I may have started this blog entry off on the wrong foot.
The hotel reception was located on the 7th floor of what initially seemed like a narrow segment of building, but it was clear as soon as we checked in that the layout wasn't quite as you would imagine from outside, with the hotel itself stretching over what must have been several ground storefronts units across it's upper floors. Our room on the 8th had ample room for 2 double beds, a bathroom and space in between and a window to let in some of the light. However the wall that lay less than a foot outside this window wasn't really a morning wall, and without his first, strong coffee of the day, wasn't going to let any light in unless he was absolutely forced to. This resulted in the mornings getting later and the days getting shorter as my body clock refused to get up at it's usual time and meant a week in Taipei, didn't really feel like a week, more like 7 or so 3/4 days.
The layout of the hotel was kind of in keeping with the rest of the shops in Teipei however, especially noticeable in the area we were staying. The streets had a kind of a small New York feel with brightly lit high buildings over wider streets, flat panel electronic boards hoisted on prominent corners displaying illuminated moving adverts to catch the eye and an abundance of yellow cabs. Businesses were stacked upon businesses in the same buildings, cafe's above clothes shops, ukuleles above electronics interspersed with bigger buildings that contained multiple units for more local businesses to sell alongside recognised international brands such as Superdry levis or Adidas. And everywhere lot's of people speaking chinese. English is not the first language here, and signs more often than not do not carry a translation of the chinese equivalent but through a mixture of pigeon english, google translate and not being afraid to look a bit of a fool you can usually muster through. You can't always get what you wan't, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, that you get what you need.
The people were hard to fathom at first. some will barge into you without so much of a cursory glance after, others will spin and say sorry even at a simple coming together where no one is at fault. Few people smile in the same way that you'll find in other Asia, but when they do it's enough to leave an impression. I found that people were more inclined to smile at me when I was on my own rather than when I was with Vicky and I'm still not sure why that was. Maybe it was because being of Asian descent they thought I was being looked after competently enough, or maybe I just looked funny, who knows? But still as the week end on I found more warmth in the people than I thought was initially there, asking for Ibuprofen in the chemist, buying clothes and the regular interactions with the people at the hot tea stall local to the hotel were all good experiences, even in the instances where communication wasn't as easy for both parties due to my lack of Chinese tongue. There's no denying that it's lively though with streets filled with shoppers and street performers and the occasional peaceful protest being lined by small streets and stalls selling delicious smelling and looking street food, mostly. Stinky Tofu has to be one of the foulest things I have ever smelt, the whiff of which sent my stomach wrenching in several directions at once as I ran in another. Not the kind of thing you ever need to smell, especially when you are already feeling a little bit tender after travelling in. Phhhhheewy
Taipei seems to be split into different areas all with their own unique look and feel. Our hotel was in the trendy area, but a short walk away lay the national museum surrounded my parks and more opulent looking buildings and a further walk away lay Teipei 101, a looming tower that reached for the sky with a bamboo like form, directly over it's shopping mall below, next to lego brick looking exhibition centre and soviet block style apartments opposite. Between this area and ours lay a massive, undercover market split into 3 distinct areas. Jade, horticulture and then arts and crafts.
I say undercover as opposed to indoors as the entire thing is under a raised freeway running over head, but inside you'd never know. Tarpaulin sheets run the length of the horticulture section keeping the elements at bay and inside is filled with the aroma of all the plants on sale and hot tea stands. Hot, because at our point of visiting, the temperatures in Taipei were hanging around the 15 degree centigrade mark, a massive drop from the mid thirties we were sweltering in just the week before in Bangkok, but far from a negative, for me this was a plus, a reprieve albeit temporary, and justification for hauling jeans with me for the previous 3 months despite a nagging thought in my head that they were really just a waste of space (or after a little weight gain, more aptly a waist of space).
The last couple of days it rained, a light misty rain with occasional downpours adding to the chill factor. This in turn meant a need for longer socks (dutifully labelled as tourist socks) and a pair of gloves with little rubber beads on the palms to help me climb walls if I need to. I know I'm not going to need them for long as in only a couple of weeks I will be heading back to warmer climes, but now they are a necessity, a bare necessity and you need the bare necessities to forget about your worries and your strife.
But the nice thing about rain, is that it also gives things a different light, shape and texture than what the eye sees in the dry, and as someone who's lumping a camera around and several lenses to grab the best images I can, that also makes me very happy.
well........happy....
well.........
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