hey from taipei, hi from shanghai

two days after christmas, i flew to taiwan to see lindsey and to explore. we'd planned a visit since the very end of august, right after she'd moved there. when i landed, it was raining. i took the 1968 bus and got off the second stop after the highway. she met me with an umbrella and a big hug. we walked the kilometer back to her cozy apartment. that night, we caught up on everything from the last few years and by 1am decided it was time to sleep. 

the next morning, we slept in late. it was still raining. we walked to old street in sanxia and sampled every food that was offered. the little street was full of temples, food stands, and shops. we drank guava juice and ate bullhorn bread. that rainy afternoon, we watched a french movie and that rainy night, we walked to the new part of sanxia and ate hot pot (shabu shabu) at cash city (cash cash city). 

monday, i woke up earlier and lindsey walked me to the bus stop. i took the bus until i hit the subway, and rode that all the way to taipei main station where i met m and c. we hopped on a slow train to hualien on the east coast. that afternoon, we rode scooters to the pacific ocean and scooted up and down the coast for a few hours. for dinner, we went to a tea lounge and sampled teas and ate noodles. tuesday, we took another bus to taroko gorge, a few kilometers up the coast. we hiked back into the gorge and spent some time sitting on rocks, listening to the running water, admiring all the green. we took the late train back to taipei that night and set up camp at a hotel on the west side of the river with a round bed. wednesday, new years eve. we went to taipei 101 and took the really fast elevator to the 89th floor. we walked the circuit, i drank a latte, and we sat up there looking down at the world for a while. the rest of the afternoon was spent looking for sparkles. for new years eve, we met with s and t and stayed close to taipei 101 because it's famous for its fireworks. i'm all about the fireworks, they were amazing. we danced late, late and the subway ran all night. 

the first day of 2015 was spent being lazy. we slept in. lindsey and i went back into town to climb elephant mountain where we saw taipei from above. then we went to a night market and wandered around. 

friday, we climbed a mountain not far from their apartment in sanxia. we climbed a lot of jungle steps, clung to chains spanning ridges, and had to lower ourselves using ropes down rock faces several times. i felt like most of the time was spent pulling myself up the mountain with my weak little arms. but it was so much fun to chat and climb and reach the peak and see so, so far. that evening, we went for dinner at a veggie place and i had some sesame noodles. 

saturday was my last day. we walked and got some juice and a giant avocado. we rode bikes to a university close by and laid in the grass. i miss laying in the grass a lot, korea doesn't have much (if any) grass. we did some yoga, and kicked a soccer ball around. then it was time for me to take a taxi to the airport. and i said goodbye to taiwan. 

scooting | pacific ocean

destination | pacific ocean 

rock-sitting | taroko gorge

latte-sipping | 89th floor of taipei 101

walking to the fireworks | new years eve

greatest fireworks show | taipei 101 

taipei from above | elephant mountain

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i had an overnight layover in shanghai by myself. i decided i didn't want to spend it in the airport, and china offers a transit visa. i took the maglev train into the heart of the city (i went 300 km/hr but at top speeds it reaches 430 km/hr). i caught a taxi that didn't look sketchy and he took me to my hotel. i crashed for the night and woke the next morning early to go to the bund. i took another taxi there, under the river. the bund is a walkway along the river, overlooking the pearl and other architecturally impressive buildings. it was a smoggy day, but the sun was pleasant and it felt like fall. i took the subway back to the maglev and made it to the airport way too early. 

riding the maglev | shanghai

#aloneies | the bund, shanghai

taking it in | the bund, shanghai 

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i consistently am learning things about myself as i travel with others and alone. this trip in particular made me worry less and place more confidence in myself and be willing to go where the wind blew me and i can see that attitude seeping into other areas of my life. this, coupled with my faith, remind me: do not be anxious about anything. and this is how i begin 2015.

and tonight, i'm in korea. but tomorrow, j and i begin flying to thailand. we're a little nervous because we have two long layovers in china, and they don't require a tourist visa if the actual time doesn't exceed 24 hours (supposedly). we land at 5pm tomorrow night and leave china at 5pm on wednesday. fingers crossed we make it. 

prayers would be appreciated as we venture out. i'm excited for elephants and beaches and thai food. off again !