Taipei & Taiwan: Dizzy is new me
My last few days in Taipei before I go to Kaoshiung (southern county of Taiwan)! Me and my colleague Sam decided to explore the best places around here (or what our intuition could tell so).
But firstly, let me share with you few basic facts I have noticed about Taiwanese culture and its inhabitants so far.
Taiwan through my eyes so far
The major thing I need to mention is for those who have not been in here (or has seen China, South Eastern Asia), Taiwan is more civilised than one would think.
From my own experience I do not recommend to do wide-eyed faces or even more to compare Taiwan to other countries in Asia. :)
I would mention what I consider as its highlights. Especially things I had definitely not expected or those that surprised me in a pleasant way.
Taiwanese smile at me all the time. Moreover, I was told I look like a movie star. Well, ok. (surprised me)
Taiwanese are generous. (surprised me)
Taiwanese food is mainly sweet. (not expected)
Taiwanese shaved ice is served with soybeans. Additionally, you can choose corn, herbals jelly, sweet potatoes, green beans, and more lot. (not expected, actually I thought about the plain shaved ice as a rice when I saw it for the first time)
Taiwanese don’t drink alcohol beverages often and If they do, just little and sensible. So If you want a detox, you are at the right place.
Taiwanese are meat lovers in any part of meal time. (not expected)
Taiwanese PASTRIES ARE JUST AWESOME! (surprised me)
Stands inside street markets serve everyday different meal. In Taichung, where you can find the most famous market, there is the aisle of new experimental meals and if it is successful for audience they spread out the recipes further to other localities in Taiwan. (surprised me)
Taiwanese don’t like swimming (not expected)
I am mainly in touch with younger people in Taiwan and those seem to be open-minded with good sense of humour. (surprised me and I love it)
Taiwanese as probably most North Asian countries love working even in their leisure time. (expected :))
Taiwanese have on their passport Republic of China even they are no longer under Chinese domination. (not expected, their relationship with China is wider and more complicated as it seems.)
Sightseeing led by Sam (Huashang Creative park and Chiang Kai-Shek)
Speaking of Tuesday, in charge of planning the day was Sam. Sam is my new friend and collegue, nice, tall and funny Canadian with origins in Korea.
Why I left him in charge was simple, I was too lazy to plan that day. And I love his strategy of searching. Anytime I ask: ,, How do you know?” he replies: ,, Internet told me”.
But with that confidence and innocence at the same time in his eyes, just super cute.
Back to sightseeing we did. After a short walk from our place we reached the entrance to Huashang Creative park. This park used to be wine factory. The stores inside the area were reconstructed to shops with homemade goods, restaurant, museums of bricks and others.
Meanwhile Sam was trying to adjust his camera, I checked the prices of museums. Around NTD 300 (10 euros)/one entrance.
We made a quick decision not to go in with little bit of disappointed though. But priorities… At least, you know, you need to take pictures in front of the ticket office.
On the way out from the park, I popped into the convenient store and without long thinking chose the soda labeled with watermelon. (It is kind of my behavior in here, I pick things according the cover. Not speaking Chinese, not having the expectations).
Both, Sam and saleslady, started to scream at me: ,,Are you searching for beer? That’s not that one.”
Can people read in me in a second? But I am wondering. Did I seem so in need of a beer? Maybe, but let’s move on.
We moved on as well. We were heading to Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial park. I thought I had seen that already, but it was just the one of few giant gates what Chiang Hai-Shek is surrounded by the other night.
This is going to sound little bit crazy, but the moment we got through the gate and I saw that beauty in front of me I was thrown back to India in front of Taj Mahal. The majestic, huge and at least same white palace boasted itself.
Up in the middle of the temple you could see a giant Chiang Kai-Shek sitting and SMILING!
If you would be interested in him, take a look.
Each hour the guards chenge and so If you are lucky you can see them yelling and doing the performance what for me (no offence) looked like some particular dance show. A decent one of course. (Definitely catchy !)
The weather was getting even more hotter and I started feeling somewhat dizzy. We were on our way to restaurant while I could not handle it and I pulled Sam into a building. After we realized the AC is sooo pleasant we were standing among the crowd of people waiting for something. And then I noticed the sign: Ministry of Labor.
Don’t matter where you go, the AC matters!
The local officer were approaching us so we vanished immediately.
Just in case you would be interested in getting into the best AC place (or a JOB).
Temple behind the waterfall with lost me
Next day Sam and me decided to explore separately. I did quite nice hike. Definitely adventurous.
The first stop was Taipei Zoo. Speaking of ZOO, I am not a fan of those places. But the fact, animals being kept in territories can be discussed for hours probably with any result or compromise. Yet I haven’t been in ZOO for long time and I wanted to see Asian one at least for once.
As well, my planned hike started in Taipei Zoo MRT station. So I took a look. I realized I have never seen a panda before. Despite my belief, the houses and territories of animals were clean, pretty large and maintained.
To get to Maokong you are meant to take Gondola to take you up on the hill where the several trials start. With my special luck, these two weeks the Gondola was out of service.
But same as in the life, there is always a different way. I found a bus heading there so I got onto.
Maokong is known as the tea paradise and surrounded by tea plantations.
As I alighted the bus I was pretty much in need to use the lady’s room. I ran into the room of the building which was obviously not a restroom.
If relatives want to show the grief or worship for the one who passed away, they decorate the grieving room appropriately and with this kind of presents (pyramids made from any cans). I didn’t know that, I just found the pyramid of beer cans. And It was … confusing for me.
When the guy from there saw me wandering around looking for something, he nicely showed me the way out and pointed to restroom. Before he showed me how to hit the starting point of hike he had treated me with a great green tea.
I love to take direction as I feel. Especially when I am alone.
So after 10 minutes I followed some Chinese sign with arrow I got out of the main road and found myself in tea plantation with the spectacular exposed view of Taipei. This is the thing what happens when the city is embosomed with mountains. Every mountain has its own “point of view of Taipei city.”
As soon I saw some particular places I knew I am on the right path. I would say I wasn’t unprepared I simply haven’t followed any hiking guide.
4.15 pm
Everything went well until I realized the sun is about to start setting down.
You can maybe roll your eyes now, but I had still two more hours !
My footsteps became longer and I began to walk faster. So imagine: Following some signs in Chinese, sun Is close to set and you are in the rainforest with really interesting sounds all over you. Just you and your mind.
5.15 pm
After some ups and downs in the rainforest I hit into the one of most beautiful combinations of nature and culture I have seen. The Temple behind the waterfall Yinhe Cave. I just noticed I am completely alone all the way.
Suddenly, I was delighted and excited at once.
I spent there quite a long time regarding how late it is. But this is why.
When I climbed down I saw one more temple. You needed to come out few floors to get up there.
Few Taiwanese people gathered in the temple noticed me and were trying to find out what I am doing there. After my few attempts of speaking in English- Chinese nonsense language we got on the same page. They showed me way upper and there was the moment where magic happened.
The way back to Taipei was unexpectedly really easy. I just hit the main road and caught the bus straight away. I don’t lack luck sometimes.
Beach time!
As I could notice Taiwanese people don’t like swimming as us, Europeans. So it is quite hard sometimes to find a beach that is accessible and provide the opportunity to go into the ocean.Taiwanese coast is divided for 2 kinds. East coast is sandy, West coast is rocky one.
I heard that Fulong beach, by train 1,5 hour distanced from Taipei, is nice and with sand. My previous plan was the hike to Teapot Mountain.
The weather was too hot and humid to walk for me any longer. I changed my mind and got onto train to East coast closest to Taipei. I was a little bit surprised by the entrance fee but then I found out why.
The exhibition of sand sculpting was just right there in that area. I had never seen those kind of sculptures. And interesting fact about it is the process how are they made. Just from sand and water. The sand is sticky that means no other additives are needed to build the sculptures properly. The other thing was, you could swim (stand) in the water in 20 x 20 squares meters. Maybe less. That part of ocean is bounded with buoys.
When you walk along the beach you can find clean and peaceful spots to chill out.
The lifeguards don't admonish you. Or at least I wasn’t.
Matchmaker the Old Man under the Moon
Friend of mine, Yining, who I met in Slovenia took me to Daqiaotou, an old part of Taipei, on Friday.
The streets were mostly occupied with stores of Chinese medicine or the luxurious food. Almost everything was packed in bigger seizes of large"amount and I guessed 97% of them I didn’t have clues of what they were.
After Yining had her lunch in local restaurant, beef in soy sauce and rice noodles soup, we went to Xai Hai City God temple.
There is a legend of Yue Lao, the Old Man Under the Moon. This old man holds a book that contains all the future marriages and is responsible for couples who are meant to be. In this temple you will find the City God, his wife, Chinese Cupid and 600 other dietes. These gods meddle with human affairs. To find your love, you firstly buy the set of items (three pieces of incense, wedding cake and special paper). You light the incenses, bow three times and state your full name, address, date of birth, a description of the type of lover you seek and what you will do after finding love. The special paper is burnt on purpose. Then you eat the wedding cake which was given to temple as a gratitude of successful marriages.
I haven’t done any of that, just observed the people bowing.Maybe I should have.
Out of record:
When your Taiwanese friend surprises you - all of sudden - with her Slovakian branded shoes!
Pretty impressive!
The day ended nicely with some friends and drinks. Just laughing, hanging around the park and talking about life itself. Taipei is a city with huge energy in the air and even great people inside. See you soon! Kaoshiung and whole month in the first community awaits!
