Taiwan trip is an extraordinary experience for me. In this trip, I experienced the tremendous warmth of the Taiwanese. There are people who will go to such an extend as to sacrifice their rooms for me, and treat me to expensive meals. Taiwanese are truely hospitable!
On a whole, I feel that Taiwanese are very friendly. They go a long way to make you comfortable once they know that u r from overseas.
During this period of one month, I witnessed the election atmosphere in Taiwan. And the camaraderie and unity of Taiwanese when one of their athletes were unfairly disqualified from the ASEAN Games. Such things were not seen in Singapore.
The round trip around the island enables me to see the difference between the north and the south, the east and the west.
The pace of the south is slower and the streets are less packed. Weather is warmer in the south than the north.
The west is more service oriented than the east. Efficiency is greater in the west than the east. For example, the wait for bus in the Taichung is about 20 mins, while that of Hualian is about an hour, and that of Taitung is virtually zero.
The most friendly people, I should say, are the people from Hualian. It very easy to chat up with the locals and they'll give you friendly advice on the nice places to go. There was once when we were just asking for directions and someone offered us umbrella as it was drizzling.
On the other hand, the place that is the least service oriented, in my opinion, is Taitung. Perhaps the city has not really open up and people are not so used to the service sector. Chewing betal nut is a common scene in Taitung and people just spit the betel nut juices on the ground. Mass transportation is virtually none. The schedule of the buses are an hour and a half to two hours apart. Buses just speed past the bus stops and if you did not put out your hand in time, you'll have to wait for the next bus.
Penghu, an archipelago to the east of Chiayi, will nevertheless awe people with its natural beauty. Although the 5 hours ferry ride is a bit of a put off, the beauty of the island will definitely more than compensate for the ferry ride. The wind at Penghu is very strong, especially at the Rainbow Bridge. Penghu is basically a laid back town, with nothing to do at night except for watching TV in the hostel.
Kenting, a place in the southern Taiwan, offers people with the sun, the sea, and the mountains. The sky is unusually blue, with turquoise sea and green mountains. Scooter ride, with the sea on one side and the mountain on the other, is definitely a must.
Tainan is a food paradise. It seems to me that any food sold there are delicious. There are many old historical relics in Tainan and is definitely a must-go. Night market in Tainan is mobile and one must know which night market is open at any day of the week.
Huwei, Yunlin, being an agricultural county has a very nice night view. Without any light pollution, it is almost pitch darkness in the night. Therefore, the night sky is dotted with numerous stars. It is also a place where one can see from one horizon to the other in full 180 degree view.
The pace of life in Taiwan virtual transits at Taichung. Cities south of Taichung has a slower pace of life while cities from Taichung and to the north has a faster pace of life. Taichung, being a vibrant city, is very packed with people at night, and with many beautiful cafe that dots the city.
Every city in Taiwan has their own unique features. It's almost impossible to explore every part of Taiwan and experience it in just a month. I am very lucky to experience university hostel life with Aya and Huiwen, and to experience how the locals live their life in Taiwan with Zhengxian, Xinci, Wanlin and Yuan Ling. This trip certainly will be engraved into a part of my memory. A very fruitful trip, something that money can't buy.
Thank you so much Aya for exploring Kenting with me on the scooter ride.
Thank you Huiwen for making me one of your motivator to pass your scooter licence and giving up your room for me.
Thank you Zhengxian and Xinci for the tour around Yunlin and the expensive dinner and lunch.
Thank you Wanlin for giving up your room while u squeeze with your parents.
And Thank you Yuan Ling for cleaning up the room and stressing up to think where to bring me to.
THANK YOU everyone!!
posted by Whiteaura II @ 11:46 PM
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