Recap of the Summer Sixteen Vacation Trip to Taiwan

Panoramic view from the top side of Yilan city, Taiwan 

A wooden bridge over a lake in the mountains, also a popular spot for TV dramas to film, somewhere in Yilan, Taiwan 

Historical town turned into a tourist spot for shopping local specialties, somewhere in Yilan, (I think), Taiwan

Panoramic rooftop view of one side of Tainan city, Taiwan

The city's skyline view from Hotel Icon in Hong Kong

The night view of the city's harbor and skyline from a tourist view point atop a peak in Hong Kong

Courtyard of a fancy hotel and shopping area in Hong Kong

Views from a cable car at Ocean Shores Park in Hong Kong

Sculpture garden and water fountain at the Chimei Museum in Tainan city, Taiwan

Hot air balloon festival in Taitung, Taiwan

Rice fields while on a biking trip around the countryside, in Taitung county, Taiwan

Panoramic view of the ocean on the east coast of Taiwan from Taitung

Popular tourist beach spot in Taitung, Taiwan

Panoramic view of Taipei from the artists' village, Taiwan 

The North Eastern- most point of the island, has a beautiful view of the ocean, Taiwan 

Jiufeng, a.k.a. the famous town that inspired the city setting in Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, Taiwan (Even Adam Sandler went there and signed his autograph at the pineapple cakes shop!)

Night view while jogging of the bridge going from one side of Taipei city to the outskirts of the city of Taipei County, Taiwan

The very front entrance to the Chimei Art Museum in Tainan, Taiwan  

The front entrance fountain to the Chimei Art Museum in Tainan, Taiwan

The side view of the lake, statues bridge, walkway path, and the Chimei Art Museum in Tainan, Taiwan

View from a cafe of the island and town of Jiufeng, Taiwan

Cable car ride at Ocean Shores Park in Hong Kong

Candid outfit picture of me in front of lovely indigo-dyed textiles hung outside of the shop, Yilan, Taiwan

Well, "Hello.. It's me.." 

So, where do I start? How do I even begin? I was gone for a month and half, and now I've been back for almost one. It definitely was a challenge and difficult to re-adjust back to reality, and not just the 15 hour time difference for jet lag. All the splendor and glamour of traveling and seeing so many different things 24/7 had put me in a dream state all the way til I landed back home. It was a struggle to go back to my old life here compared to everything I had soaked up and taken in while I was there. To sum up my vacation.. it's probably cliche to say that the trip was indescribable, to say the least. Not only can I not justify or put into words how all of it was in just a single paragraph or even a ten page essay, but even just reminiscing and reflecting on every single adventure seems so surreal that they actually happened. I went all around the island, hopping from one city to another. I stayed in some of the Airbnb places there, took Uber there, and basically utilized all different modes of transportation to travel all over the island.

I'll give you a brief highlight of the main pros and cons of my trip, including just a few of the many major differences between Seattle and there:

Cons:

1) The unbearable heat and humidity. 

It was almost 90 degrees or more every day, sometimes reaching more than 100! But because the climate is tropical, in addition to the heat, it is very humid and you feel really sticky, when you're already sweating a lot. 

2) The unpleasant and undesirable bugs.

 Make sure to bring lots of bug repellent spray and insect bite medication, just in case you do get bitten. Also, in case you decide to venture far into the mountains there or out in a more nature-y or forest setting, at least make sure you know where any local dermatologists or skin specialists are located in the town you're staying in. Trust me, it'll be good in the long run and if something happens. 

That's what happened to me! I got bit by some exotic bug and ended up running to the ER first to get it treated, and then have it fully diagnosed and taken care of at the local dermatologist. It really was a relief and a big help to know where one was and to have the specialist treat my wound. The healing and recovery process for my leg quickened and I felt better right afterwards. Also, if you do end up in need of going to the local dermatologist, try to go to the clinic ASAP. If you get there after opening hours, just prepare yourself for a possible long wait. Depending on the clinic, you could possibly check the wait period through a website that shows the current ticket number they're serving. I ended up just leaving and chilling at a local coffee shop to wait until my number came up by checking the website on my phone every once in awhile.

As part of undesirable and exotic island bugs go, there are cockroaches and giant spiders. Now, before you jump to conclusions, the island is still a very beautiful place and definitely one to travel to and explore. There are not that many cockroaches in the bigger metropolitan cities. The more metropolitan and "city-like" the city is, the less there are of them. It's not like the whole place is just crawling with all sorts of giant crazy bugs. Also, the creepy giant spiders are only located far deep in the forests or mountains. But as with any tropical forests in any parts of the world, there's bound to be  all sorts of exotic insects and animals. 

Pros:

1) The 7-11s are amazing and are multi-functional on every level. 

There's practically one on every corner. 7-11s, Family Marts, and OK marts are all corner grocery marts but 7-11 is advertised as the best and the most popular of the three. At 7-11 you can do many useful things, such pay your phone bill, send in a dry clean order, pick up transportation tickets for the bus, train, etc., sit down and enjoy a meal and coffee, and more. They have a wide selection of deli food, bread, pastries, snacks, beverages, and more. Way more, than here. They even have yummy prepackaged meals and "onigiri" triangular rice balls as just a few of the diverse and numerous things they offer. 

2) The lively culture of endless options for choices for food and art.

The streets are lined with yummy street food and innovative cute cafes, coffee shops, bubble tea stands, bakeries, restaurants, and other eateries. The multitude of night markets, one for each city, have plenty of stalls to sample delicious late night snacks and food from. There are stationary stores, bookstores, art galleries, art museums, gift boutiques of trinkets, art and sculpture parks, stores dedicated to local artists to showcase their work, and more. Tons more! They have these unique craftsmanship and artsy stores all over, even in the smaller towns. Many of the shops dedicate themselves to only selling work of local artists from their city. The government also has different programs supporting local artists, artisans, and creatives. 

3) The shopping

From the gorgeous department store malls to the local boutiques and night market clothing vendors, you get many options for styles and range in fashion. I love the local boutiques and indie clothing brands in the department stores. They have many malls and department stores filled with levels of clothing, restaurants, cafes, dessert and tea shops, a movie theater, a food court, a bookstore, an arcade games floor, and more. It's a must see when you go!  

The trip's impact was life changing, eye-opening, and enlightening. I hope to visit again soon to experience and visit more new sights and places. Hopefully, I'll be able to squeeze in an extra mini trip by making a pit stop to somewhere new as well! I've shared some pictures with you guys above of the main highlights and pictures I've taken from the trip (they're a little out of order). I hope these pictures allow you to get a little taste and feel of how my trip was. 

On a side note, I'm going to a lot of fashion and music events this upcoming fall. Be sure to keep in touch through Facebook and Instagram! :)

~ Tiff