Taipei Favorite Tips by kenmerk

Hsimending

Favorite thing: When hunting the spicy girls... (la-la-mei) or some western food, look no further than Hsimending, which is the section of Taipei where the young and trendy tend to congregage.

Located one subway stop away from the main Taipei train station on the Panchiao line....

Everybody Dance Now....

Favorite thing: As any visitor to either Taiwan or China can attest to, early morning dancing is quite the popular exercise form for the middle aged over here.

Be it ball room dancing, the watusi, the twist, the tutti-fruity, the mashed potato, you are sure to see a big group of people dancing their cares away in any public park at about 6 AM or so....

Foot Road Map

Favorite thing: It is said that all things in your body are magically and spiritually somehow connected to your feet. And for non-believers, here is the road map. You will see these diagrams at most any foot massage place in Taiwan.

If there are any questions as to how this all works, I'm quite confident that the soon-to-be rich and famous Dr. Foot fetish of Perth, Australia would be more than willing to field them....

Contrasts

Favorite thing: Contrasts of the old and new architectural styles. Here the Landmark building towers over the East Gate of the old city.

The Landmark building was the tallest building in Taipei until the recent construction of the 101 building, which is supposedly now the tallest building in the world...

Breathe in the Air...

Favorite thing: Like any Asian city, Taipei is congested with bad air, bad traffic, and all the pitfalls of an Asian Urban center...

If you live here, best to find the few green spots around and in the city to get a brief respite from the urban sprawl. Some of the better places that are not far from city center include the Sun Yat Sen Memorial, the CKS memorial, Yangmingshan National Park, and Mucha Zoo...

The "Healthy" Sidewalk

Favorite thing: When in Taipei, do try to find yourself a "heathly" side walk... Usually a long walking path over a number of rounded river rocks...

While walking on this without shoes can be somewhat painful at first, it will feel like the best foot massage you ever had if you can complete the track... (also a great cure for hangovers....)