Taipei Day 2

Day 2 in this city started out with the most amazing hostel breakfast I’ve ever seen followed by one of the worst stomach aches I’ve ever had. The lady at my hostel wrote me a note asking for medicine in Chinese and directed me to the pharmacy. This was the first time in Taiwan I encountered people who didn’t speak English and had to fumble through the language barrier. Korea 2.0. She tried directing me to a doctor but it was closed so I came back and just asked her to give me anything. At this point, my stomach was hurting so badly I thought I had the flu. It was 100 degrees out but I had goosebumps up and down my arms. Luckily, whatever she gave me worked magic and within 30 minutes of taking the pill I was good as new.

My hostel breakfast which included a Taiwanese omelette which was almost like a crepe with egg and cheese.

So off I went to Liberty Square which holds a few magnificent looking buildings I wanted to explore. A few of them looked like temples so I was surprised to see many young teens in dance groups practicing on the platforms but upon further inspection I noticed they were theaters. It was definitely a place the locals came for a variety of activities. I was surprised by the scale of these buildings. They were huge. Just look at me with this arch way!

When I got to to the top of the main building, I saw a crowd forming and went to see what it was all about. I stumbled upon what looked to be the changing of the guard ceremony which I had read before hand you could only see by chance. It was very long and detailed. I was glad to have seen it even though I didn’t expect to.

After my walk around Liberty Square, I found a taco shop and decided a Taiwanese version of Mexican food was a good idea (it wasn’t). Then I headed to the Huashan 1914 Creative Park which turned out to be amazing. It was a huge block of shops, restaurants, and interesting exhibits you could pay to enter. I decided on two. The first was a tribute to Tokyo city. It was a rush of sounds, sights, and sensory stimuli. I even teared up a bit, not from sadness but jut astonished by the beauty. They had different areas showing different places or themes about Tokyo. My favorites were the Harajuku area and Tokyo sky scraper scene.

I also went to a second exhibit called Brosmind which was really awesome. The creators are a duo from Spain! They make goofy ,satirical, and colorful cartoons. Everything here was so fun to look at and I will definitely try to visit another one of their exhibitions in Spain!

Lastly, I went to one of the food stands and tried pistachio ice cream with their light beer. It was sold separately or as a combo, but since it was hot I had to go for the duo.

Then I headed back to my hostel and relaxed for a few hours before ending my night with something special. Two words: Vegetarian Buffet! The restaurant is called ChangChun Vegetarian online but when I arrived it was called EverGreen. Either way it was incredible! I was able to try all sorts of dumplings and steamed buns that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. This was definitely my priciest meal coming in at $500 NTD (about $16 USD) but it was worth every penny!

Peace and Love,

Anna

P.S. Currently headed to the airport where I will work on the Day 3 Taipei blog!