Taiwan: A Collaborative Post
Words by Jeremiah Juliano
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
There are places that you reach by accident, but make you want to stay on purpose. It was a promo-priced ticket, or probably chance and good timing that brought me and my friend of 10 years to Taiwan. Honestly, it wasn’t really a trip I’m ecstatic about. I had limited budget. My work and school calendars were packed. PLUS what the hell does one do in Taiwan?
Worse, the continuously worsening traffic in Manila made me miss my departure. Yes, my plane flew off without me. Call it carelessness, false judgment, Philippine-transport-gone-awry, but for me, it was fate in all its playful glory. I had all the reasons within my comfort zone not to push through with the vacation. It could be the visa, or the cheap hotel fee, but again, there was some amazing, funny, and playful force that made me book another one-way flight with my friend for the following day.
“Must. Con-cen-trate.”
The Streets of Wanli District
Dancing Dragons
THE Taipei 101
Midnight Rainbow
We arrived in Taiwan when everyone was asleep. Then daylight kicked in. The streets and the windowsill of our room were damp from the rain. The minute we stepped out of the hotel and into the cool sunrise, we knew, this trip will be unlike any other.
Contrary to the cold silence that welcomed us in the evening, warmth and friendliness of the Taiwanese surprised us in the morning. The local 7-11 register greeted me with eagerness. Train officers assisted us with utmost positivity. Store owners and passers by smiled at us as if they understood every word we said.
Contrary to my misconception, there are a lot of things to do in Taiwan. And I don’t use the term ‘a lot’ lightly here. Art enthusiasts will find museums and art galleries that range from the vintage to bizarre, modern, and quirky. Hardcore shoppers will delight bargaining in their busy street markets and surfing through malls of floors and floors of high-end brands. Blocks of streetfood stalls and authentic oriental cuisine will also overwhelm even the ultimate foodie. Temples, ruins, and monuments are present to amuse the history buffs. Nature lovers will also find convenient access to mountain trails, geoparks, and even forest treks.
Yehliu Geopark
View from the Memorial Hall
Flavors of Taiwan
Daxi Old Street
Breaking Barriers
Drogon Was Here!
The Author at the Purple Daxi Bridge
President Chiang Kai-shek
Ximending
But when all else fails, let the unique charm of the city capture you. Let the arrangement of old and new structures fascinate you. Let the mixture of scanty lines, colors and figures slowly organize themselves and form memories that will last forever. Let the city seize you. Let it enthrall you. And make you reflect. Make you think. Make you lose your way. Then probably make you find yourself again and make you want to stay.
Rebooking a four-thousand-peso-fare ended up to be one of the the best careless mistakes I made my entire life.
Beautiful pictures, great post! Now you added Taiwan on my bucket list 🙂
And it’s just a plane away from Cebu, Estelea! 😀
Direct flight? 😛
Not really. 😛
😉 Will definitely look into it though! Thanks again for the great inspiration (well, my wallet won’t thank you but my heart and my fam will!) Have a great week!
Great photos and great words! 👍👍👍
Thanks, Gay! 😀
Great job, guys! Can’t wait for next year 🙂
Naiinip na nga ako sa lakad natin eh! 😀
Lovely, lovely shots. I always envy Asian cities that had a great job preserving their historical sites.. And here’s to wishing our country can do the same. 😦
Too bad our streets are filled with tarpaulins with our politicians’ faces. 😀
WOW …..beautiful Pictures ……love the place ❤
http://www.theeche.com
Thank you, elmundooo! 🙂
I feel the same way about Taiwan. Taiwan never crossed my mind until somebody asked me if I’d like to go with them, enticing me with cheap tickets. I am glad I said yes without a second thought. The few days in Taipei made me want to go back and explore more of this country.
Wish I could take photos as good as you. Haha! And wow, the Yehliu Geopark looks super interesting.
I love all your pictures!
Taipei. I fell in love with that city.
Ditto! It was hard for us to leave the country really. 🙂
But I wonder why there wasn’t much tourists during our visit.
I will be going to Taiwan as part of a home hospitality exchange next December. I will have two weeks hospitality in Taipei but may do one or two side trips. I do most of my travel through home exchanges. You can see my website at http://altecockertravels.weebly.com
This is a wonderful article. Makes me wanna go to Taiwan. 🙂 The pictures are very inviting plus the write up. Hehehe! Nice one.