Hello Taipei!

Well we've booked another 7,470 miles and added a new continent to our list. We landed in Taipei, Taiwan with instant jet lag and a bit of confusion. No we were not confused because it was 4pm after sleeping all night, or because we were stepping off of our first experience on Emirates economy for 16 hours thinking “sure, I’d do that again”. We were confused because for the first time since starting this trip, everything was efficient, easy to navigate, and overall just made sense.                               

To start things off, we were welcomed to Taiwan by one of the nicest immigration officers we've ever encountered. Next we went to the cell phone booth to pick up a local sim card where the two women behind the counter worked feverishly for less than 60 seconds...and we had a working phone...that was paid for. Next stop was the MRT, Taipei's Mass Rapid Transit system. While walking there we were following the perfectly clear signs which were all in both Chinese and English, but just as we weren't feeling sure of our next turn, a very friendly police officer who somehow knew our desired destination steered us in the right direction. When we got to the automated ticketing machines, a knowledgable attendant helped us navigate the already superbly user friendly touch screens. Within minutes, we were on a train that repeatedly confirmed in both Chinese and English that we were going to the right place.  Maybe we’re getting a bit better at this, or maybe Taiwan is just a great country, I think it’s probably a little of both, but in this case more of the latter. All we needed now was a bit of money and food and this day would seem perfect....



After finding a good meal close to our hotel, we attempted to get some sleep before our big adventure the next day led by our fellow experienced traveler and friend. You may recognize Susan from Granada! Our time in Asia coincided perfectly with her month long stopover in Taiwan. Taipei is an all too often overlooked destination for travelers and had been on our radar since the planning stages of this trip. Why?

1. Not very touristy


2. Cheap


3. Foodie paradise


4. Visa Free Travel


5. Warm weather all year


6. Taiwan is one of the Four Asian Tigers of which I’d like to visit all

Our first stop with Susan was Din Tai Fung. If you’re a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s travel/food shows, you may even remember this dish like I always have. Xiao Long Bao is the specialty here and to describe it in simple terms is a steamed dumpling filled with the best pork soup you've ever tasted in your life. Yep, when you bite into it, it actually turns into soup.

 

At this point, I could have honestly left Taiwan happy and longing to come back, but we have a lot more ground to cover before moving on...