Things I've learned about Taiwan

As I reflected about my time in Taiwan, I found it difficult to think about things for this list. And then I realized that because of my time in some other countries, I was ignoring aspects of Taipei that made the city different from the western world of my childhood (despite some similarities to the countries I've now travelled to). Trying to keep that in mind, here are a few things that I've learned about Taiwan.

View from Taipei 101 on a cloudy day...

1. You can do everything at a 711. From my time in Korea, I already know that convenience stores are way more common and have a wider purpose than what I'm used to in Canada. Honestly, in Canada, I never really bought anything at a convenience store. Not so in the asian countries I've visited. I felt like Taiwan took it to an all new high. Not only can you buy almost anything you might need on the fly (from shampoo, pads, first aid kits, alcohol, ramen or milk), you can also top up your transit pass AND buy tickets for the train and other places. Seriously, it's your one stop store.

2. Stinky Tofu is really Stinky. I've heard of this "food" but I had no idea how smelly it actually was until my first time walking around the night market. It was bad. I thought about trying it, but for this trip, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I'll just have to go again and try next time.

3. The Motorbikes. Having been to Vietnam, Malaysia and China, I think I was a little desensitized to seeing people stream around street corners, but my mum reminded me that it is not a common occurrence back in the true North. And while Vietnam still wins in my experience as the craziest motorbike-flow, Taipei still had enough that it is cool to see. They drive so confidently.

In the Shilin Night Market (Friday Night).

4. That Night Market Life. My mum and I visited Shilin and Ningxia Night Market and both were very different from each other. Shilin, being the biggest, reminded me more of Seoul's Hongdae-type shops with a Namdaemun Market atmosphere (if you know the references). There were a number of stores that sold clothing, phone cases, toys, stuffed animals, etc and then among them pop-up street stalls that sold all sorts of food (steamed buns, chicken, stinky tofu, sausages, fresh cut fruit, and more). On the other hand, Ningxia reminded me more of the Old Quarter of Hanoi meets a Kuala Lumpur food court. There were some hole-in-the wall restaurants along the sides of the street with the small stool chairs and tables along the sidewalk. Down the center of the street, there were two rows of pop-up stalls. Some stalls also had a section of stools and tables while others you just grabbed your food and went on your way. Really popular foods had some crazy-long lines, especially on the weekend, so be prepared. The selection of food between the two markets is also different, so if you are in Taipei, I recommend hitting up both of them.

Whatever this is, I really liked it. (Shilin Night Market).

Some delicious steamed buns!

5. Don't stay in the City. While there is a lot to see and do within Taipei, there are so many amazing places to go in and around Taiwan. Even if you only have a couple days, dedicate 1 to out of city.

Mountain Hike Views: Yangmingshan

Yangmingshan Fumaroles.

I climbed above the clouds over Yangmingshan with a couchsurfer and new friend. My mum and I had the chance to go to Taroko Gorge on one day, which was amazing and so worth it. On another day, we hopped on a bus and road along the North-East coast. We hit up the Queen's head and a couple other places along the way. I was initially worried about taking the bus away from the city because if we got lost in a small town without Internet and potential English, things could get complicated quickly. (Ha). But there were a couple buses that went along the coastal road and it was easy to hop-on and hop-off at your fancy. On the way back, we came through the Tamsui District which is the top of the Red subway line in Taipei. I really wish we had ventured that way a day earlier because I would have liked to explore the area in more depth. Le sigh. At that point I was tired and didn't take many other photographs.

The Yehliu Harbour; there's something about a portside photograph... 

View from the Yehliu Peninsula back toward the island.

Do I even need to say that my time in Taiwan was too short?

Love and Hugs.

Sunrise in Jeju

If you want to watch the sunrise, the best thing to do is to first wake up to see the sunrise. ㅎㅎ.

The best thing to do on Jeju, is to hope (or plan) for good weather, camp out near Sunrise Peak (성산일출봉; Seong-San Il-Chul Bong), and then climb up early in the morning along with a bunch of other Korean (and maybe some Chinese) tourists. Pack your snacks, drinks and most definitely your camera and selfie-stick and you are good to go.

A common angle (or similar to) of Sunrise Peak featured on many postcards

Sunrise peak is one of the selling views of Jeju island. In a package of postcards, you might get 3-4 different angles and seasonal shots of the "Tuff Cone." Most tour companies bus their customers out to the east side of the island and wait the 30 mins to an hour while their tourists explore. At different times during the day, you can also see a demonstration by Haenyeo, Jeju's traditional female divers. (I don't know how these differ seasonally).

This past week, luck (and the weather) were on our side. One of my friends and I wanted to see the sunrise last April (click for blog post), but a cloudy night made for an anti-climatic morning. This time, it was different. At this time of year, the sunrise was also a lot later meaning we were able to sleep longer.

Heading toward the peak, the sun's rays already warm the horizon.

As we headed toward the peak in the early morning hours, we could already tell that it was going to be a good day. The sun's rays painted the horizon's edge in deep orange and yellow hues. The wisps of clouds creeping from the east edged into frame like actors setting the stage. The show was preparing to start!

There were many other people at the top with us, despite it being a Tuesday morning. A forest of selfie-sticks waving, the sound of camera shutters rippled through the crowd like leaves in the wind. We waited. The sky grew brighter, the light reflecting across the water and off the clouds. Then, the first sliver of the sun poked above the horizon. It was like we were at a sports match. There was a collective cheer and smiles all around. (My friends and I regret not filming that moment). In that brief moment we were a connected community and sharing a bit of the world's magic.

The sun above the horizon.

Canada Mitts!

I'm so happy that I was able to see the sunrise during this trip. We probably would have lingered longer, but the cold and our hunger eventually convinced us to return to the bottom. 

Until next time, Sunrise Peak. See you again.

Love and Hugs.

View from the top of the peak, looking back toward Jeju just after Sunrise.

Mon voyage (français) à Hạ Long Bay

After seeing pictures and hearing about my friend's experiences in Ha Long Bay, I knew it was a place that I wanted to visit. Travelling through a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site on a boat? Yes please! Sounds like a fun (and relaxing) adventure. I never expected that my vacation would also be so bilingual, an added bonus. (In truth, I think that during my time in Viet Nam I spent more time speaking French than English).

Before I insert too many pictures, I want to fore-front this post by saying that if you are travelling to Ha Noi/Ha Long Bay and are interested in doing a boat cruise among the islands, you do not need to worry about booking super far in advance. I booked in advance through my hostel, but when I got to Vietnam, I learned it was very easy to go to one of the many travel agencies in the city and book day before (or even morning of, as one of the people at my hostel did). For those more price-conscious, it can also be a cheaper comparing prices at different travel boutiques in the city, or even travelling to your chosen destination first and then finding a tour package upon arrival.

And now...

Leaving the harbour!

Among the islands

One Happy Camper, a Vietnamese Flag and some Islands.

Nous parlons français (^.^)

Compared to the busy traffic in Ha Noi, the constant beeping and the people, Ha Long Bay was pretty empty--even with ALL the tourist boats. There are over 1,600 islands and our guide said that despite giving this tour, he has yet to see all of the islands.

I love meeting other travellers and hearing about where they've been or where they are going. My cruise group consisted mainly of Europeans with people representing the UK, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany and then Argentina and Canada. And while the common language was mostly English, there were overlaps in language. A group of us spoke French most of the trip and I'm happy to report that while I am often mistaken for an American when speaking English, I am always correctly identified as Canadian when speaking French.

One of my new friends preferred to take pictures of the islands sans bâteau, but I find the boats add perspective and depth to the scenery. Even the tour boats look lovely amid the jagged points.

From a cave lookout. I think this was one of my favourite views of the trip.

The islands rise from the water like spikes on a sea serpent. Sudden cliffs topped with tuffs of green hair, jut from the waves at sporadic intervals. These are not the same geographical features that I'm used to back in Canada or here in Korea.

Our first day, one of our activities was kayaking around these rugged giants. We struggled a bit against the wind and waves that pushed us toward the rocky walls. The kayaks are so small in comparison, no match for these massive islands, and yet they can slide quickly through and around the rocks. I liked being able to explore away from our tour boat, too.

Where we boarded the kayaks (and then put down anchor for night time).

Out on the water.

I opted for a 3-Day-2-Night tour. One of my friends did the 2D1N but recommended spending more time among the islands and I am glad I took her advice. On the second day, we headed to Cát Bà Island, the biggest island in Ha Long Bay. After a bit of hiking and lunch, we could choose free time on the island (many tourists rented motorbikes or bicycles to explore), or we had the opportunity to hop on another boat to visit Monkey Island. Naturally, I picked monkeys. Our whole cruise family did, in fact. All for one and one for all! Ha.

The island is known for its beautiful beach...

 ... and of course monkeys:

Here is my commercial for Fanta.

These monkeys were vicious. As some other tourists were climbing the small mountain, a monkey jumped out of the trees with half of its face all ripped and bloody. They stalked us on the beach and at the snack shack. One of them stole a can of sprite right out of my friend's hand. No personal space issues here. I will admit I was a little scared of these guys. I remember thinking I did not want to spend my last hours in Vietnam at a hospital because of an accident with a monkey... But all good.

On our way back to our hotel on Cát Bà, our boat took us through the largest fishing village in Ha Long Bay. Home to 3000 people, these fishermen live right on the water. I cannot say that I'm jealous, but I definitely respect their hard work and perseverance. Props.

The Fishing Village near Cát Bà Island

A closer shot of the houses in the fishing village

This trip was a wonderful and relaxing end to my time in Vietnam. I met some super cool people and I hope that someday our paths cross again. I wish, as always, that I could have stayed longer, but I suppose I will just have to go back one day.

Love and Hugs.

P.S. Let the record show that I caught Pokemon on Cát Bà.

Busan, At Last

(Dated 7.29-31.2016)

I thought that my second attempt to go to Busan would end at that: an attempt. As I was on my way to the airport Friday after work, I got the first message that my flight was delayed about an hour. Something to do with a congested runway, I think. That hour turned into 2.5, but my plane did take off and I made it at last to the seaside city.

What a weekend. Very little sleep (in part due to surprise adventures and misinformation) and too many mosquito bites later (seriously. over 35 on my right leg alone. I am so itchy!), I returned tired but happy to Jeju. Here are two of the highlights of my weekend. With a one more typical tourist things, and one a little less tourist-y. Ha.

Starting with the latter: My Night Hike of Busan
This was partly unexpected due to missing information. I was told we were going on a night hike by my host so I expected a late night, but what I didn't know was that it was a hike to see the sunrise. Oops. I generally don't do all nighters. Sleep and I have a somewhat jealous relationship. We can't stand being apart for too long, but well, I suppose waiting for the sunrise is a good reason.

From a hidden beach at around 00:30.

We started in Nampo-dong (남포동) and headed toward the water, walking along the coast when we could as we headed east. Out trail eventually led to Bongraesan (봉래산) which was the most strenuous climb on our hike and the tallest peak out of the three on our route.

From the top of Bongraesan at around 3:00.

The sky beginning to change colour as we waited for the sunrise. It was really humid/hazy... 5:20.

We slowly made our way along the mountain range, south to the smallest peak which also had the best view of the sunrise. It was a little cloudy, but it was still stunning. I was well beyond tired, and we still had to get down, but I was definitely happy that I said yes to the hike.

At last we saw the sun break through the cloud cover, 5:50.

Next, Gamcheon Cultural Village (감천문화마을)
This village is one of the more famous tourist spots of Busan. It's a whole neighbourhood that used to be a real eyesore in the city and was known for being really poor. Then, sometime in the later half of the 1900s, people started painting the buildings and from there it became a work of art. Now people come from all over to see how this poor community changed into something beautiful. I don't know how the residence feel about that, but it is somewhat cool to walk around. There are a number of cool things to look at and there are some awesome lookouts, too.

My first view of the village. Can you find the building shaped like a mug?

After walking around, I came to this lookout toward the sea and couldn't resist a picture!

I paid a couple thousand won to get a stamp booklet and map. It takes you through the village with some information about key areas and some of the artworks. You can also collect 16 stamps and get 2 postcards. As I love maps and finding things, this was right up my alley.

Canadian fish must swim together. It took me a while to find this little guy.

I didn't really have a huge agenda for that Saturday afternoon and I really enjoyed slowly exploring the village during the afternoon. The village is a tourist spot for a reason and I think it is definitely worth a visit. I think it's really amazing how the people came together to turn something rundown into something people really want to visit and explore.

All in all, I loved my first trip to Busan and hopefully when I'm next there I'll be able to see more cool things and awesome people.

Onto the next adventure, I suppose. =P

Love and Hugs.

What They Don't tell you about the CN Tower

My mum and I wanted to do something new this summer--something we both had never done--and so we decided to go up the CN Tower. Despite living so close to Toronto, we haven't fully explored the GTA like a tourist. Thus, our adventure began. The following are things we wished we had known before we went. Nothing major, but small stuff that no one really talks about.

Looking down from the skypod, the sun at our backs.

What's the line like?
We told a number of people that we were going and yet not one thought to mention that you FIRST line up to buy your tickets and THEN you line up to get to the elevator. Maybe it seems obvious to some, but I think it's worth being said that the wait times are different. Wait time for elevators can be less than 45 minutes at a good time, or more than an hour and a half at peek times. So if you are aiming to be at the top for sunset or even daylight, don't wait too late or by the time you get to the top, it will be dark.

The Skypod - Line B. If you choose to do skypod, there will be another line-up. There are multiple elevators ferrying people up to the main viewing area, but there is only one elevator for the skypod, so again, if you are hoping to see sunset, or something, make sure to account for time. Also, I found the windows in the skypod kind of weird. They are at awkward angles so taking pictures without glare was a bit of a challenge. Nothing bad, but now you know.

Sunset through the Skypod windows.

My mum and I bought our ticket at 7pm, grabbed a quick bite and were in line by 720. We made it up to the main deck by 822 and then just made it to the skypod for 846. Sunset was recorded as 852. It was tight. Still, we made it and we were able to see the night lights come alive across the city.

As we left the CN Tower behind, it was lighting up the night sky.

Consider: Night or Day?
Maybe you want to go and like my mum and I, you've lived around the GTA your whole life. If your time is flexible, then consider during the day or in the evening. In the day, if it is clear, they say you can see Niagara Falls and somewhere in New York State (from the Skypod). You might even be able to see your neighbourhood. I night scene, too, is beautiful. In some ways, you don't see as much, but in others, a night scene shows you so much more. So think about it before you go.

The sun setting; the beginnings of a city blinking to life

 Now, I am at the airport preparing to head back to Korea for another year of who knows. To those I didn't get to see this summer, I hope you are well and dandy. To those I did, I'm glad it worked out. And to everyone, until next time.

Love and Hugs.

Seoul at Night (N Tower)

Seoul is not a city for early birds.  Like me.  I learned that very quickly.  Nothing opens early.  Most stores and cafes (except for a few of those big chain cafes) don't open until 10 or 11 in the morning.  Some open even later and then stay open later.

Seoul is very much an evening and night city.  At the end of a day's work, the streets flood with people--and come alive.  Shop signs call out warm invitations, street vendors set up their stalls, smells of fried food waft into unsuspecting noses.  While I was in Seoul, I walked through some of the big shopping streets/areas including Hongdae (홍대 - near a university so a lot of students and restaurants as well as shopping), Insadong Street (인사동길 - a lot cute shops and cafes from what I saw. I got some good postcards here.), Namdaemun Market (남대문 시장 - one of the most famous markets in Seoul.  You can get everything here.  Except for a husband or wife, as one Korean told me), and Myeongdong (명동 - known for beauty and skin care products.  Also known to attract a lot of Chinese tourists).  While they were all pretty busy in the afternoon, they got crazy-busy as the sun set.  I didn't think to get any pictures of the craziness, but if you get a chance to visit Seoul, don't just visit these areas during the day.  You will really be missing out on part of their charm and attraction.

Another attraction that, while beautiful during the day, is stunning at night is the view from N Tower in Namsan Park (남산공원).  Mount Nam is only a couple hundred feet tall, but the park is still lovely to explore.  Especially at this time of year when the leaves were changing colour.  I could pretend I was back in Canada for a moment, the colours were so vibrant!  There are many trails weaving through the trees to and around the tower.  The park is a good spot for a picnic or a brief respite from city life.

View of Seoul from a lookout point.

One of the trails leading up to the tour gives this lovely view!  Fall Colours!

C'est moi!  I still don't think that this picture rightly captures the splendor of the woods, but even a sliver of the truth contains truth.

But the view, while lovely during the day, is magical at night.  Different coloured lights illuminate the tower and then the view of the city... Just whoa.  N Tower is a big attraction for groups and couples and it is no surprise as to why.

For perspective: My shot of the Tower and Temple structure during the day.

BAM!  Same view at night.  Look at those lights!

I wish my camera was better... But I still think it's pretty!

I wished I had had more evening-nights to explore the city sights.  I have a feeling that many more would be just as stunning if not more so than their daytime hours reveal.  Next time, I suppose.

Until then...

Love and Hugs.