Taiwan

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The first day in Taiwan I went for a walk around Taipei and soon a question arose in my mind. Should I learn sign language or Mandarin (Chinese)? There were so many deaf people walking around because of the Deaflympics that have just started in Taipei. All kinds of different nationalities were walking around in the city. After my stroll around I took the MRT (metro) to Taipei City Hall where I visited the at this moment highest building in the world: the Taipei 101 tower. It is 508 metres tall and it is amazing to stand beside it and look up. Really a special building, not only because of it’s height but also because of it’s hightech architecture. How can we humans create something like this? I went inside to the 89 th floor were the observatory is located. The elevater which is the fastest in the world took only thirty seconds. Don’t forget to swallow every five seconds, because you can really feel it in your ears. There was such an amazing view from there over the city and its surroundings. It made me think about the pyramids and other world wonders. How is it possible that we can make this. After my visit I went to see the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial hall which is dedicated to the founding father of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on the first of April 1940. Taiwan calles itself the Republic of China. They want to be independent from China and in reaction they called themselves R.O.C. as if they rule all of China.
After visiting that and walking around I took the MRT again this time to Xinbeitou. It is a place with several hot spa’s. I walked along a small river with boiling water and enjoyed the peaceful area. It is a good place if you want to escape the city when you’re looking for a place to relax.

On the second day I went with a Korean Guy to Yeliou. It is a place at the north of Taiwan. It took around a hour by bus to get there. A small stroll through the town let us to the entrance of the park we wanted to visit. It was bloody hot that day, around thirty degrees celcius with a clear sky and very humid. Cleopatra looked beautiful, just as the other rocks and the surrounding sea did as well. After arriving back to Taipei I went in the afternoon to the National palace museum. I was just in time to join an english guided tour around the museum. The guide was a special guy. He even made me enthusiast about for ancient Chinese porcelain. Otherwise I would have just passed it if he didn’t have told those interesting stories. Like the emperor who wanted purity in perfection that could transcend earthy live expressed through the porcelain. The bowl the artist made was really perfect and with a special light colour. Beauty by simplicity, perfection and purity.
In the evening I met a Taiwanese girl (obrigado Lidia) and we went to a place that is very popular for it’s good dumplings. It tasted very good. After that we went to Longshan temple. It is a buddhist temple that had a nice atmosphere. It was really peaceful and after entering it made me think about the for the eye invisible things of this world. To return back to the real world we visited a night market. There were a lot of stalls with food and different sorts of products. It was nice to walk around and have a look. For people who enjoy to try eating snake it is the perfect place to go.

The third day I went to see the Museum of contemporary art in the morning. There are several graphical video projections that are funny and very colourful. After visiting the museum I went the same morning to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hal. He has been president of the Republic of China (Taiwan). You can see a huge bronze statue of him in the memorial hall. They also had a nice photo exhibition on the third floor of photo’s taken all around Asia. Besides that there is a lot about astronomy displayed through all kinds of video projections. In a way you can see the planets circling around you and it feels like you are flying through the galaxy. After that I met my new Taiwanese friend again and we went by bus to Jinguashi. It is an old mining town in the hills about a hour away from Taipei. It was really nice to walk around there and see some Japanese houses that were built there during the colonial time and experience the serenity of the area. After that we visited Jioufen with it’s small streets and nice shops. I enjoyed it a lot walking around there and to try some Taiwanese food.

On the fourth day I checked out and stored my luggage at the central station. We went to a place where they have good traditional Taiwanese dishes for breakfast. There was a very long line of people waiting for their order. That’s a good sign, because it means the food must be very good. Because of the long line we decided to take away and eat it in the train to Yilan. The food was really delicious and I enjoyed trying new Taiwanese food again. I learned that every food has it’s own story. Usually it has to do with an (bad) emperor who did something and why they invented this kind of food. Really nice to know and to hear. Not only was I eating nice food, but I was also eating a story. I think every dish or piece of food must have a story. Who is going to start a book about it? Just let me know when you finished it. I will be the first to read (and eat).
It took two hours by train and half an hour by bus to get to Yilan. There is a nice center for traditional arts with display of old Taiwanese traditions. At the moment we entered a show just started with the story of a wedding. It was quite funny and they were wearing nice costumes. But it must have been a sauna in those suits. I tried a lot of traditional Taiwanese snacks and drank tea at the Hakka way. You have to grind your own tea into powder, along with grinding sesame seeds and peanuts. When it is all powder you have to add extra tea powder and poor water over it. It takes a while, but it tasted very well. One of the shops at the park was specialised in chopsticks and the lady who worked there helped me to improve my chopstick handling. On the way back in the train I practiced my new technique with two pens trying to grab another thicker pen. Arriving back in Taipei we went to eat Japanese which tasted amazing. So much flavour. Again it helps when you know someone who can tell you where you have to go to eat the best food. After finishing my meal I had to pick up my bag at the station and I took the bus to the airport. I was not alone when the airplane took off. I was joined by all the nice thoughts about my days in Taiwan. Hopefully I have the opportunity to visit it again in the future.

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Photos

Taipei 101
Still the highest building in the world.

A glimpse underground
The MRT and bus system is very convenient. You can just hop with your easycard (electronic chipcard) from one station to another.

Cleopatra rock
Doesn't she look pretty?

The wedding play
Played at the National Center for Traditional Arts at Yilan