Familiar Faces, New Places: Taiwan Winter Break 2015

It’s inevitable for me to cover my unforgettable Taiwanese adventures. In fact, my previous passion blog highlighted my obsession for Taiwanese cuisine. This past winter break, I had the opportunity to fly back by myself and explore Taipei and its proximity with my cousin. Despite dealing with a stomach virus on New Years Eve, I enjoyed an amazing stretch of ten days through ominous hikes, enjoyable night market adventures, and heartwarming relative gatherings.

The days leading up to New Years Eve were exceptionally memorable. While my cousin explored the New Taipei District on three separate Tinder dates (yes, in one night), I met up with my old friend to wander around New Taipei District. It’s worth mentioning that this is the first time that I’ve returned in the winter, so I had never witnessed the lights hung all around the city. Strings of emerald blue lights glittered around Taipei 101, while shimmering white lights cascaded down all around the infamous shopping district. Many buildings also emitted colorful light spectrums, impressing me everywhere I turned. We finished our stroll by eating at a Japanese Curry Restaurant later, which is a surprisingly tasteful blend of two cuisines.

Lights and sights of Xinyi District

Lights and sights of Xinyi District

After recovering from the stomach flu a couple days after New Years Eve, I was back exploring the city with my cousin in Xinmending (西門町) a popular shopping tourist destination. Despite the torrential downpour, we had an enjoyable evening which included sprinting from street to street to dodge the rain bullets. Weaving around the bustling Taiwanese citizens, we caught the subway home where our grandma prepared a robust, homemade dinner.

Bustling streets of Xinmending

Bustling streets of Xinmending

The next morning, my cousin and I spontaneously decided to venture to a place we’ve never been before, so the next morning, we boarded a bus that took us an hour out of Taipei. The bus dropped us off at Jinguashi (金瓜石), a mining town rich in history. There, we found our way to the entrance to Teapot Mountain茶壺山. The fact that a sign warned “danger: snakes, bees, and cliffs” and that the thick fog obscured our vision fifty feet in front of us didn’t phase us one bit (except I’m terrified of snakes). It was one of my most interesting climbing experiences; the trek up the mountain involved climbing on ropes, crawling through holes, and walking over various terrains. We even daringly brushed past signs that restricted us from climbing on “unstable ground,” but hey, when do rules ever stop me?

While the fog covered the scenic views, we still enjoyed the thrills of our spontaneous trip (the bottom right picture says "danger")

While the fog covered the scenic views, we still enjoyed the thrills of our spontaneous trip (the bottom right picture says “danger”)

After a rejuvenating 2.5 hour hike, we caught a bus to Jiufen (九份) a quaint town nestled in the mountains. We walked up and down the hilly streets, with the historical inns and winding roads engendering a bit of serenity. Chinese lanterns lined the rooftops of traditional houses, creating a humbling view of the town and establishing a rich historical ambiance. Of course, no stop in a new place is complete without sampling the local food. Jiufen didn’t disappoint in this category; known as having the best taro balls in Taiwan, I ordered two more bowls after I downed the first portion of starchy taro balls.

Jiufen

It’s safe to say that Jiufen has cemented a lasting memory

The night before my flight back to America, my cousin and I made an obligatory stop to the Shilin Night Market. We purchased a backpack filled with cheap clothing and accessories while consuming savory fried chicken, delectable steam buns (水蒸包), rich papaya milk, sizzling oyster pancakes (蚵仔煎), and of course, mouthwatering mango shaved ice. No trip back to Taiwan is complete without visiting this cuisine-famous night market.

I come back and gain ten pounds from Shilin Night Market delights

I come back and gain ten pounds from Shilin Night Market delights

This is simply one of multiple striking memories from Taiwan. I hope you enjoyed taking this journey through new and familiar places and take visiting Taiwan into consideration.