My trip to Taiwan

The perfect trip doesn’t exist but every trip a person takes redefines who they are. It is a phase of personal growth, both mentally and spiritually. There are inner workings at play that you cannot simply define. For a moment, you learn to let go, take a chance, and you don’t regret how free you feel. That sensation is so much more than the experiences that you build. The risk feels like breaking a law even though it isn’t. You feel strong yet you also feel so vulnerable. We all have insecurities or fears, and we are likely to confront them when we travel. We need to forget to stop rationalizing our actions and test our limits. One trip can help you move beyond that, but it is only a piece of a bigger picture. The completed puzzle is the world, and the small piece is yourself. While we all feel jumbled, tossed around, or incomplete at times, amazing places remind us of our own significance in this world.

Nostalgia is a longing for better days; for a past that was more realistic before the advent of Covid. Taiwan was an extremely memorable trip. The mixture of culture, great street food, and the lure of the wild brought everything together. What did I know about Taiwan before going? There were allusions to the various street markets in Taipei. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) and Taipei 101 were brought up in fleeting conversations, but during this Chuseok holiday vacation (Korean Thanksgiving), I saw glimpses of what the country has to offer and was extremely impressed. 

After a quick tour of Songshan Ciyou Temple guided by a random teenage local that was feeling informative, and the ritualistic practice of lighting an incense and praying for good fortune, I hit the closest street market. I never really appreciated street food until I tried various dishes in Taipei. Looking back, I wish I took the time to experience the street food in Saigon and Phuket. Those streets may have had some memorable sights and smells, but they don’t have stinky tofu. If you can overcome the uninviting scent of this fermented snack, the texture and taste are worthwhile. Raohe Street Market had some of the best shrimp dim sum I ever tasted, but the first little treat I indulged in was a pork pepper bun called Hujiao bing. The hot oil from the first bite caught me by surprise, and then the tender meat and savory delectable mixture of onions and a unique blend of seasoning hit the back of the palette real nice. If you want to kick back, immerse yourself in some comfy seats and let your eyes adjust to the dark but pleasant ambiance, a speakeasy establishment may be the best option. Each location is hidden, and it feels like an Easter egg hunt trying to find one, but once inside, the mellow atmosphere and a mixologist that serves you a specialized concoction help put your mind at ease. 

Day two involved a journey to Taroko National Park, located in the Hualien County. The train ride that took me to the center of the country was right along the coast, so you can distract yourself by staring at the scenic landscapes at your window. Within the park, you can visit Taroko Gorge, nicknamed “The Marble Gorge.” A perfect example of erosion, the gorge is a 19 km long canyon carved by the Liwu River. It is more than 200 million years old, and some of the peaks are over 3,000 meters tall.

The steep mountains that plastered the sky were towering to observe. Be sure to check out the Shakadang Trail, the Baiyang Trail, the Jiuqudong Trail, and the Xiangde Temple Trail. You will go through tunnels that seem to defy logic, you can see the force of the Liwu River at work, and you will see some vibrant temples that sparkle in the sunlight. Near the end of the tour, I finished things off at Qixingtan Beach. This pebble beach offers fascinating views of the Pacific Ocean, and the sound the rocks made as they were swept up by the tide was unparalleled and something I will never forget.

The ride back to Taipei did not feel that long since the coastal views kept me pre-occupied. Further exploration took me to New Taipei City. The most memorable destinations in the area include Yeliou Geopark, Lungshan Temple, and Shifen Waterfall. Near the North coast of Taiwan, this cape is popular for its hoodoo stones caused by erosion. Tourists often line up to take pictures beside the “Queen’s Head;” an iconic symbol in Taiwan. There are some sweet coastal walks nearby, and you can casually explore everything within the area in an hour or so. It was hot but breezy, and the spectacular views of the sky were mirror duplicates of the ocean, which made for some solid scenic shots. 

At this point in the journey, a great friend and former co-worker joined me. After going back to the city to meet up with him and get some street food, we hit up Snake Alley. Huaxi Street Night Market is renowned for having exotic dishes that are unique, for lack of a better word. The place was deserted as it was a weekday, but we were both keen on trying some snake and turtle meat. In the past, restaurants had handlers that would kill and skin the snakes on the spot, but this was banned amidst animal welfare concerns. After having a little turtle soup and some snake meat in some nice chili sauce and scallions, we polished off three shots of alcohol mixed with turtle bile, turtle blood, and turtle egg; not the easiest drinks to stomach, but I somehow managed to pull it off.

The next day, we took a train to the Shifen Waterfall. At the entrance, many tourists gathered to write special wishes on lanterns and proceed to light them and release them in the sky. If the wind gusts were friendly, you could avoid being hit by them. We didn’t partake in making wishes, but I did get a little peace of mind. For a moment, I was transported while listening to the cascading falls and observing the luscious landscape. My mind was clear and whatever trivial worries I may have had were washed away. Between 15 to 20 meters high, and 40 meters in width, the “Little Niagara” revealed itself after a short 15-minute walk. It was a marvelous sight to see, and it didn’t disappoint. 

Sometimes, you need to lurk in the shadow of a city to see what it is all about. The underbelly of Taipei is as much a place as any. My friend met a local of Taipei during a trip to Japan, and he was more than willing to show us around. Finding this guy seemed impossible. When we got to this old, smoke-hazed basement of a joint, we saw the old men and the young mingling with scantily dressed working girls, the majority being from Thailand. Dice games and card games were had, beer jugs filled with milky muck and sunflower seeds were drunk, broken glass was shuffled around underneath tables, and cockroaches were having a field day crawling up musty walls. Did I want to leave such a place? Absolutely! The thought crossed my mind and I skeptically looked over at my friend on several occasions. I stayed though. I was a young frisky bachelor at the time, and I was curious to see what would happen if I decided to partake in some fun and games. Sometimes, you just gotta go with what’s given to you and see where it takes you. I barely paid a cent for drinks most of the night, met some pleasant ladies that didn’t know a lick of English but always had a smile, and the local dudes in their 50s were stoked to see tourists hanging around their part of town. They may have been a little lit on the sauce and pre-occupied with a couple of temptresses on their laps, but they were genuinely happy to see foreigners. This time is imprinted in my mind like a permanent tattoo is on the body. I left drained and couldn’t get a wink of sleep before an early flight, but it was quite the time. It wasn’t pretty but it reminded me of some of Anthony Bourdain’s visits to places nobody has ever heard of. The quote on the right from him comes to mind.

I’m not trying to sell Taiwan to you. I’m not trying to say it is the best tourist location in the world. I’m just trying to show you how documenting something special can help make you feel differently about yourself, your travel choices, and the decisions you make in life. We don’t always make good ones and regrets should be met with acceptance. We need to embrace bad decisions at times and learn to grow from them. Some may think going to the seedy underworld of Taipei was a bad one, but sometimes in life, the ugly makes you realize that the pretty isn’t always sunshine and lollipops. Sure, you take more pictures of the popular attractions and love to share this “PG” rated version of your travels with friends to avoid embarrassment or criticism, but each experience shapes who you are. So, don’t be afraid to share it all!

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