Resources Before You Go

People often ask me how much advanced planning I do for my travels. The honest answer is, I try not to go too in depth with planning because, for me, the magic of travel is to discover my own hidden gems and experiences. That being said, I do like to do a little up front research on “must see” locations, or experiences.

For Taiwan, I found two excellent resources I highly recommend if you decide to go to this wonderful country. First, the Taiwanderers website,  run by Caroline and Neil, a British couple who have years of experience in Taiwan. Second, I Love their Facebook group, Taiwan Travel Tips. I used both their resources for preliminary information and creating a hit list of places I wanted to go and things to do. One of the reasons I don’t over-research a place is that I’ve come to realize my taste is very different than other people’s. Whenever I’ve tried to follow someone else’s itinerary or suggestions 100%, I’ve often end up feeling disappointed.

Thinking about it now, I wouldn’t be surprised if my way of traveling is an extension of my need to live non-traditionally. I felt like I was living someone else’s life back when I was working in corporate and married, and like I needed to break free. So, perhaps, I feel the same way about my travels, and need to make them my own, rather than following someone else’s path. I try to balance that need with knowing that other people have more experience than I do in certain places, and information is always helpful. So, I typically inform myself about what’s available to see, choose a few places that I add to my “I Gotta Go Here!” list, and then wing the rest of my time.

With some initial ideas, I pre-book three group tours using Klook. There was a sale, and each tour costs about $20 each. The three tours I booked are:

Sun Moon Lake One Day Tour

Northeast Coast Instagram Tour in New Taipei

Yehliu, Jiufen and Shifen Day Tour

More on those in my next post. I don’t often pre-book group tours, but, in Asia, I find the prices are so affordable that it’s worthwhile. Especially when I won’t be spending months and months in a place, tours allow me a nice way to let someone else transport me everywhere with no brainpower from me. And, after a long flight, not having to use my brain to figure out how I’m going to get everywhere is a great help!

Breakfast In Taipei

Knowing I’d be jet-lagged and flip-flopping night and day, I leave my first few days open to no schedule, no plans, and explore. One of the things I’ve learned about full-time travel is to use the luxury of time to relax. These are the days I do not try and see every site in a city, every day. Down days, and recovery days are essential to the full-time travel experience.

As soon as I’m awake and showered, I realize I need breakfast. My hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, and Google indicates that most of the places nearby seem to be takeaway. I’m still feeling a little woozy and I want to sit down for breakfast. So, I leave my hotel, and follow Google Map instructions, turning left and heading to Ri Xin Sian Zuo Breakfast Restaurant 

It’s fairly early, so the streets on my way are empty. Are you sure this is safe? It’s a little too quiet. I have to shush my judgmental inner voice again.

I arrive at the restaurant and find a small line outside; apparently it’s people picking up their breakfast. Should I stand on line, or go inside? Is this a thing in Taiwan, where people take their breakfast to work instead of eating it at home?  I decide to slide the door open and head inside.

A woman with glasses is standing at the entrance. I point and ask if I can sit down at a table; there are two that appear available. She nods and hands me a laminated menu and a red marker. Looks like another restaurant where I’ll have to circle what I want. The trouble is, while Google helps me decipher the menu, when I learn they have “egg cake” and “egg sandwich” and a third egg option, I have no idea what they are. Is an egg sandwich like a lunch sandwich mixed with mayo and Paprika? Is an egg cake sweet?

I head up to the counter, point to the items I want to understand better and shrug my shoulders, trying to ask the woman with glasses to help me understand what I’m ordering. She shows me some photos which clear everything up. An egg cake turns out to be a Taiwan tradition – it’s basically rice paper with an egg omelet.

I use the red marker to circle a cup of tea, making sure to select the temperature as well. Then I choose the egg cake, and also some ham, and ask the woman with glasses, “Together?” with another shrug, hoping this can be like a stuffed omelette. She nods that they can do it, then asks if I want my tea hot or cold. I choose hot, and I take my seat and wait.

I get a steaming cup of delicious hot tea and my egg cake with ham a few minutes later. The egg cake is rolled up and cut into pieces with a lovely sauce. It’s almost more than I can eat, and it’s delicious. I’m off to a great start with Taiwanese food! I take my time, don’t feel rushed, and the staff is very kind. I return to the counter to pay, and when they tell me the price, my jaw practically hits the floor. It’s less than $2 USD!

Wrong Directions

With my appetite sated, I decide to check out the Red House. It’s in Ximending and is reputed to have handmade crafts which I always enjoy. I grab the MRT, still feeling fatigued from jetlag, and follow Google Maps to my stop. When I emerge, I take photos and see teases of a palace between buildings. I head over and learn it’s Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. I take some photos and then head back towards the Red House. When I arrive, something is wrong.

Hmmm. This house is red, but It’s not round like the photos I’ve seen of it. Maybe I’m at a different entrance? Why aren’t there more people, and where are the craft stands?

I head inside and there are no crafts there either.  There’s a ticket counter, which is nowhere on the expectations I had of this place. I look around and quickly learn I’ve gone to a national museum and ended up at the Camphor Warehouse. It sounds kind of interesting, but I’m just too tired to handle a museum. It appears I’ve typed “Red House” into Google and not paid attention to the fact that there are two buildings with the same name in Taipei. Ooops. This makes me three times as happy that I’ve booked a few tours at the start of my time here – I don’t feel like bumbling more directions! 😊

The Right Directions And The Red House

I head outside, and see a bus stop to my right, and according to Google, one of the lines passing by goes right to Ximending! Thank goodness I don’t have to walk all the way back to the MRT. I’m too hot and tired. If it’s this hot here in November, I don’t even want to know what August is like! Pro Tip: buses often end up being readily available, and more direct than the MRT. As you travel around Taipei, make sure to look up both bus and MRT routes!

I wait a few minutes, jump on the bus, and before I’ve finished tapping my transit card – the same one I got at the airport works for buses and the MRT – we’re off with such speed I practically fall into a seat. It’s got a lot of padding. I think I understand why.

While Google made it seem like we were far away, it takes six minutes to arrive at my stop. I get off the bus into the steamy streets. I walk a few paces and find a narrow alley full of boxes and boxes of trinkets you can play that claw game to win. It’s just so funny and happy that I have to give it a go. At only 30 cents per try, it’s a good way to get rid of some coins. I decide on a Hello Kitty item. After ten attempts, where I was soooo close, but not (see the video for reference!) I give up. (I later learn there are lots of videos on YouTube about strategies to win at these claw games!)

I walk towards the Red House, and, along the way, I see an Innisfree store! Looks like I’ll be able to make up for my disappointment at Incheon airport. I head towards the Red House, and it looks like the photos I’ve seen. In fact, this one is so obvious I feel like a total dork for ending up at the wrong Red House.

I head over to the building, noticing how pleasant the area is. Once inside the Red House, there’s air conditioning, a cute shop with Taiwan bags and souvenirs on the left, and a coffee shop on the right. That’s when fatigue suddenly hits me. I grab a green tea and a snack, then sit down at the coffee shop to replenish my energy. I’m alone at first, but before I know it, I’m surrounded by other happy caffeine drinkers. Once I get enough energy, I continue exploring the Red House.

I walk through an archway that takes me to the back and discover a haven of gifts – stalls and stalls of handmade goods. There are bags, clothes, trinkets, and I enjoy the colors and creativity. Once I’ve had my fill, it’s time for lunch.

Lunch And Coffee In Ximending

I’m not sure what I want to eat, and the first few options I come across via Google Maps don’t do it for me. I finally end up at Red Alley Bistro What a gem! There’s one other diner there, and I’m shown to a table on which is a menu with photos.

This menu has photos of every dish, making it a lot easier for me to understand what I’m ordering. I get a chicken “set” which means it comes with soup and rice. It’s delicious! The price stuns me again. It’s around $5 USD.

After lunch, I need caffeine again! Across the street, I spy a cute coffee shop, Hikari. I head towards it, noticing a motorcycle on which is a cat, along my way. I want to pet him, but he does not look like he wants to be pet. So, I saunter down the alley to the coffee shop and head inside. Unfortunately, all the upstairs seats are taken, so I take a stool downstairs by the window and share the countertop with a few other guests. The coffee is lovely – I go for iced because it’s so hot outside. It perfectly jolts me back to awake, and cools me down.

Exploring Ximending

It’s an overcast day with light rain. These are the only signs of the typhoon I’m happy to have missed. So, I walk around the Ximending district for the afternoon. Overall, I find it very touristy and full of shops, so it’s not one of my favorite areas. I will say, the PopMart store is hilarious. It’s full of collectible dolls and figurines. I treat it like a small museum and wonder what makes each of the dolls so popular. It may be that the allure is you can’t buy exactly the figurine you want. Each line of collectibles has several varieties, but when you buy a box, it’s like a “surprise” box which, unlike a box of chocolates, you have no idea what’s inside. They’re cute, but I’m not tempted. Maybe if there had been a line of cows!

When I head back outside, the nighttime food market is beginning to set up. I go to the rainbow painted on the street to get a few photos. I’m too exhausted to find a place to eat here, so I head back to my favorite Japanese place from last night.

Taiwan’s First Cat Cafe

For my third day in Taiwan, it’s my final rest day, so I don’t do too much. More walking around in my neighborhood, where, it turns out, there are tons of little shops with the same merchandise I’ve been seeing, and the prices are much better! The shops and alleys are off Taiyuan Road, if you’re looking for less expensive gifts to take home.

The one trip I do make is to see Taiwan’s first cat café, in the Shilin district. Kitten Coffee Garden is full of cats, and even an Elderly dog. I’m greeted at the door by a gorgeous long haired cat. Aloof and magnificent, he kept vigilant watch over us. There aren’t too many people when I arrive, so I’m given a nice table and order a cup of tea. I hope the cats will come over, so I sit at my table and eagerly await them. I’m still waiting after my tea arrives a while later. I’ve tried air kisses and every sign I know to get a cat to come over, but nothing works.

So, I get up and see if they’re up for some pets. The first cat I consider is sleeping in a cute box, and then I notice the sign on her neck….

I try a couple of others, but when I hold my hand out to them, they aren’t too interested. The owner feeds a few of them, and they run to her. So, I try out the dog, who is very interested in attention. I give him a nice massage, and then notice that, he too, is wearing a sign…

It says…”If you hug me, I will bite your face.” Strange for a dog so friendly!

Well, better forewarned than bitten, I guess!

I don’t like to force animals to cuddle if they don’t want to, so I spend more time taking photos, and admiring the kitties than petting them. They all look like they’re in great shape, healthy and get lots of love, which is nice to see.

Tomorrow, I’m off to my first day tour, to Sun Moon Lake! The weather is supposed to be good, but I won’t know until I arrive. Fingers crossed!