Embarking once again on an adventure, this time the destination being Taiwan. As the plane descended towards the ground below, I could see mist covered mountains through the plane window. Having heard that Taiwan is a place filled with lots of natural beauty, this sight was a good indicator that that point was true.

Disembarking from the plane and going through customs, I could see the airport was all decorated for the holidays, with festive lights, trees, and the sort showcased all around.

First order of business after completely going through customs was acquiring a pocket wifi. In this way, I would be able to use my cell phone and laptop anywhere in Taiwan without the need to search for a hotspot. Getting the pocket wifi was easy enough, and not too expensive. Second order of business, after a 4 hour flight from Japan, was getting some food. Though there were probably some more ‘Taiwanese’ food shops around, my fatigue and hunger prompted me to head towards the closest thing in the vicinity: a Subway.

Probably not the first food choice that comes to mind when visiting another country, but it worked for me. I stepped up to the register and began my order. It started normally enough, I chose the bread I wanted, the length, and the main filling. It was when I was asked if I wanted ‘hash browns’ in my sandwich that I knew something wasn’t normal. While I though I was constructing a normal meatball sub, I was actually making something quite different. I decided to go along with it and experiment a bit, adding some veggies, along with sweet onion sauce. The ending result was actually not too bad, though I’m not sure how much of my opinion was influenced by my lack of food beforehand. Either way, it was interesting to say the least.

My next task was to get to my hotel in Taipei. The best option for me seemed to be to take the train, which would take me about 40 minutes. It was a pleasant ride, with comfortable seating as well as a window seat, I was able to view the offerings of the country in comfort. Seeing breathtaking landscapes and wide cityscapes, it felt much like a preview to a story about to unfold. The possibilities of future excursions. The view kept me quite occupied until it we arrived at the main station.

I exited the station and was thrown into an underground mall, the Taipei City Mall to be exact. It looked like an interesting place to explore, but I would have to save it for another time. My priority was finding my hotel to drop off my bags and settle in.

Mounting the steps to the outside, I could see that evening had fallen. Walking through the city, I was offered a different atmosphere from what I glimpsed from the plane window. Tall buildings, lit up signs with Chinese characters all around, motorized scooters zooming by narrow alleyways in packs, it painted an interesting picture.

With the help of my pocket wifi and Google, I was able to locate my hotel. I checked in, walked down the neon hallway to my room, and settled into my habitat to be for the next few days.

After getting situated, I left my hotel to meet up with a friend. It would be nice to catch up, since we hadn’t seen each other in a couple years. We met up at a noodle shop called Nan Nan Noodles, apparently a very popular noodle shop in Taipei.

We ordered plum juice beef noodles, along with some vegetables and dumplings. When the noodles arrived, they already looked to be very promising. After taking my first taste, I had confirmed that this trip to Taiwan would not be my last!

The flavor of the juices soaked into the noodles, along with the tender beef and accompanying vegetables, everything mixed together in a perfect mélange that left me wondering how I hadn’t known about this before. If I had nothing but these beef noodles for the rest of my trip, I may label it as one of the best excursions I’ve had! The dumplings were also quite good, but the noodles were the super star of this meal. (Basically, I’m saying that I really enjoyed the noodles. Highly recommended!)

After noodles, we stopped off for some bubble tea, which I have tried in the States, but Taiwan is well known for their bubble tea. Looking at the menu, this is where I realized I might run into a bit of difficulty in Taiwan. The entire menu was in Mandarin Chinese, with no English assistance or pictures to be seen. Luckily, I had my friend to assist this time, but for the other days I would be on my own. I would have to rely on my limited Mandarin and others’ helpful English skills to get thorough. (we shall see)

After tea, it was time to part ways with my friend. I’ve notice during my travels that I’ve made quite a few international friends, and it’s always nice to see them when I get the chance. Perhaps during my stay in Taiwan I will make more connections, or at the very least, have some interesting stories to tell. Time will tell, but one thing’s for certain, It’s already off to a good start!