Taiwan

I only had two full days Taiwan. My trip went really fast.  

In Kyoto Japan is where I met this wonderful girl.

I met Joanna while staying in a hostel in Kyoto Japan.  Joanna is from Taiwan. We became fast friends, talking away about life, men, Japan, and Taiwan.  I promised her that I would come visit her one day and so 8 months later I landed in Taipei.

I found my way to my hostel and she showed up an hour later and off we went.

Let me just say...we ate the entire time.  I was a happy happy girl trying a bunch of Taiwanese food.

First Night "You are so lucky!"

We went to an older part of Taipei and saw some old buildings and a temple. After wandering around this area we ventured to a famous night market called Hwahsi. 

Film crew.  The actors are way in the back.

Long-Sheng Temple

This was a hallway filled with plants that make up herbal tea

Hwahsi Night Market.  This market is known around the world for cheap clothing and good street food.

Eating dinner in the night market

You are so lucky night was because the entire night unusual things kept happening.  For example, we got a free dumpling at the temple, we saw actors being filmed in some kind of production, and we ran into one of Joanna's favorite bands, who just happened to be sitting where we were walking.  I did try to explain to her that weird things happen to me all the time.  Probably due to walking and traveling alone for the most part.

Also, I consider it a miracle I figured out how to get to my hostel, because the directions the hostel gave me were completely wrong.

Day One: "This isn't a hike..."

Day one included:

                                  A huge breakfast called Konja.

Konja Breakfast 

Walking along a beautiful river and played on the exercise equipment.

Shuangxi Riverside Park

 Seeing two beautiful houses of prominent men in Taiwan. this was a picture of a garden outside of the former president Shilin.

Drinking Boba and getting ready for a foot message.

Good dinner with good friends.  

It was later admitted to me that Joanna got a bit lost and we never made it to our intended hiking destination. haha!!  

Such a fun group of people

Day Two: "I know, thank you."

Somewhere in a conversation about compliments I gave the impression that if someone says something nice about you in America, you should say "I know, thank you."  When I only meant "thank you."  It was a really funny misunderstanding.  Anytime any of us gave a compliment, it was responded with "I know, thank you" for the rest of the day.   

This day I hung out with Joanna and her friends.  It was such an amazing experience. I flew to a country I'd never been to before and got ready made friends for the day.

We...

• Ate a breakfast consisting of dumplings and milk tea.
• went to a hot spring museum.
• went to a castle

Lots and lots of dumplings

• went to a harbor
• took a ferry ride to an island
• drank beer in a gas station
• went to eat at a restaurant on the street for dinner
• ate a Taiwanese dessert that was similar to Bing Soo

Hot Spring Museum.  Wedding photo

Eating Stinky Tofu

He protected us from getting wet. I had no idea he was serious when he was bent over us.  I was totally dry! haha

Beer break at a convenience store

Tsumi Island

Eel fried noodles.  

Day three:

I met a Japanese girl at my hostel.  With my broken Japanese and her broken English we decided to get breakfast together.  After this I went home to Japan.