Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Ok so today was crazy.

I try really hard to not look up pictures of things before I get to see them with my own eyes, which generally works out pretty great. Sometimes things can turn out be disappointing, or sometimes I walk by things I was looking for because I don’t actually know what I’m looking for. Well today was absolutely not one of those days. I couldn’t have missed what I was looking for if I tried.

The last few days I kept passing by this train station called CKS memorial hall, so today I decided to hop off at the stop and see what it was all about. The last memorial hall I went to was pretty great, this one would probably be okay too, right?

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. I came out of the station and immediately felt like I had been shrunk down to mouse size. The buildings around me were giant. Not just regular large buildings, like everything had been magnified: doors and windows and steps. I was staring at what I now know is the National Theatre. I rounded the corner of it and stopped dead in my tracks cause across a very large courtyard was the matching National Concert Hall.

But just wait.

Both of these incredibly beautiful massive buildings absolutely paled in comparison to the alabaster white memorial hall at the other end of the courtyard. I was baffled. This is definitely one of those times I am so happy I didn’t see a photo beforehand. I mean now I’m gonna post a photo:

I started towards the building and it took ages just to cross the courtyard, as I got closer, the figure of Chiang-Kai-Shek (CKS) came into view, all shadowy and imposing. Everything about this square says ‘power’. I climbed up the 89 steps (the age CKS was when he died) and found myself inside the memorial. CKS was sitting on a chair, smiling away staring out across the courtyard. The whole thing felt a little weird to be honest. This was an absolutely insanely massive memorial for a man responsible for The White Terror. What the hell? White Terror was the violent suppression of political dissidents where thousands of Taiwanese people died. Taiwan has a very complicated political history, and I am only barely beginning to grasp it.

I needed a minute to process so I stopped into the café Chun Shui Tang for what was supposed to be the best bubble tea in the city. I was really excited to try it, as I had never had it before. Sweet frothy milk with sugar tapioca balls? What’s not to like? Turns out everything. I was not a fan. Yuck. I did try a tea egg though, which wasn’t too bad. A hard boiled egg that’s been sitting in earl grey tea? Not the worst.

After the tapioca fiasco I went to Huashan 1914 Creative Park, which is an early 20th century wine factory that’s been restored to have a retro-chic vibe and is now full of little shops, restaurants and bars and has a pleasant hipster vibe. Greenery and handmade decor was everywhere, and the deeper I went the cooler it got. It was like a warren! I wanted to buy so many things but I held back (I mean I already had to upsize my backpack, I probably don’t need more stuff…) One thing I have found tough is not buying a million and one things for my niece Ayla- there is so much adorable baby stuff everywhere!

To continue with the shopping theme I wandered up to Dihua Street, a long street known for its fabric market and medicine shops. The whole street was full of crumbling buildings, some of which had been renovated so it created a very messy feeling- in the best way though. I passed by what had to have been multiple dozens of traditional medicine shops full of bags of all manner of dried goods from mushrooms to fish to herbs. Bolts of fabric hung everywhere in every pattern imaginable. One little old lady almost literally pulled me into a museum by the arm saying ‘free free free’ and it turns out it was a skinny four story museum dedicated completely to ice. Yes like frozen water. I don’t get it either apparently ice is a big deal in Taiwan from what I could glean of the exhibits. I did get to go to the roof though which had a beautiful view of Dihua street and Xiahai City God Temple (a little tiny temple nestled into the street built in 1856).

The sun was starting to go down by this point and I was getting hungry so I wandered through Dadaochene neighbourhood towards the wharf. Just as I arrived the sun was setting over the city skyline, so I grabbed a beer at a cart and dangled my legs off the edge of the pier and put in my headphones. It was a really happy moment. I’ve been having a great trip so far but I’ve been waiting for a moment just like this, where I smile so huge out of nowhere because I’m so happy.

ALSO it feels important that I share this video of just how many motorbikes are on the roads here. I haven’t been able to explain it to anyone. It’s so many.

A group of us from the hostel went to Raohe Night Market for dinner and tried a whole bunch of things I had never heard of. Veggies wrapped in torched pork, yam balls, crispy buns filled with spicy lamb, and some weird kind of soup. Also dumplings (of course).

We went out to Red House (an outdoor drinking area near a red brick house) and had a couple beers afterwards. It was really nice to spend the night laughing away.

Sav

---

New People:

• Thomas – Israel
• Helen – Israel
• Kobi – Israel
• Matthew – England