…Ok, it’s official. I’m officially in Taiwan!!!!! 🇹🇼
I’m so excited for this opportunity and everything that’s ahead.
Speaking of what’s ahead, right after a 16-hour flight, we got down to business. Once we boarded the bus, our very chic and talented tour guide Peter gave us a quick rundown on how the trip would go. He also hit us with a brief but super interesting history lesson about Taiwan. It was cool to hear about the mix of cultures here, but the way Chinese, Japanese, and Taiwan’s own unique flavor.
After that, we headed to our hotel to drop off our luggage, and then we hit the streets for breakfast.
For breakfast, we stopped at a local breakfast shop, which was absolutely delicious and a perfect start to the day. I had fried dumplings, soup dumplings, milk tea, and a Chinese donut. VERY TASTY!!
Next up was our first official visit of the trip: the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
Here we learned about Chiang Kai-shek and his major impact on Taiwan. After the Nationalist government lost to Mao Zedong and the Communist Party, Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan with around 2 million Chinese refugees. His goal? Regroup, and eventually take back the mainland.
He was so committed to this mission that he kept a map of China in his office as a constant reminder, ‘seen in image below’.
Another interesting fact is that Chiang Kai-shek’s had a wish to be buried in his homeland which would indicate the retaking of the mainland. However, as that has yet to happen he’s buried in waiting for that time to come.
After that, we made our way to Taipei 101. It’s got 101 levels and is absolutely stunning.
What I loved most was how each “pocket” corner of the floor we were on had something totally different and fun to explore.
First up: the Super Robot Station.
Then this adorable animal station.
Followed by another animal corner with a majestic white horse.
Next, the Butterfly Station.
Then the Cat and Cloud Station.
The Big Robot Station.
The Moon, Cloud, and Hot Air Balloon Station.
And finally, the engineering marvel, the Damper, built specifically for this building’s structure. It enhances safety and comfort during natural disasters.
As the day started winding down, we wrapped it all up with a beautiful and relaxing welcome dinner at the Grand Hotel.
With that, Day 1 has come to an end. It was a whirlwind of fun and definitely kept me on my toes.
That said… Day 2, here I come!
Talk to you later, Bye!
