Taiwan
#sampsonsdotaiwan
Simply put, Taiwan was remarkable. It filled our hearts, opened our eyes, and it amazed us! The small island country is 1/5 the size of the state of SD, but the population is roughly 23 million. Yes, you read that correctly. One of the most fascinating scenes of the island is the variety of landscapes within such a small mass of land. In a short 45 minute commute, we went from bustling city of Taipei, to quiet tea farms in the countryside, to ancient mining towns nestled in a mountain village, to oceanfront views, and lakes. The tropical climate creates a lush overgrowth (and crazy humidity) that covers the mountain ranges. If you look closely you can spot ornate Buddhist temples and cascading waterfalls.
We thrive on experiencing different cultures and being out of our element. In our day-to-day lives everything seems so comfortable, controlled, and almost predictable. It’s SO much fun to be completely taken out of that. Taiwan was perfect for this, as we speak practically no Chinese. We were lucky to have my mom there to translate. Thanks, mom! J
Our top 2 favs-
2.) Eating—eating always tops our list in some shape or form. We officially found people who eat more than we do. One morning, we arrived at a dumpling house for breakfast where we spent 2 solid hours being fed all sorts of delicious dishes; Dumplings, tea, pancakes, dessert. We politely rolled ourselves out of the restaurant, walked about 6 blocks, and hopped a bus that drove us directly to our next stop…lunch. We then proceeded to eat a fancy vegetarian buffet for another 2 hours. This was the story of our week. Dumplings and night markets with street food = success!
1.) Meeting + Spending time with our large family—10 aunts and uncles, too many cousins to count, godmothers, and an Apo (grandma) and grandpa to visit. We truly can’t explain in words just how genuinely kind and giving our family is. We arrived to open arms, tears, laughter, smiles, and graciousness. It was happily overwhelming in a way that makes us wish we didn’t live a world apart. We will be back to visit soon!
Must See/Do-
1.) Jiufen - a mountain town in northeastern Taiwan. It's known for the narrow alleyways of its old town, packed with teahouses, street-food shacks and souvenir shops. Japanese inspired and so quaint and cute.
2.) Beitou Hot Springs - Natural geothermal baths.
3.) Sun Moon Lake
4.) Eat Din Tai Fung
5.) Temple hop - So many temples. So little time. All so intricate and ornate.
Thus far in our travels, the Asian culture is the most fascinating. The most complex. Hard to understand (literally...their language is made up of symbols. Not the alphabet) and so incredible to sit and absorb. I love watching the mannerisms, the way people go about their day, how much their culture values life. The simple things. Asia has my heart.
