TAIWAN
I went to Taipei and Juifen only, but I wanted to share my short experience in Taiwan as well as I really enjoyed it there.
It's an interesting place to disover: busy streets lighted up, delicious food and my all time favorite: Taiwanese milk tea.
Yet, it's still not a famous travel destination.
Taiwanese people speak Mandarin. It's a Chinese language that uses characters only. There is no alphabet like in English, but the symbols have meanings. There are thousands of these characters and also, Mandarin is a tonal language which makes it so hard to learn. Normally, Chinese people know around 2.000-3.000 characters so they are able to read and write.
Only this seems so incredible to me.
I really enjoyed Taiwan. It felt so different and familiar at the same time. Hearing one of the oldest languages in the world and beautiful Zen Buddhist pagodas right next to modern, colorful and bustling life. Plus a great public transportation system!
I can also highly recommend to go to Juifen. It's not far from Taipei and you can get there easily by bus. The public transport system in Taiwan is amazing and well-organized. You can even use Google Maps to see the most convenient connections.
If you visist Juifen you should come there early in the morning before all the busses of tourists arrive. I was lucky enough to enjoy a fresh brewed tea in a traditional tea house with a wunderful view to the ocean before all the other tourists arrived.
AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
The reason I went to Taiwan was actually because I had to get a new visa.
That time I was alrady 7 months pregnant. I was scared but also, I stayed calm. It was an unexpected information that I needed to leave Vietnam earlier than my visa expired. Because I was still on tourist visas and I had to calculate that I was not too close to giving birth but also far enough after giving birth. Still, I was willing to take this inconvenience so Tuong and me could stay together. It was impossible for him to go to Germany with me for an unlimited time. And also, we love our life in Vietnam and I always feel safe here.
Complaining about my visa issues wouldn't have helped so I tried to think of somewhere I wanted to go as my last trip alone before our daugther would arrive. I chose Taipei because Taiwan had been on my list since I had a short lay-over there and it was a nice season as well. It was December but still around 25 degrees. Tuong couldn't go to Taiwan as he would need to get a visa in advance.
Once again I realized how lucky I was to be able to travel to so many countries without needing a visa. That's also why I took the situation easy, even when it stressed me that I had to leave.
I've had some wonderful days in Taiwan and I would say that Taipei is one of the coolest cities I've ever been to.
It was also special because Mai was with me. I was lucky that my whole pregnancy was easy apart from feeling very tired and nauseous in the beginning. All my travels have taught me a lot. There is always something good in whatever happens to us.
When I sat in Longshan-Temple, it felt like I forgot about time and space. It was dark already when I left, but I enjoyed the smell and watching the people praying there so much. When I left, I bought a little chain for Mai, intended to bring good luck, blessings and and protection, that now hangs in her room and reminds me of our little trip back then.
Taipei
Taiwanese Tea
in Datong District
The climate in the Taiwanese mountains creates ideal conditions for growing tea. The tea plants grow slowly in the humid weather. This gives the tea a rich and special flavor.
I went to a traditional tea shop in Taipei where you can buy different tea varieties. They keep it in big boxes and you tell them how much you want. I got black tea because I wanted to make my own milk tea at home.
The tea shop I went to is Lin Hua Tai Tea, it's located in Daton District. This is one of the oldest districts of Taipei, famous for its traditional shops selling tea, snacks and herbs.
The most famous place to go in Datong District is Dihua Old Street, a historic street with lots of tradtional shops where modern city life meets history.
Success story
of Xing Fu Tang
Boba tea, also called bubble tea or pearl milk tea, was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s.
The drink began when tea shop owners experimented by adding sweet, chewy tapioca pearls to iced milk tea. Customers loved the new combination of a drink and a snack in one cup.
One of the most famous shops selling boba tea was because of the big queue in front of the shop. Xing Fu Tang (幸福堂) was founded in 2018 and became one of Taiwan's most famous bubble tea brands. It became especially popular for its Brown Sugar Boba Milk, made with freshly cooked tapioca pearls and rich brown sugar syrup. Seeing the process of making these is part of the experience. In the beginning people would wait for HOURS to get their drink.
It showed me that people love it when a product is connected to an experience and also to creat something in front of their own eyes instead of just selling cups.
In Ho Chi Minh City you can also find Xing Fu Tang stores but the original one is here: Xing Fu Tang Ximen, Taipei.
Juifen
I can also highly recommend to go to Juifen. It's not far from Taipei and you can get there easily by public bus.
The public transport system in Taiwan is amazing and well-organized. You can even use Google Maps to see the most convenient connections. If you visist Juifen you should come there early in the morning before all the busses of tourists arrive. I was lucky enough to enjoy a fresh brewed tea in a traditional tea house with a wunderful view to the ocean before all the other tourists arrived.
The name of the tea house I went to is "Shi Family Tea House" - it's translated because on Google Maps it's written in Chinese.
It's hidden after going through a very small tunnel. --> 施家茶坊 (Google Maps Link)
