One-night Layover in Taiwan!

On most of my trips back to the United States, I usually have a layover, which is not always a bad thing if planned well. For this trip, I stopped in Taiwan for what would have been an 8-hour layover, which I had changed to a one-night stay for an opportunity to do some sightseeing! In 2008, I had this same layover and made use of the 8-hours by making a short trip into the city. However, this time around with one night and two days to see Taiwan, I was able to accomplish a lot more. After arriving in Taiwan in the late afternoon on a Thursday, I quickly took a bus to Taipei City, and checked into the Pacific Business Hotel located in the commercial district. First on my agenda was to visit the Shilin Night Market, the biggest of Taiwan’s several and very popular tourist hot spots. These markets get under way around dusk, with vendors offering everything from accessories and clothing to snacks and carnival games. Taking a stroll around these night markets provide a great chance to sample and ‘smell’ several different types of local Taiwanese food, including the infamous ‘Stinky Tofu’. After spending some time at the Shihlin Night Market, I decided to look for some local English-speaking compatriots, which I found at the British owned Brass Monkey restaurant and bar. Met some cool people there, including a Taiwanese-Australian guy named Andy who was kind enough to show me the ropes around his city.. The next day, I made a visit to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, which I thought was the National Palace Museum until just now (whoops)… Nevertheless, it was a still a nice experience… Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese revolutionary and first president and founding father of the Republic of China (“Nationalist China”). As the foremost pioneer of Republic of China, Sun is referred to as the “Father of the Nation” in the Republic of China (ROC), the “forerunner of democratic revolution” in the People’s Republic of China, and affectionately as “The Big Sunshine” among his homies and inner circle – just kidding on that last one.. At the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, there is a changing of the guard ceremony in his honor every hour, which I took some cool pics of.. This trip to Taiwan was great and I’m definitely motivated to go back again! Shout out to my new friend Andy for helping me squeeze out every ounce of fun in my short visit, thanks bro!