FOOD!

The food in Taipei definitely lives up to all expectations. After arriving in the city early (via two different subway lines and one friendly 7-11 employee) we stashed our bags and headed out to explore the capitol city. Hungry from a 12 hour flight, the first objective automatically became food. The streets, which bustle with mix of people, cars and Vespas, are chocked full of small shops and eateries. Sidewalks are almost impossible to traverse due to congestion and restaurants. People who sell their food from the carts that line the sidewalks and streets have make-shift dining rooms where anyone can sit down to enjoy their delicious, hopefully safe food. At first, ordering food simply meant pointing to the thing the person in front of us got. Eventually, we became frisky enough to point at the different Chinese characters that lined the menus. As we sat together, at a table, in the middle of the sidewalk, a nice lady served us a bowl of everything she offered at her cart. Feeling adventurous and not wanting to insult our gracious host, we consumed every last bite of four pieces of mystery meat and gelatinous noodles. Tasty!

Dinner was an excursion to the famous ShinLin Night Market, where they are known to serve the best fried chicken (thanks Loren) and almost any other fare one could want. Though the market is open-air, the thousands of people crammed into every nook, prevent the air from circulating. Wafting through the market are smells that are unexplainable and unidentifiable.

Matt