadside stalls selling all manners of food stuff and clothing.

The illegal hawkers also displayed their wares in easy to display (and pack up) mats/ or tables which quickly disappeared into the alleys when the police came patrolling. The crowds would just cover up the gaps as if nothing had happened. We also passed by a shop where Yh had bought a bag in 2006 although nothing really caught her eye this time round. Since the night was still young, we split up on the way back when my parents wanted to explore Xi Men Ding further. We went and caught a movie “Blood : The Last Vampire” (our first in Taipei) near the onion pancake stall. Movie was below average and very cheesy effects. By the time we reached back to our hotel, it was about midnight and we turned in for a early day to Yang Ming Shan.