Taiwan

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware”

            ~Martin Buber

Taiwan was a source of a lot of mixed emotions for everyone on the ship. Disappointing because it was the alternative to Japan, which everyone was very excited about. Exciting because it was an unexpected stop. Sad because it was our last foreign country and that means our voyage was coming to an end….but I must say it was quite a pleasant surprise for me. We were so unprepared for this country because it was such a last minute decision, so getting off of the ship that first morning was like jumping into a cold pool. It was cold and rainy so walking around was not at the top of our list. Megan, Erica, Jill, Jenny and I wandered around trying to figure out how to get to Taipei, the capital city, from Keelung where we were docked. Taiwan is in the same boat as Hong Kong in that they are technically a part of China, but have their own government, currency, etc. Still, we were used to Mandarin being used since we had been in Shanghai only a few days before. That is not to say we are experts in any way, but it was at least similar to what we had been doing before. We finally got on a train and made our way to Taipei. It is a big, bustling city with lots to see and do, so we got started on our list of places to stop. We first got lunch at a little pizza restaurant. The waiters spoke very good English, so they helped us with directions, and we found our way over to the Peace Park. This is the sight of a lot of different monuments and museums. The main one, though, was the 228 Memorial, where the February 28^th massacre took place. It is a beautiful monument and everyone was there to pay their respects, so it the mood was very somber. The Sun Yat-sen memorial hall was also in the Peace Park so we walked around the pagodas and the beautiful lake he had built in his honor. We then walked down the road to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and National Concert Hall. The Memorial closely resembles the Lincoln Memorial, with a huge square and stairs leading up to the Statue of a huge Chiang Kai-shek sitting in a chair. The square was filled with dance and cheer teams who were practicing for a big competition coming up. One of the groups we talked to was practicing singing and dancing to Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ song and they thought it was hilarious when we jumped in with them. They explained the competition and how nervous they were. One girl said they practice all day every day! Megan and I also decided to jump in on a break dancing group, which was probably even funnier. I’m sure the sight of two white girls (one of which was bald) doing the running man and the sprinkler in the middle of their circle was hysterical. They danced with us though and we had a great time! =)

We got on the MRT (subway) and headed over to Taipei 101, which is the second tallest building in the world. None of us really wanted to pay to get up to the top, so we just stood at the bottom and gawked. Next item on our list was food, of course. We really wanted some of Taipei’s famous Mongolian Barbeque, so we got directions and took a cab to the restaurant….then we ate way too much. It was one set price for unlimited appetizers, drinks, meals, and deserts so we definitely got our money’s worth. The food was delicious, of course, and we decided to go to a night market afterwards to walk it off. It took a while to find it, but when we finally got close enough we knew right away that we were there. I don’t know if you have ever smelled stinky tofu, but let me tell you there is a damn good reason they call it that. We walked around gawking at the giant fish eyeballs, various kinds of animal feet, and all sorts of other weird stuff. AT that point we were exhausted (partly from holding our breath half the time), so we headed back to the ship. The next morning we decided we needed a break from the city, so I jumped on a train with Erica, Jill, Meghan, Jenny, Kenji, and Michael, and headed to Wu Lai. Wu Lai is a little mountain town that is famous for its hot springs. When we arrived we were so relieved to be in fresh air and a quiet little village. We crossed the river and walked up to a temple where they explained to us that they were setting up for the birthday of one of the Goddesses. We watched the performers practice, said happy birthday to the goddess, and went back down to the village. There was one big long street that was full of food and craft vendors, so as you probably already guessed, we ate. I ate more street food than I have this entire trip, and every bite was delicious…even when I had no idea what I was eating. We ate tons of fresh mochi, candied strawberries and tomatoes on a stick, dumplings, corn with some strange (but yummy) sauce, and all sorts of other things. They even had wine tasting at most of the little shops. It was a lot of fun exploring new foods and walking through this little village, but by the end we were tired and ready for some hot springs. The way they do hot springs there is they pump water from the springs into private tubs that you rent out by the hour. We walked up to a big waterfall and had some tea next to the falls. As we were walking back down we stopped at multiple spas, but none of them had tubs big enough for the seven of us. We finally found one in the basement of a little spa. It was hilarious figuring out how it all worked, but we finally got it. Michael bought some of the better wines we tasted and we relaxed in the tub and listened to music. It was beautiful and relaxing and wonderful! We would’ve liked to stay in Wu Lai but it was so expensive, so we went back to Taipei and found a hostel. We got one room for the seven of us, went out to dinner, and had a great night just goofing around in town and at the hostel. One things for sure I love my friends and I love that we can have fun no matter where we are. The next morning we slept in for the first time in I don’t know how long, which was so nice! We spent the rest of the day exploring Taipei a little bit more and walking around a GIANT market. The last day was finally sunny so it was a lot more pleasant to walk around and explore. It was kind of a sad day, though, because we couldn’t help but think that this was our last day in a foreign country =( Its very strange that this voyage is almost over! I absolutely can’t believe it went by so fast! Still we made the most of our last day and had a really great time before getting back to the ship. Lots of laughs and lots of memories that will never be forgotten. Taiwan was definitely a beautiful place, and I only wish we had more time to see more of the island.

Taiwan Slideshow