Finally Going To Taiwan

I know I’m not the only person in the world to follow up a sentence about wanting to go to Taiwan with, “Before China invades…” I’ve been saying this for years, but not making plans to get there. This year, with so much political turmoil in the world, I decided to put my Money where my mouth is. I spotted a deal with Delta, 77,000 points, and about $50 USD for a round-trip Economy ticket, traveling on their partner airline, Korean Air. I snapped it up! I’m finally going to this bucket-list destination!!

I chose November because October is apparently typhoon season, and December is highly touristy for Christmas. I’m ecstatic to be flying Korean Air because I have a layover in Seoul, and I need more Starbucks Jeju green tea! (If you can find it on Amazon, a box costs literally more than my round-trip flight.) I fell in Love with this tea at Incheon airport years ago, on my way to Vietnam. I’ve been obsessed ever since. Now, any time I can go to Korea, or through Incheon airport, I’m delighted!

I check in for my flight, hit the lounge, then board my flight. In a rookie move, as we taxi towards the runway at JFK, I realize I’ve packed my electric toothbrush in my checked bag. I call over a flight attendant and explain. She runs off to get advice, and I await the grueling captain’s message, “Ladies and gentleman, we have a passenger on the plane who packed her electric toothbrush and we have to delay our departure to find her bag. It’s hard to believe, she had so much time to get it out of her bag, and she only just remembered. Please address all frustrations for our late departure to her.” I cringe in my seat, imagining the evil looks I’m about to get from all the passengers. Happily, a senior flight attendant comes over to inform me it’s ok. We take off, on time, without a hitch.

I have to admit, even though the economy seat has more legroom than most, I’ve never spent so much time on a flight wishing I were one class forward. 🙁  I’m glad they have the curtain drawn, or I might walk in there and grab someone’s seat while they’re in the bathroom. To distract myself, I strategize how I’ll get my Starbucks Jeju green tea after we land in Seoul, before I grab my connecting flight to Taiwan. I mentally make plans; I’ll get 3 boxes, condense them into my luggage, and on my return flight, see how much more of it I can fit.

Layover At Incheon Airport

We arrive at Incheon airport on time. I double check with the ground staff that my electric toothbrush is ok where it is. They tell me I’d get a phone call if there’s a problem. With that, I’m off to find Starbucks! I practically fly up the escalator into the shopping area. I start walking to Starbucks at a brisk pace, like my life depends on this moment. It’s been two years since my last visit, and I sense something amiss.

I slow my pace, and look around, but it doesn’t help avoid the obvious. The big Starbucks counter and seating area are no longer there. In fact,  they rearranged the entire airport. The ginseng store that used to be near the convergence of all the shopping lanes is gone. The messy group of stands selling face masks has been moved into their own “store”. And Starbucks? It’s now just a small stand in the middle of the terminal. There’s only one. I calm myself down with positive thinking. As long as I can get my tea, who cares that they moved and shrunk the Starbucks store?

I walk over to the Starbucks counter and ask for a box of Jeju green tea. The woman behind the counter looks confused. “Do you want a cup of tea?” “No,” I reply, “I want to buy a box of Jeju green tea. In fact, I’ll take three boxes of it.”

Her response devastates me, “We don’t sell the boxes anymore.” Maybe my request got lost in translation. I pull up Google Translate, and ask again. I get the same answer. There’s a long line, and I don’t see the point in arguing, so I thank her, and walk away. I’m passing back through the airport on my way back, so I figure I’ll try again. My mind is racing. How could they do this? Don’t they know how far I’ve flown to collect this wonderful delicacy? I’ve been dreaming of the moment I collect my tea for months…

I console myself by deciding I’ll take a look at the Inisfree products, an inexpensive Korean cosmetic brand I like. But, when I walk over to where their stand was, I find it’s gone, too. With the world gone mad, can’t we rely on anything anymore!

A Typhoon Is Coming

With nothing as I remember, I reluctantly give up on shopping and focus on getting to the Korean Air lounge before my next flight. It’s a looooong walk, away from my departure gate. Happily, after I check in and find a spot, I discover a shower room. Yes, please! I emerge feeling refreshed, grab some food, and get ready for the last leg of my journey. That’s when I see an email from Korean Air.

It says, “Check-in for Taipei is currently undergoing normal check-in procedures. However due to severe weather conditions at Taipei Airport, the flight may be delayed or cancelled.” But, it’s November, typhoon season in Taiwan is supposed to be over! As if Mother Nature is stagnant and consistent. I board my flight, and we depart on time. I ask the flight attendant about the weather, she says, “Maybe there will be extra turbulence.” Gulp.

I grip the armrests for much of the flight. Happily, there’s no turbulence at all. In fact, the typhoon, coming from The Philippines, passes through Southern Taiwan, so it doesn’t impact me. I’m glad, but also feel for all the thousands of people who lost homes, or their lives. It’s a strange mix of feelings to arrive with.

Getting To My Hotel From The Airport

We have an on-time arrival, and I’m in no rush to get anyplace. First, all hotels in Taiwan have an insanely late check-in time. I have to wait until 3 or 4pm. It’s now 9am. I take my time and walk over to the Klook counter after collecting my luggage. I pre-reserved a metro card loaded with 400 NTD (about $12). This may be one of my wisest decisions ever. The line seems long, but I’m through it in less than five minutes.

I look up the price of getting an Uber to my hotel, the CheckINN Express Taipei Station. (Pro Tip: The brand “CheckINN” has many properties around Taipei and it’s easy to get confused. In fact, there’s a CheckINN Taipei Station, and a CheckINN Express Taipei Station, so make sure you carefully review the address on your booking!)

An Uber costs $45. The MRT (Taipei’s subway) costs $5. Being in no hurry, I go for the MRT. Travel fatigue is catching up to me, and I worry I’ll fall asleep on the subway. I vaguely notice a digital panel with the name of each stop. It’s in Chinese, then in English. There’s a map of stops across from me. I’m not sure exactly where we are, and am grateful that my stop is the last one, so it’ll be really obvious when I arrive.

At some point, I become aware I’m on the local line, and can get off and switch to the express. I’m too tired, and stay on the local all the way to Taipei Main Station. We glide by tall apartment buildings set against a cloudy sky. Trees are mixed into the scenery, but it’s like a blur in my subconscious which fights to stay awake.

Once at the main station, I realize I’m too exhausted to walk the estimated 11 minutes to my hotel. Now I get an Uber. It takes some work to figure out where to wait, but when I do, pick-up is prompt, and it’s about $1.50 to get deposited in front of the hotel. I’m not sure about the neighborhood. Streets are close together, buildings look dirty and dated. Mine is under an overhang and I see what look like hardware shops in every direction. I enter the lobby, hoping I can check in early. November is hot in Taipei. I don’t even want to know what August is like if November is this hot. I need another shower and a change of clothes.

No one is in the lobby. There’s a stand with a computer for self check-in. But, it’s too early to check in, so I can’t get past the first screen. I don’t know where to put my bags. I find a number to call at reception, no one answers. I message the hotel via Booking.com. Finally, someone comes. After greetings, I learn she speaks English well. My room isn’t ready. She tells me I can leave my bags against the wall. I re-organize so I’m carrying as little as possible, hand over my luggage, and step onto the warm Taipei sidewalk.

First Meal In Taipei

It’s hard for me to understand, but at 11:15am, after too much food in the airplane, plus food in the Korean Air lounge, I’m starving. Shouldn’t my body think it’s time to Sleep? I set off for some food. All the places to eat look like a kitchen just off the street, with tables and stools on the sidewalk. I pick a fairly empty place on the sidewalk, and it ends up being a total gem. While most of the people are eating the raw fish, I’m not sure I’m ready to trust my stomach to it. Instead, I order salmon over rice. It’s perfect, just what I need. It comes with a huge bowl of soup I can’t finish, salmon roe, and seaweed. It’s so delicious, and all that food is only $8 USD, that I return several times, learning it’s a pretty popular place, especially at the weekend. I attempted with Google Translate to tell them I wanted to include them in my blog, and got the business card in the photo below. It’s called Sando House, and well worth your time.

After lunch I’m in desperate need of a coffee and find a cute bookshop down the street with a cafe, and enjoy a relaxing cappucino. Along my way there, I see a sign about dumplings being made for later today. I make a mental note to try them during my week in this neighborhood.

Guanghua Electronics Mall In Taipei

I still have several hours before I can check in, so head to the Guanghua electronics mall. With so many electronic devices “made In Taiwan”, I presumed I’d find amazing deals on gadgets. Even on items “made in China” which is next door, I assumed the prices would be radically less expensive than they are in the US. Sadly, for name brands, they aren’t. Perhaps because of the tariffs, I did find a DJI camera for $200 less than on Amazon. A new iPhone was $200 more than in the US, and they don’t do VAT back at the airport, so you won’t find many bargains. The alternative is to buy knock-offs of the originals, but if you have a problem, clearly, you probably won’t get help once you leave Taiwan.

I’m too tired to buy anything, but I wander through several floors, and end up purchasing a backup battery for my iPhone. It’s about $20, and does almost 2 full recharge cycles. A great buy!

First Dinner In Taipei

By dinner time, I have no energy beyond looking for food in my neighborhood. I pass one of the local 7-11 stores and head down an alley. My inner protector speaks up, A woman traveling solo in a country she doesn’t know should not be walking down alleys by herself at night.  I hear the voice, but default to my intuition. I feel safe.  Thank goodness I trusted my intuition, because I end up finding the perfect Japanese restaurant!

The waitress/owner is very kind. She doesn’t speak any English but points me to a basket of clipboards with sheets of paper on which I am to select what I want to eat. The menu is entirely in Chinese, so I use Google Lens to figure out what they have. And that’s when I spot chawanmushi. I fell in love with this egg custard soup in Japan years ago. It’s nearly impossible to find at Japanese restaurants in New York, so I’m beyond ecstatic!

In fact, I could just eat that for dinner! But then I see they have fresh mackeral fish like I used to eat at a former favorite Japanese place in Manhattan restaurant where it was only made for regulars who ordered off-menu. My food is perfect. It’s unbelievably delicious, and perfectly hits the spot.

I can’t tell you the name of the restaurant (because I don’t speak Chinese or understand the characters), but I can give you this Google Maps link! That should guide you there. I ate there several times, and met regulars at other tables and had wonderful meals and conversations.

Stomach full, I’m ready for a good night’s sleep so I can start to roam the neighborhoods of Taipei tomorrow!