Super typhoon Jangmi in Taipei

This was biggest typhoon Taipei has experienced in 2008. Wind speed was assumed to be more than 227 km/h (it was fastest wind speed metrological bureau can record). Using umbrella - impossible because it breaks down instantly in the wind. Going out makes clothes and body completely wet - I looked like I have just returned from fully clothed swimming.


Video: typhoon in Taipei

I thought where it could be more fun to enjoy this typhoon on top of Taipei 101, which is highest building in the world and engineering wonder. No questions if I want to pay that high entry ticket again - I am going to enjoy this typhoon at maximum. Yet, disappointment came that Taipei 101 was closed because of typhoon. There was many tourists hanging around and it was pity a bit.

Also cafes and shops where closing, except for some convenience stores. I bought many cakes and drinks in convenience store to give my little support to brave business people. Another attraction which still kept working perfectly in these odd conditions was Taipei MRT - metro. If you work in Taipei MRT and are reading this, I wanted to say that you are employed by the best public transportation company in the world. I was impressed!

So, people were not on the streets and I guess everyone was watching TV. TV stations went live reporting about this typhoon. I returned to youth hostel, where other residents were sitting leisurely by TV. So, it’s good to be back in Japan and I am returned with flight next day.


Image: McDonalds embraces for typhoon


Image: All Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is my, my, MY!


Image: apparently there is a hole in the roof

Trip to Pingshi and Shihfen waterfall

I am back in Taipei and two full days left in this country. Taiwan is beautiful and also surprising that there are many things to see and explore just outside Taipei. I am starting to explore Taipei surroundings with trip to Pingsi (Pingshi or Pingxi if you want to type this word in Chinese on computer).

It is easy to reach – on the railway line for direction to Hualien need to change to local train at station Ruifang. There can buy daily pass for Pingsi (Pingshi) line and also get some free map etc. Basically, it’s easy and fun to reach. You can see train coming to Ruifang station that’s where video starts.


Video: around Shinfen town and Shihfen waterfall

There are many small stations on Pingshi line and need at least a day as minimum to explore some part of this area. I got down at Shihfen station, where Shihfen (Shifen) waterfall is located nearby. Here is interesting that train moves trough streets of this town. Probably you got seen this scene in many brochures about Taiwan. Here I met three girls and lady traveling with and gladly joined their company for a half a day. In the video you can see we are inside station master office and he is explaining railway signaling on this line. Very kind man!


Image: Three Taiwan girls

This railway was built as coal transporting railway and later transformed to only passenger line. It is single track and trains can only exchange at Shihfen station. Whole ride till end station will take just 30 minutes. Token railway signaling is used on this line and tokens are exchanged at Shihfen station. For example for railway section from Shihfen station to Jington stations token with round hole is taken by driver. Driver is permited to be on the rail with token which corresponds to railway track section he currently is on.


Image: token is put into leather pocket and train driver is about to leave Shihfen station to Jington

Next to Shihfen waterfall. It has a lot of water, because of continuous rain previous night. Water drop is about 20 m high and I really liked energy of waterfall.


Image: Shinfen waterfall - you can see cloud comming from waterfall


Image: Smiling Buddha will meet you at the waterfall

On the way to waterfall near railway bridge, I came to one shocking encounter. I saw a dog without one front leg begging for food from passersby. Poor doggy I thought – must victim of some traffic accident. Then nearby – another dog... but without one rear leg. Now what are odds of an accident where one dog looses front leg and another – rear ? Could not even think.


Image: Life near railway

At the end of video, you can see sky lantern. Tourist booklet said that in the old days it was used as notification for safety or danger. Today tourists can buy sky lantern themselves and send it into sky. There is also Sky Lantern festival between Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival, which is around begining of the year. Here is one nice video of many lanterns being released on Comus-san blog. I did not try to send sky lantern, but I got this suveniour Taiwanese friends.

Map
Shihfen station is on left bottom corner (blue circle), Shihfen waterfall - on right top corner (green mark). On the way from station visitors centre and nice trail along river.

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At the end of day, I am traveling to the end of Pingshi line, which is Jingtong station. In the video you can see small mining train completly overed with small bamboo sticks with wishes.


Video: traveling to the end of Pingshi line

Next day super typhoon came and I could only stay in Taipei.

Getting information
Again this guide I bought about Taipei county was very good with small pictures and detailed maps (in Chinese). There are also nice small tourist brochures about Shihfen and Pingshi town, which can be picked up at tourist office (in English). And I came to know about this place through guide books in Japan (in Japanese) as it has some historical connection with Japan.

So now you know - if you have free weekend in Taipei, go and visit Pingshi.

Bonus video:

Video: Taking Pingsi train in rain and night

Confucius Temple and Longshan Temple in Taipei

Videos from two temples in Taipei – Confucius Temple and Longshan Temple (sometimes refered in Taiwanese maps as Lungshan Temple).


Video: ceremony near Confucius Temple

First, in afternoon to Confucius Temple. I don’t know what is going on there – some kind of ceremony. I can only keep wondering and film.


Image: interesting drawing on the temple wall. Also shown in video


Image: dragon sculpture


Image: in the small park nearby to temple

Other temple – Longshan, I visited during the night. It has really nice decorations, which looked somehow mysterious in the dark. I immersed myself into quiet music and mythical atmosphere of the temple.


Video: night time in Longshan temple

I really liked this place and I wanted to stay more, but at times I felt I am like a farmer right from the field – stomping dusty boots into clear waters of the spring. I could only appreciate devotion of these people and try to stay invisible as possible.


Image: front gate of Longshan Temple


Image: here is look inside. Picture below is look to the right from the same place


Image: table where people have brought fruits and other items for blessing

It was already late when I visited Longshan Temple. Next day leaving to Hualien.

Taipei 101

I read somewhere on internet that this is currently tallest building in the world. There are observation floor on 89th floor – last or pre-last floor of main body, and then there is smaller house and antenna on top of it. According to guide I picked up in subway, Taipei 101 is 503 m tall and there are 101 floors. From both 89th and 88th floors big mass ball can be observed. It supposedly reduces building movements during strong wind, which I could not verify. Elevator there was really fast!


Image: Some views from Taipei 101 89th floor

I came back to Taipei 101 after one week when weather was not good - hoping for more spectacular views, but observation platform was closed due to typhoon. I hoped there will be discount as in Yokohama Landmark tower on bad weather days.


Image: Taipei 101 as it is seen accros half of city

Next to see famous temples in Taipei.

Other:
It costs 400 Taiwan dollars to go up to 89th floor.

Building on Google map looks like this. You can still zoom in.

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Look around Taipei and metro ride

First day in Taipei is for a bit of history. So, I started with visit to Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. It’s a mausoleum for previous Taiwan leader. A really vast space in the middle of city. I have not been to such places before, so scale of it surprised me. I am not interesed in politics, but I recommend to see once in Taipei. Inside of big white house is a museum. It appears they change topic time to time. This time theme was mammoths.


Image: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, front view


Image: mammoth inside Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

Taipei traffic seems very chaotic. There are also so many mopeds, which are coming out of every street corner. In the morning, saw small and painful accident between two mopeds in the same place I am filming traffic. Luckily both persons were ok and after small chat later saw them continuing their rides. What I notice that moped riders are "early starters". That means they will start to move some second before red light turns into green. Confusing at the beginning, but can get used to it.

In the video, you can see look from bus perspective on Taipei traffic.


Video: around Taipei

Next to another Taipei "must see" - National Palace Museum. It was not allowed to take pictures inside, so I am showing only outside look. What I enjoyed the most was old Chinese calligraphy and old paintings. It gave small impression what life was in China centuries ago.


Image: National Palace Museum as it is seen from nearby park

It’s easy to move around Taipei with metro – Taipei MRT. I liked system with magnetic chips. These chips are reusable and therefore friendly to environment. They can not be damaged so easy in pocket as tickets. Can more cities in the world follow this example of Taipei metro ?


Video: taking Taipei metro

Next is world famous Taipei 101 and Taipei temples.

Other:
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall from the sky. This place is so huge that no need to zoom really.

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Around Taiwan in eleven days

Next entries and videos are about trip to Taiwan.

I went to Taiwan pretty much on good luck. All information, I had is a wall map of Taiwan in English, which I bought at foreign book store near Tokyo central station. My big journey plan was to travel around island with train and bus and possibly visit and stay in more towns as possible. This plain map was not very good guide, but when in Taiwan I bought local guidebooks in Chinese as soon as I got into the new region. These were the best source of information.

Some towns had to be dropped from travel plan, because hotel booking proved to be difficult in smaller places. One reason was that hotels did not put out any information in English on their homepages and second - they don’t reply to e-mails (one hotel did!). Difficult to guess the reason, but I assumed then that not many foreigners travel in Taiwan. More foreigners can be seen in Taipei and especially in Taipei 101, which is major attraction of Taiwan. I opted for youth hostels, because English was understood there. Reservations in Taipei and Kaoshiung - two biggest cities, were ok, nice and easy.

It’s possible to walk in and ask for room in hotel, but then it is recommended to have printed major phrases in both English and Chinese. Then conversation with hotel staff is possible by pointing finger to appropriate phrase on paper. Conversations did happen nicely in such way!

People to whom I met said that they thought I am ether English teacher or an American on business in Taiwan. No, I am neither of them - I am just traveling and enjoying. Then some wanted to know WHY ? Why did I choose to travel to Taiwan ? Why whole of Taiwan ?

As in Korea, sometimes in Kyushu and this time in Taiwan, I observed my small diet – lunch in McDonalds or KFC and for dinner I bought plain bread in seven 11. It proved to be big success and plus extra benefit that I lost some weight. BUT! Even lunch at McDonalds was beneficial in many ways, after seventh or eighth day has passed, entering into and just thinking about going to McDonalds proved to be very difficult (impossible). Good to know that Taiwan also has MosBurger, which gave me much needed variety (they sell hotdogs!).

Other important thing what travelers should know is money exchange. I advise to buy all needed local currency at the airport, right after arrival. It is still possible to do foreign currency exchange inside Taiwan, but for not know reasons I was turned away from several banks, which had sign “foreign exchange” clearly displayed on their front doors. I was only able to sell foreign currency at offices of Bank of Taiwan (I entered other banks on purpose to find out if it’s really true). Besides finding Bank of Taiwan branch, filling form with address and telephone takes time. Every time I had to show my passport and cashier asked me various questions, like - what is my job ? what I do in Japan ? In one word – waste of time for a half a day!

Hotels cost around 500 TWD to 1500 TWD. For 1500 TWD can get true luxury. Those hotels 2000 TWD and above are for foreigners, local people don't pay that much.

Back to the trip – from Tokyo, airplane flew through edge of typhoon. It was shaking at times, but still was bearable. ANA airplane had front view camera, which was interesting to watch during take-off. It was not allowed to switch on when landing in Taipei for not know reasons, but when coming back and landing in Tokyo - views from pilots’ perspective were wonderful. Flying becomes more fun and fun, even ticket prices go up and up.


Video: some moments in airplane, we are passing close to typhoon, but look outside window is clear

When in Taipei, I bought ticket in airport and waited for bus to city centre. Here it is advisable to show needed bus stop on the map or plan to the driver, otherwise he will assume that every passenger is riding to the last stop and he will make shortcuts. (I guess how much driver sticks to route also depends from bus company. When we arrived - driver called that stop aloud and I was sure to be in right place even in night time)

That’s all what’s needed – some money and accommodation. Now, its time to see around Taipei.

Other:
Expat in Taiwan - probably has the best information about Taiwan in English language. I go some information from this blog before going.

Itinerary
1.Day - in Taipei, its good to spare one day in capital before going into country
2.Day - Hualien, train to, foreign tourists come to Hualien and its easy there
3.Day - Taitung, bus to, I wished for more days there to talk with people
4.Day - Kaohsiung, train to, here I took slowly and needed more days
5.Day - Kaohsiung
6.Day - Tainan, train to and back, could not find hotel, so reverse trip back to Kaohsiung, which is also my recommendation
7.Day - Taipei, train to
8.Day - Taipei, I really wished to spend more days in Taipei county