I promised everyone a summary. I can't really go into details, however, I do owe you guys a story at least...
Where to begin...
The trip was a great one for me. There were things that could have gone better, but you take what you can get and work with it right? And as luck would have it, as soon as I get back, the workload just gets heavier. But you guys are here about the trip summary...
Let me start with the setting... Taipei. If I had to pick a place to meet, I don't think Taipei would have been my choice (given the choice). Let's forget the weather. It rained 7 of the 9 days I was there. After talking to some locals, I understand this was a fluke. But who can control mother nature right? So it is what it is. You live with it.
Then there is the city. While they have some of the attributes of a prosperous city, to be honest, the city reminds me of Singapore and Hong Kong back in the 80's. Lots of rundown shophouses mixed with some modern buildings. The difference is that in Singapore and to a lesser (but still significant amount) extent Hong Kong is that they are renewing their buildings... rebuilding them where possible, refurbishing where it isn't. Taipei didn't give me that vibe. Sure they are rebuilding some of the buildings, but a common feeling I got was that doing the bare minimum was "good enough" instead of striving for much better. And once you're done with the building, knock it down and build a new one. Some might say it adds character to the city, but it isn't something I would like to project to prospective tourists.
One other thing is that every third store is a convenience store. I kid you not. Within 5 minutes walking distance of my hotel there were 12 convenience stores (7-11, Family Mart, Hi-Markets) that I counted. The stuff wasn't over priced (CDN$1.06 for two litres of water) either.
The people for the most part are friendly. In most shops, every time they hear someone open the door (there are door chimes), one or all of the employees would greet you. If you needed directions, you could ask anyone. No-one would say they didn't have time. English was a bit of a problem, but mandarin and dai-yi (or Minnanhua) were fairly common.
I stayed at the Park Taipei. After doing some research, I decided on it for proximity (although I shouldn't have believed Googlemaps for distance) to my lady's hotel (Grand Hyatt), the fact that they were on the subway line (ease of transportation) and free internet (to stay in touch). I think it was technically rated at 3-4 star hotel, but I will say that their service was quite good. The staff was discrete, they had a decent security system (to get to a floor, you need to have a room card and that room card is coded to that floor only) There was always staff onsite who could help you and the stuff they provide you isn't bad. They even have the hard beds that they have in China.
When I compare it to my lady's hotel, I got superior benefits (for example, free internet) for 1/3 of the price (based on what I could book the rooms for on Agoda. If you happen to be in Taipei, I would definitely recommend them.
The transit system will really confuse you. In China, chances are, you're playing dodge'em . But at least the directions are uniform (most of the time). In Taipei, on the arterial roads, it's downright confusing. Most of them are being rebuilt (fine), but regardless of their condition, you have lanes alternating which direction they're going. And I don't mean based on traffic lights like what you see in many US or Canadian cities. I'm saying one lane will go left, the lane beside it goes right, then left, then right again. There are bus lines that would make Singapore and Beijing proud. Winding their way to make everyone dis-oriented. Their MRT system is a combination of subways and LRT technologies. One good thing is that for their subway stations, many have gates (not walls) that protect you from falling on to the rails. Those that do not (there are a few) have lights built into the floor to tell you which side the next subway or LRT car is coming. Whichever one you are at, there are lights that will indicate a subway train is coming.
Now, for the attractions, they've got a few. I only had a chance to visit a few of them due to the weather and my lady's work schedule. National Palace Museum (although you can't take pictures near the exhibits due to the controlled environment there), Shihlin Night Market (if you're a foodie, you might enjoy this one...also sort of like a flea market), Raohe Night Market (clothing at a slightly discounted price, but jam packed), Longshan Temple (comparable to... the Lama Temple in Beijing... or any buddhist temple in Singapore or the Snake Temple in Malacca, Malaysia. Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall is really just a conference hall. Didn't get to go in, but there was supposed to be some sort of high school exhibit (including Highschool Musical). Taipei 101 was nice, but except for the view, there wasn't THAT much to see. If the weather had been better, I would have also visited the Taipei Zoo, Maokong region (tea farms and a cable car ride...all near the same area) and visited Alishan (famous for their tea, but if you've heard Deng Li Jun's Song "Gao Shan Qing", that's where she sings about the region.
Weatherwise, I would not recommend visiting in Janary... too wet... even the local media was commenting on how this was the wettest January on record. I think we saw the sun two days out of the eight that I was there. The rest of the time it was quite grey and blah.
Anyway... next post... about the lady...
