Landing in Taiwan

It was like my Journey had begun a new. I was in another vastly different country. With a different landscape, different customs, even a different climate. Right from the moment I landed I could tell I was in a smaller city compared to Hong Kong. Although it was still crowded I was processed with ease through Taiwanese immigration. No questions were asked and it seemed only a drug/bomb sniffing dog was lead around the airport.

I was nervous, I was to meet two lovely girls whom I had never met in person. Little did I realize that these two girls one from Taiwan the other studying abroad from China, would capture my heart and become two of the best friends I could ever ask for. I wasn't nervous because I thought they might do me harm, I was nervous because  I was afraid the language barrier would be too great. Online we had only texted in Chinese and English so i wasn't sure if their spoken English would be the same level.

My heart raced as I searched through the crowds of people for them. For them I was easy to spot any western male sticks out like a soar thumb in Asia. Their faces were gleaming with excitement as was mine. Without thinking I gave them both a big hug.

We said little that first half hour in the airport uncertain of how to gauge their English. Later I found out that I wasn't the only one who was nervousness. I nervous to use my what little Chinese I had and they their English. Even though we spoke little I felt we could still understand each other.

The airport which I arrived in Tao-Yuan was not actually in Taipei but a city about an hours drive away.After boarding a bus we made our journey to Taipei station.Right away I could see a vast difference in the land space and the roads. It was somehow quiet and quaint compared to the bustling city of Hong Kong. In retrospective it took guts, I was here alone trusting two girls I had never met. I had no contacts here besides them and a few other pen pals.

I sat there quietly taking everything in, it was too dark to see anything and I was thoroughly exhausted, I hadn't eaten since earlier that day, I was starving.My friend just like any american I knew had their head deep in their phone. Her phone had the Cheshire cat for a case. I said one word to her "Alice" she looked at me smiled and said "Yeah" in a kind comforting voice. We looked at each other a moment, and then I realized from that point on I was in good company.

Taiwan was full of cute and sometimes
bizarre art work and cartoons

Taipei station, for some reason people
only sat on the black tiled floors

After dropping my things at my hostel we headed to Taiwan's famous night markets.....

The Journey to Taiwan

The journey to Taiwan was an adventure in itself. The airport was crowed and lush with people from all over the globe.People from not just Asia all passing through or stopping in Hong Kong to conduct business. Africans, Americans, Europeans hearing at least a dozen different languages being spoken. This airport was ginormous making even Logan Airport in Boston look tiny. I must have walked over a mile just to get to my gate, even with the help of the moving walkways.

What amused me the most was the glass smoking areas, jam packed with people in a haze of gray smoke filling every inch of the room.  Starved as I was there was no time for me to wait in the obscenely long lines to get food. I settled for a small snack at one of the news stands.

After sitting down in my seat I immediately drifted off into a deep sleep.

Last Day in Hong Kong

This was my final day in Hong Kong the rain had cleared from the previous day. I was both sad and a little excited to leave. To most Hong Kongers this city is small with not much to see as a tourist, but I found 4 days was not enough. I had just become accustomed to life in Hong Kong. I finally felt I was getting used to the flow of the city. I was able to navigate alone unchallenged by the thick weave of streets.

My flight was later in the day, so i had time to explore just a bit more. I headed for the Avenue of Stars, which is located right along Victoria's Harbor facing with Hong Kong Island just across the bay. It was only a short train ride from Kowloon maybe one or two stops.

It was still early in the day when I arrived at the stop closest to the harbor. Because this was a weekday the streets were less crowded than I was used to,so it was kind of peaceful just walking about while everyone was at work for the day.

I found this guy taking a mid morning nap  on part of the art display.

 The harbor was quiet with a steady ambient noise from the construction of a towering skyscraper nearby. I seemed to have gotten used to the obscene heat and humidity of Hong Kong by this point but the breeze coming off the harbor was refreshing.For the first time in my life I felt content calmly watching the boats navigate through the haze of the harbor.

Even in this condensed city new building are still erected 

I went down one way occasionally seeing another group of tourists taking selfies of the harbor.

I remembered how when I begun to plan my trip I had wanted a strict schedule so I could see everything. I would take a few pictures just to say I had been somewhere;This was better. If I have one piece of advice for travels it is this. Don't make plans the best things in life are spontaneous . Sticking to schedules will make you stress and that will only make your travels less enjoyable.

I headed down the other direction of the harbor towards the Avenue of Stars. Hong Kong for those of you don't know has had a history of cinema. Much like Hollywood Hong Kong too showcases their most famous stars on a walk of fame.

Of course Hong Kong's most famous star was ironically American born. Bruce Lee is a name that still lives on today as a pioneer in both the film and martial arts industry. As both a film buff and a student of martial arts, this was a must see for me.

Although this wasn't the most incredible sight i saw on my journey, it still brought a great big smile to my face. I must also point out how difficult it was to get a picture of Bruce Lee with no one taking selfies. Even on a weekday morning people seem to flock to sights such as this just to take a selfie and to say "I was here"

There he is that pig again

Another Favorite of mine Jackie Chan is another
famous actor in Hong Kong Cinema

As a side note I found some interesting signs along this boardwalk,

I sincerely hope this isn't a real problem in Hong Kong

It is a good thing I left my Hawk at home. I would also
like to know how one keeps a hawk in a city of this size

After traveling the length of the boardwalk I made my way into yet another shopping district. I was getting hungry at this point,so i stopped to eat.

I found many restaurants near tourist areas seemed to be good about having English menus. Which was good for me since I cannot read Cantonese. I sat down to have at one of my Hong Kong friends suggestion Kongee an almost rice porridge. Although not as filling as I had hoped it helped settle my already upset stomach.

After eating i wandered around some more in and out of some malls. I found a One Piece 3D Art Museum. One Piece is an anime that is huge all over Hong Kong. Everywhere I saw merchandise related to this or other anime. It was kind of neat, you would go in and take pictures of yourself next to the art and it would look as if you were in the Anime.

 I headed back to Causeway Bay for the last couple hours to get some nick nacks and maybe a book on Cantonese. Otherwise uneventful I made my way back to the Hostel where I packed up.

While packing up I made a friend of  both my host and another fellow from Columbia. I truly wish I had more time to talk to them. They were both fascinating people an artist / hostel owner, and a free lance translator in visa limbo from mainland china.

Like a pack-mule I headed towards the airport ready for my next leg of my journey. I was truly sad that I only had a short time in such a vibrant lively city.

Day 3 Breakfast with a Friend

I woke up with excitement. This was the day I was going to meet not one but two of my pen pals. One for breakfast and the other in Macau also known as Asia LOS VEGAS. I woke up early so I had some time. I had some post cards I wanted to send so i decided to seek out a post office. When I exited my hostel on this day it was pouring out, and I had no umbrella. Luckily in Asia umbrellas are used every where. I walked into the first convenience store I could find (this one happen to be a Circle K) bought a couple of snacks and an umbrella and I was on my way.

This was my first "weekday" in Hong Kong so I was able to witness shops opening up and starting business for the day. Every space was utilized. Garages fixes cars people machining in the streets out of a tiny garage. It was fascinating. The city seemed to come alive slowly even on this dismal day. I wish I had taken more pictures of this but I guess I was too engrossed in my awe of the city.

Navigating the post office seemed simple enough... If i knew where I was going. Even with the use of my phone on GPS I seemed to have difficulty. It didn't bother me though, I was happy to explore these streets.I must of walked up and down the same street a dozen times before I found the post office. After mailing my post cards. I still had time so i continued to wander. Periodically finding WiFi to see if my friend had contacted me .

Tragedy struck when i tried to make my way to the meeting point. I went in the opposite direction!.
I was worried and stressed I wouldn't get to meet her since her time was so short. I took this train and that hurrying as fast as I could my heart pounding that I wouldn't make it.

I made it there right as they were done eating. I was deeply saddened that I didn't get to eat with her. However we sat down somewhere else to let me eat something. She was such a lovely girl and her English was really good and Japanese fantastic. I truly wish I had more time to see her.She lead me towards the Macau ferry and I went on my way to Macau where I was to meet another friend.

Waiting Patiently to the ferry

The Ferry to Macau

It is common to wear a mask in public
in Asia

Day 2 Part 3 The nightlife of Hong Kong

Victoria's Peak was a tourist trap in short,but that is not to say it isn't worth seeing. We made our way up to the observation deck of the Peak. The peak was crowded with people taking selfies (never have I seen so many Selfie sticks in my life). I found a place and I squeezed myself between the crowds of people to see if I could see this view for myself.

The pictures truly do not do this view justice. For the few moments I was up there. The lights dazzled before my eyes. I was almost deaf to the crowds of people surrounding me.It amazed me how all my friends in Hong Kong told me this city of Hong Kong was small. How could it be small? Look at these towering buildings the dazzling lights. This was no Pittsburgh. Even in this late hour ships went back and forth through the harbor in a harmonic fashion.

It wasn't long until my friend became bored and asked to leave. I found myself slightly annoyed. I wanted to enjoy the view live in the moment.After grabbing a snack we made the long journey back down the mountain. Again we twisted and turned down the snaking road.

 We headed towards a place called Causeway Bay.By the the time we made it back to ground level it was maybe 9:30 10pm and the streets were still teeming with people. We continued to walk down through an area I think was called Lan Kwai Fong. We passed bar after bar filled with a number westerners more than I had seen elsewhere in Hong Kong. We stopped in one bar to meet a couple of my friend's friends. They also spoke English. They were preparing to play some music but I didn't wish to stay long.Part of me looks back wishing I had.  

We continued to walk past what looked like a strip club and another strip club and another. I turned to my friend and said "So this is where all the strip clubs are" A woman I want to say mid 50's sitting outside one of these "Gentleman's clubs" Perked up and barded my path. In perfect English  asked me if I was looking for some fun. I was stunned...I didn't know what to say. All I could think was wow  ... is a hooker offering herself to me. But then i blurted out no no thank you and my friend shooed her off saying something in Cantonese. Part of me felt dirty from this encounter but part of me 

couldn't help but laugh.

I had never been to Times Square before I just wasn't expecting
to see it so far from New York

Finally we made it to Causeway-Bay and all I could say was wow. This was a shoppers paradise. The train stations  stop beneath the malls and across the street from one mall is another mall. Store after store. What is interesting with malls in Hong Kong, there are no barriers between the stores. There is also no sales tax here. So when Chinese want to go shopping they come to Hong Kong. We walked into one mall and it was all electronics. Cheap and good quality products. I didn't have any interesting in buying things but it was an interesting sight to see.

It was 11:30 at this point and people were still filling the streets. They carried shopping bags and still people went in and out of all the stores. Even though this was perhaps the dullest time for me wakling in and out of malls. I still had a smile on my face. The lights, the people everything  this city was so alive even at this hour of the night. I thought to myself I have to move to a city like this be where the people are.

Eventually we parted ways and I made the journey home by myself. Exhausted I fell asleep in minutes after hitting my bunk. I was ready for the next days adventure. For tomorrow I would have breakfast with another friend and travel across the water to meet a long time penpal in Macau

Day 2 Part 2 Hong Kong History Museaum

I found my way to the Hong Kong Museum of History. It amazed me to think of how I used to think of other countries particular Asia. I had always believed America to be the most technologically advanced and the so called best place to live on earth messaged drilled into me since childhood. Coming here opened my eyes. Everything from the public transportation to the design of some of the buildings surpassed all expectations.In a city with such a dense population I am still amazed at how clean everything was. In Boston or any city I have been to in the US there is always garbage laying everywhere plastic bottles here and there, cigarette buts dropped on the ground or even a platic bag blowing in the wind. Here there was nothing like this the buildings looked old yes but it was clean. I rarely found even a trashcan on the side of the road.

Hong Kong Museum of History 

The museum was incredibly modern. Every exhibit was in both English, and Cantonese. It was interesting to see how such a small portion of the far east could have such a big impact on history and with the current events that unfold in our own time. I don't want to sit here and write an essay on history,but the one thing that I took away from this is how diverse this city really was, how many different ethic groups encompassed the area of Hong Kong. One particular group caught my interest
the Boat People or (水上人）Shui Shang Ren. These people spent their whole lives on their ships only coming ashore to fix their boats or get supplies.

After I had finished exploring the museum, I found myself to be hunger, the museum did have it's own restaurant but the price was overpriced I felt. So i found my self walking up and down streets looking for a restaurant that appealed to me. I found it difficult to decide many of the menus posted outside did not have pictures nor did they have English.However I did find that depending on the area you were in they did give me an English menu. I found the most luck in areas around tourist destinations otherwise it was difficult for me to convey what kind of food I wanted.

Hmm I wonder what they sell there

Noodles was always a favorite of mine in Hong Kong

I ordered I ate and then I left. Finding the MTR was the tricky part most days but to be honest most of the time I was find with wandering till I found one. There was always something to amuse me. The way the people walked, the sky scrapping buildings and the rich smell of Cantonese cuisine. Eventually I did get frustrated and asked a door man at a local hotel "MTR?" and he pointed me in the right direction.

Storm Troopers in a store front

I had to make my way towards Forest Hill Station where another friend (who i actually met in Pittsburgh) had agreed to meet me. Compared to driving I found the Hong Kong MTR relaxing. although crowded I found it was easy to understand where I was where I was going and when to get on and off. They were the most technologically advanced subway system I had seen, Bright lights told you which stop you were at and which one was next. There was a voice telling you which stop you were at in both English and Cantonese.

I met my friend at Forest Hill station asking me where do you want to go? This struck me as strange since I really didn't care I wanted to see the local perspective. If I had a friend come to the United States I can instantly think of dozens of places to show my friends and one day I hope I can entertain someone be their guide to America. The only place I knew was the Peak Victoria's Peak.

I regret that for much of the journey I do not have any pictures to share. I guess there were sometimes on my journey where I found my self living in the moment rather than capturing it for other people.
My friend did not want to go to Victoria's Peak over and over he told me "Its not that interesting" or "There's not much to see" .Regardless I wanted to see it,when I had seen pictures of Hong Kong this was the place I saw on pictures.

We took at bus to the peak, up and up it climbed in almost a spiral around the mountain. The winding roads made me a little nauseous. Trees covered most of the journey upward but every now and then there was a break in the trees revealing a glimpse of the city below. I grew more and more anxious. Then finally we made it to the top and what did we find, a Shopping Mall.

A Glimpse at what was to come

Day 2 Kowloon

My feet was a battlefield of pain. Every possible inch was covered with blisters. Stupidly I had not packed any mole skin. Since I could not find any in a single drug store my only option was to pop them. I cursed loudly with each blister. It seemed with each blister i drained the pain grew worse and worse. My feet thumped with pain as I staggered to my bunk shortly I drifted off to sleep. As exhausted as I was my body still was not accustomed to the time difference. I again found myself drifting in and out of sleep. It was like I was in a dream to this day it still feels like a dream.

In the morning I did not lay there for an hour like I normally do when I head to work everyday. I got up imminently ready to challenge the new day. This time I was alone. I would not have a guide till later in the day. Nervous as I was I still ventured forth from my hostel. I had no predetermined destination, but i made my way in the direction of the the museums.  

After A quick train-ride I was nearby many of the museums or so google maps said  so. It was another gorgeous day I cannot recall If i had breakfast this morning or if i just got something quick from a convenience store. That was perhaps my most difficult task getting food by myself. I could not speak Cantonese, and traditional characters were still a mystery so I was afraid to walk into a restaurant.

Near the train stop (In Hong Kong they call it the MRT)  was the entrance to a gorgeous park. I had to investigate. This place was known as "Kowloon Park"

It amazed me to see how small the trees 

looked compared to the towering sky scrapers. 

The park was flooded with people using every inch of space they could find. Reading books, having full picnics with delicious delicacies . Although it was crowded it was so quiet when people spoke they did not raise their voices to be heard.

The pavilion to my surprise was packed with people of all different races and cultures. Whole Muslim families gathered here to pray and to have a small picnic with family,something I did not expect to see in Hong Kong. I pictured Myself  living in Hong Kong ,coming here to relax and wander among the trees to escape the bustling city life of Hong Kong. 

Watching abundance of turtles in the pools of this park was particularly relaxing 

Surrounding the park were all these statues of different cartoon characters. Hong Kong much like my own country has a flourishing history of pop culture in comic books and movies

I have always been kind of a nerd when it came to comic book or movie characters, so I found myself giddy like a child looking at each character,pondering what each story could be.

This character in-particular (I can't recall the name)
I found statues of him in multiple places across Kong Kong 

For the next few hours I wandered in the direction of Hong Kong's history Museum going this way an that eventually finding the correct road. I still had not become accustomed to the heat so I was eager to escape into the cool air conditioned museum. 

It was interesting to find a Church in the Middle of
downtown Hong Kong

It was interesting to me how English is one of the recognized languages of Hong Kong, but how few people actually spoke it. In Museums and any tourist destinations I had no problem communicating. Restaurants depending on where they were often had English menus. Just being there made me want to learn Cantonese, I truly wish i had spent some time trying to learn more than just Good Morning "Jou San". I found it somewhat relaxing to no understand at times. Filtering out people's everyday conversations in large cities in america is often a chore for me but here it was almost like calming white noise.