Taiwan

At the Airport 

My next destination is Taiwan – a neglected neighbor. At first, the trip did not excite me that much. I thought it will just feel like going to Palawan, only more progressive. But I was wrong. Taiwan is very progressive. More progressive than the Philippines. The country is akin to Singapore but bigger and greener.

As usual, I have to grapple with some immigration officers who, if I'm unlucky, may ask me to show some pocket money. My travel papers say I am businessman on a business trip, but I have no cash on hand. Ahead, I can hear an immigration officer shouting on a Filipino who has no money and was about to leave the country.

“Mag-aabroad ka at wala kang pera?” she growled.

Will somebody put an end to this? The immigration officers are sometimes unreasonable. Fortunately, I wasn't asked many questions. The immigration officer only stamped on my passport and off I went.

Off to Taiwan

This is also my first time to fly with Eva Air, the so-called the "wings of Taiwan." The flight attendants are all beautiful. They speak as if they’re not sure of their English. But they do manage. However, their uniforms do not good look on them. Bluish-green stripes and then overlain with aprons when they served lunch. Disturbing carts carrying duty free items ply every now and then.

To wane out my fear of flight tremors, I listened to classical music. One of my companions, Dr. Telesforo Luna, learned the Mandarin for “I love you.” And he started bragging to me about it. He must have asked one of those apron ladies.

I hate take offs. The plane exerts too much effort to get through and I can simply feel the pressure on my face. Nearing Taiwan, however, the flight was pleasant. It feels like the plane is sliding on a seamless flat surface - almost perfect.

Arriving at Taiwan. November 29, 2010.

The plane arrived at Tao Yuan International Airport at around 2:59 p.m. It is about two-hour flight from Manila. Though short, the process of getting ourselves into the plane is tedious. Our bags are scanned, our bodies frisked, shoes and belts off and, if unlucky, grilled into questioning by the immigration officer inside some chamber of secrets somewhere.

And yes we arrived. The airport is around 40 minutes away from Taipei. The bus which fetched us is the kind I see only in foreign films. The one with two floors, the first floor is dedicated to the luggage while the second is where the passengers are seated. The passengers are elevated, probably, because we are tourists and the bus is designed for some sight-seeing.

We arrived at around 5:00 p.m. at our booked hotel – the Cosmos Hotel along Chung Hsiao West Road. Cosmos is a very nice hotel located at the heart of Taipei City. The rooms were awesome, beautiful and restive – a grand hotel to a weary traveler. Once you’re in bed, you never want to get out.

I forced myself out for a seven-chore Chinese feast at the hotel’s Shanghai Restaurant. And wow, the first taste of Taiwan is pleasant. The foods they served are leaning towards Filipino taste or are we just hungry?

At the Yehliu Geopark. November 30, 2010.

For breakfast, we took it at the hotel.  I tried congee which I mixed it up with condiments on display. It had a plain taste and I have to accentuate it with egg, bamboo shoots and peanuts. Funny Really. I forgot to take coffee. I shouldn’t miss it next time. There is a wide array of food selection – western breakfast of bread, butter and bacon. Chinese congee with egg and lots of fruits especially oranges and star fruits (balimbing).

At the Yehliu Geopark with Dr. Jose V. Guintu

The day is filled with many activities. First on the list is the Yehliu Geopark located at Wanli, Taipei County in Taiwan’s North Coast. Because the rock layer of nearby seashore contains limestone subject to sea erosion, weathering and earth movements, Yehliu is full of sea-water eroded holes as well as numerous rocks in the shape of mushroom, candles, ginger and chessboard. The most beautiful of the mushroom rocks is the Queen’s head. Tourists line up for a photo with the said rock formation. The site is a paradise to me and to Dr. Telesforo Luna. We examined layers of exposed oceanic lithospheres called Ophiolites. Taiwan is more than 50 million years old!

Dinner at a sea food restaurant at North Coast. Sea foods! I love sea food. It’s my first time to eat cuttlefish which is not canned. And the squid balls are excellent. The salad serving is funny. It is presented on a large plate with a large skeleton of a prawn. Another bowl of vegetable salad is decorated with a large oyster shell. In Chinese restaurants, I really have problems with chopsticks and hot tea as beverage. I don't know how to use a chopstick and a cup of hot tea can never quench my thirst. By the way, the restaurant has no name.

In the afternoon, we went to Jiufen, an old mining village turned tourist spot. The place is cramped with shops and people. I haven't bought anything at this attraction. Maybe because I found everything fantastically priced. For some reason, I was not able to appreciate the place. It's history and significance was not well-explained by our tour guide.

By dusk, we went back to the city hungry. We had a nice Mongolian barbecue for supper. Again, nobody knows the name of the restaurant. But I am very pleased with how they serve. I love the fact that the guest can pick the amount of meat and vegetables to be cooked. It’s better this way, because I hate Mongolian barbecue messed up with unnecessary veggies. One can chose from a wide array of meat – mutton, pork or beef (was there a chicken?) for barbecue. And one is free to mix it with vegetables and condiments of his choice. And then, the chef cooks the mix. I picked a lot of thinned scraped meat mixed it with shrimp sauce, mung bean sprout, some vegetables and of course, chili.Chinese food does not really appeal to me. But today, I love it. Maybe because I’m hungry.

At the 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, December 1, 2010. 

Breakfast is at the Cosmos Hotel. I took fried rice with spring onions, coffee, boiled eggs and some ham slices. I really don’t eat much on breakfasts. The first itinerary was the Holy Family Catholic Church. The group managed to zero-in a church visit. The church is simple and solemn. There are but a few worshipers.

After the church, we went to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. A grandiose structure sitting on a very spacious park! And lo! We went there just in time for a rather exaggerated ceremonial change of guards. The complex is magnificent – a fitting tribute to an important historical figure. The memorial hall houses a museum where the life and works of Chiang Kai-shek were featured.

We then proceeded to a duty-free shop. We ate lunch at Top Chef.eom.TW. We were served with Peking duck. I love the soup which tastes like humba.

Then we proceeded to a jewelry store. Like anywhere else, commission-seeking tourist guides usually brings tourists to places like expensive jewelry shops. The shop looked like a maze and it’s difficult to find your way out. It looked like a Fishu – with a wide mouth and a narrow exit.

Then we went to 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition. We were mesmerized by thousands of flowers on display. Some are extremely rare. We were impressed at how they placed the flowers on small bags and attach them to the walls. They also placed flowers on thousands of pots and arranged them at the stadium forming a giant rainbow. There are so many orchids on display.

The Philippines also participated in the exposition. It assembled a ruined of an old Catholic church and exhibited Philippine flora on it. But not without a Philippine flag which calls out the nationalism in us. The Philippine exhibit also featured important tourist spots in the Philippines.

The day is capped by watching a theater performance by the Ping Fong Acting Troupe and Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe. They staged "The First Lily," a story about the love of a human princess and a serpent god. Legend says that as the newly-wed submerged hand in hand in the Great Ghost Lake, there bloomed a thousand lilies.