Taiwan: Day 1

I arrived in Taiwan in the afternoon and Hillary wasn't scheduled to arrive until late Monday night. While preparing for the trip I realized that this was the first time that I had flown in to a new country by myself (without meeting someone there). Hmm...no big deal....I had my folder of maps and the hotel address. I breezed through immigration and customs, asked the information counter for a metro map and hopped on to the subway that is located directly in front of the airport. Easy enough.

Thank goodness I've traveled a lot in Asia because the subway system was very similar to Singapore and Hong Kong ("please mind the gap") except replace cards with a poker-chip-like subway ticket. I got off at Ximen station which appeared close to our hotel on my google maps print out. "Ximen station" was said in not 1, but 4 national languages on the train. Mandarin, Taiwanese, a local native language and finally English.

After walking for a bit, purchasing an umbrella for the summer shower storm, finding an ATM, asking for directions at KFC, having a iced coffee break and walking a bit more, I finally found our hotel...SeeYou Hotel.  Easy enough.

I dropped my bags and emailed Glenn and Hillary that I had arrived. Checked Facebook. I really love a hotel with free wifi and a city and has it everywhere! I reviewed my travel book and a few brochures I picked up at the airport and decided to head to Longshan temple. It was a beautiful Taoist temple and I could smell the incense as soon as I exited the subway station. I arrive right around 5:00 pm, just in time for evening prayers. The quiet chanting was almost hypnotic. I stayed for a bit, tried to be discreet with my picture taking, but as a white girl in Asia, that never really works.

I left the temple and wandered down the street. The night markets were just setting up. I walked and wandered some more and tried not to get too lost.

I did get lost, but found a major road and walked down it for awhile toward the 2-28 Peace Memorial. I didn't really know a lot about the history of Taiwan before my trip, but my travel guide explained the massacre that took place on February 28th in the midst of Taiwan's political upheaval.

Just down the street from the Peace Memorial is the Botanical Gardens. I took a short jaunt through the garden, but the rain had started again and my shirt was now dripping despite my umbrella.

Back towards to hotel for my first bubble tea, a few snacks and then Hillary would be here!