228 Peace Park Memorial

If there was one place where you could go to learn about Taiwan history, I would suggest 228 Peace Park Memorial. The 228 designation bears some resemblance to the American 911 reference. After WWII, Taiwan citizens were subjected to repression under KMT rule on or about Feb 28, 1947. Thousands of citizens were either jailed or massacred in the aftermath of this date. The violent history and memories from this "White Terror" period was not officially recognized until the 1990s. Sculptures were erected to commemorate these events and begin the healing process. There is also a 228 Memorial Museum in the park.









The 228 Massacre Monument. To get here take the MRT to the NTU Hospital Station. February 28 is now a national holiday in the Republic of China (ROC).

Commuting in Manila/Quezon City

For several days I got to play a supporting role in the madness surrounding everyday life in metro Manila/Quezon City. I used every form of public transportation except the kalesa ( horse pulled carriage). Riding mostly public transportation allowed me to reconnect (suffer) with my countrymen and experience a fraction of their daily misery called the “commute”.

The jeepney drivers are not just great drivers, they are also expert mechanics and money managers. Jeepneys are designed for simplicity. Forget about use of the emergency brakes (even if it's working). Tires with 1/8 of an inch of tread are called “brand new”. Left hand on the wheel, right hand alternating between stick shift, collecting fare, and distributing change back to the passengers.

Top speed? Who cares, too much traffic to go beyond 30mph. Engine overheating, no worry, there is no radiator cap, just a tube/funnel where the driver can add coolant to the engine on the fly. You want to get off? Just yell “pa-ra” and get off next time traffic is stopped which is almost all the time...... then dodge other jeepneys to get to the sidewalk if there is one.

One of my jeepney drivers was stopped and ticketed for not wearing proper driver attire. Are you kidding me? Proper attire in the blistering hot humidity is an NBA tank top and chinellas (thin flip flop sandals). I was told that proper jeepney driver attire is a collared shirt and trousers/jeans.

Ignore all the honking, it's just an alert here. In other countries, honking implies altercation, road rage and gun shots.

My friend's typical commute to work six days/week takes 90 minutes one-way for about an 8 mile ride on any combination of bus, jeepney. MRT, LRT, and on foot. On any given day one of these modes of transport may go down so expect to “wing it” to get to your destination. And during all this time, you shield yourself from pick-pockets, debilitating humidity, inhaling exhaust fumes and possible assault.

Noodle Houses and Cheap Eats in Taipei

The main fault of travel shows is that you can't smell or feel the surroundings...... and that many night food markets are overrated. I found the food at the popular Shilin Night Market to be stale. The food at the smaller Raohe St Night Market seemed better quality, but you decide for yourself and visit several.

The food smells good at first but after a while of inhaling the smell of cooking oil, you become convinced that the food is no more nutritious than a corn dog.

Most of the street food has been sitting out for hours so they are not freshly cooked.   The night market food seems a lot like amusement park food ........... except the only ride may be a trip to the ER. To be fair I am sure there are some terrific outdoor food stalls in Taipei, but not usually in the popular night markets.

Away from the outdoor food markets, there is no shortage of good nutritious food for a cheap price. You can't go a couple of blocks without running into a neighborhood of noodle houses, mom & pop restaurants or buffets with a full meal running you 3-5 $USD. The narrower the street, the more likely of finding these bargains.

My two entree plus vegetables and rice was only $3.   

The noodle bowl and a cream filled pastry across the street was $4. As noted on Anthony Bourdain's travel show on Taipei, the darker broth soup tends to be spicier than the clear broth. The point is that there is good food in every neighborhood of Taipei ..... there is no need to travel far.


Asians are also known for being all business when consuming food. Their bowls just inches away from their palate, you can flick, sweep and slurp your way to gastronomic ecstasy ..... the food has no chance for escape.

Asians and Europeans would probably not make good dining companions. Europeans would delicately savor every morsel with bottles of wine and 3 hours of conversation while many Asians would say "let's eat this thing and get the *@%#  out of here".

My hotel Mai Hotel

 
A smooth international flight to Asia with relatively good service from an American carrier? Yup, it happened! Taipei International welcomes me with a smooth transition through immigration. Like clockwork at 1900 hours it was changing of the guard at immigration as I was the first visitor approved by medically masked Agent Nia, badge# 03665. Actually all the agents were named Nia, stands for National Immigration Agency. The thump of the ink stamp on my my passport the indication that I can stay.  

The lady at the bus office says the bus to Taipei Main MRT Station leaves at 7:25 so hurry.... cost about $3 USD. Guess what? The bus left at 7:25..... was there doubt? The MRT EASY Card was easy to buy and use except the MRT doesn't run to the International airport so you can take a taxi or bus to the main MRT Station. 

On your first day in any city or country, expect to get lost. Its natural. in Taipei ask anyone and everyone. They are friendly and accommodating. From airport to hotel, I asked 8 total strangers for directions. They have almost 100% mobile internet penetration here so anyone can Google map anything.......and asking is good training for the Amazing Race. 

My hotel Mai Hotel (Nanjing) is not an easy place to find. The first floor had a generic looking glass door with a purple lit sign with directions to go to the second floor lobby. Lucky for me I Google mapped it before I arrived and remembered Mr Brown's Cafe across the street. This is the first hotel I have been to where they didn't ask for my credit card for incidental charges. I offered my credit card, but the squeaky voiced teenage looking gal at the desk said " Its OK, you already paid".

My 200 square foot room was very modern with a full size bed pressed against two corners, clean with lots of modern conveniences ........just a small room. No big deal for a backpacker. All I need is free wi-fi signal, free breakfast, a room safe and a TV (which may have been too big for this room) where I can watch silly Asian game shows before falling asleep. The quality of the free Asian-style breakfast was surprisingly good. I expected a mediocre breakfast from this boutique hotel and the quality exceeded my expectations. The dining area is a stand alone restaurant called the Tutti Cafe connected to the hotel and during lunch hours it was quite busy with non-hotel guests.

The bed was clean and comfortable. The in-room wi-fi was quite strong as well. The middle floors had multiple routers so you always had a maximum signal if you are on floor 5 and 6.

If you are like me and don't need a lot of space, this hotel is a pretty good deal. I would definitely stay here again. Did I mention that most of the desk agents are Japanese? They were all extremely polite, respectful and very happy to see you.