[Part 1] My Taiwan Trip - More Than I Expected

I had a 6-day trip to Taiwan and made many unforgettable memories there. Taiwan is more than just the modern city of Taipei. From the cypress forests in Alishan to the old streets of Tainan, there are many different sides of the country to discover. The rich culture and local cuisine also made me fall in love with this place.

When I first arrived at Taoyuan Airport, I bought an iPASS card. It can be used for public transportation such as the MRT and buses, and also at convenience stores. 

Then I took the MRT to Taipei Main Station and walked about 15 minutes to my hotel in Ximending. Public transportation in Taiwan is quite easy to use. Most stations have English along with Chinese, and I could easily find the route using Google Maps.

One thing I noticed immediately was how easy it is to find a convenience store in Taiwan. I could usually find a 7-Eleven or FamilyMart within a 5-minute walk.

Ximending is a busy area with many restaurants and shops. On my first night, I filled my hungry stomach with traditional noodles at Ai-Chung, milk tea from Xing Fu Tang, and a huge fried chicken. Everything was really delicious, especially the fried chicken.

After a good sleep on a rainy night, I went out to find a place for breakfast. After checking ChatGPT for a while, I chose a local beef noodle shop near my hotel. Beef noodle soup is one of Taiwan's signature dishes. The place I chose had handmade noodles, tender beef, and a flavorful soup. A great start to the day.

After breakfast, I took a bus to Songren Road to find a famous alley where I could take a picture with Taipei 101. Since I didn't have much time, I decided not to go inside Taipei 101 to see the city view or the giant tuned mass damper that helps stabilize the building during earthquakes. I just wanted to take a photo with Taipei 101.

Then I took another bus to Tiaoshi Bus Stop. It took about 2 hours to get there, but it was really worth it! Tiaoshi is a bus stop near the coast. I found a coffee shop with a nice view and spent some time there enjoying the sound of the waves, the sea breeze, and the quiet atmosphere around the bus stop.
It may sound like just a bus stop, but this is not something you normally see in Taipei. That's what made it interesting to me.

After that, I caught a bus to Shifen. Shifen is an old railway town famous for its sky lantern activity. You can write your wishes on a lantern and release it into the sky. The old street also has plenty of local food. I tried a chicken wing stuffed with sticky rice and grilled. It was really delicious.

From Shifen, I took the old train to the next station and then caught another bus to Jiufen Old Street. Jiufen was one of the places I was most excited to visit. It is said to have inspired the atmosphere of Spirited Away. The streets are filled with red lanterns and small winding alleys going up and down the hills. Along the way, there are many shops selling sweets, handmade products, tea, and other local specialties.

Taiwan is also famous for its pastries and snacks, such as nougat and pineapple cakes. However, I found that I could easily buy them in Ximending, so I decided to try something different here. I ended the day with a bowl of fish ball soup while walking around the old streets of Jiufen.