I Went on a Road Trip in Taichung for FREE
My recent article about my trip in Taiwan tells you that Taichung was the first city I’ve visited. You read it correctly! It’s FREE and here’s how…
Taichung is located in the west side of central Taiwan that can be reached by bus or by train (Taiwan Rail or Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR)). The speed of their THSR is promising because it will take you there in one (1) hour. But since there are still bus-and-train transfers, the travel time will also take one and a half hours or so. This is why I followed the advice of the frequent traveler in the said city to take the bus, which costs 280 TWD. This is way cheaper compared to THSR which costs 540 TWD.
From Taoyuan Airport, I went straight to the basement to buy a bus ticket after I picked up my wi-fi device and exchanged my money. I chose UBus over the three (3) bus operators (for no definite reason). The bus ambiance and experience was similar to that of Japan; it was spacious and very comfortable. Moreover, there was no traffic as opposed to what was written in one of my references. Be sure to research your drop-off, though. City buses follow a strict schedule, and talking to the driver and informing/explaining where your destination is may cause delays considering the language differences. My advice is monitor bus stops, or you can track your location online via Taichung City Bus Arrival Time Access. In my case, I got off at Chaoma Station.
How did I go on a road trip in Taichung for FREE? Well, thanks to Easy Card! The city buses in Taichung offer free rides up to 10 KM. It’s not actually free all the time, just MOST of the time. Make sure to buy your card in the airport, and don’t be like me who didn’t consider buying one and did the “1,2,3” (if you know what I mean) instead. Oopps, don’t judge me! I planned to pay in cash, but I was not sure if it was possible, so I asked one of the ladies in the waiting area. I could sense that she really wanted to help, but yes, the language barrier prevented us from understanding each other. Fortunately, one of the taxi drivers could speak English and informed me that paying in cash was allowed. The next problem was, how much? The bus driver somehow ignored me when I tried to talk to him. He allowed me to get off without receiving anything….with a SMILE. I know I am being judgmental when I think Taiwanese people are like the usual Chinese (no need for elaboration). They’re NOT! And by the way, the taxi drivers did not insist on riding with them.
The host of my accommodation met me at his place. It was my first time meeting an AirBnB host after using the application for five (5) years now. His name was David. The place was good, but the room was on the 6th floor. Imagine me taking stairs with my 13-kilo luggage. David met me when I was on the 3rd floor, thank God! Nevertheless, David was good and made sure that he instructed and provided everything to me. He even assured me that he would be on stand-by to attend to my queries. I brought my things down first and rested for a while before going to my first destination…The Rainbow Village.
From my accommodation, I went to Taichung Railway and got off at Ximwuri Station. I looked for Bus 56 which would drop me at the Rainbow Village (just across the street where you get off). The place is a street art drawn by the former soldier and Hong Kong Huang Yung-Fu, which he created to save the village from demolition. It would be nice to visit it during the day because the lighting for pictures would be good, but visiting at night would also be a good idea too because its lanterns blend perfectly with the paintings, making it ideal for Instagram-worthy photos.
Zhong She Guanguang Flower Market is included in my itinerary for Day 1, but David told me that it might be closed already since I arrived in the afternoon. Going to the Night Market is a good idea also, but since I was alone and bus operations may stop at 10 PM, I decided to go home and schedule the remaining activities the next day instead. Taichung is like a province. I had a hard time looking for food, and I was afraid that it might be too pricey. I slept hungry as a wolf.
The next day, I left home at 6 AM and went straight to Taichung Railway to leave my luggage in the smart lockers. I then rode the train and got off at Tai’an Station which was a 20-minute walk away from Zhong She Guanguang Flower Market. I decided to walk to save money and for exercise as well. I was the first visitor, so I was able to take as many pictures as I could using my GoPro. Go there with a companion. I’ve learned my lesson. There are lots of beautiful spots, especially at the grand piano. The pink grand piano, however, may be hidden on the left side of the garden, and I didn’t notice it because of the white one that was in the middle. I met two Filipinos there, but I went ahead because I had to meet Ate Mane who happened to be working in Taichung…and it took me another 20-minute walk. Some taxi drivers offered a ride, but I refused. Cost was 250 TWD or 500 PHP. You see, I’m a budget traveller. The amount in my itinerary from my previous post will affirm this claim.
I ate a lot during lunch with Ate Mane. It was nice seeing her in Taiwan. We had a hard time arranging a meet-up in the Philippines, and so, being with her there was a jackpot! We had a one and a half hour catch-up before I went ahead to Chiayi (to be covered in another blog entry). She was supposed to join me, but we had a misunderstanding on our plans, so I was alone again.
Other places that you can visit in Taichung are the following:
- Chun Shui Tang (Kuang Nan) Restaurant – a teahouse that claimed to have invented Bubble Tea
- Sun Moon Lake – requires a one-day trip; largest freshwater lake in Taiwan
- Feng Chia Night Market
- Bubble Tea – didn’t experience this but my friends did
- Anime Street Art
I am not sure if it’s in Taichung also, but there was a place visited by Drew Arellano where you can dye clothes and experience Taiwanese Spa. Ideally, you need to allocate two (2) days to visit the places I recommended.
Taichung is where large factories are located, so do not be surprised if you will meet OFWs there.
During my first and second day, I realized that my experiences in Taiwan were above my expectations. To be honest, I didn’t expect the country to have such capability to provide fast wi-fi connection, reliable travel schedule, excellent public transportation, hospitable people, etc. I fell in love quickly with this country, and I will not deny that I suddenly felt bad about the Philippines, although I have high hopes that someday (hoping and praying), we can be like them.