The reason for work is traveling alone in Taipei, with no purpose, stop and go.
When I first arrived in Taipei, I took the airport express train from Taoyuan to the urban area. I bought a transportation card, which allows me to use other means of transportation except the high-speed rail, which is convenient for traveling in the next few days. Since the hotel is in Ximending, I just strolled around here that day. The night market here is bustling, and it’s no different from shopping in second- and third-tier cities. Brown sugar milk tea can be seen everywhere in Ximending, and the famous lo-mei shop has to wait in line, but the taste is actually very ordinary. Highly recommend the bitter gourd juice, very tasty. A Westerner without hands performed the chain-breaking technique. The performer yelled hoarsely. It was already summer in Taipei in late April, and he was sweating profusely every time he moved. Ximen Red House is nearby, which is actually a shop selling cultural and creative products. I bought two small things and finished shopping in ten minutes. Turn to the side road and walk casually, messy wires, old buildings, and pavements with half-closed doors, it feels like walking in a small town in Southeast Asia. I got into a restaurant with a relatively large appearance for dinner, cold fish skin and fish ball soup, which were unexpectedly delicious. The boss heard that I was a tourist, and besides asking me if the food was delicious, he also sighed.
The next day I went to Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, which is quite far away. I still don’t understand why I went there, maybe I’m a young man in my heart. The Songshan Cultural and Creative Park has a large area and consists of multiple exhibition halls. I got lost when I walked to the back. All kinds of gadgets on display inside are the creations of self-employed people in Taipei. All you can buy are dispensable things, such as bookmarks, seals, cups, and some furniture. I didn't finish shopping for two hours, and I got lost, so I got out of the garden in a daze and walked towards the memorial hall. The memorial is free, and most visitors are waiting to see the changing of the guard. In the evening, I ate a buffet with my friends at a Japanese restaurant in Taoyuan, and the price was affordable.
On the third day, I punched in Taipei 101. To be honest, there was really nothing to do. A beautiful woman in front of me very enthusiastically invited me to apply a mask, but I ended up sticking a super small one on my hand... I really like the supermarket below. The fruits in it are so delicious. The pineapples in Taiwan are delicious, the custard apples in Taiwan are very big and sweet, and the pineapples are very sweet. I strongly suspect that the pineapples I ate before are all fake. . . The Eslite Bookstore is not too special, but the one in Suzhou is better. In the evening, I ate at a restaurant frequented by locals, probably Northeast Taiwanese cuisine.
If Ximending on the first day is a blend of modernity and the street, then Shilin on the fourth day is almost the most streety side of Taipei. Here is the famous night market, snack street, roasted bird eggs, small intestines wrapped in large intestines, dice beef, and almond tofu. In the end, I was amazed by the cold noodles. On the same day, we also met Mazu’s birthday parade. There was a long line, carrying traditional sedan chair floats, beating gongs and drums around Shilin. The traffic at Shilin Station was overwhelming and I didn't know where to hail a taxi.
I wanted to go to the Taipei Museum on the last day, but I overslept, so I wandered around the Grand Hotel (I will live in Grand Hotel for the next two days). Needless to say, this hotel is a scenic spot in itself, with singing birds and fragrant flowers in the back mountain, and refreshing and pleasant outdoor swimming pool. In the evening, blowing the wind on the balcony, overlooking Taipei when the lights are on and the planes are taking off and landing, I feel even more the insignificance of the individual and the grandeur of the times.
