36 hours in Taipei

Clare and I recently went on the most whirlwind trip possible to Taiwan. Taipei has always been one of those cities I’ve wanted to visit, but I honestly couldn’t pinpoint an exact reason why.

YongKang Street was the first area we headed to, still laden with our backpacks, to make the most of our time there. We could have spent hours exploring, as every alleyway was filled with hidden shops selling a variety of what my Dad likes to call “tat”.  It had a very similar vibe to the lesser known areas of Hong Kong I enjoyed just as much.

Whilst here, we visited 3 amazing little places. 8% ice cream sells an array of crazy flavours, with me getting Lemon Pop Rocks, and Clare smashing out both a Chocolate Earl Grey and Honey Basil. Yu Pin Bubble Tea was definitely a local favourite, with so many seasonal varieties to choose from it was pretty difficult to pick just one. If you’re a fan of xiao long bao, or magic little soup dumplings as they shall now be known, head to Hao Gong Dao. What seems just like a roadside vendor turns in a quiet family restaurant on the 1^stfloor, with the dumplings being made and steamed fresh on the roadside and making their way to you via a dumbwaiter. Hands down best xiao long bao I’ve ever eaten.

Afterwards, we made our way to Taipei 101, more endearingly known as the stacked noodle boxes. It’s only of the quirkier skyscapers I’ve seen, but we were truly able to appreciate it after we’d hiked up nearby Elephant Mountain to catch the view just at sunset.  We were staying near the famous Red House district, and it was easy to think you were walking through Myeongdong in Seoul. It was super bustling and a very fun way to end our super tiring first few hours in the city.

The next morning we took a leisurely train ride to visit the areas of Shifen and Juifen, a little more hidden in the countryside. First though we found a glorified shack to eat a traditional breakfast to-go at, one that specialised in Chinese omelettes, soft rolls and hot soy milk. 10/10 would recommend.

First on the list was Shifen, a little village with only a train station and waterfall to its name. The train still runs through the old street now, so a few times an hour the street is cleared, and the train passes within inches of people on the pavement. Somewhat of a tradition in Shifen is to release a lantern into the sky after writing wishes on it. Clare and I chose colours symbolic of our current journeys; mine being career and happiness, Clare’s being bright future and study, in reference to her starting law school this September.

I chose two quotes that resounded well with me. The first, for happiness, being “If there comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart… I’ll be there forever” from good old Winnie the Pooh. Living abroad and away from a lot of people I love isn’t an issue to me anymore, because I know that no matter what, they’re really not that far away. Even now, I have my own sense of family in Japan, and I know that when we all eventually go our separate ways, the same will apply to them.

The second, for career, was “夢、希望、前進、前進”, which roughly translates to “dream, hope, move forward, move forward”. This comes from a song that holds special memories to me. Not only that, but it came at a time when I was dealing with the transition of imminently graduating from university, and going into a job I didn’t really know what to expect from, but I was throwing myself all in to. It’s a simple reminder to me that all you can do is keep your dreams alive, hope they go well, and if shit hits the fan at any point, brush it off and move on.

In the afternoon we headed to Jiufen, a beautiful old mining town in the mountains, that was the inspiration for the classic film, Spirited Away. Its alleyways were filled with numerous street-food hubs and trinket shops. Teahouses are in abundance, so we found ourselves relaxing with some tea overlooking the bay, with the impending thunderstorm crawling towards us in the distance. It was truly beautiful.

All in all, thank you Taiwan, for almost turning my blood into bubble tea and making me even more motivated to learn how to make soup dumplings at home. Next time I go, it will be a completely different trip entirely, which true to form, will involve all of the cutesy stuff: Hello Kitty bubble tea, café and shabu shabu restaurant, Gudetama, Kumamon & Lego cafes,  the “Modern Toilet” restaurant, and not to mention a bar called “That Fucking Place”.

Until then, I’ll be reminiscing about this trip for a while, or at least as long as the many mosquito bites I acquired up Elephant Mountain continue to bother me.