Back in 2019, before COVID, before I even considered JET and living in Japan, I bought plane tickets to Taiwan departing March 2020. I was super excited as this would have been my first ever international trip alone. Then the world got a (not so) nice visit from a global pandemic, yada yada borders slammed shut, “sakoku 2.0”, etc. you get the point. As I write this from my desk back in Japan after ~7.5ish days in Taiwan, I reflect on my trip and adventure back to Imabari from Kansai Airport. I loved some aspects of Taiwan, but also really missed the feeling of being in a small, uncrowded city after living in Imabari for almost 10 months.
The Plan
Mostly unchanged from my original plan in 2019. Most of my time in Taipei, a day exploring the northern part of the island, and day trips down to Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. Originally arriving in mid-March, this time, arriving in late April. 99% public transit with a sprinkle of taxis/Uber/buses here and there to reach places far away. Did it go exactly to plan? No, not quite. But that’s part of the fun of traveling too.
Mistakes Were Made
This trip I decided I would stray from the usual limited express -> Shinkansen journey. Instead opting to taking a cheaper but slower route to get to Osaka where my flight would depart at 8am the next day. Getting to Okayama was the same 2-hour journey on the Shiokaze, but from Okayama it was local trains to Aioi and Himeji to a special rapid train bound for Osaka. This is one of the times where my plan didn’t exactly work the way I expected it to. I inserted my IC card into the machine expecting to add money to it, only to buy a ordinary fare ticket. Mistake number 1. Since I didn’t have much time before the train for Aioi departed, I figured I would just do a fare correction at Osaka and entering the fare gate using my IC card. Mistake number two. After three crowded trains later, I arrived in Osaka and did the fare correction. Except I forgot to ask the staff to reset my IC card since I used it to enter the fare gate back in Okayama. Mistake number three. So when I tried to use my IC card to enter the subway, it unsurprisingly didn’t work and I had to buy a ticket instead. I then made my way down to Namba Station and fortunately the staff there understood my broken Japanese and was able to reset the card. I had read a post about how each JR company is only able to reset their own IC card, so I was really worried that my SUGOCA I bought in Fukuoka couldn’t be reset unless I went back to Kyushu. After that fiasco I hopped on a Nankai Airport Express train and made it to KIX with a functioning IC card.
Flying and Arrival
I think my favorite part of flying is the chance to get images up close with airplanes. Obviously not every flight will have you boarding from the ground, but I think that it’s nice to admire the metal tube that’s going to take me to a place far away.
The next headache I had after the IC card incident was a weight limit. No I am not talking about my body. My flight to and from Taipei was with Peach, one of the low-cost carriers operating out of KIX. Peach limits carry-on baggage to 7kg (~15lbs) or it had to be checked. And I wasn’t exactly sure whether my backpack stuffed with clothes and electronics would be under. Well, it was close, but the total weight displayed on the scale was 6.8kg, just barely under the limit. Whew, disaster averted.
As this was my first time flying with a LCC, I expected cramped and uncomfortable seats with not-so-friendly flight attendants. The plane I was on was an Airbus A321LR, which according to Google has 30 inches of legroom. Which was more than comfortable for me (around 5ft 9in).
After a pretty uneventful flight the plane safely landed at Taoyuan Airport. The line for immigration actually took a while and it seemed like there were a lot of visitors from Hong Kong judging by their passports and entry forms. After getting my visa except stamp I hopped on the Airport MRT and headed towards Taipei. Ah it’s such a great feeling to have excellent public transportation connecting the airport and city.
Taipei, similar but also different
In many ways, Taipei didn’t feel all that different from any other major city in Japan. Crowded subway trains and stations, shopping malls, and tall buildings. But where it stands out from Japan is the scooters everywhere. Sidewalks? Scooters parked everywhere. On the streets? Tons of scooters maneuvering around cars and buses. And I think this is one of the aspects where I much prefer Japan. I don’t have anything against scooters, except that they’re loud and making walking on sidewalks a pain. But I think that Taipei isn’t too bad in the sidewalk aspect. Believe me, worrying about whether you’d get hit by a scooter is not fun. But I do respect their maneuvering skills.
One of my goals was to visit a few of the night markets that are scattered around Taipei. I ended up going to only two. Raohe and Shilin. And yes, I did try the infamous stinky tofu. The smell stands out as expected but also the taste lingered in my mouth for a little after eating it. Not for me, but it was nice trying it.
I didn’t get very lucky with weather as it was cloudy the entire time. I really wanted to try the outdoor observatory but it was closed on the day I went. I did go up to the 101st floor and watched the clouds drift by with the occasional clear view of the city.
Up North
A day trip out of the city was in order. The plan was simple, up to Jiufen and the Yeliou Geopark and back. And it wouldn’t be complete without a stop at arguably the most known teahouse in the area.
It seems like I got lucky with the timing as there were not many people when I visited. The weather wasn’t too great up north either, but there was no rain at least. After enjoying tea and the scenery, it was time to go to the geopark. I was shown a image taken around 40 years ago and compared it to the present. It was interesting to think about how erosion has changed the rock. I wonder if it will collapse in the near future…
Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung
The plan for the three day high-speed rail pass was simple. Down to each one of the cities and back to Taipei. Weather was nice, except for the humid heat that very much reminded me of the incoming summer back here in Japan. One of my favorite things about Taiwan is the drink stores everywhere. It was very nice to buy a drink and sit in the shade to cool down when I was dripping sweat. Outside of Kaohsiung, using trains/MRT to get around wasn’t a real option. Yes, Taichung has an MRT system. And yes, it is connected to the HSR station. But the line loops around the city rather than going into it. Meaning that unless wherever you’re going is near a station, you’ll have to either walk or take a bus/taxi. And there was no way I was going to walk in the heat.
Regrettably, all good things must come to an end. The realization that your trip is coming to a close always brings me mixed feelings. On one hand, happiness, because I was able to experience many new things and eat tasty food. On the other, sadness, because the time to go home has come. But home isn’t exactly an undesirable place, either. I suppose it’s just the normality of the everyday. Different from the excitement of navigating a city for the first time or the tired but exciting realization that you are hundreds or thousands of miles away from home in a new city/country you’ve never been to. When I look at the pictures I’ve taken, I fondly remember each place and the things I did there. And that gives me inspiration to plan new trips to new places. Bringing the same excitement and energy as this trip and my other previous ones.
