Taiwan: Not Just a Place Where Everything is "Made In"

Most of us only know Taiwan as some place where our clothes are sewn and our electronics are assembled. Taiwan is much more than that, and would be a nice place to spend a week or two. I was only able to see Taipei and some surrounding countryside, but wish I had seen more. Taipei is an insane yet fun place to see. The traffic is awful, the pollution can be dreadful, and the crowds can be overwhelming. Then again, there are wonderful temples, imposing monuments, serene parks, and a dynamic nightlife. Restaurants are cheap, plentiful and offer good food. There are very modern buildings, in front of which may be a street vendor selling tropical fruit that is plentiful in Taiwan. Like much of Asia, it can be chaotic, but the people are really nice, and if you want to work overseas for a year or two, this would be a great place to get that international experience. My trip was only limited to Taipei, unfortunately.

WHAT TO SEE: The National Palace Museum is one of the best in the world, right up there with the British Museum, Louvre, and New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its collection is huge: 700,000 items in all, of which only 15,000 or so are displayed at a time. Displays are changed every three months, so if you wanted to see the entire collection, plan about twelve years of your life. Each room has fliers in Chinese and English explaining the pieces. Nearby is the Movie Studio, where you can see where all those tacky Chinese films were produced. If you're into temples, you'll find plenty here: the Confucius Temple, Lungshan, and Paoan are all worth scoping out. Oh, and Sun Yatsen and Chiang Kaishek. You'll get the feeling they were important. Go anywhere these two men are immortalized and be sure to watch the changing of the guards, while trying not to crack up. See all the money that was put into the Chiang Kaishek Memorial, and you'll see why President Truman once called his wife "Madame Cash My Check."

WHAT TO DO: Walking around Snake Alley is a hoot. It's been overrun by tourists, but it's still fascinating to watch a vendor extol the virtues of eating these slithering critters. You can treat yourself to snake soup or invest (not buy, because it'll cost you!) in gall badder or snake penis pills. Wander around the parks, such as New Park in the heart of downtown, which at night is the world's largest cruising zone. The locals will warn you that it's dangerous at night, but go anyway for a scintillating evening of people watching.

WHAT NOT TO DO: The areas around Snake Alley are notorious for its brothels, and the punks who run them have been hassling tourists lately. Watch out!

WHERE TO EAT: Everywhere. Finding a restaurant in Taipei is like finding bok choy in Asia. The food is awesome. You'll find a bevy of restaurants where you can help yourself to all the goodies you want, have it weighed, and then pay about US$2-3. As is the case throughout Asia, you can find great food for cheap in the basements of department stores. The night markets, or should I say, the streets at night period, are full of great food stalls. I even found some middle eastern delicacies sold by men who looked a little too hairy to be Chinese.

WHERE TO STAY: For cheap accomodations, try one of the Happy Family Hostels. HF Hostel I is near the train station, on 16-1 Peiping W. Road (375-3443). It's easy to find a reasonable hotel here. When you arrive at the airport, touts will greet you with binders full of information about their hotels, make your reservation, and then pay for your express bus to downtown Taipei.