Taipei, January 2015

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I know it's been a while since I was actually in Taipei, but I am going to try to get caught up on my blog posts this week and next! I've had a lot I've been focusing on / researching as far as travel plans and such, so I've been neglecting this a little. Sorry!

On to Taipei...



After a few days in Manila, Taipei almost felt cold! Not New England winter kind of cold... but it was chilly, and raining. I was glad I had a good jacket for the wetter days and didn't need an umbrella. It was also very nice knowing that I could take a bus from the airport to the subway station and then on to the stop a couple blocks from the hostel I had booked. No more sketchy taxis in Manila where they all wanted to rip me off.... 😊

I stayed at the Home Walk Guesthouse, which was fairly nice. Comfortable beds, good wireless connection, and friendly staff... one girl also spoke English pretty well and was able to give me some tips about places to see while in Taipei. The only downside was the apparent lack of people interested in hanging out in the common area - something I enjoy about hostels - so I spent the last few days of my trip on my own. The last full day I was in Taipei there was a nice girl from Korea staying there as well but we didn't connect to explore together. One nice thing about going around on my own: I get to do exactly what I want, when I want, and not worry about pleasing any one else. I generally went to bed between 12-1am and woke up around 10-11am, headed out around lunch time for the afternoon / evening. I'm not a morning person... I loved this schedule 😊

My first day in Taipei I went to the Martyrs' Shrine. I got to watch the Changing of the Guard ceremony as well. There is something about watching a Changing of the Guard ceremony... no matter where I am, it always fascinates me. I have watched it at Arlington, at Buckingham Palace, at the Martyrs' Shrine... It is a very solemn but exciting (?) thing to watch. Or maybe I'm just a nerd and am very easily fascinated / amused 😊

The next day I went to the outskirts of Taipei to an area called Tamsui, right on the water. It was a beautiful day - sunny and warm, plenty of people walking around but not so packed that I had to fight the crowds. There were several people along the boardwalk singing / providing live entertainment and I sat and enjoyed the show for a few minutes. One of my favorite things about music, I don't have to know exactly what they are saying to enjoy the melody and music! Tamsui also has a fairly famous bridge called Lovers Bridge that I walked across, some very pretty pictures and views.

After walking along the water for a while I caught the bus back a few stops to visit Hobe Fort. Hobe Fort is also known as Huwei Fort and was designed by a German man starting in 1886. The Fort was never involved / used in a war so it is still in very good condition and well-preserved. Walking back from the Fort I saw some beautiful views of the sunset on the water. I could really get used to living by the ocean... 😊

That night I went to the New Taipei City Hall where you can take an elevator up to the 32nd floor and see some of the city. This isn't the tallest building in the city (Taipei 101 comes later) but there are still some nice views, and it's free. There is a large shopping center next to it and I went in and found a Coldstone ice cream shop.... I couldn't help but stop 😊

Day 3 in Taipei started off in an area known as Bitan. It has some very nice bicycle and walking paths; there are paddleboats for people that want to go up or down the river a bit; and a strip of little shops and restaurants. I spoiled myself with a good lunch and finished it off with a slice of cheesecake and a delicious fruit smoothie. Along a wall I saw heading back to the subway station were what looked like clay pieces that had been baked (?) with the artwork / designs kids had done.

Next stop was the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial. The architecture was gorgeous - I love the colors and designs that go onto some of these temples / palaces! Reds and greens and oranges... so bright! The Memorial has a large museum that I spent some time walking through. Chiang Kai Shek was a political / military leader for the Republic of China for like 40-50 years. The museum / memorial had tons of photos of his military services and experiences / time as a leader. (He also had a pretty sweet car, I have to admit...) Outside of the museum - in the courtyard area - there were groups of kids practicing dance routines and about 5-6 boys doing drumline practice. They were also setting up stands for some kind of event, I'm not sure what was going on but it was starting to get busy when I left. I was glad I had so few people there when I was!

After a quick walk through 228 Peace Park - a nice little park with some statues - and a walk by the Presidential Office, I headed to Taipei 101. I wanted to be sure to get to the top of this building - the tallest in Taipei - and get some shots of the city at night. Taipei 101 has the world's fastest passenger elevator, and they make sure they fit plenty of people in it! A very quick ride to the top - about 1,245 feet (380 meters) - later, and I was in awe not only by how HIGH this building was but by how much of the city I could see and how big it really was.

Taipei 101 has a wind damper (also called a tuned mass damper, or TMD) that weighs 660 tons. A TMD is designed to counter strong winds or earthquakes... in short, it helps make sure the building doesn't blow over / collapse. Taipei 101's damper is supported by steel cables and will help the building from swaying too much by swinging in the opposite direction. In 2008, there was an earthquake that made the damper sway back and forth several feet (check out the video:

). Keep in mind, this thing weighs 660 tons!!

The next morning I had to check out of my hostel. I left my suitcase in the office area and went off to explore for a few hours before I had to head to the airport again. My dad had recommended I go to the Palace Museum after hearing reviews from a friend. I took a bus to the museum and, immediately after walking in, realized that I was in for quite the experience. The place was PACKED. Tour groups swarmed every where I turned and people were constantly pushing past me to the next display. One thing I have learned about Asia is that personal space is not something that seems to be a big concern. And they push! On more than one occasion I was standing in front of a display only to have an older man or woman shoulder their way in front of me. I know cultures / norms are different all over the world... but by the time I reached the third floor I was just about fed up and ready to leave. I decided, for the sake of my own sanity (and possibly other people's ribs, I was about ready to start throwing elbows to get through the crowd!), that it was time to leave.

Once I made it back to the subway station I decided to head to an area called Dadaocheng Wharf, which used to be one of the main shipping ports for the city of Taipei. There were a lot of people in the streets at the markets but after being in the museum for a couple of hours, it was very refreshing to be outside. I spent a little time walking around the wharf before going to collect my suitcase and head to the hostel.

Thankfully, my trip to the airport and flight home were very uneventful. It's funny how nice it can be to land in a place where I know exactly how to get to where I'll be sleeping in that night. No maps, no searching for non-existent street signs, no hoping for a friendly stranger to point me in the right direction. Just a subway ride to Nopo followed by the #50 bus and a short walk to my apartment. My bed, my pillow, my own bathroom. At least for a couple of weeks before the next trip 😊

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