Taiwan= Crazy Food= Awesome

The tallest tower in Asia (Taipei Tower 101 (509 Meters including the tip mehehehe)

So Taiwan was one of my major stops in Asia, as I had promised my good friend from high school Alston (who also happens to be born on the same day as me) who lived in Canada during high school and university and flight school, and now is Taiwan's most up and coming airline pilot! I know this from him flying me during high school on the computer with Microsoft Flight Simulator, where we never crashed except when I would become a terrorist and run us into a building; and when Alston would let me join him in a Cessna over Vancouver (WWWHAAAT!!!)

Alston isn't in it for the chicks and $$$, unlike me, and I swear I wasn't scared on my first take off with Alston in a two seat plane

Alston was Vancouver's most eligible bachelor...

 So after the Philippines
, I got on a flight to Taiwan, it was noticeably a colder in Taiwan compared to everywhere I had been in South East Asia, I even had to wear a sweater!

Just because it was colder doesn't mean I don't eat ice cream. This Turkish guy lives in Taipei and is famous with his ice cream serving tricks. He teased me by giving and taking away my ice cream/ cone for about a minute and somehow he manages to keep tricking me even though I know its a trick..... watched on by a crowd of Taiwanese who joined in laughing at the me. GET A LIFE PEOPLE!

I am just going to be straight to the point. Taiwan is all about eating food, it's what people do when meeting socially, its what people there talk to you about to gain rapport. I don't have a problem with this as food is one of my favorite things, and I love Chinese food, so I knew I was going to love Taiwanese food and Taiwan because I would be a great conversationalist. Alston is the master of knowing where to go to get the best food, so we took his scooter all over Taipei (he was impressed by my scooter driving skills- I told Alston after driving in Jakarta, Taiwan is child's play) and his home city of Tai Chung seeing the sights and eat great food. I will have to say I finally passed up on a on trying a weird food for the first time on the trip: eggs marinated in horse urine, but feel free to try it for me when your there and let me know how it tastes ;)

Reminds me of Mario Kart

People are aloud to swim in this lake once a year, and then 1000's come to swim it in a race....

just an average Taiwanese street

Only the best for us

Alston didn't know why I did this, but agreed to take the picture

If you have a little money (food is very cheap), you will never go hungry

I am excited to go for an adventure on the subway

I just thought this cake looked really good, if I already hadn't had 3 other cakes I would have eaten this one

Sasha who I had met previously in Thailand lives in Taipei and we met for more food!

This was the best burger I had ever eaten. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the real thing because I was so hungry that when it came I devoured it, and it was so good, I thought I would at least take a picture of the menu.

Pork, deep fried in some sort of Taiwanese version of Shake and Bake

One of the hundreds of Night Markets, people go to them every night. I must warn you if you move to Taiwan you may get really bad at cooking because restaurants are almost cheaper to eat at and they are everywhere!

Alston's Crib

Some art I thought was magnificent

Chinese yo yo mang!

A famous coffee shop people line up for up to 30 minutes to get a cup!  There is a major recent news story here, with somthing like the ex manager trying to kill someone at the coffee shop for insurance money- doesn't seem to scare off business! 

I was hoping for a more romantic first time on the tandem bike, but this was the next best! My guess is because me and Alston were born on the same day, we must ride the same bike? 

A bike along some path in Taipei 

Old Taiwan neighborhood

Tofu in somthing

There was so much different food I can't tell you for sure what this is but I believe its eggs (*non horse urine)?

she squeezed 4 oranges into my morning shake, and it was like a $1 

Wonton soup on steroids? 

one of the many street vendors with a set up tent/ dining area

protests, they were everywhere. I actually went through a huge one. Taiwanese students were protesting a new bill set out by the government allowing the Chinese government to give approval before major corporations in Taiwan are allowed to hire a new CEO. Many Taiwanese are very scared that China may end up taking control of Taiwan, like they say has happened to Hong Kong, It is mandatory for Taiwanese men to take part in military service.

|People were lined up for hours to take pictures of these "Panda's" who were apparently an art show on a Panda World Tour!

Taiwan is a great country, and Taipei would be a great place to live for a while to teach English (they pay pretty good), or run an internet company out of due to how close it is to Asia, how cheap food is, and how much fun you can have. I found the people in Taiwan very different then other places, so it was a great experience, and one would have to spend a lot of time their to learn/ understand there way of life. My recommendation is to going check this country out and start a food blog!