Taipei 101, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and Raohe Night Market!

Taipei 101
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​I think I must be getting brave in my old age; today I did something I don't usually do and go up, what was the World's tallest tower until 2015 — Taipei 101. Darrell's hip is playing up, so we had to take the MRT train to the tower, rather than walk, as I suggested. To be honest, I have put on so much weight over the last few days, the more walking I do the better, but my other half has other ideas. Taiwanese food is not by any shape of the imagination healthy. Unlike the rest of Asia, its food has a distinctly western feel about it, with plenty of fried chicken and high carb delights on the menu; this is not a place to visit if you don't want to put on weight, and certainly isn't for the faint-hearted. 

It is rather difficult trying to avoid the unhealthy food here, as much as I have tried. Even at breakfast this morning, the food was most certainly high in fat, with only a small selection of fruit on offer. When I get home from this holiday, I am going to have to do a lot of keeping fit, to get back to the way I was!

The views from the top of the tower were spectacular, even if the cost of going up to the observation deck was extortionate. The price for the two of us was $1200 TWD, which is about $60 AUD. Nevertheless, this is a must-do activity, if you are visiting Taipei. 

The observation deck is indeed one of the best I have seen; dotted throughout the 360 degree viewing platform, are a number of what I can only describe as, 'kitsch follies.' Here you can sit and have your photo taken, in front of the different urban backdrops behind, adding an extra element of excitement, as you explore the city outside. These displays, almost childlike in nature, are extremely Taiwan centric, and me and Darrell loved them. We are both Hello Kitty fans, so you can imagine how thrilled we were to be surrounded, by things we absolutely adore. Taiwan suits our own sensibility, and is a particularly fun place to be!

After spending nearly $300 AUD in the souvenir shop at the top of the tower, we made our way down into the rather exclusive shopping mall below. This vast complex is populated with designer labels — including Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, and many others; all of which were completely out of our price range. I'm a cheap and cheerful kinda bloke at heart, more op shop than designer shop, and I certainly wouldn't be wasting money on overpriced clothes, especially when there are so many knock offs in the markets outside. It was, however, nice to see, how the other half live — Would I want it myself? Well, no, probably not!

From luxury and excess, we headed to culinary perfection. We found The Angel Cafe on our way back to the hotel; it was a little gem, tucked away down a particularly exclusive side street. This was a western style establishment, serving food with a knife and fork… YES, a knife and fork, and not chopsticks, as is usual here. Darrell finds it particularly difficult to eat with chopsticks, and I could hear a sigh of relief, as we sat down to eat.

Darrell had Linguine with mushrooms and truffle and I had Hungarian pork. Both dishes tasted wonderful and certainly filled a hole, washed down with a couple of bottles of beer. This wasn't a cheap option however, and, although I enjoyed the ambience and food, it was quite an expensive meal, costing $100 AUD. Sometimes, though, it is worth paying more for something special, and special it was!

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​Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
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After lunch, we headed to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall and Gardens. This is something I have wanted to see for many years. It is a wonderful monument, full of history; richly decorated, it is a superb example of Taiwanese architecture and I just love it.  There were so many echoes of our time in Seoul, South Korea: The colours and style were, to the untrained eye, identical, and it was definitely one of those wow moments, when I saw it.

By the time we arrived, the sun was high in the sky, and it was very hot. There is very little cover in the memorial grounds themselves, but the surrounding gardens, with lush green vegetation, and KOI carp swimming in a beautifully presented lake, is a welcome pit stop, during the heat of the day. This has been my favourite part so far and wherever we go now, will have a lot to live up to.

​Raohe Night Market

To end the day, we headed to the World famous Raohe Night Market, just a few stops on the underground, from our hotel. This is a destination I have seen a lot of, on YouTube, and I had a good idea what to expect. The market was crowded with tourists, and you could hardly move through the thronging crowds, without elbowing someone in the face. The food itself is not the best, and is pretty standard stuff really. We bought a doughnut burger, followed by a sausage on a stick and finally a large piece of fried chicken with topping of your choice.

As you walk through the market, you can smell the popular 'stinky tofu,' a popular dish in Taiwan, that smells like sewage. That is enough to put me off for life. On top of this, there is also the odour of Dorian fruit, again an aroma akin to a blocked drainage system, and not something I even want to try. Apparently, both of these dishes taste absolutely wonderful, but I just can't bring myself to eat something that smells so bad.

Finally, back at the hotel, we are relaxing ahead of another busy day tomorrow. So far we are both enjoying this hospitable Asian country, especially the incredible sites, polite people, amazing MRT train system and vibrancy of Taipei itself. However, the food hasn't so far lived up to my expectations. I haven't eaten anything, I thought I would like to eat again, and I am still seeking that perfect dish. Also, the food is terribly fattening and has played havoc with mine and Darrell's IBS and all that entails! (what a lovely thought for this evening)

I do always find myself comparing the countries I visit, to my favourite Asian country of choice, Thailand, and nothing has so far lived up to it yet. I fell in love with Bangkok, the first time I saw it, Taipei is a city that is slowly growing on me. Furthermore, I just hope by the end of the week, I have another amazing destination to add to my list, of countries I would like to return to again; until then, my judgement is well and truly reserved. After all, we have only been here two days, a lot can change in the next ten!