Shir's Life: 28-12-2008 - Taiwan Day 09

Today our plan is to visit JiuFen and Keelung Night Market..

After breakfast, we took MRT to Taipei Main Station then took a train down to RuiFang (RueiFang)..

We bought the tickets from the machine BUT it didn't state the time and where to track to take the train so its important to ask.. My advice is to get the train ticket from the booth..

In this route, most of the trains (They called it - Qu Jian) are free seated.. You can't pick the seat so you must be fast! The whole journery took about 45 minutes so we whop out our DS and PK!

After reaching RuiFang, we went into a convenient store.. They sell package tickets which includes tickets to Goldecological Park and 4 bus rides.. This tickets are only sold over the weekends or public holidays.. It's cost SGD$5.50.. Consider reasonable!

Below are views from the bus.. Be sure you got a seat or grab on to something as the road is kinda of bending and all the way up to the hill (Singapore has little or no such road)

We reached!

First thing to be done is to buy tickets (SGD$5) for gold panning or gold rush! As there are limited time slots!

As we are still early for gold panning, we decided to explore around and when we walked pass a Japanese- styled houses, the friendly staffs invited us in since they knows we are still early for gold panning and since there are seats left for the exihibition.. We watched a documentary and were brought around the house..

Below are the photos took in the house..

Darlie toothpaste!!! I'm still using it today!

The outer look of the houses..

After leaving the exhibition.. We are STILL early for the gold panning but are hungry so we bought this.. The price is expensive but looks yummy so we bought it.. I LOVE IT!..

Police station..

Teapot mountain..

Tracks for transporting mine in the past..

The red house is the mining exhibition..

Finally its time for gold panning! Something i always wanted to try!

We are given a pan of sand and a glass bottle..

Roll our slevees and get ready..

Listen carefully to the instructor and start!

Did you see gold dust?

The whole process took about 15 minutes.. At the end, the instructor even show us the gold dust inside our bottle and helped us to the water to fresh water.. But i learn how to do it so i can change in it future or whenever i like!

After that we went to another exhibition..

Is greeted by a wall of miniature mine hill showing the different levels..

While i took this..

Dan took this..

This remind us of Munsang who was a medic when he was serving National Service..

Remind us of the cab driver whom we took his cab to ShiMen Reservoir..

The very popular gold bar! If you can lift it up.. You can bring it BACK!!!

We decided to pay a visit to the red mine exhibition but we have to buy tickets to enter.. Then we realised we paid to go in to be a worker!

The grey card is our "punch clock card"..

This looks like a.. Anyway its sort of a hygiene shield of us to wear on before we wear a helmet..

Going in to become a worker.. =(

Someone is earlier than us.. Hahaha~ We are actually there to "supervise" the models..

Somehow inside is kinda humid.. The roads are made from metal or steel.. Are kinda of slippery..

Time to take a break..

So i took a photo of myself.. Hehe~~~

Why must spotcheck? Luckily i'm only there to "supervise"..

Time to get some exercise!

How STEEP is that slope.. and so many STEPS!!!

Huff and puff after a while.. Took this while i take a break..

What THE..

We actually overshot this altar.. And there a group of uncles and aunties walking down so i asked them what is it on the top.. Is it the altar? An uncle reply me say no.. But the scenery is very nice there.. We should go up.. After saying thank you.. I decided we should go back down.. In future, if there is another opportunity i would like to go up! I'm serious.. (Singapore don't have such high mountain or hills) And its really feels nice to climb up in this weather (We actually took out our jackets while climbing)..