Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 32
August 9, 2016
Things to Do: Dihua Street, Taipei, Taiwan
Dihua Street 156 Dihua St, Sec 1. Similar to what we in the U.S. would call Chinatown, this restored old street built in the 1850s after the second Opium War is lined with Chinese medicine and fabric shops. The neighborhood is also home to cafes, restaurants, art studios, and antique shops. Arcades cover the narrow sidewalks, providing protection as you stroll the shops, many of which have arched windows.
Dihua Street sign in Taipei, Taiwan
entrance to Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
visitors resting on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
popular dog breed in Taiwan, seen on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
Dihua Street arcade in Taipei, Taiwan
herbal shop on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
weighing seeds in shop on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
snack shop on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan
unusual fungus in shop on Dihua Street in Taipei, Taiwan●cleaver massage The banner in this image translates to” Fillial obedience cannot be wait.” In English it means that you should be a loving son/daughter because you never know when your parents will pass away. I understand that these massage chairs are here pretty often, but not at a specific time or day. Also, the massage obviously requires a special technique that should be used only if the therapist is well trained. I think I’ll just watch.
cleaver massage on Dihua Street in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
August 4, 2016
Good Eats: Din Tai Fung, Taipei, Taiwan
Din Tai Fung The original Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor opened here in Taipei in 1958. This flagship shop was named in a New York Times article in 1993 as one of ten restaurants around the world that were worth making a pilgrimage to. Hong Kong branches have been awarded a Michelin star four times since 2010. In 2013, this chain was number one on The Daily Meal website’s “101 Best Restaurants in Asia,” and rated as the world’s number two best chain on CNN. Din Tai Fung has more than 100 locations around the world, including 10 in Taiwan, 4 in Los Angeles, and a new one in Santa Clara near San Francisco. For the specialty xiao long bao dumpling (also known as a Shanghi dumpling) chefs make exactly 18 folds—17 is too soft and the soup inside could spill out, and 19 is too tough for good texture, but 18 is just right. Each dumpling is also weighed to make sure it is perfect. The kitchen activity is visible through large glass windows located outside the restaurant entrance. The menu also offers delectable pea shoots (the best I’ve had), steamed wood-ear mushrooms, and hot & sour soup. Raised cloth baskets with a cover are provided tableside and make a great place to store a purse or jacket.
entrance to Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
interior of Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
purse holder at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
kitchen at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamers at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
Shanghai Dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
how to eat Shanghai Dumplings card at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
crab dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed dumplings at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
hot & sour soup at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
won tons at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
stir-fry dish at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
green beans at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
pea shoots at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
steamed wood-ear mushrooms at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, Taiwan
birthday dessert at Din Tai Fung dim sum parlor in Taipei, TaiwanThis dumpling shop is part of a food court on the lower level of an indoor shopping center.
i Store in Taipei, TaiwanAcross the way from the restaurant is:
Alexander’s Patisserie , which specializes in colorful macarons, chocolate bon bon balls, and cake rolls. A branch is in Mountain View in the San Francisco area.
Alexander's Patisserie in Taipei, TaiwanDim sum photo gallery.
More things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
August 2, 2016
Good Eats: Mo Mo Paradise, Taipei, Taiwan
Mo Mo Paradise The Taiwanese love hotpot cooking, and Taipei is hotpot central. In fact there are several hundred of these restaurants in town. It is popular even on hot days, when cooling shave ice becomes a favorite dessert. This type of shared-pot cooking came to China as early as the 600s A.D., and became established in the 1300s. Japan has its version--shabu-shabu, which is different in that each person gets his or her own pot and usually a kelp stock. A special price is offered here for all you can eat in 90 minutes. It turns out I can eat quite a bit! Do-it-yourself cooking occurs right at the table in divided pots that each have two kinds of stock; spicy miso and tomato-vegetable are among the choices. It is lots of fun and includes thinly sliced meats as well as plenty of fluffy vegetables. Drinks include spiked fruit sours (the lemon-grapefruit was delish) as well as beer and sake. Desserts too—panna cotta, Mo-Mo pudding (which looks like flan), and a rich chocolate parfait sundae.
interior of Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
menu at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
bowl of veggies at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
hot pot at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
hot pot at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Things to Do: Mo Mo Paradise, Taipei, Taiwan
Mo Mo Paradise The Taiwanese love hotpot cooking, and Taipei is hotpot central. In fact there are several hundred of these restaurants in town. It is popular even on hot days, when cooling shave ice becomes a favorite dessert. This type of shared-pot cooking came to China as early as the 600s A.D., and became established in the 1300s. Japan has its version--shabu-shabu, which is different in that each person gets his or her own pot and usually a kelp stock. A special price is offered here for all you can eat in 90 minutes. It turns out I can eat quite a bit! Do-it-yourself cooking occurs right at the table in divided pots that each have two kinds of stock; spicy miso and tomato-vegetable are among the choices. It is lots of fun and includes thinly sliced meats as well as plenty of fluffy vegetables. Drinks include spiked fruit sours (the lemon-grapefruit was delish) as well as beer and sake. Desserts too—panna cotta, Mo-Mo pudding (which looks like flan), and a rich chocolate parfait sundae.
interior of Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
menu at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
bowl of veggies at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
hot pot at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, Taiwan
hot pot at Mo Mo Paradise in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 28, 2016
Things to Do: Shilin Night Market, Taipei, Taiwan
Shilin Night Market Located just outside the MRT JianTan Station. A triangular section of wide pedestrian lanes makes this an easy market to maneuver. It is the most popular night market in town. The story is that items get cheaper the farther away you get from the entrance, so take time to look before you buy. The don’t-miss item here is fermented stinky tofu, which you will recognize easily when you smell it. I think it looks as bad as it smells. The one person in our group brave enough to put it in her mouth did not like it, and the rest of us stayed far away from her. More fragrant and inexpensive Taiwanese snacks include oyster omelets, fried rice noodles, tempura, spring rolls, rice tube pudding, and Tainan Danzai noodles. The big souvenir hit with our group was cute cat socks from Korea. A new Market Building has a basement food hall.
entrance to Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
fruit stand at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
drink stand at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
food stall at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
fishing for shrimp at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
stinky tofu at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
throngs at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
cute cat socks from Korea at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan
balloon arcade game at Shilin Night Market in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 26, 2016
Things to Do: Kauai Backcountry Tubing Adventure, in Hanamaulu, Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai Backcountry Tubing Adventure $106; watershoe rental, $3. On this soft adventure, participants tube through the ditches, tunnels, and flumes that once irrigated a sugar cane plantation. Locals call it "flumin' da ditch." Transportation to the ditches is via a 1972 six-wheel yellow Swiss Army vehicle made in Austria. The 45-minute journey takes you through wide-open cow country dotted with herons. There is no whitewater or paddling here. Just a gentle 2 ½-mile float along some abandoned irrigation pipes. Most of the float trip is in the dark, through five narrow hand-dug tunnels. Our young guide said playfully, “We are not allowed to initiate, but we are allowed to retaliate. Splash once, we splash back. Twice, and we might flip you over.”
relaxing on the Kauai Backcountry Tubing Adventure
exiting the water on the Kauai Backcountry Tubing AdventureMore things to do in Kauai.
More information about Kauai.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 21, 2016
Sights to See: Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
Taipei 101 in Xinyi District. This landmark skyscraper was the world's tallest from 2004 until 2010, when the Burj Khalifa opened in Dubai. In 2011 it became the tallest and largest green building in the world, with eco-friendly double windows tinted to reflect UV. It has 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground, and a multi-level shopping mall adjoins with hundreds of stores, restaurants, and clubs. This landmark can be seen from around the city and was even visible way across town from my hotel room.
Tapei 101 seen from across town, in Taipei, Taiwan
LOVE sculpture, in front of Tapei 101, in Taipei, Taiwan
view from Tapei 101, in Taipei, Taiwan
Hello Kitty souvenirs at Tapei 101, in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 19, 2016
Sights to See: National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall No.21, Zhongshan S.Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., 886-2-2343-1100. Daily 9am-6pm. Situated in the heart of Taipei, the main hall here, built in 1980, is dominated by a large bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek. It is reminiscent of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Inscriptions on the wall above and behind the seated figure are the Chinese characters for Ethics, Democracy, and Science--considered the Three Principles of the People. Grey marble in this hall is from Taroko National Park, and white marble is from the U.S. Time your visit to see the impressive changing of the guards. The large crowd quiets for the ceremony, but once it is done the echoing in the gigantic chamber is very loud. Guards are not supposed to blink, but I did, indeed, catch one blinking, though, unfortunately, not on camera. A museum with some interesting historical paintings is situated on the first floor.
exterior of National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
interior of National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
visitors filming changing of the guard ceremony at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
guard at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
art museum at National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images & video ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 14, 2016
Sights to See: Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple, Taipei, Taiwan
Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple No. 211 Guangzhou Street, Wanhua District. Daily 6am-10:20pm. Free. Located in the historic Wanhua District--the old village part of Taipei--this Buddhist-Taoist temple has been here nearly 300 years, since 1738. Though small, it is busy and is the best known temple in Taiwan. The temple has stood through natural disasters and several wars, including a bombing by Americans in World War II (it was thought that in error that the Japanese were hiding weapons inside). Three decorative gates with curling swallowtail eaves are positioned one within the next, and visitors are greeted when they walk through the first by an expansive courtyard with waterfall.
interior gate at Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple in Tapei, TaiwanWhen I visited, the exterior was lined with hundreds of yellow lanterns, and the courtyard was filled with lantern decorations that were part of the Taiwan Lantern Festival extravaganza.
yellow lanterns decorate exterior of Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple in Tapei, TaiwanFeatures include elaborate stone and wood carvings. Dedicated to Guanyin, the god of mercy, people come to the temple to worship more than 100 other gods and goddesses in side halls, including Matsu, goddess of the sea, and Wenchang Dijun, god of literature (exam periods are particularly busy here). Worshipers bring their offerings to leave on large tables,
offerings table at Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple in Tapei, Taiwanand anyone can ask at a window for a stick of incense to light as they make requests of gods. Chanting occurs at 6 a.m., 8 a.m., and 5 p.m.
lighting candles at Longshan Temple/Mengjia Longshan Temple in Tapei, TaiwanMore things to do in Taipei.
More things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
July 12, 2016
Sights to See: Taiwan--10 surprising facts
On my recent visit to Taiwan, I found it to be a kinder, nicer, slower China. Here are
10 facts about Taiwan that might surprise you:
●Taiwan is not a part of China.
●Taiwan is slightly bigger than Belgium.
●Taiwan was formerly known as Formosa.
●Taiwan has reached its 100th birthday in 2011.
●Taiwan has the world’s lowest birthrate.
●Taiwan is the first democratic country in Asia.
●Taiwan has the highest density of convenience stores (7-11s are everywhere).
●Taiwan is second only to Italy in the production of marble.
●Taiwan prohibits cutting down trees; all wood is imported.
●Director Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Eat Drink Man Woman,” “Brokeback Mountain”) is a native of Taiwan.
More information: Taiwan Tourism Bureau
city of Taipei as seen from Taipei 101 interior observation deck
time for ice cream at Miyahara in Taichung, Taiwan
taking pictures beside the entrance stone at Taroko Gorge National Park in Hualien, TaiwanMore things to do in Taiwan.
Travel articles to inspire and help you plan some spectacular local and foreign getaways.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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