Taiwan, the start of an Asian adventure
On my vacations, I'm always chasing the sun. Even the tiniest speck of light piercing the clouds can lift my spirit tremendously. Mr A, my travel companion, is also a true light fanatic, monitoring the weather religiously so we can always walk in the sun.
Taiwan was no different. We had 3 days of light, followed by another 4 days shrouded in clouds.
With the sun on our side at the journey's onset, we embarked on exploring the treasures deep in the heart of the island - but first, we climbed the Elephant Mountain upon reaching Taipei, eager to catch an iconic sunset, with Taipei 101 dominating the skyline and my imagination ever since. Seven days later we would end our explorations with the same Elephant Mountain views and a lot of nostalgia creeping in.
Shifen was the first exploit in the sun and it did not disappoint. A 2-in-1 experience, as you had the waterfall a short walk from the train station and you could also raise lanterns in the sky, on the in-use railway.
I vividly remember making my way towards the ‘‘little Niagara waterfall’’, bursting with excitement, coconut water in one hand and some fried crabs in the other. Just before reaching the mass of water, the road was winding, every corner sprinkled with Asian elements: some intensely red decorations around an elephant shrine, heaps of souvenir stands and the waterfall bristling with rainbows at the end of the road.
We snapped the mandatory selfies and headed back towards the railway, where I had 10 minutes to paint a red lantern and send it to the Gods - we were in a big rush to catch the next train.
The evening caught us at Jiufen, where we decided to take the Keelung trail for another iconic sunset. As we kept climbing the Keelung mountain, I could spot the sea with tiny mountain peaks propagating into the horizon, all a splendid velvet color. It reminded me of those Japanese prints with waves. While resting on a bench on the Keelung trail, the pampas grass was tossing loudly in the wind, tingling our senses.
After the sun set, we made our decent towards the spectacular Jiufen - the town of red lanterns, emanating Spirited Aways vibes - not to be missed when in Taiwan. I just wish we had also witnessed it in the light. We had a cozy dinner consisting of Vermicelli, mango smoothie and fried shrimp. Still reealing from the day's excitement, we decided not to end early and headed to Ximending, Taipei’s most glamorous neighborhood.
Next day's pursuits were even more ambitious. Quingshui cliffs - the name has been rolling on my lips since landing in Taiwan. A sunny day in November found us on the shore of a very frothy and warm Pacific Ocean, the Quingshui cliffs raising spectaculary in its proximity. The most glorious and tender moments of my Asian experience were spent here, at Quingshui cliffs, witnessing the ocean throwing foam against the shore. Not to mention the mesmerizing turquoise of the water.
At midday, we had to bid our firewall to the ocean and hopped back on the electric scooter we rented from Hualien. The next stop: the Toroko gorge, its very name redolent of the natural wanders awaiting us. My tip is to use a scooter to visit this natural park instead of public transportation. In this way you can stop along the way at your own leisure and soak in the views of the gorge.
On our fourth day, we woke up to rain battering in our window. This was going to be a much needed slow paced day, to balance the excitement and the rush from the incipient period on the island. We checked out the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, spent some time sending postcards to close friends, and decided to climb Taipei 101 despite the heavy cloudy atmosphere. The views from Taipei 101 were limited, but still worthwhile. We took our sweet time exploring each corner of the top floor, while eating sweet butter cakes in the shape of famous landmarks. We ended the day at the Shilin Night Market, indulging ourselves in ramen and bubble tea, while picking up extra treats as we were roaming the market.
The fifth day would find us at Tamsui, a charming Fisherman’s Wharf. Despite the heavy clouds and incessant drizzle, we gleefully explored the area, walked the Lover's bridge until we reached the Fullon hotel, imagining how this serene place would radiate on a sunny day.
A visit to Wulai was planned for the afternoon, as we were eager to find out what the hype was all about. Wulai is the district of hot springs and nothing is more enticing than a hot bath on a rainy day. The area is indeed engrossing, hot springs traversing the town, steam raising in the air. We decided to try a public hot spring and had a pleasant experience hopping from pool to pool in search of the right temperature. The evening was one of the trip's highlights as we danced the night away on lindy hop vibes.
The penultimate day of our Asian escape was reserved for the tea plantation on the Maokong mountain. We hopped in the Gondola, not the glass floor one as the queue was too big, and stopped at the very top. Don't expect breathtaking tea plantations like in India or Sri Lanka - the Maokong plantations are shy and scarce, but you may experience some very high quality oolong tea at some of the tea houses in the surrounding area.
The final day of our stay in Taiwan arrived. I did not want to leave the place without another visit to the Elephant Mountain, to witness one more time the spectacular Taipei 101 raising from the mist. We spent the remainder of the day exploring Dihua street, Taipei’s oldest street - a place bustling with street food, coffee shops and souvenirs stands. I was surprised how delightful the place looked just before twilight. It was a serene mood that sealed the end of a beautiful escape to an island that astounded us through its natural wonders, food culture and friendly locals.
