Taipei is a mix of a modern metropolis with traditional night markets along with a subtle reminder of nature's hidden power.
There are multiple flights to Taiwan’s two major cities : Taipei and Kaohsiung. I chose to land in Taipei (Taoyuan airport )
Now that’s a first – big balconies but no privacy ! How easy it is to get to someone else's room. Nevertheless, very red and very grand and very Chinese indeed - The Grand Hotel in Taipei
Taipei 101 is the tallest building in Taiwan and the second tallest skyscraper in the world
Place in Taipei for European and American restaurants. Here we munch at a place called Coda which has an inviting bookshelf !
Longshan Temple - Like most temples in Taiwan, the temple worships a mixture of Buddhist and Taoist deities
One of many Taipei's night markets - A frenzy of food and color
Taipei is known for pushing the limits of cuisine - Here is one of several snakes at a restaurant in the night market - Snakes blood anyone ?
Yangmingshan
About an hours ride from Taipei is the Yangmingshan national park . The National Park is famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits, fumaroles and hiking trails, including Taiwan's tallest dormant volcano, Seven Star Mountain (1,120 m).
It can get a bit confusing here. Here we see several people entering the mini bus to go to the national park. These people did not bother to join in the queue and neither did people who were in the queue object to it. So still not sure what happened here.
View from the top of the mountain at Yangmingshan
The area still shows some activity with steam outlets, sulphur deposits and boiling hot fumaroles.
