Letās Take a Trip to Taipei :: July 27 - 28 (Days 701 - 702)
Iām into the 700s in terms of days and also quickly approaching my departure from South Korea. Itās definitely the ending point of a chapter in my life. It was time for one last big trip over summer vacation. I was doing battle with heat, humidity and a country where I could only say two things (Hello and Thank You). It was going to be quite an adventure!
I was setting off on my own but ended up running into everyone at the airport.I saw almost all of my Korean workers who were leaving on an earlier flight for Tokyo. I ran into another coworker and then two friends who worked at the school right above mine. Not only were we all on the same flight to Taipei but we had all booked for the same hostel.
It was a clear flight, only 2 hours, to Taiwan. I got a window seat and naturally kept my eyes on the clouds.
We arrived and were greeted with a blast of humidity and heat. With temperatures in the mid to high 30s (celcius) and the humidity at a whopping 80%+ it was no wonder we didnāt pass out then and there. Holy crow was it ever hot. We got to our hostel,Ā āSpace Innā and then headed off.
We passed by neat temples on the way to Huaxi Market. This market is also known for snakes. We did see some large boas in cages but I was definitely more preoccupied looking at the food ratties in the cages nearby. They might be food for the snakes but they were hella cute!
Then we stopped at Longshan Temple, a famous temple in the area. It was full of the smell of incense and also packed with people taking pictures. It was pretty neat to look at and so different from the temples I have seen in Korea and Japan. I love how each Asian country has a unique take on Buddhism.
After clocking in an amazing amount of steps for a day spent on a plane it was time to go back to our hostel and sleep. The next day was another scorcher but we had some mighty big plans! First we headed to the 228 Peace Park that commemorates the protests that lead to the deaths of many Taiwanese people and started a period in Taiwanese history known as theĀ āWhite Terrorā. What soon became known to me was that, despite recognizing the horror and tragedy, the man who essentially began theĀ āWhite Terrorā is still revered within the country with a huge monument dedicated towards him.
At this point we headed to Taipei 101 for some xiaolongbao. These are soup dumplings that will honestly blow your mind. I have a friend who loves dumplings. I like them all well and good but after these I donāt think any will ever be the same. Basically there is a coagulated soup added to the meat mixture before being wrapped in the casing. Then when the dumplings are steamed the soup liquefies again. Without scalding your mouth with hot soup you need to eat them very carefully. First you place them in your spoon and puncture a small hole. The soup will fill your spoon and you sip it. Then you can move the whole dumpling into your waiting mouth for an explosion of flavour.
After that we headed to a special Starbucks located on the 35th floor of Taipei 101. To keep it from being flooded by tourists it is reservation only with a dress code. You make a reservation 4-5 days in advance and meet in the lobby. A staff member comes down to retrieve you and escorts you up past security. From the 35th floor you get an awesome, air conditioned view in a peaceful environment. Definitely a neat highlight!
Then we were off to the Sun Yat-Sen memorial. Sun Yat-Sen was a revolutionary and the founder of the Republic of China. He played a key role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty. He was the leader of the nation for a time and helped unify all sides. Heās a revered figure in both Taiwan and China despite them being nations opposed. (Even though Taiwan is not a recognized nation due to Chinaās claim of ownership. Itās a complicated political history. I highly recommend getting lost reading about it and seeing how such a rich and well liked place can be denied the title ofĀ ānationā because of Chinaās influence).
Regardless~ We went to the memorial and observed the changing of the guards.
After that we headed to the Chiang Kai-Shek memorial. Chiang Kai-Shek was a military leader who lead many successful missions during the Sino-Japanese war and many other expeditions. He began the leader of the KMT party after Sun Yat-senās death. He was in control when the communists seized power of the nation and fled to Taiwan along with the KMT power. There he set up rule and imposed martial law for 38 years and 57 days.Ā It was the longest stretch of martial law in history until Syria surpassed it.
He is the reason we have Taiwan as it exists today and thus a massive monument exists in his honor. Itās absolutely massive and quite the sight to behold.
We went there and observed another guard change as the sweat ran down our backs and legs.
After this we headed to a night market to grab some food and then it was off to bed. Quite an exhausting day.
