A Wanderlust Blueprint for Taipei and Taiwan

Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan, and is known perhaps most prominently for its famous landmark skyscraper, Taipei 101. There's a multi-level shopping mall adjoined to the tower, containing hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants, and clubs. Being the bookworm that I am, I visit Page One first, a huge bookstore with both Chinese and English books. After that, I decide to treat myself to a shopping spree - after all, I am on vacation. When I'm through, I decide to visit the observatory on the 89th floor.

I'd read somewhere that the observatory elevators here are the fastest in the world, capable of traveling from the fifth floor to the 89th floor in just 37 seconds. I squeeze into a crowded elevator and set my stopwatch. Exactly 37 seconds later, the doors open with a ping. Wow. Maybe I can get one of these for my apartment. Then I hear the tour guide informing a group of Japanese tourists that each elevator costs US$2.4 million. On second thought, I think I'll scratch that idea.

Simply put, the view is amazing. There's no other way to say it. I take advantage of the fact that the observatory offers a full, undivided, 360 degree view, and take several panorama pictures. I dally at the gift shop for a couple of minutes, inwardly debating whether or not I should spend NT$1500 on an I'VE BEEN TO TAIPEI 101 t-shirt. In the end, I purchase it anyway, after managing to convince myself that NT$1500 is not that expensive for a souvenir shirt.

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I proceed to visit the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It's an incredible monument that was erected in the memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. The whole thing is surrounded by a park and a large square, in which both the National Concert Hall and the National Theater are located. I set off for the National Concert Hall, but to my dismay, am told by the lady at the ticket office there that there are no performances scheduled today. Disappointed, I decide instead to walk the expanse of the park. There are large lakes with loads of fish in them, and I buy several handfuls of fish food from a nearby vending machine. It's fun to throw the food in and watch all the fish swarm together like bees towards pollen.

Afterwards, I decide to head to Shihlin Night Market. I take the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station, past Taipei Main Station, to Jiantan Station. The journey takes me about 20 minutes. I swear I'm in love with the transport system here. It's fast, it's cheap, and it's so clear. There are English announcements and notices all over the place. I've only been here for a couple of days, but the system is so easy to understand, I feel like an old-timer already.

It's crowded at Shihlin Night Market, and I find myself travelling down what I would describe as the main alley. Shops of every kind line the two sides, and there are smaller alleys that branch off. The sheer amount and variety of products being sold are quite dazzling, as they range from clothes, novelties, and cosmetics, to toys, electronics, and food. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the wide audience that Shihlin receives, but I am, sort of.

I've seen families with young children, big groups of laughing teenagers, middle-aged couples holding hands, and older people shuffling around. I've also spotted some foreigners, who, like me, probably just want to experience what the infamous Shihlin Night Market has to offer. I have to say, I'm quite impressed. I didn't expect this place to present any sort of entertainment for small children, but I must've passed at least 20 games of miniature hoops, ring toss, small pinball machines, and catch the turtles/ fishes by now.

I sit down at a small table in a food stall, and tentatively order a plate of chou dou fu - stinky tofu; apparently it's a Taiwanese specialty. Two minutes later, a plate of steaming hot tofu is set in front of me. To my surprise, it's actually pretty good.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll work up the nerve to try tian je - frogs' legs.

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