Rainy Taipei
Posted by Stuart at 06:54 PM on March 25, 2004I've arrived safely in a very wet Taipei, Taiwan today. I checked into my hotel early and will spend the rest of the day walking around town and checking things out.
The flight across the ocean wasn't bad. I splurged on EVA's "Deluxe" class and, as people have told me, it made the flight much better. Both the seats and the aisles are large, everyone gets a personal video display, and the service was very efficient. It cost me an extra US$150, so if you look at it as an upgrade from economy, it's a bit expensive. (If I had done it round trip, it would have added $300 on a $700 ticket.) But if you look at it as a discounted First Class, which is basically what it is, it's a good deal.
So now it's time to explore a new city. Luckily I am not too tired. Or else I am just excited about seeing some new sights.
Just Like Chinatown, plus the 228 Memorial Park, Presidential Protests, and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial
Posted by Stuart at 07:21 PM on March 26, 2004It was raining when then airport bus dropped me off near the Taipei train station. According to the person I talked to on the phone, my YMCA Hotel was "right across the street". But I saw that the train station was huge; walking around it could take an hour. Not fun with three bags in the rain.
So I flagged down a taxi and took it to the hotel instead. It ended up being an easy two blocks away. Oh well, next time I will know better.
After checking in and taking a much needed shower, I left the hotel for a little walk. One block later, I had the same amazing earth-shattering revelation as I did in Hong Kong: "This looks just like China Town!"
Duh.
I spent the rest of the day exploring the area around my hotel on foot. The first stop was the 228 Memorial Park. As I walked through the park admiring the modern sculptures and the traditional Chinese pagodas, I heard someone over a loudspeaker and what sounded like a large crowd chanting in unison. Curiosity got the best of me, so I walked towareds a partk exit in the general direction of the noise. A policeman stoppped me from leaving the park, however, and that is when I noticed the barbed wire and police in riot gear.
Eventually I made it to the chanting crowd. Everyone was wearing yellow parkas (it was still raining) and waiving Taiwanese flags. Studying my map again, and reading the few English signs such as, "Democracy is Dead" and "We want Truth. We want Justice" I realized that I was witnessing the historical election protests in front of the Presidential Building.
I made my way through the crowd, taking pictures here and there. For the rest of the afternoon, I walked around town, visiting the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial (reminiscent of DC's Lincoln Memorial), the Museum of History (actually more like the Musueum of Art History), and the Botanical Garden.
Tonight, I am meeting my friend Ike for dinner and maybe a little more sightseeing. But for now, it's time to rest my weary legs after my all-day city hike.
Lang Shan Temple and Taipei 101
Posted by Stuart at 08:07 PM on March 26, 2004After a great night of sleep (it's amazing what a good hot soak will do for your body) I woke up for another day of sightseeing. Ike was busy today, so Jonah offered to show me around. Our first stop was the Lang Shan temple. I have visited a few Chinese temples around Asia, but this was the first time that I was with someone who could explain what it all meant.
Once entering the temple, worshipers are given seven incense sticks. After lighting the sticks, they walk around to the shrines of the seven gods of the temple to pray to each. When the prayer at each stop was completed, they put one of the smoking sticks into a large container full of incense ash.
Jonah told me the name and background of each god. For example, one god is prayed to before taking exams. Another is prayed to for good luck in love. As you might expect, the former was surrounded by hopeful students, while the latter was very popular with young Chinese girls of the marrying age.
After walking around and admiring the intricate carvings and decorations, we left the temple, being careful not to leave through the same door we entered. After all, our bad spirits were stopped at the temple gate on the way in, and we certainly didn't want to pick them back up on the way out!
Our next stop was the Taipei 101 tower, which is currently the world's tallest building. The inside is not quite finished, but the six story mall at the base was open for business. The tower is a bit odd, I think. It actually doesn't seem all that tall, but I think that is because there aren't any tall buildings around it to compare it to. Imagine a 101-story building completely surrounded by 20-story buildings.
We are meeting Ike for dinner tonight and then sampling a bit of Taipei nightlife. (The nightlife outside of the 24 hour bookstores and hot spring spas, that is.)
Food and Spas: McDonalds, Dim Sum, Bookstores, and Hot Springs
Posted by Stuart at 09:49 AM on March 27, 2004Not only did I meet Ike for diner last night, be he brought two friends along: Jonah and Chris. (I find it interesting that all of the Chinese people I have met in Singapore, Hong Kong, and now Taiwan go by English names.)
I'm embarrased to admit it, but my first meal in Taiwan was at McDonald's. (I was tired, it was raining, yadda yadda...) But my first Chinese meal was Hong Kong style dim sum with Ike, Jonah, and Chris. It was good, but now that I'm used to spicy Thai food, it was a bit bland for me. We then went to Taipei's biggest bookstore, a 24-hour operation that was still packed when we arrived at 11 PM.
But the highlight of the night was driving up one of the nearby mountains to visit a Hot Spring Spa. The fact that it was still cold and rainy outside and my legs still ached from walking around all day, made the hot water jacuzzis even better.
The spas are open 24 hours as well, and when we left around 2:30 AM there were still people coming in. I started to realize that Taipei is an up-all-night town.
Last Night in Taipei
Posted by Stuart at 01:23 PM on March 29, 2004I'm safely back in Bangkok today after a wonderful weekend in Taipei. Yesterday I was on my own to visit Danshui, a small neighborhood that is near the mouth of the river. They have a fisherman's wharf area which I had a great time just walking around and looking at all of the exotic (to me) food for sale. My new favorite snack is red cherry tomatoes stuffed with prunes. It sounds a bit wierd, but it certainly was tasty!
I met Ike and Jonah again for dinner at the Shih Lin Night Market. Then we headed back to the mountain for another visit to a different hot spring spa. This one was completely outdoors (luckily, it was not raining for a change) and had a steam room, jacuzzi, and 4 tubs ranging from the cold tub at 18 degrees Celcius to the hottest tub at 45 degrees Celcius (64 - 113 Fahrenheit).
So my observations of Taipei? Well, in general, I really liked it. It is a big city of several million people, but it is very laid back and relaxed. It is definitely a very different atmosphere from other Westernized Chinese cities like Singapore and Hong Kong.
But now I am back at work, back in crazy Bangkok, back in my office where I can start planning my next trip...
