We arrived in Taipei on Thursday (9/8/11) and got to our hotel around 5pm-ish. Our hotel is not nearly as nice as the one we had in Shanghai, but not quite as bad as the one we had in Seoul. At least Mel's and my room isn't stanky. Since we were leaving at 6:30am the next morning to catch a high speed train, I didn't want to get all crazy but still wanted to get out and see some things. So Katie, Lindsey, Carolyn, and myself headed to one of Taipei's infamous night markets.
Night markets are a must-do in Taiwan. They have great xiaochi foods, or small eats, and you can get some great apparel/souvenirs for a good price. A few such as Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market (or Snake Alley - I believe this is the one we visited) utilize purpose-built marketplaces; however, most occupy either sidewalks or entire streets that are normal thoroughfares by day.
There wasn't the same kind of bargaining power as there was in China, but in all honesty, I was all bargained out. Bargaining is exhausting, and it was nice to not have to put in the effort. Plus, everything is already pretty inexpensive, there is really no need to bargain. The dress I'm wearing in the photo below was $17 US.
We were able to get some recommendations on the night market foods we "had" to try from a former IMC student who grew up in Taiwan. We bought the three main items recommended, a spring roll type dish, a chicken dish, and...something else, plus a drink for like $5 US total and we were all so full. It was a great meal, some great fun, and we were home by 9:30pm. I'll update with some pictures once I get them onto my computer.
The next day we were onto our first Taiwan company visit: Chimei...
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