Monday, February 20, 2017

Hualien, Taiwan

Ticket to Hualien
Hi everyone! This is part three (of three) in my Taiwan travel series blog posts. To read parts one and two, click the attached links. For the last leg of my trip to Taiwan, my friend Nikki and I headed to the central-eastern side of the country to visit the "countryside". We wanted to explore a more nature-filled part of Taiwan, so we headed to Hualien, expecting to go hiking at one of the country's most renowned national parks.

The trip from Taipei to Hualien was about three hours, but the train ride was beautiful! Riding along the coast, we saw the East China Sea, mountainous landscapes, and pure country. I met a few nice older Taiwanese ladies who had moved to Canada and California, respectively, and they chatted with me and told me all about the beautiful things to see and do in Hualien.

Taroko National Park
Upon arrival, we checked into Big Bear Hostel, which seemed to be popular with the Europeans. We set our bags down and set out to wander around the small town. Funny story: as Nikki and I were exploring the street markets later that day, we stumbled into a tea shop, where we saw two Western-looking women struggling to speak with the shop owner. The shop owner was sampling different teas for them, and she seemed adamant about having Nikki and I sit down too. We booked it out of there immediately (LOL). Later that evening when we were back at the hostel, the very same two women walked into our room and that's when we realized they were our roommates for the night! Haha. We were laughing about the situation for quite some time.

Anyway, after we wandered around awhile, we decided to crash early so that we would be ready for our big day the next morning! Nikki and I were heading to Taroko National Park, where we would spend the day hiking and exploring natural landmarks. Unfortunately, the transportation system of getting around the park was not as easy as described to us at the hostel. We bought a day-pass for public buses where we could get off and on as we please throughout different areas of the park. Unfortunately, the bus times listed were not accurate with when the buses actually showed up to different stops, so Nikki and I ended up walking from hike-to-hike at some points throughout the day, which cut back on our plans for the day and where we wanted to end up at.

Our monkey friend
Transportation aside, the park itself was beautiful! Nikki and I explored four different areas of the park, completing two major hikes and spending time at areas with various landmarks to see. The park is very vast and open, so we never felt rushed or annoyed by people around us (hooray). The only scary part was when we met a [domesticated] monkey friend who came too close to our lunch and tried to swipe it away from us.

I'll describe a little bit about where we went and what we saw. Some descriptions are courtesy of the Taroko National Park website.

Baiyang Trail
The Baiyang Waterfall Trail is characterized by the number of tunnels. Some of the tunnels are as straight as a pencil and we could see the light at the end, but other tunnels were curved so we were enveloped in pitch-black darkness for a short time. The trail was originally built by Taiwan Power Company in 1984 during the early stages of their plans to develop hydroelectric power in the area, plans that included damming many parts of the gorge. The hydroelectric project for this area was eventually cancelled. At the end of the 5km trek is a series of three waterfalls, making the winding and blinding path along the way worth the view at the end!

Baiyang Waterfalls

Changchun Shrine
Nikki and I were actually on a bus when we passed by this shrine because we didn't have enough time to do the trail itself (transportation issues). The Changchun (Eternal Spring) Shine commemorates the 226 military veterans who died during the construction of the Central Cross-Island Highway (1956~1960). The spring water adjacent by the Eternal Spring Shine flows all year round, and the Highway Bureau named it after "Changchun Falls."

Changchun Shrine
Tunnel of Nine Turns
This is the most magnificent part of Taroko Gorge, where the sheer cliffs face each other. During the exploration stage, it is the especially difficult and dangerous part to explore. When the wind comes from the broad river valley to the narrow valley it is forced upwards when it hits the cliff face.

Tunnel of Nine Turns
Cimu Bridge
An H-Shape hanging bridge with marble stone lions on each end and with marble lotus stones on two sides. The rock beneath the bridge looks like a frog. The frog-like rock is composed of black layer of schist at the top and white marble at the bottom. A pavilion was built on this frog rock, becoming the crown on the frog.

Cimu Bridge
Xiangde Temple
Xiangde temple is a Buddhist Linzizong temple. After the Central Cross-Island Highway opened, the main temple was completed in December of 1968. The Daxiong Boudian temple-the main temple, Tianfeng Pagoda, and the White Robed Guanyin were then successively built.
Tianfeng Pagoda
Xiangde Temple
Overall, my time in Hualien was a blast. It was definitely more mellowed out than Taipei, which I enjoyed for the second leg of my trip. I wish I had planned another day to spend in Hualien to explore even more of its natural beauty, but I will just have to put that on the to-do list for the next time I visit!
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Saturday, February 11, 2017

Taipei, Taiwan: Day Trip to Jiufen

The lanterns of Jiufen
Hi everyone! This is part two (of three) in my Taiwan travel series blog posts. To read part one, click here. This post will focus on a fun day trip that my friends and I took, just outside of Taipei to a small village named Jiufen.

Walking along the narrow streets
Jiufen has recently become a popular tourist attraction because of its resemblance to the popular anime movie, Spirited Away. It is a beautiful village situated abreast Taiwanese mountains, and it is equipped with a street market of its own. On top of that, visiting Jiufen at night allows tourists to see the decorative lanterns lit up all around the village.

Panorama of Jiufen
My friends and I decided to head to Jiufen in the early afternoon and stay until sunset so that we could see the lanterns! The bus was a bit confusing to navigate, with private taxi owners trying to rip us off and take us there privately (with jacked up prices). We opted to wait for the public bus, which we eventually found and no harm done. The bus ride was about two hours long, but we made friends with other passengers on the bus, so time went by quickly. 

Lanterns and Crowds
When we got off the bus, we started walking around Jiufen, weaving our way through the narrow streets. Of course, we tried tons of street food, bought souvenirs, and stopped for a coffee to take in the beautiful views. 

Narrow Staircases
It started getting pretty crowded towards late afternoon, assuming everyone wanted to see the lanterns lit up in the evening. To be honest, I was starting to become a bit annoyed by all of the pushing and shoving going on, but I made it through. 

A day in Taiwan is never complete without dumplings
It was a rather simple day, but tiring nonetheless. A great sight to see, and I recommend visiting if you ever find yourself in Taiwan. 

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Friday, February 10, 2017

Taipei, Taiwan

As most of you know by now, I took a week-long trip to Taiwan with a few other Fulbright buddies during the winter vacation. I will be splitting this trip up into three separate posts, related to each city that we visited throughout the week. First up is Taipei, where we spent the majority of our time.
The gang! Hanging out at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Hospitality: Happy Taipei Guesthouse
Perks:

  • Staff were extremely helpful in providing navigational directions and tips
  • Comfortable beds, spacious rooms, clean!
  • Privacy curtains, personal outlets, lamps, and shelf for each bed
  • Centrally located: 2 minutes' walk from Shilin Night Market, 10 minutes' walk from Official Residence, 5 minutes' walk from Shilin metro/subway station
  • Within 15-20 minute subway ride to other main attractions in Taipei
Drawbacks:
  • Steep stairs, no elevator - might be difficult for people with physical handicaps
  • Not noticeable from the outside - have to call staff for assistance in finding the guesthouse
Overall:
  • I highly recommend this guesthouse! The staff was very well prepared in answering any questions and helping our group make any necessary accommodations. I would definitely stay here again.
Shilin Night Market
Taipei Night Markets
Throughout the week, my friends and I visited a different market almost every night that we were in Taipei. Each night market was so different, and we tried a bunch of different food and found various products. Exploring the different night markets was probably my favorite park of traveling within Taipei. It was like the city didn't even come alive until after 7:00 p.m., haha!

Pork with green onions and chives
Shilin Night Market:
  • By far the largest night market in Taipei! And a very short distance from our guesthouse. 
  • Foods we tried: pork wrapped with green onions and chives, sugar-coated fruits, egg tarts (various flavors: brown sugar, original, raspberry, green tea, and more...), milk tea, sausage on a stick, ALL the dumplings, Japanese udon, ice cream, crepes, and more!
  • Souvenirs we bought: Plush dolls everywhere, jewelry, magnets/typical souvenir items, fashion pieces, etc.
  • All the food was between ~$0.25 (dumplings) - $3.00 (crepes) - SO CHEAP! 
  • So large that it might be difficult to explore in one evening! We came back for two nights
  • Crowded, especially on weekends! And there's no map to guide you along the way, so you have to twist and turn and remember landmarks of where you have/haven't been.
Egg tarts
Ningxia Night Market
Ningxia Night Market:
  • Considerably smaller compared to Shilin
  • Much more organized - just one long road - side-by-side - of vendors selling food and products
  • Prices were a bit more expensive compared to Shilin
  • Foods we tried: stinky tofu, milk tea (frog eggs), meat on a stick, fresh fruit, dumplings, and more!
  • Souvenirs we bought: postcards
  • Much quieter than Shilin - a bit "out of the way" from other night markets

Stinky Tofu
Raohe Street Market
Raohe Street Market:
  • Next to a large Buddhist temple - very cool to walk by during the Lunar New Year preparations
  • Another fairly large night market, but also just a few long roads of vendors selling food and products - more organized
  • Foods we tried: Russian pastries, chicken hearts, dumplings, desserts, and more!
  • We didn't spend much time here because we were exhausted after a day trip to Jiufen.
Overall, the street markets were SO fun and an essential part of experiencing Taiwanese culture. English levels are great, and vendors are super friendly. We definitely just ate our way through Taiwan. No regrets about it!

Official Residence
Attractions / Activities We Did in Taipei
Of course, no trip is complete without visiting some of the tourist spots! Here's a brief overview of places we visited!

Official Residence:
  • BEAUTIFUL entry park leading up to the house. Walking around the park/garden was so awesome, and there are fun/random statues to pose with and take pictures throughout. 
  • Entry into the actual residence: Maybe ~$5? I don't remember, but it was super cheap. 
  • The tour of the residence took about 30 minutes. There's a free audio guide, and it's worth it. The rooms are decked out with classic furniture and lots of history.
  • Good place to hang out, enjoy nature, and learn some Taiwanese history.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Palace Museum:
  • Crowded! And expensive (~$10). 
  • My friend and I were too tired to walk around 5 floors of a museum, so we made a bad choice. Especially with noisy children and families around.
  • Best just to view it from the outside, that's the pretty part anyway. 
  • It has a lot of rich history related to Taiwan, its artifacts, and more, but focus was lacking.
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall:
  • AMAZING! And free! Very cool architecture to view here. Take lots of pictures.
  • Very large space to walk around and enjoy the fresh air. Definitely worth a trip!
Taipei EYE Traditional Opera
Taipei EYE Traditional Opera:
  • Probably the most expensive thing we booked (~$17), but very interesting!
  • Reserve tickets in advance!
  • The show itself was conducted in Chinese, with translations in various languages displayed on screens to the side.
  • It was hilarious! We got lucky and saw a few mistakes and crashes, which made the whole thing even better. One of the actors was doing some flip jumpy kick things and he crashed right into the orchestra. It was clearly the best part of my day. Hahahaha!
  • The actors present an excerpt from a traditional Taiwanese story.
Taipei 101:
  • EXPENSIVE (~$20) to go up to the top of the tower
  • We decided it wasn't worth it, so we just hung out around the bottom area. 
  • We took pictures and left.
Beitou Hot Springs
Beitou Hot Springs:
  • So relaxing! Bring a towel if you don't want to purchase one on-site.
  • Bring a swimsuit - most are public/outdoors
  • Average price ~$15 for unlimited usage for a day
  • Worth a trip! We felt amazing during and afterwards.
Overall: We spent a lot of time in Taipei! It was totally worth it, and each attraction was unique and fun. I can't wait to explore other parts of Taiwan when I plan a trip to go back.

Stay tuned for two more posts regarding my trip to Taiwan. They will be covering a day trip to Jiufen, and my two days spent in Hualien, Taiwan's "countryside". See you soon!

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