Taiwan Day 50: What I Learned

Day Fifty

It is my 50th day here in Taiwan! Only a week more until I go home.

Today Hui Chee and I led a tour around Monga to showcase what we have learnt over the past 7 weeks of living and taking classes there. It was a little weird because we were two foreigners teaching Taiwanese people about their own place. Some aren't from Taipei but some are and they have never walked around Monga so indepth before.

Bopiliao

They say teaching is the best way to learn and I realized that today. By telling them about all the things I have learnt here, I felt that I wanted to spread the why of Monga's specialty and have them be convinced just as I am. I didn't realize that I had learned so much during my weeks here and showing them the website and YouTube videos that we created allowed me to reflect on why I came here in the first place and what I have achieved.

Tea display at Bopiliao

In the evening our team (June, Emily, Leanne, Linda, Jackie and I) went to Nanshi Elementary to prepare for the first day of our camp tomorrow. The teacher treated us to dinner and prepared things for us like mats and sleeping bags. This is my first time sleeping overnight in a school!

Take care,

Taiwan Day 49: Yangmingshan and New Taipei City Hall

Day Forty Nine

June 29- The weather hit 34 degrees Celsius and we were outdoors almost the entire day at Yangmingshan. To get there we took bus 111 outside Jiantan MRT station which took about 30-40 minutes.

Bus 111

Our first stop was the observatory where we could see the mountain view but I thought views I saw after were more beautiful.

Group of 17 at the Observatory

View from observatory

Next stop was the flower clock and I really like this photo of us because the colours are so vibrant! Our group of 17 consisted of people from seven different places: USA, Canada, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Mongolia.

Flower clock

The afternoon sun rays were strong and there was a slight burning sensation so we all hid under umbrellas when there was no shade!

Hiding under umbrella

Then we took the shuttle bus 108 to another part of Yangmingshan called Qingtiangang. The ride was almost an hour long and quite bumpy because it followed the winding curve of the mountain.

On bus 108

Finally we were there! This was my favourite stop in Yangmingshan because the air was breezier and the scenery was nice.

Qingtiangang

We walked into the rolling hills with calm cows on the side munching away at grass. I even liked that it was slightly cloudy and misty giving the entire place a "far from everything" feel.

After cow and scenary gazing, we all sat on a hill and rested. Although under the sun it wasn't too hot because there was some breeze.

Resting on the hill

By 4:00pm we took the bus back to Shilin night market and ate steak dinner there.

Steak at Shilin

We finished off the day at the 32nd floor observatory deck of the New Taipei City Hall in Banqiao. Entry is free and you can see Banqiao city from the city hall.

Night view from New Taipei City Hall

As I countdown to the days until my departure from Taiwan, I am so grateful that each day is filled to the brim with great memories.

Take care,

Taiwan Day 48: Nanshi Elementary

Day Forty Eight

June 28 - We are holding a camp in English for primary school children in a few days, so we went to the school today to have a look and to meet with the teacher in charge. It took 1.5 hours from Taipei due to bus infrequency.

The school has 4 floors but only about 270 students because the area doesn't have enough residents.

Our team outside the school

In the evening Hui Chee, Eason and I went to eat sukiyaki at Ximending. It was all you can eat and so delicious! I definitely ate too much beef but also a ton of vegetables because they offered many types.

After dinner we wanted to watch Monsters University since it came out that day but tickets were sold out until the 10:00pm show so we went for that one. The movie was so cute and brought back childhood memories of when I watched Monsters Inc.!

Monsters University in 3D

Take care,

Taiwan Day 47: Revisiting Gongguan and NTU

Day Forty Seven

Finally caught up with my posts! In the morning my team for the camp project came over to our homestay's house to work on the camp rundown and to prepare our sessions. I left for a bit in the afternoon to meet Irene who reached out to me after reading my blog! We talked about internships and Canada which made me miss home a little.

Back at the house, we worked on the camp until 5:00pm then went to Gongguan to meet up with the others. I tried the famous supposedly best bubble tea in Taiwan (photo below) but it was only mediocre to me. The drink was too sweet and didn't taste like much.

"Best" bubble tea store

We walked around the National Taiwan University because it was only next door at Gongguan Night Market. Hui Chee and I visited before on Day 24. I think this is a sign that I've been in Taipei for too long because I'm visiting some places twice like NTU and Bitan Bridge two days ago.

At National Taiwan University

We enjoyed a yummy Korean dinner which was all you can eat. There was pancake, bibimbap, Korean rice cake, bbq and lots of banchan. Although not very authentic, the food was plentiful!

Take care,

Taiwan Day 46: Training Day

Day Forty Six

June 26th was a really long day for me because I could not sleep at all! Therefore I was awake from June 25th all the way until 7am of June 26th. I don't know what was wrong but I just couldn't sleep. Instead, I finally gave up trying to sleep at 4am and got out of bed to exercise for an hour, shower and lay in bed until 7am when I was suppose to be up.

William, Hui Chee and I had been working on a Training Day for the Organizing Committee (OC) of the summer camps that we will be hosting for elementary and secondary students next week. Some of the OC members feel uncomfortable hosting an entire camp in English so the purpose of our Training Day was to prepare them for that and to remind them of why they joined to host the camp in the first place.

From 9:30am to 5:00pm we had sessions, discussions, rehearsals and mock scenarios. I was so happy to see it come together and watch our planning for this Training Day pay off.

William presenting

OC and Exchange Participants

Take care,

Taiwan Day 45: Bitan Bridge at Night

Day Forty Five

Although it is almost 12am and I have to be up by 6am tomorrow I can't put off blogging anymore because I will have more and more days piled up! So Day 45 was June 25 and a filled day.

We had a meeting during lunch time about our project while enjoying my delicious burger.

Meeting

The next batch of exchange participants for the summer arrived so we went to meet them. They were a varied bunch from Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia and Australia! It was fun getting to meet new friends and made me a bit nostalgic because only 7 weeks ago that was myself. I was once that clueless about Taiwan myself and now I could tell them where to go and what's fun to do.

In the evening we went to Bitan Bridge again and the lighted up version was even nicer than when we went in the daytime here. Although nighttime, the humidity still made the walk sweaty :/

Bitan Bridge

Entire Bitan Bridge

It is a bit sad that as I am about to leave at the end of the project, my new friends just came to start theirs so I won't get to spend much time with them but so glad I still got a chance to meet them! :)

Take care,

Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort of Ternate, Cavite

Security while having fun on the beach. That's how I would describe my experience in Boracay de Cavite Beach Resort which is also called as Marine Base Beach Resort. Yes, you read it right. Boracay de Cavite Beach Resort is situated inside a Philippine Marine Base found in Ternate, Cavite. So expect to see trainees and people in uniform while you are in the area. Having said that, you are guaranteed that this place is safe. So just enjoy!

How to get there?
From Baclaran, take a Saulog bus or a mini bus going to Ternate, Cavite. You'll be spending 85 Php if you take an AC bus and 70 Php for riding a mini bus. This will be a long drive so just charge yourself up before the actual swim. An estimate of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of traveling time before you reach Ternate bus terminal. From the bus terminal, you need to hire a jeepney because there are no public transportations available going to Boracay de Cavite. A 22 seater jeepney can be hired for 2,000 Php - 3,000 Php. This price is already round trip and may vary depending on how good you are in barking. So goodluck! As for those who'll be travelling in private vehicle, take the Coastal Road and go straight to Cavitex. Prepare 24 Php for the Coastal toll fee and 65 Php for the Cavitex toll fee. From Noveleta Exit, drive all the way going to Ternate. Before you reach Ternate, you'll be passing by the towns of Tanza and Naic. Note: Monitor your gas tank gauge because the most accessible gas station to Marine Base is in the city proper of Ternate. You'll know you're in the right direction if you got to see the jump off point of Mt Pico de Loro, Puerto Azul and Caylabne Bay Resort. Just drive until you reach the Main Gate of the Marine Base (which is hard to miss).

Main Gate of Marine Base

From the Main Gate, prepare your entrance fee. 100 Php is charge for a day swim and 200 Php for an overnight stay.  For those who'll be staying overnight, rooms (700 Php) and cottages (350 - 450 Php) are available in the beach side but if you want to cut from these fees you may bring your own tent and just set-up a camp. There's also a pay parking there - Motorcycle: 10 Php (day) / 20 Php (night), Car: 50 Php (day) / 100 Php (night). You need to go back again to your vehicle after paying all those fees because the beach part of this camp is still 2-3 kilometers away from the Main Gate.

Computing our fees :]

As we reach the beach area of Marine Base, I noticed the creamy (not white) and fine texture of its sand. And thought to myself that maybe it is one of the factor why this place is called, the Boracay of Cavite - Just maybe. The area is amazing. Never thought that Cavite has this kind of beach. Aside from the fine sand, it is surrounded by tall stone walls with waves splashing on it (like the one I see in the movies). Most importantly, the area and the water of Boracay de Cavite is clean.

Nice sand and calm water

We brought our own tent

Aside from the tent, we also rented a hut

It is also recommendable for family outings and reunions. Kids will definitely enjoy Boracay de Cavite because the water level of this beach doesn't change drastically. So, kids and teens can enjoy their swim for as long as they know their limits.

Ate Rain and her cute kids

Swimming time!

Visitors can also play beach volleyball. There is a dedicated place for this sport in the mid part of the area and I believe it is for free of use. Just bring your own ball. It is also ideal for other games and team building activities provided that it has a wide area to roam around.

Playball!

A Sari-Sari store is also available in the area. So if you forgot to bring chips and toiletries, you can buy things there. The comfort room is OK. All covered up and there's no problem with the water supply.

Look how beautiful this place is...

There's not so much amenities in Boracay de Cavite provided that it is a Marine base after all, but I truly enjoyed my visit there. The water and the view is enough for me to say that others should also stop by Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort.

Pack up! EOD... aw (me and my girlfriend)

Before we left Boracay de Cavite - Marine Base Beach Resort...

Breakdown of Expense:
AC Bus (Baclaran to Ternate, round trip) - 170 Php
Jeepney Rental (Ternate to Marine Base, round trip) - 2,000 Php (good for 22 people)
Entrance Fee - 100 Php
Parking Fee - 50 Php (divided by number of people)
Cottage - 450 Php (divided by number of people)
Food - **.** Php

Update!!! (March 3, 2014)

from Ehrm.Bas (Thank you for giving me and my other readers an update! =])

Some were asking for contact numbers, or how you can make reservations.

The answer is they don't entertain reservations in the Ternate Marine Base, and they don't have a landline that they'll give away. However if you have a party of 20 or so people, you can make reservations by going to Marine Barracks Rudiardo Brown (Marine Base Manila) in Fort Bonifacio, Makati. Ask the MP guarding the gate where MC7 is. That is where you can make reservations (you have to pay there also), and they'll be the ones who will contact the personnel in Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim in Ternate.

And if anyone wants to ask the "is it still open to the public" question in year 2015 or 2016, just go to the Marine Barracks in The Fort described above and ask the personnel there.

Some were asking if they will still be allowed to enter the premises if they leave Manila at night.

The gate of Marine Barracks Gregorio Lim is only open from 5AM to 10PM, daily. The MP won't let you in outside those hours. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle if going there alone as there are no street lights in the road going up, and almost no settlements - though the road is very nice.

Additional information:

• There are two stores, and one of them accepts cooking service, also from 5AM to 10PM, for a modest fee.
• Signal on Smart is erratic, at best you'll get 2 bars of 3G signal, then sometimes you get dropped to GPRS or 2G.
• Signal on Globe while on the beach front is awesome. I was consistently getting HSPA/HSPA+ signals while in there and encountered no problems uploading 3MB photos.

BORACAY DE CAVITE IS CLOSED UNTIL MAY 16,2014