Exit Through The Tiger
Taipei and Taichung
(4th March 2025) Taipei: Smoke bellowed out factory chimneys. I questioned the authenticity of the clouds as the Airbus slowly descended. Were they made by weather or man? Rain greeted my arrival in reply. I was in Taipei. The capital and northernmost city of the island of Taiwan. It was a last minute decision. Qantas airline check-in was not possible without a departing flight from the Philippines. Taipei was the closest and cheapest flight. I had been snorkelling and lying on beaches for more than a month. The convenience of city-life was an attraction. Taipai’s public transport was clean and timely. As was the cleanliness of my hostel. ‘Air Defence Shelter’: an arrow pointed in the same direction as my hostel. At least it was close. Elevator doors opened, revealing a narrow reception. The walls were bone white. Metal vents ran rib-like along a navy blue ceiling to give an industrial feel. Showers and toilets weren’t in the same cubicle for once. And, towels were provided. As was soap, slippers ear buds and many other amenities. Backpacker luxury. For a bargain £9 a night.
Hunger struck me. It was roughly 6pm. Ximen was a popular pedestrianised district close to my hostel. ‘Toffffuuuu Toffffuuuu…. Yes very good’ a street vendor was selling ‘Stinky Tofu’. Fermented tofu is a popular dish in Taiwan. The smell is in the name. Uncooked, the odour stings the nostrils. One could smell it even with a blocked nose. NT$35 New Taiwanese dollars (just over $1 USD) later I was eating some. It was salty and pillowy, like cottonwool. An accompanying chilli sauce saved it from tasting the same way. A colourful fruit stand caught my eye. The lady gave me a few tasters. I bought peaches. Pinky white in colour. She threw in some tomatoes for good measure. The tomatoes were stuffed with sweet paste. It was an unappetising brown colour. Yet it paired nicely with the tartness of the tomato. An early night beckoned.
(5th March 2025) Taipei: I joined a ‘free’ walking tour, largely in the hope of meeting some other westerners. My hostel was full of internal Taiwanese travelers and those from mainland China. Some token Japanese tourists were sheepishly present. A big change from the Eurocentric company I was used to. ‘We’re from Texas’ ‘ I’m from Virginia’ ‘We’re from Florida’. The Americans never say what country they are from. Just the State. Netherlands, Germany and The UK were also represented. The usuals. Plus an Israeli, who understandably kept low.
Lungshan temple. A Taoist temple in central Taipei. Zodiac animals were on display in the courtyard. A dragon was perched over the entrance. A accompanying tiger sat over the exit. ‘Men must enter with their right foot and exit with their left’. It is supposed to be in keeping with the local spiritual energy. Locals threw wooden crescent moons on the floor. Repeatedly. Fate rules everything. They ask the Gods a question. The moons act as a (primordial) magic-eight ball. Two face up means ‘yes’. Two face down means ‘no’. One up, one down means ‘ask again different question’. Locals would repeat until they got the answer they wanted. ‘How many of you had heard of Taiwan before coming?’ The intern took over from the main tour guide. Some of the Americans shook their heads. We were stood outside the Parliament building. It was red and white brick and rectangular in shape. A large red clock tower rose from the middle. The spire and clock itself were white. In keeping with the wider building design. ‘Only 12 countries recognise Taiwan as a country’ a scant list mostly comprised of Polynesian and Caribbean islands was subsequently read out.
An Israeli greeted me. He was short. Bushy ginger hair curled down from his head to his shoulders, as if to compensate for the height. He could only be likened to Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons. We turned the corner to confront two regal white gates. The Chiang Kai Shek memorial was a tomb complex for a former president of The Republic of China. A white memorial much like Washington’s Lincoln Memorial stood at the end of a regal promenade. Identical buildings flanked both sides of the walk way. At the end of the walkway a statue of Chiang Kai Shek gazed down from a throne. It was the end of the tour. These walking tours are never ‘free’. I knew then Americans would set the bar high due to their tipping culture. Most nonchalantly grabbed a few large notes and put them in a bucket by the host. The Brits and Europeans played ‘accountant’ for a few minutes before putting a carefully selected amount in. ‘Fancy seeing you here’ my Israeli friend from the walking tour checked into my hostel. He complained his other hostel was too shoddy. An Englishman checked into my room later that evening. He was en route to Australia on a working visa. A rite of passage for most Brits these day.
Steeping into new territory
(6th March 2025) Jiufen: A cafe next to my hostel looked like a set from the TV series Doctor Who. As if an artist from the 60’s had to draw a cafe from the future. Aluminium panels surrounded the room. A counter to match. Silver coffee machines hid behind yet more aluminium counter tops. ‘I’m heading to Jiufen today’ I mentioned to my English friend. He has accompanied me to the futuristic cafe. ‘I’m heading there also. A friend from home lives in Taiwan and said to meet there. Perhaps let’s up there?’. I nodded in agreement.
I hopped on a ruthlessly efficient bus to the town. Jiufen is a small old town in the mountains north east of Taipei. Notorious for its tight alley ways and cosy tea houses. Supposedly the area inspired the bath in the anima film ‘Spirited Away’. Thick fog inhibited any view from the mountains. Dark rain clouds let loose their armoury. 2pm was made to seem like 9pm. A sea of umbrellas crowded the already cramped streets. Red lanterns lined tight alleyways. The buildings were built from a local stone that seemed blackened in the rain. I dipped into a local tea house having bumped into my English friend. A local taught me a complex tea routine. Tea leaves must be soaked in boiling water. The liquid is then poured out. More boiling water is added to the teapot. ‘Count to 30 and add 10 seconds every time you add more boiling water’. Tea was then poured into a thin cylindrical cup to be smelled. Satisfactorily smelled the tea is then poured into a small cup for drinking. Rince and repeat.
Did you know?
In Taiwan the number 4 is unlucky so many buildings don’t have a ‘fourth’ floor.
Stuck in the Middle with Yu(chi)
(7th March 2025) Taichung: Taiwanese high speed rail delivered me to a new city. Taichung. South of Taipei. I was there to see a friend I had met in the Philippines. The city seemed to lack much character. Tall uniform tower blocks were scattered in and amongst modern office blocks. It’s a main industrial stronghold in Taiwan. Mostly focusing on machine manufacturing and agriculture. My German friend met me at a night market. She was small, with dark brown hair and eyes to match. Her bubbly persona was a refreshing change from the older crowds I had hung around with in Taipei. We exhausted the first market. On the outskirts of town another night market was being held. No tourists this time. The stares and shocked glances from locals were a telltale sign. Gone were sweet donuts, western-style burgers, and fried chicken. Enter offal, chickens feet, and more stinky tofu. Chickens feet are a staple snack in this part of the World. We bought and ate some. They were meaty in texture and surprisingly tasty. My German friend sadly thought otherwise.
(8th March) Sun Moon Lake: I boarded a bus outside the main train station. It dropped me near Yuchi township. The sun hung high in the sky. People whistled past on electric bicycles. ‘You want bike?’ a local tried to tempt me into his rental shop. I left with a bike. ‘We close at 6pm. Otherwise big fine’ Non electric. Old school. After barely a minute’s cycle I was greeted with Alpine like scenery. Steep mountains bordered a serene lake. The vegetation was lush and abundant. Rowers practiced on the flat waters. Tourists peddled round the designated paths. A nice break from the business of the city. I headed back to my hostel in the early evening. I was heading further south the next day.