It’s been awhile since I have done a #PostcardstoNowhere and I have been thinking a lot about my time in Asia as I have recently reconnected with some of my friends when I used to live there. I was able to go to Taipei in April of 2014 with one of my good friends Pete. Taiwan is often the go-to destination from Hong Kong as it is literally a hop, skip, and a jump to Taiwan from HK. It is maybe an hour to hour and a half flight and there are tons of flights leaving every hour from HK International Airport, so we set out one night after work for a long weekend.
I actually really enjoyed Taipei, I thought coming from one city to another wasn’t going to be that big of a each, but culture in Taiwan is so different than in Hong Kong and the SPACE! I couldn’t believe how much open space there is in Taipei. I literally kept walking around with my arms wide open and was shocked I wouldn’t hit anyone or be close to touching anyone. Also the food, especially the street food, is sublime in Taipei. It even had restaurants like Chili’s and Krispy Cream, so a much larger American influence than I expected (I’ll admit we went to Chili’s. We had been living in Asia for two/three years, we couldn’t pass it up!).
Speaking of space, there is a lot of greenery in Taipei – parks, trees, mountains you name it! Hong Kong as some great hikes, but outside of the peak they are a bit far away. Taipei has a great little hike in the city called Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) which gives you fantastic views of the city and Taipei 101, the tallest building in Taipei. We actually walked FROM Taipei 101, about 25-30 minute to get to the start of the hike. That shows you how “in” the city this hike is. There is also an MRT (metro/subway station) called Xiangshan which is maybe a 10 minute walk from the start. Oh, did I mention that this hike is entirely free, too?
We decided to go before sunset so we could see Taipei during the day, sunset, and at night – I highly recommend it, even if there are crowds! Despite the fact I like to say “I hike”, I don’t really hike. BUT I was able to make it up and believe the view is so worth it. The hike up Elephant Mountain is primarily stairs, which are quite steep. However, they have places to stop along the way. It was great to see a new skyline, especially one so different than Hong Kong. But, I got to meet some amazingly nice Taiwanese people up there and got to take in the sights and sounds of the city. If you find yourself in Taipei, I really recommend taking some time to go up to Elephant Mountain – you won’t regret it.
