One Moment, Taipei 2014

Something struck me the other day, I share so many photographs on this blog (and sometimes travel tips) but I don't share very much of myself. Blame it on the fear of social media over-sharing. Many of these photographs were taken during my travels, where, arguably, many interesting moments take place. So this is a little exercise in me trying to be more reflective and sharing a little more.

On my second last day in Taipei, we stopped by the NTU campus for some last-minute shopping and we found a little market happening on the school grounds. Browsing through the shops, we discovered an awesome little preserved plum stall (so good!) and this cyanotype postcard stall. Incredibly, I had came across this same stall before at Simple Market two years ago! I love coincidences like that. Think about it, as you go about your daily life, how often do you even bump into your neighbours, people who work in the same building or campus, who take the same trains or bus? But yet, in a foreign country, I have managed to come across this little stall and its owners twice in two different locations! Needless to say, I bought quite a few more postcards that day.

Around Taipei, Taipei 2014

Cycling Through Gongguan

Most people think of Taipei as an urban jungle and so did I until I found out that Taipei has developed riverside parks, an extensive network of cycling paths and a new city bike rental service. I was intrigued with this new way to explore the city and I knew I had to squeeze it somehow into my schedule.

At first, I was unsure whether the YouBike rental service would be accessible to foreigners. The English website wasn't as comprehensive as I remembered and there were barely any information on blogs for single-use riders. My inital game plan was to rent a bike using my EasyCard but as I was struggling with the rental terminal, I realised I had to register the card first. In the end, I used my credit card and in no time I was breezing through the streets of Taipei. Finding a rental terminal was easy, in fact, it will probably be one of the first things you notice about Taipei now, all these adorable orange-yellow bikes standing in a row outside train stations. You can also search for your nearest rental station via the website, it even tells you how many bikes are supposed to be available, whether are there any parking lots or if the station is closed. It might not be the most accurate though, the first rental station I went to was supposed to have bikes available but there were none.

Anyway, the little problems aside, I had so much fun riding through the streets and sidewalks of Gongguan (my 'hood in Taipei yo!). I cycled without a map but I knew the area well enough to head in the direction of the riverside park, the area is also pretty well sign-posted and it's hard to get lost. Once I hit the park, I just followed the trail around the river together with the rest of the Sunday morning crowd. I can't believe that this expanse of greenery have been hidden behind Taipei's concrete facade all this while. I only biked a small stretch between Jingmei, Fuhe and Guting Riverside Parks but it's totally possible to bike all the way up north to Danshui or down south to Xindian. That's how well developed the riverside networks have become! I think the next time I visit Taipei again, I might earmark an entire day to just ride along the river!

Elephant Hill, Taipei 2014

In all my visits to Taipei, I have never come across any mention of Elephant Hill during my research, I am not sure why. But I am so glad that Katie recommended that I include this in my plans. Getting there is easy with the recent opening of the Elephant Hill (Xiang Shan), once you get out of the station, just follow the signs that will lead you to the start of the trail.

From research, I thought the climb would be a fairly simple 20 min walk. It turned out to be a 30 min exercise in stair-climbing! But don't worry, it really isn't difficult, you just have to keep stepping up (pant pant). I also happened to climb it in crazy humidity and was completely drenched in perspiration by the time I hit the summit. Boy, was I glad I did it though. The view of Taipei's cityscape was absolutely amazing! If only, the weather was better, I bet golden hour and the sunset would have made the view stunning. I am seriously considering doing the climb again just to get those photographs.

Memorial Hall Square, Taipei 2014

Sunny Day, Taipei 2014

Was I ever glad to see the rain finally stop and for blue skies to appear in Taipei. Before I met up with some conference friends, I took a walk, exploring the Shida (師大) neighbourhood, enjoying the sunshine and having a little breakfast.

Around the National Palace Museum, Taipei 2014

As part of the conference itinerary, we went for a guided tour of the National Palace Museum. Photography isn't allowed in the Museum itself but the exterior architecture is amazing. I am currently watching a documentary about the history and collections of the Museum and it is absolutely fascinating! I am in awe of the countless men and women who dedicated their lives to the protection of this invaluable collection of Chinese cultural relics through wars, rough sea journeys and inhospitable rural environments.

The Museum is ridiculously crowded with tourists and it's not going to be a quiet, serene type visit where you are able to admire the priceless relics. I highly recommend a guided tour by one of the docents. Although audio guides are available, the museum is so vast, so full of crowds and each piece of relic has such a deep history and tradition behind it that only a docent will know the best way to maneuver through the crowds to show you the best of what the museum has to offer.

Of the various relics that we looked at, my favourites were the chicken cup and the Ru kiln ceramics. Both were so delicate, elegant and pretty, it's hard to imagine that these ceramics were once used for practical purposes.