TAIWAN!

When Tim and I made the decision to go to Taiwan for Christmas, we really didn't know what to expect.  We chose Taiwan because of its proximity to Korea and because of the warmer weather.  And while we hoped to have fun, we had no idea we would have SUCH a spectacular time!  Taiwan is beautiful, with such an interesting landscape!  Here are some of our Taiwan adventures...

Day 1:

We arrived in Taipei in the afternoon, checked in to our hotel, and visited the ShiLin Night Market at night.  It was awesome!  Food and souvenir vendors were everywhere!  We ate dinner at a really cheap place where they cook your food on a grill right in front of you.  It was delicious!  Then we stumbled upon the arcade/carnival section of the market!  We had fun playing some of the games and acting like kids. :)  Also on this night, we learned that scooters/motor bikes are EVERYWHERE!  There were swarms and swarms of them on the street!  Later we found out that there are 23 million people in Taiwan and 14 million people with scooters.  Do the math.  That's a lot of scooters!

Day 2:

The second day of our trip was Christmas!  It felt strange to not be doing traditional things on that day, but we had fun!  We took a 3 hour train ride to Hualian, which is on the west coast of Taiwan.  Here we spent the whole day at various sightseeing spots at Taroko Gorge, one of the wonders of Asia.  We had our own private taxi for the day, so we got to spend time at each spot without having to worry about getting around.  The Gorge was gorgeous!! :)  

Day 3:

We went to the North coast on this day to see the awesome rock formations at Yehliu Park!  The country of Taiwan has risen from the ocean, so there are lots of really unique-looking rocks.  I felt like I was on the moon or at some eerie science fiction place!  This was our only cold day, but the sights were beautiful, so we didn't mind!

This is the famous Queen's Head Rock!

After we got back from the coast, we visited a beautiful temple!  I loved the ornate and colorful rooftop!

To end the night, we went to the Taipei 101 Building... the 2nd tallest building in the world!

Day 4:

On Day 4 of our trip, we started our day by touring another part of the northern coast, which was beautiful!  

After this, we headed to Jiufen Village, which is an old gold-mining town at the top of a mountain that now has hundreds of shops and tea houses.  The streets are narrow and lined with lanterns, and there were endless things to see and taste!  We had a lot of fun in this little village!

After we got back to Taipei, we went to a Shabu Shabu (Chinese stew) restaurant!  It was our favorite meal of the trip! 

Day 5:

Our last full day in Taiwan was awesome!  We went up to a place called Danshui, an area of town near the Tansui River.  The whole area had kind of a European feel.  George McKay, a missionary in the 1800s had a lot of influence in this area, as he started many schools, hospitals, and churches.  It was neat to walk around and see the beautiful historic buildings.  We even had lunch at the Red Castle!

After exploring Danshui, we went to the Beitou Hot Spring to tour an old bath house and soak away our troubles in hot spring water. :)  It was so relaxing!  This picture is inside an old-fashioned bath house.

To end the night, we went to the Maokong Gondola, which is a cable car that takes you on a ride through Taipei.  We had fun seeing the views of the city at night from our window!  When we got off the gondola, we went to a tea house where these ladies made tea for us in the most elaborate way I have ever seen!  We were the only people there, too, so we got lots of attention! :)

Day 6:

We were so sad that our trip had to end!  Before we went to the airport, we visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall that was built to honor the first president of Taiwan.  The Memorial Hall was next to a traditional looking concert hall and theatre, and there was also a beautiful park there too.  We walked around outside for awhile in the most beautiful weather until we had to go to the airport.  Taiwan had been so good to us!

Overall, our trip to Taiwan vastly exceeded our expectations!  The things that we got to see were breath-taking, and getting around on the train and subway was really easy.  We loved the city of Taipei because there was a lot going on, but it wasn't too busy!  Everything about the trip was easy, and we felt like we got a chance to relax, even though we were out sight-seeing every day.  I can't say it enough... WE LOVED TAIWAN!