During the last inning of my time in Taiwan, I finished up in my favorite place to visit, Taipei. I had hoped that the weather would continue to be decent like it was in Taroko Gorge, but alas, it was far cloudier and more damp. When I visited several years earlier in January, the weather was quite decent. Oh well. Still, I didn’t let that stop me from trying to find things to do.

I was able to meet up with one of my friends who I had met when I first traveled here, and he took me to see a temple. My interest in temples sort of died out after seeing so many of them throughout different areas of China, but this one was interesting to visit. It is oddly placed (actually, everything else that was formed around it is what makes it look out of place) right next to a night market. The name of the temple is Ciyou Temple. Like any temple, the smell of incense was strong and constant all through the place. People were inside, admiring and saying prayers to the gods. What struck me was all of the finely handcrafted artwork in the wood and gold.

I didn’t do much outdoor stuff there. The weather was sort of crap most of the time. I visited a place called “Songshan Cultural Creative Park.” It’s a place where you can walk around to see some of the latest inventions that people have created. I didn’t take photos of things inside, but I did get one photo of a giant animated figure outside.

I also managed to make it back to Yangmingshan to see a different area than last time. The place I visited there is known as the “Green Green Grasslands,” where you can walk along the hilly fields and sometimes see wild bison. On a nice day, I’m sure that it looks splendid. On the rainy, cloudy day that I went, however, it just looked like something from the UK or Ireland. Not that that is a bad thing, but the grass wasn’t nearly as vivid as the grass I saw in Dublin. I also didn’t see any bison. The only evidence of any bison that I saw were some piles of bison poop. After walking around for a while, thinking that this visit may have been a waste of time, I managed to get a few nice images when the fog was drifting away (before more fog replaced it).

Of course, I can’t spend time in Taiwan without experiencing the food. Sure, you can find good restaurants, but the real action is at the night markets, and Taiwan is full of them, the biggest being the Shilin night market. Here you can walk down the street (at a snail’s pace due to the number of other slow-walking pedestrians) and feast your eyes on all kinds of snacks.

After visiting Ciyou Temple, my friend and I waltzed right over to the entrance to the Raohe Night Market. While here, I stood in line (along with many others) for some famous street baozi.

After walking and snacking, we decided to sit down and order something sweet. He had some hot, sweet peanut soup, and I had some tang yuan with red beans.

As if that wasn’t enough, I told my friend that we had to return to the place where I saw some kind of ice cream treat being sold. I didn’t see the ice cream itself, just the sign. When the woman pulled together the ingredients (which included sweet peanut shavings and cilantro), the ice cream didn’t look like normal ice cream. Maybe it was made from something other than regular milk; I don’t know. She wrapped all three scoops together with the other cilantro and peanut shavings, and I quickly sank my teeth into all of it. The flavor combination was interesting and delicious. This treat alone made me want to return (though I didn’t have time).

When I went out for food the next night, another friend took me to eat at a dumpling spot.

I didn’t leave Taipei without seeking out some great western food joints. I found one that served brunch-type entrees. I ordered a dish that combined waffles with fried chicken, more meat, and fries. Need I say more?

The weather may not have been ideal, but I was still able to have some good times here. I eagerly await my next trip (in a different season) so I can experience the beaches and warm weather.