The day I arrived in Taipei and stepped on Taiwans soil the first time, my friends and travel mates from an earlier journey, Lucy and Alex, picked me up and showed me around Shilin night market. A very friendly gesture and interesting evening to get introduced in some of Taiwanese culture and daily life. And got to taste some of Taiwanese favorite drinks: Bubble Tea!
My friend Lucy posted some footage of this evening on her YouTube-Channel 🙈https://www.youtube.com/@MamaLucy
When night falls over Seoul, there’s a popular night market to go at the Seoul district of Myeong-Dong.
Probably the most prominent landmark in the capital of Taiwan is the famous tower Taipei 101.
On my last day in Taiwan the weather was just perfect to get to the top of this tower and have a last view over this interesting city and beautiful country. Ending the day with a visit on one of the nightly street markets.
Last impressions of the streets of Tainan
Not far from Taipei is a hot spring area in the town of Beitou. It’s easy and fast reachable from Taipei by metro train. In a few steps, a green park invites for a stroll, or to play mahjong, or skating.
I found the public bathing places. There’s an open air one, but i decided to go to the more authentic bathing house. At entrance i got informed, that female and male visitors have separate zones and use to bath naked. I acknowledged and entered, after changing room, a room packed with men sitting in and around two pools. The temperature of the water was between 42-44°C, while the second pool had a thermometer showing constant 45.9°C. The hottest bath i ever had.
Back in Shilin, i went another time to the nearby night market, enjoying some food and the lively atmosphere.
Just before i checked in my flight to Bangkok i decided not to see the hustling city but go to the nearest beach from the airport first. Since there was a direct bus link from the airport to Jomtien Beach, just next to Pattaya, it was a good decicion.
A few days on relaxing beaches, nice walks trough forest hills nearby, visiting temples and lookouts, eating at local night markets and having a beer in the street of bustling nightlife.
Bangkok with its skyscrapers, the green lush parks, but busy, noisy traffic, is a whole different story. I ended up in the famous-infamous Khao San Road, a backpacker area even long since my first visit here 30 years ago. When i went for a stroll there among the nightly, crazy party folks i thought literally: ‚New generation, same shit!‘, but enjoyed it.
rene bauer photography 