Taste of Taiwan

by Monique Froome (Australia)

Making a local connection Australia

Caught in a current of people, I slowly walked down the main street of the Shillin Markets. My senses were assaulted by the overwhelming atmosphere of this famous night market; from the interesting mixture of raw sewerage, octopus omelette and fried chicken that filled my nostrils, to the visual overload of bright neon lights, traditional lanterns and the hundreds of shops that lined the streets. Despite the claustrophobic feel, I had finally stumbled upon the experience I had been searching for. I had arrived in Taipei early that morning, fresh off a red eye and eager to explore Taipei. This was my first taste of Taiwan, and I had 18 hours before I boarded my next flight to Amsterdam. This was a short stop to see if I wanted to come back and explore this relatively unexposed country. Initially I had planned to hop on to Air China’s free day tour, which took me to the heart of the city and to the main tourist attraction, Taipei 101. However, by the time I had collected and stored my bags, all the spots on the bus had already been booked. Thus, I was left stranded at the airport. At 8am in the morning. With no plans on how I was going to spend my day. Thankfully I found a map of the key sites of Taipei over breakfast. Purple plastic coin in hand, I boarded the express train into the city centre. In just under an hour I stood, neck craning upwards, looking at Taipei 101. I had initially read about this tower in one of my favourite childhood books, and it was surreal to be standing under it. However, my peace and wonderment was short lived. Even at this early hour, buses lined the streets, and the path was swarming with tourists and their selfie sticks. In order to avoid the claustrophobic atmosphere of a popular tourist stop, I thought that I would discover what was underneath and around the base of the tower. However, it was flagship stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton – an unrealistic shopping experience for me. Instead I explored the surrounding area for the best part of the day, looking at all the stationary shops, hoping to find a history museum or some type of shrine amongst the concrete and glass… However, I quickly realised that Taipei was not as exciting as I expected. It had the same restaurants and same retail stores as Australia. The city centre was a tourist trap that left the bitter taste of disappointment in my mouth. Instead of continuing to discover the streets, I decided to head back to the airport. Nevertheless, I had some type of inkling that I was wrong about Taipei; that it had more to offer and I had simply chosen a bad location. This prompted me to look at my map again and pick one final destination to explore. Skimming the map, I noticed a large box on the top left-hand corner that said Shillin Night Markets. On a whim, I changed course at central station, thinking that I would at least taste some authentic Taiwanese food. Stepping off the train, I knew that I had made an excellent choice. This side of city was exactly what I was wanting to see – streets filled with family-run businesses, overflowing with people, and scooters honking as they weaved their way down the street. It was not expensive and impersonal like the city centre. As I formed part of the crowd, my mouth began watering at the sight of all the different food stalls set up between stores. Guided by the lanterns, I completed a few laps of the markets, examining the different vendors, eating a variety of different foods and conversing with the locals. Even though these markets were also popular with tourists, I felt like I had the authentic experience I had craved when I booked this stopover. Feeling satisfied, with the food and recommendations on what I should further I explore, I was ready to catch my next flight. Whilst this was only meant to be a taste of Taiwan, I was excited to come back and take another bite.