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`Taipei
Getting to Taiwan was neither straightforward nor cheap. The best I could find was 17 hours, two stops and $1000 for economy plus. The flight to Seattle was fine and I had almost an hour to make the 12-hour leg to Seoul. The economy plus was packed. There were empty seats in business but they were not upgrading anybody. The cheap seats in the back were so empty people had entire rows to stretch out and sleep. The plane landed late and the flight to Taiwan was already boarding. I ran, kind of, from the end of one terminal, thru security, to the far end of another terminal. The plane was completely loaded and I was the last one on. I was on a Korean Air flight that did not have economy plus, but there was ample room and the meal was quite tasty. They did not even lose my luggage.
It was still daylight when we landed so I decided to try the city bus, $3, instead of the Taxi, $45. It was a short walk from the bus stop but google maps quit as soon as I turned down the narrow street to the Taipei Lotty Hotel, $90 a night. It looked a bit iffy from the street but the room was huge and looked like four stars plus. One street over was solid restaurants and I stumbled into a Shabu Shabu place (you have a pot of broth and a burner in the table). I ordered the jumbo shrimp and they brought a tub of veggies big enough for several people, a dozen clams and four shrimps as big as a baby’s arm. I could only eat three of them. $25 and no tipping, it is considered rude. I finally hit the sack but slept fitfully. It is a nine-hour time change plus a day.
Thursday was warm and dry. The free buffet breakfast was immense and yummy. I started walking towards the Fine Arts Museum but got briefly delayed at my first temple. Several people were praying and burning incense, a very peaceful place. The museum is in a large riverside park with a couple of restored older buildings of historic interest. It was mostly modern art and had several video works that were quite pleasant. After a few hours, I headed back. I stopped a French coffee shop La Vie Bonbon that was a Japanese chain. I had a trifle with strawberries and a latte, $10, and bantered with the girl in Italian. I think that covers five cultures in one stop. I needed a nap, jet lags gets worse as you get older. As I was sitting on the commode the building started to shake, hard. The water in the commode was splashing. I found out it was a 6.1 quake, the strongest I ever felt. Fortunately, nothing was damaged. About four blocks away was a small night market. I wandered down there around 7. I had a plate of barbecued duck with rice and veggies, $2.75, delicious, filling and what a deal.
Friday I decided to figure out the public transportation system. It was surprisingly easy, I bought a reloadable Easy Card, and followed the English signs in the subway. The bus drivers have enough English to tell you if it is the right bus for where you are going. I headed to the main train station and my first stop the National Taiwan Museum. It was free for seniors, which was good as most of it was closed off. There were some interesting indigenous people exhibits on the third floor (no elevator) and the gardens were pleasant. The old North Gate to the walled city was close and nice but nothing to linger for. I checked out the tourist info booth in the train station but could not understand what they were trying to explain, no handouts either. In the afternoon I visited the Confucius Temple which was lovely and uncrowded. I learned a bit about the man and his philosophy. Their film, unfortunately, was animated and just for kids. Across the street was the 200-year-old Daoist Baoan Temple. It was packed with people burning incense, praying and purchasing offerings of food and flowers. That evening I walked a few blocks to a beef noodle shop, a local specialty. I had a huge bowl of spicy (very spicy) beef noodles, $4. The beef is boiled so long it melts in your mouth and makes a great broth.
Saturday threatened rain but never delivered. I started with the National Palace Museum, the top-rated museum in Taipei. The setting was stunning and the exhibits covered the gamut of Chinese history from the neolithic age thru the 19th century. After a few hours in the museum, I was going to head back downtown, but a formal Chinese Garden beckoned. It was serene and beautiful and took another hour. As I was waiting for the bus a woman got off a different bus with a large yellow suitcase shaped like a boot. As I was pondering what it could be for, her daughter got off the bus, sat on the suitcase, and put her hands and feet on the knobs sticking out of the sides. Her mother strapped her on and wheeled her off! Everybody at the stop chuckled. Somehow the day got away from me and it was time for dinner. I wanted a sit-down place, but it was Saturday night and everything that looked good was packed. I settled on a sushi place that was quite nice. No English menus and only fixed price, so I opted for the middle cost one. The food was quite good and the presentation was spectacular. I had a few things I had not tried before and the prices were about the same as US, $75. It did include half a lobster.
Sunday I was finally feeling time zone adjusted. I went back into the city to the Lung Shan Temple, a 250-year-old Daoist/Taoist Temple, I guess they share or something. Again lots of incense, flowers, and food offerings. I think the food goes to the poor as I did see some shabby looking people hanging out in the park across the street. The patina of age and the solemnity of the worshipers made for a very peaceful vibe. From there I walked to the botanical garden, started in the 19th century by the Japanese who occupied Formosa then (Portuguese for beautiful island). Lots of pathways and one of the nicest lotus ponds I have seen. I really wanted to go to the history museum but after walking around it twice, I realized it was closed for renovation. Next door was a craft cooperative. Great work and there was even an exhibit of masterworks that was stunning. I walked thru a block of historic buildings from the 19th century, an arcade of renovated shop spaces and some renovated flophouses that farmers used when they brought their goods to market. That evening I went to the Shilin night market. Blocks and blocks of food stalls, carney games, and stuff for sale. I had a skewer of pork and veggies, a couple of oysters and scallops broiled in their shells and then topped with cheese that was hit with a torch. I finished with some deep-fried sweet potato balls. I spent about $7.
First Impressions
Taiwan is a very developed country. The people are friendly and there is enough English spoken to get around without much trouble They vary in height from well under five feet to over six. Their skin tones run from arctic white to tropical brown. I do not see people sleeping on the streets and there is not much trash around. The lowlands are some of the most densely populated on earth but the mountains are so steep they are mostly uninhabitable. The indigenous people are related to the Polynesians. The Portuguese came in the 16th century. The Dutch came and settled in the 17th century. They brought the Chinese in as cheap labor. The Chinese took over the island in the late 17th century. The Japanese controlled the Island from 1895 to 1945. Chiang Kai Shek decamped the mainland to Taiwan in 1945.
Hualien
On Monday I took the train to Hualien on the east coast. While waiting at the station I tried to book a ticket to Alishan but the ticket lady chased me away. The visitor information people still had no clue about one of the top tourist spots in Taiwan, so I bought a ticket for Thursday to Chiayi on the high speed, and hoped I could work it out when I got there. Parts of the ride to Hualien were along the coast and quite scenic. I did manage to exit the train station on the correct side but google maps took me to the wrong B&B and I had to call the right one. The Zi Jing Cheng B&B was a delight but they do not serve breakfast? After settling in I walked the streets, stopping at an old railroad area that had been turned into a pedestrian mall and boutiques. The town had a good feel, not too big and everyone seems friendly. The sidewalks were crowded with parked motor scooters. The Yellow Car fried spring onion pancake shop had a line, and people driving up to pick up phone orders. The scallion pancakes were deep fried with a runny egg inside and OMG good. $1 each. I got two, sat on the bench, and ate them right there. I did not do much all day but still got 12,000 steps! As I sat in my room I heard piccolo music. I stepped out on the balcony and discovered it was the garbage truck. Sounded much nicer than the BEEP BEEP we get and it carried just as well.
Tuesday was sunny and there was a cute breakfast place right around the corner. They were doing a crepe like thing filled with your choice of about 20 different fillings. I ordered three but refused the third one because they were quite large. The van for the tour of Taroko gorge picked me up at 8:45. I met a couple of young women from Malaysia who were on holiday. We drove north to a seaside overlook and then to a beach. The driver was chewing betel, playing with his phone, watching music videos on his iPad, and talking, as he drove. He ate six bags of betel. Eventually, we reached the gorge, but our driver cautioned us that many trails were closed from the earthquake last Thursday. The mountains are solid marble and the gorge was dramatic, lots of hard rock tunnels, and galleries cut through the mountain. We got out and walked several times. We only went partway up the canyon as the driver said it was dangerous higher up. After lunch (worst food in Taiwan) the driver dropped us at a trailhead and said be back in two hours everyone was back in one. Then he took us to a “famous” beach. It was gravel and had construction equipment on it, an hour and a half. We were about the same latitude as the Florida Keys as we looked across the Pacific. Oh well, it was only $25 for the day and the part of the gorge we saw was spectacular. For dinner, I stopped at a dumpling shop and had 10 that looked like potstickers but steamed and one large doughy one $2. Very tasty but the only choice was pork.
Wednesday morning I took a taxi to the Hualien Stone Carving Museum. They had some amazing small pieces inside and an extensive outdoor sculpture garden. Because the mountains are solid marble stone carving and tourism are the principal industries. On the train back I looked inland. On the east side of Taiwan, the mountains rise up out of the sea. The vegetation is verdant and looks impenetrable. The Japanese cut the first roads and railroads thru this area. It is still fairly undeveloped. The road up Taroko Gorge was originally for the Japanese to build Hydropower station, which is still in use. As I got off the train back in Taipei The two Malaysian women I met the previous day were getting off the same car. We chatted and they took a picture.
Chiayi
I took the high-speed train to Chiayi. Once when I looked up the message board said it was going 175 MPH! The Discover Hotel, $65, was new and business-like, but just across the street from the train station. The room was not ready so I started walking. It was 93 and humid and I was soaked by the end. There were so many motor scooters parked on the sidewalk, I was forced to walk in the street, and the sun. I came across a park with old trains on exhibit. It was next to a park with a large walk-thru piece of art called Forest Song. It was about 40 feet across and 50 feet high, and kind of resembled a beehive made of steel, copper, and Bamboo. It was kind of near sitting inside as I was the only one there. The city museum was closed and the Hinoki replica Japanese village looks brand new and all the buildings were filled with tacky tourist shops. The Cheng Huang Temple (City God) was clearly used by the working class and it had a certain patina of age that was interesting. It was in the heart of the old city with all the little stalls the size of a one-car garage and a roll-up door. I wanted to go to a real restaurant for dinner but wound up at a funky stall with seaweed soup and pork rice. The pork was mostly fat and OMG good, $3. I may never want to spend more than $5 on dinner again.
Alishan
The main reason I wanted to go to Alishan was the ride the Alishan Forest Railroad. It was built by the Japanese at the beginning of the 20th century to haul logs out of the mountains, In 44 miles you cross 114 bridges and go thru 49 tunnels. The first time I asked in Taipei at th tourist office the lady tries to get me to take an all-day bus from somewhere. The next time I asked at the ticket window and the lady just screamed at me. The third time a nice young lady said I had to buy the ticket in Chiayi. When I got to Chiayi they told me the train was broken, they meant the rail bed. Anyway, once I got to Chiayi I bought a bus ticket, $16 round trip at the 7-11 and was ready to go early in the morning. The bus was not crowded and I had a great window seat. Once we got into the mountains they were so steep I wondered how they managed to build a road. The bus dropped off just outside the park and showing my bus ticket saved $6 on the park entrance. I only had to call once and ask directions twice to find the Dafeng hotel.
After checking in I went to the visitor’s center for a map and took a shuttle to an old hotel and a trailhead. I walked for a couple of hours mainly downhill and down at least 1000 stairs. Of course, I did not have my walking stick and they did not believe in handrails. The park is beautiful with ponds and huge old red cypress trees. Many of the trees were over 1000 years old and the oldest still standing is 2700 years old. There had been a 3000 year old one but it was struck by lightning twice in the 1950s and caught fire. It finally fell in the late 1990s. I finally came to a small station and for $3 got a ride on a narrow-gauge train back to the main village. I got back to the hotel just as the skies opened up for a brief afternoon shower. I had a sizzling plate of venison that should have been enough for two and a bowl of bamboo shoot soup that was enough for four, $15. I did not finish the soup.
Tainan
The trip from Alishan to Tainan was uneventful. I had a nice breakfast, wandered around the Alishan township, took the bus back to Chiayi, and then the train to Tainan. Tainan is the oldest city on Taiwan and the train station showed it. There were no escalators so I carried my bags down two flights, thru the tunnel and back up three flights, only to discover I was on the wrong side of the tracks. So back down, thru the tunnels and up on the right side. Then it was a ten-minute walk to the Oriental Hotel, $60. It had a four-star lobby but two-star rooms. At least it was clean and cheap. I was beat, so I just went around the corner for some beef noodles, $4.
I started out Sunday taking a city bus to the Anping Fort, Originally the new Zeelandia fort built by the Dutch in the early 17th century. Not much is left as it was scavenged for bricks, but the Japanese rebuilt it at the end of the 19th century. It once was a fort and lighthouse on a sandbar. 400 years later it is much further inland. It was hot, the heat index was 99. I decided I did not need to see the old shops so I next visited the Koxinga Shrine dedicated to a former Ming dynasty resistance leader who conquered the Dutch on Formosa after he was defeated by the new Qing dynasty on the mainland. Kind of lie what happened in 1949. Across the street was a beautiful old but unnamed temple. There are more temples in Tainan than any other city on Taiwan. As I worked my back to the train station, I passed many including the working person’s City God Temple. I was tired of street food so I went to a small Izakaya for dinner; sashimi, udon noodles, and the best barbecued pork belly ever, $27.
I had the morning free before I took the train back to Taipei. There were a few sites close to the hotel that I had saved. The Chihkan Tower is the rebuilt tower from the Dutch Fort Providentia built in 1653. There is an active archeological dig at the site and they have uncovered some of the original walls. Across the street was the God of War temple and in the same block was the Great Queen of Heaven and two more unnamed temples. As at most houses of worship, it was mostly women and old men. I got back to Taipei late and went back to the beef noodle place down the street from the hotel. The spicy beef noodles are really hot and OMG good. The beef is cooked until it melts in your mouth.
Taipei
My last day in Taiwan was dedicated mostly to historical sites. I started with the Dr. Sun yat-sen memorial hall, a huge building with attractive grounds. I just visited the hall detailing his history initiating the downfall of the last Qing emperor. Both communists and the Taiwanese claim him as the father of modern China. Close to that is Taipei 101, formerly the world’s tallest building. Since I have no interest in going to Dubai to see the Burj Khalifa, the second tallest will have to do. I did the tourist bit, going to the observation floor, 91st. It was a bit hazy but still impressive. The glass leans out so it is a small thrill. The humongous wind damper was impressive. A short subway ride away was the Chiang kai-Shek memorial hall. They had a very well done historical sequence on is life. He certainly was at the crossroads od a lot of the major events of the 20th century. There was one gallery that had the best collection of Chinese paintings I have ever seen. My last stop should have been my first. The Lin family mansion and gardens were the most impressive thing in Taipei. It was built in the mid 19th century and occupies almost five acres. It is the most charming Chinese garden. Unfortunately, I missed the last tour of the original house, but the hour in the gardens was really special. For dinner, I went to Sen Yah, a high-end Taiwanese restaurant, and had grilled sea bream in a mushroom sauce and stir-fried eggplant, an amazing last meal in Taiwan. When I left there was a line put the door.