Category: travel

Life in Newport City, Manila, Philippines

On By Rick McIn travel1 Comment

I spent 11 days in Newport City for the Jr World Gymnastics Championships 2025 and before flying back to Canada.

There are no 3 star hotels so I stayed in something like an AirBnB apartment. There are plenty available in this high density part of the city. They are called a “Condotel” here — starting at about USD $30 / night for a full apartment with kitchenette.

Here’s the view from my 10th story.

no photo editing

View of the airport from my window. I can walk to departures.

There are no parks anywhere close so I ran stairs for exercise, working up to 10 x up and down 10 stories. A good workout in the heat and humidity.

One novelty ➙ many cats that live on the Main Street. Somebody is feeding and caring for them.

Movie theatre, performing arts theatre, upscale mall, high end restaurants.

Most hanging out here are wealthy.

Every possible fast food outlet is available. Dozens of sit-down restaurants.

I mostly bought groceries, making my own coffee and meals.

Newport City is a 25-hectare (62-acre) township development situated next to the Villamor golf course and Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport …

… designed to combine accommodations and entertainment with residences, hotels, a mall and Resorts World Manila, the country’s first fully integrated entertainment complex.

It’s always entertaining for a Canadian to see folks who’ve never known snow celebrate a white Christmas. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’m a big fan of Gymnastics in the Philippines since leading a coaching course here in 2011.

Taiwan Not as Expected

On By Rick McIn travel1 Comment

I’d not known much about Taiwan before traveling there. It was much different than I anticipated.

Cijin Island

I hear of Taiwan often in the context of TSMC, the world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturing and design company. I ASSuMEd that Taiwan would be high tech, something like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Not so.

I found it backwards. More like China in the 1990s than Singapore.

Taiwan still has multiple dumb, unnecessary rules that are strictly enforced. Government hasn’t modernized. For example, currency exchange at the National Bank is still a time-consuming drama with a dozen pieces of paper, all of which will never be seen again by human eyes.

Banking is digitized now in the modern world. Easy, for example, in the Philippines.

I anticipated a language barrier, of course. But it’s challenging.

English is not used aside from direct tourist facing employees. A bus full of tourists will have a driver who cannot answer even the simplest question in English. It results in frustration for all.

Signage, of course, is mostly in logographs. I couldn’t even guess at what they mean. Restaurants often don’t have an English menu.

I’d heard something of the great hiking and cycling trails. Those are good, well organized, but shorter and less adventurous than expected. Taiwan is smaller than I thought. 394 km  long and 144 km at widest.

Next time I’d travel the less developed east side of the island. I followed the high speed rail side this time.

My travels November 2025

Taiwan still uses cash. Refusing credit cards in many places.

Visiting Taipei City

On By Rick McIn government, travelLeave a comment

My favourite photo of the big city.

At dusk, many photographers were taking advantage of rain water puddles. I quickly joined them.

Sandra had given me a detailed itinerary for my 2 weeks in Taiwan. My default plan.

Most fly into and out of Taipei city, the capital of Taiwan.

Even at the airport, my feeling was that Taiwan is much more like China than Hong Kong or Singapore.

Recovering from a summer cold I picked up in Singapore, I first headed to the Beitou, the hot-spring area.

The public baths were closed for renovation, so I never got a soak — BUT heritage buildings and history information made it a worthwhile visit. Tourism is very well organized here.

The library is impressive. An eco-friendly green building.

I used the GPSMyCity app for a self-guided walking tour.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is huge and impressive.

Here’s the founder himself.

Chiang Kai-shek looks over massive Liberty Square, flanked by the National Theater and National Concert Hall.

All in all, a very impressive tourist attraction.

Longshan Temple is stunning, as well. Quite welcoming of visitors.

Of course, every visitor rides the high speed elevator to the top of Tapei 101. It dominates the skyline.

Finally, if you LOVE SHOPPING, this is the city for you. It’s one of the most important pastimes of locals. Along with FOOD. 😀

My first visit to Taiwan.

Food in Taiwan

On By Rick McIn food, travel1 Comment

Serious beef in my portion of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The favourite Taiwanese dish of those tourists I surveyed.

The staple in Taiwan is Braised Rice with Pork. Available everywhere at good value prices. Pork chunks, stewed in soy sauce and spices, then served on rice. Chinese pickles often on the side.

Often you can upgrade to Braised Rice with Pork Belly. Do it!

Taichung is the home of Giant Bicycles and is the birthplace of Bubble Tea. The same chewy tapioca balls are in many other sweet treats. Two most popular varieties are pearl black milk tea and pearl green milk tea (“pearl” for the tapioca balls at the bottom).

I got mine at Chun Shui Tang, the original location. Black milk tea alongside beef noodle soup. Though expensive, I’ve had better soup and bubble tea in Taiwan.

Shaved Ice is a big deal in Taiwan. There are MANY varieties. I don’t know what everything is in my portion ➙ BUT the best ingredient for me was those orange bits on the right. Candied sweet potato.

Locals call this small pastry a red bean cake. But there are many different fillings available, including whip cream.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, at Night

On By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

Kaohsiung is BEST at night, along the Love river.

A romantic and picturesque destination.

Visitors can enjoy enchanting boat cruises, leisurely strolls along the riverbanks, or a bike ride to see the city lights reflected on the water.

Kaohsiung Music Center features a light show on its exterior at night. 

Does anyone really know what time it is?

Visiting Kaohsiung, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn food, travelLeave a comment

I’d heard good things about Kaohsiung City in southern Taiwan.

All tourists stop at the Formosa Boulevard subway station ➙ “Dome of Light“.

The Esports World Championships 2025 were hosted in this city. I happened upon a local Esport competition hosted in the subway station. It attracted the local cosplay community. I quickly donned my AI Nano Banana cosplay samurai costume. 😀

It’s amazing how young humans can dress up to look like their favourite cartoon characters. I’d never really thought much about cosplay before seeing them here.

I took the short ferry ride over to Cijin Island.

Rented an inexpensive bike. 8.5 km long, average width 400m. A series of tourists attractions.

Lighthouse

Obviously, fish and seafood are important in Taiwan.

On the way back, I toured the Pier-2 Art Center area. Wild and weird instillations.

Walking around Lotus Pond is a treat. Kids love the Tiger + Dragon pagodas as you can walk through the mouth of both.

Buddhism here reminds me more of Hinduism. In these bright, detailed temples, I understand almost nothing of either.

The National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts is impressive. The world’s largest performing art theatre under one roof: Opera House, Concert Hall, Playhouse, and a Recital Hall.

No snow in this city. But one kid was tobogganing down artificial turf on cardboard.

Cycling ’round Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Sun Moon Lake is a highlight for everyone visiting Taiwan.

748 m (2,454 ft) above sea level, temperatures are more moderate than the coastline.

In 2020, the number of annual tourist visits was 4.65 million people. Yet it didn’t feel crowded to me.

Surrounding the lake are biking and hiking trails for visitors. 

I did both.

Cycling around is about 30 km + side trips. I stopped at most of the side trip attractions. Several temples.

The highlight was seeing indigenous Formosan macaques at play. They are much shyer than the macaques I’d seen in S.E. Asia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Highly recommended.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Wen Wu Temple, Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

There are endless temples and pagodas in Taiwan. BUT this one is special.

Sun Moon Lake Wen Wu Temple (Chinese: 日月潭文武廟; pinyin: Rìyuètán Wénwǔ Miào) was rebuilt again in 1969, increasing its size and constructing it in the Chinese palace style. …

The first hall, located on the second floor of the front hall, is a shrine devoted to the First Ancestor Kaiji and the God of Literature. The central hall is devoted to Lord Guan, the Martial God, and another Martial God, Lord Yue. The rear hall is dedicated to Confucius. 

Blue Buddha.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Visiting Taichung, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn Art and beauty, travelLeave a comment

You’ve never heard of Taichung, but it’s the 2nd largest city in Taiwan (2.86 million+).

Home of Giant Bicycles.

AND Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry.

It’s no magnet for tourists.

But I really enjoyed the National Museum of Natural Science. First class.

The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is equally well presented, but I’m much less into art.

More interesting than both, for me, is this quirky candy / ice cream shop called Miyahara. A historic building transformed into a luxurious dessert and souvenir store with a Harry Potter-esque interior. 

Though an urban sprawl, here and there are some interesting architectural treats.

Train station, for example.

SOME green space. Not as much as I would like.

There are some interesting attractions outside the city, but I found public transportation not nearly as convenient as in Taipei.

My Favourite Hostel in S.E. Asia

On By Rick McIn travel1 Comment

So far, after a couple of months, dozens of good hostels, best for me has been Meander 1948 in Taipei.

Turns out Taiwan’s in East Asian, not S.E. Asia — but BEST on my S.E. Asia trip 2025. 😀

BEST is the superb location, walking distance from Taipei Main Station, the biggest transportation hub in the country.

There are 100 restaurants within a 10-minute walk. And you get a voucher / day for any 8 of those restaurants ➙ much better than the free breakfast buffet at most hostels.

Most hostels don’t have enough common area. Meander 1948 is better. I can work on my laptop anytime I want.

Excellent staff. Special events scheduled for any guest who wants to sign-up.

For example, I joined in the Thursday hiking trip. Perfect for me.

Super clean and efficient. Hot showers with good water pressure.

Very large and quiet pod-style dorm beds.

FREE coffee 24 hours / day!

There are several Meander hostels. This one is designated 1948 because it’s housed in an historical building from 1948.

This is not the least expensive hostel, by any means. Over 7 nights I paid an average of USD $28 / night. High for S.E. Asia. Location, location, location saved me time and money getting to where I wanted to go with a (fairly expensive) transit pass.

Of course I prefer hostels over 4 star hotels.