Christmas in Taiwan

Taipei, after an eleven hour flight from Auckland, is definitely a shock to the system. You know you’re not in Kansas anymore when the taxi driver literally runs to put the luggage in the boot, and is back and ready to drive before you’ve even had time to take your seat. Very efficient!

Driving into the city the thing that strikes us is the dark. We’ve spent six months in warm, very bright places, so winter in Taipei is an assault on the senses. That said, by all accounts it is the time of year to visit, given that the summer is notoriously hot and humid.

I confess, I know very little about Taiwan. As a child, it felt as though pretty much everything was manufactured in Taiwan. But outside of that, an established monopoly on semi-conductor production, and the much-publicised tension with China, I know precious little about the country we’ve just landed in.

It comes as a very welcome surprise to find that Taipei is pretty-big on Christmas festivities! The hotel has a large tree, lots of decorations, and Christmas music is playing in abundance. Our room on the 28^th floor has views over the city. Again, what strikes us both is the dark. By now it’s night time and it feels like there are almost no lights on outside. It’s a little eerie, and not aided by the fact that the hotel is also dimly lit. Takes some adjustment having just left southern New Zealand where it was still light at 22:00!

We spend four days in Taipei, visiting Bao-An and Confucius temples, the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, and hiking the elephant trail. It’s an interesting fusion of cultures with Chinese, Japanese, and British influences. Language barriers are not too challenging, with most places speaking basic English.

Taipei 101, at over 1600 feet high, was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2004 (it now ranks 11th). Somewhat surprisingly, the rest of the city is less high-rised and has a slightly shabby, almost neglected, air to it. On the ground level, the streets are lined with tiny shops, garages, and eateries. Less high tech than I’d imagined. We feel very safe walking around and unlike some Asian cities, we draw very little attention, despite a distinct lack of western faces.

The hike up Elephant Mountain serves to highlight the fact that the city is literally carved out of very tropical looking jungle – wouldn’t take long to reclaim.

Taipei zoo is by repute one of the best in the world. It is also one of the few remaining places outside of mainland China that has a giant panda. I decide that, that alone makes it worth a visit. Jenn is less taken with the idea and decides to relax at base camp. That means navigating the underground system on my own, always a concern!

The entry fee is exorbitant at £1.50! 😉 It’s a huge place and worthy of its reputation. It has an impressive collection of seemingly well cared for animals, many of which are in outdoor enclosures making for half decent photos. Great place to wander around. I was fortunate that the resident panda, Yuan Zai, decided to make an appearance despite the cold and drizzle. Such cool animals!

The food in Taipei is as one would imagine for an Asian capital city, very international. From the night markets serving a host of weird and wonderful local delicacies, through to high-end Italian bistros, there’s a bit of everything. We even manage to find a pub that serves traditional turkey dinners. Most efficient Christmas meal we’ve ever eaten – served and cleared with military precision!

In a blink it is time to say good bye to Taipei and take the high speed train to Taichung. Very easy, very efficient and everything runs like clockwork. Watching the world pass by the window is pretty interesting. Mountains cover c.70% of the country, so the lowlands are densely populated, serving the circa 24 million inhabitants. We pass through miles of residential areas and a surprising amount of agricultural land. Apparently one can grow anything here aside from durian fruit.

At Chiayi we meet our driver for the next week, David. Great name and easy to remember! 😉 We are met and loaded into the car, with incredible efficiency. No time is wasted with elaborate greetings or introductions despite the fact that we are about to spend a week together. Mr Liaw, or Dr. Liaw as it subsequently transpires, is clearly a man that doesn’t suffer small talk gladly.

We have a 3hr drive to our hotel in Alishan. David’s English is pretty good and he gives pithy and concise information about places as we pass.

We make several stops along the way, including a tea plantation, covered in cloud. Makes for some interesting photos. Serves as a good preamble for our next stop, where we are invited to sample various local teas. Bit of pomp and ceremony and some very tasty offerings.

Our hotel is in Alison National Forest and set high in the mountains. After much debate and soul searching we get up at 4.30am the next day to take the train up the mountain to watch the sunrise. It’s a major draw among local tourists and the station is packed. As we stand in the queue, some locals take pity on us and give us two spare tickets! How nice. At the top, it’s as cloudy as we feared and there’s not much reward for our early start. That said, a short walk takes us to a different view point where the aesthetics are considerably better.

The rest of the day we spend walking through the beautiful forests in the park. When the Japanese arrived in the area there were c. 300,000 giant cedars, the oldest being 3000 years old. The Japanese cut down 100,000 of them, but had the foresight to plant a Japanese Cedar (far faster growing) for each felled tree. Over time the rest of the giant trees were logged.

The only remaining specimens of the original giants, are those with branches. Typically cedars grow straight and true. Anything with excess branches was considered too much like hard work, and left where it stood. They are pretty hardy trees, with new generations growing from the original roots. It’s a truly stunning wood and would be amazing to see in the summer when the cherry blossom is out.

The sunset from the hotel terrace is beautiful. A sea of cloud…

We wake on the morning of our first Christmas Day overseas to a bright blue sky. We have a nearly four hour drive to reach Guguan, an area famed for its’ hot springs. We stop en route at a bamboo forest, really lovely walk, and definitely a Christmas first.

Our new hotel is Japanese themed and set in a stunning water garden at the foot of the mountains. We waste little time heading out for a hike. Super steep, but good exercise ahead of Christmas lunch. The town itself has foot spas with thermal water filled with little nibbling fish – Jenn can’t help herself.

As lovely, and alternative, as Christmas Day is, we both miss home, particularly when our dinner is served! What I wouldn’t have given for some pigs in blanket and roast potatoes! A dip in our very own onsen, overlooking the mountains though serves as reasonable compensation.

Later that evening, we head down into town, where there are a wealth of Christmas lights. Very festive. It is certainly a Christmas that we won’t forget, but it’s fair to say that there is no place like home!

Boxing day is a relaxed affair, walking the local trails, chilling out in the onsen, and experiencing a 9 course traditional Japanese meal. I remember now why I struggled so much with the food in Japan! 😉  

Our next stop in Taiwan is at the Sun Moon Lake. After a three hour drive we spend a very pleasant day visiting Wenwu temple before heading out on a boat trip. Not entirely sure why the boat has a horses head sticking protruding from the bow, but after a few days in Taiwan, one just kind of rolls with the punches. We enjoy walking around the local town and sampling the street food (wild boar sausages and black tea ice cream) before heading back to the hotel to relax overlooking the lake and mountains.

In the finest tradition of Jenn’s non-stop itineraries, we have a four hour drive next day to Xiulin. The rain is pretty biblical as we leave. Shame, as the road climbs to 3275 metres, and without the cloud, the view would no doubt be stunning. As it is, we have to settle for moody and atmospheric! The road itself is pretty special, with barely enough space for two cars to pass and some impressively tight hairpin corners.

The long journey gives us a bit of time to get to know our driver a bit better. Unless asked direct questions he doesn’t give much away about himself. With a bit of gentle probing it turns out that he has a PHD in financial management from Washington State University, lectured for 26 years, and has written 7 textbooks. He’s a passionate advocate of the theory of efficient markets and clearly a pretty smart guy.

Once we arrive we spend the afternoon in Taroko Gorge, complete with two impressive suspension bridges, originally built by the Japanese to assist in reaching the elusive local tribes.

The town has a healthy population of Formosan rock macaques, a type of monkey endemic to Taiwan. They tend to congregate around the 7Eleven in hope of stealing food from unsuspecting shoppers. Always think monkeys make good models, very expressive faces.

Next day, before heading back to Taipei we take a morning stroll literally through the mountain. Lots more monkeys and some very nice scenery. Our journey takes us along the Pacific coast, through paddy fields, and back into the urban populous.

Taiwan was a slightly left field addition to our trip. It is not a destination awash with Western tourists and would not have been particularly easy to navigate without a driver. It is a beautiful country though with a rich a vibrant culture which we are very glad to have seen. It’s probably not a place to push to the top of your must see list, but it is definitely worth a visit if you are in this part of the world.

With that it is off to Bangkok for New Year. We are meetings Jenn’s brother and his partner Scott. Excited to see them both after six months on the road!