Taipei

Destination : Taipei

Never in my wildest mind I thought I would ever enter Taiwan. But there has been days I hear people talking great things about this place. Most of those that who have mentioned, were those who went to Taiwan for National Service. And then there were those who went to shop, shop and shop even more. But I also had to find the legendary Shihlin Chicken. So I decided to listen to Shah, and take the leap of faith and visit glorious Taiwan!

Beckoning

Everyone would have known by now, I would never let the opportunity of taking a picture from the window seat. Even though this time round I didn’t get the window seat, that didn’t mean I couldn’t take a shot of the sunrise. Once we did the usual immigration checks and completed Mission: Get A Sim Card, we were on a bus to our Airbnb location. And we were on the lookout for the elusive Taipei 101.

Jiufen

Jiufen wasn’t exactly a place that me or Shah had planned before we headed to Taiwan. Actually we didn’t plan anything. But we went to Jiufen thanks to Catalina, and we did not regret one bit. Jiufen was a two hour bus ride from where we stayed and it was definitely a gem awaiting to be unwrapped. It felt a little like entering Genting Highlands but of course a million times with more surprises. It was misty when we entered but we were in for a first taste of how beautiful Taiwan can be. And, we definitely weren’t disappointed. And I learned that Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away was based on Jiufen.

streets of Taipei and beyond

Taipei was generally raining on most of the days I was there. Mostly drizzling but bearable. But the streets were always alive. Especially places near Taipei 101, Shilin Night Market and many others. Like what some would say, it would be a visual treat for many and, definitely for me. I was a person roaming the streets, not knowing much Chinese but the only weapon one needs overseas, is a smile. A smile brings a greeting automatically in Taiwan or your consolation prize could be a smile.

Sun yat-sen Memorial hall

This was a place that I wanted to visit. Cliche it may seem to some, but touristy places like this are where you have to look deep to find its charm. Little did I know it housed a theatre and many gathered to practice their art form. Dance, music and even a precision rifle drill. It was magnificent to be in the premises and it told of a history of Taiwan’s ‘Father’. The main entrance housed a statue of the man himself, Dr Sun Yat-Sen. The place has a exhibition centre, a theatre as mentioned and also a library to name some areas of the vast place. I wow-ed from the get go. That was how awe-inspiring it was.

Not the end

Really hope you enjoyed the pictures from Taipei and the neighbouring places. This is not the end for Taiwan.

Kaohsiung, you’re next.

Till then,

Ashok Kumar