Final Day! -

8.30am

Today I woke up to my alarm. I have just one major itinerary item, and afterwards will see how it goes. I have to leave for the airport at 3pm latest today.

A last look at my hotel room before I check out.

9.47am

Checked out of hotel and left my luggage with the concierge.

I walked out of the hotel lobby and saw Taipei Main Station right across the road from me. I had no idea because I had always been taking the direct exit underground.

This is really the best hotel location in my opinion! I will definitely stay here again when I return to Taipei.

Although I didn’t plan for it this way, but changing my itinerary around yesterday afternoon turned out to be the best thing to do because the place I was visiting today was only less than 15mins walk away from my hotel.

But before that, I was on a mission to find a cafe to get my morning coffee. I wouldn’t mind a bite too.

Got my trusty breakfast.

10.43am

Reached Museum of Contemporary Arts.

Admission was 100NTD, most expensive ticket so far. And the ticket looked like this –

Unlike the stiff fine arts museum, this one wanted me to deposit my bag in a locker. I was only too happy to do so.

Photos to do the talking!

Photos can’t do justice to this museum because I really did like this place. A lot. The exhibits were immersive and thought-provoking that’s why it was difficult to capture the essence in photos.

Hey! It’s the cube crayon again!

12.03pm

Left MoCA.

12.13pm

Reached Q Square Mall.

There was a mall in-between MoCA and my hotel and I decided to spend the next couple of hours here, in the aircon, and perhaps score some last minute shopping.

Along the way I saw a furry! I’ll be seeing my furry very soon! ☺️ He has nice long legs like my furry. Taiwan poodles are really bred better.

In my element again.

空无一人.

I spent the last of my NTD buying two T-shirts at this mall.

1.19pm

And then I sight a familiar place again so…

I go!

The cakes were different from the ones I had in Taichung. Were there locational differences? So odd.

1.50pm

I left Starbucks and began to find my way back to the hotel amidst the underground maze.

2.15pm

My luggage is secured! Now I need to find my way to the airport MRT. My luggage has gained 4-5kg since the beginning and there are lotsa stairs around this underground maze! *engaging barely-existent muscles*

2.32pm

I reached the airport MRT. Hurray!

2.35pm

And I’m on the train!

3.30pm

I reached Taoyuan terminal 2.

I attempted to refund my easypass card, which still had more than 2700 NTD at this point. It was denied. Apparently I am unable to encash the easypass issued by the tourism bureau. Oh no!

It appeared like the mayor of Taipei was going to send me off too.

3.51pm

Thank you for everything Taiwan! You’re an amazing place! Stay the way you are always!

4.03pm

I forgot that my swiss knife was attached to my house keys. So even though my swiss knife was as tiny as my index finger and was only useful for filing my nails when there is a chip and cutting loose threads, airport security confiscated it.

I was quite upset. I’d had this for a really long time, easily 20 years, and it was pretty expensive.

5.01pm

I finally made it to the lounge. I spent the last hour frantically trying to find somewhere to spam the remain 2700NTD in my easypass card. In the end, I did a bulk buy on Starbucks merch. I had 600NTD left after busting the daily limit on the card but hey, at least now I have a new Starbucks bag, journal for 2024 and a new mug!