T a i w a n - 臺北市

It is September school holiday and we took a short break to Taipei. We have never thought of visiting Taiwan for a holiday before as it didn't appeal to us, be it for sightseeing or shopping. But we have friends who swear by it and have gone back repeatedly. "You must go to their night markets and taste the street food. It is unbelievably nice", they say. So here we are, for a 6D5N vacation to Taiwan.

My itinerary is simple - 2 days in Taipei City, and 2 days out. I have no recollection of Taipei although I have been there twice. But it was many years back, 26 to be exact. I last came in 1988 during my army stinct, where we had a 3-days R&R in the city. Back then, we were specifically told not to visit 西門町, a place notoriously known for disturbances between the local gangsters and soldiers from overseas.

Now, the place is popular with tourists, for its shopping, street stalls and restaurants.

西門町 has a Myeongdong feel, but on a smaller scale.

My favourite store.

Playful retrievers.

Double delight. Street performance is a common sight at night.

The famous century old Red House now houses retail shops with products designed by local artists.

西門町 in the day.

A mixed of old and new developments lining the tourist belt.

This temple has exquisite and colourful decorations.

大红灯笼高高挂

We made our way to 忠孝東路 for some shopping.

Do you know there are 3 SOGOs within the street of 忠孝東路?

 信義 shopping district. This is where high-end shopping is. 

Hello Kitty stood out amongst all.

Here's another kitty. Doesn't he has a Garfield look?

 Bicycle for rental. That is a great way to move about the district, cutting down carbon footprints.

 Taipei 101 is the tallest green building in the world.

 More shopping at 五分埔.

五分埔 is famous for fashionable clothing in bulk quantity, but they can be purchased individually as well.

 Summer and autumn wears are in now.

 There are plenty of choices - in colours, fabric types, patterns and prints to choose from.

Printed Tees are popular, especially in these hot days.

Regardless your size, there are clothes for anyone.

 Impressive backlit shot.

  Just like Adam reply Eve when she asked him: "Do you love me?" "Who else, my dear?"

Saranghaeyo.

 Taipei City is famous for its night markets, and one of the best is 饶河夜市.

 The market is a mere 10 min from 五分埔. A prominent feature along 饶河街 is this golden lit temple that stood out from afar. We know we are near when we saw this.

Night market is all about food street. You must come with an empty stomach.

 The popular black pig sausage.

 Mechanised swirling swat to deter flies.   

Flavoured tea hardened with brown sugar.

 Beef cut into small cubes and grilled over.

 Lady preparing food for the night. 

This cake stall is manned by a Caucasian. This must his way of making a living in Taiwan.

Sumikko Gurashi toys. Spent 50NT, but dang! No luck.

I remember plush toys stalls were everywhere back in the 80s. There aren't many now, but you can still find one.

Cartoon characters motor-cycle helmets. Would you wear one?

That ended our Day 1 in Taiwan. I am not sure if the hot weather played a part, but after a day's walk, I am not impressed with what I see so far. If I were to compare, shopping in Korea and Japan is so much more fun. And the food? Well, I am beginning to worry for the remaining days here. Perhaps it is too early to make a deduction. Perhaps when we travel out tomorrow, things would work out better. Perhaps.... is all I could hope for now.

And another travel trip awaiting....