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Taiwan Diary: Taipei, Again
May. 14th, 2024 09:02 amI thought I wrote up my "last" trip to Taipei, which was May 4, but I didn't. And I also went again on May 11, this time for the really real last time for now. On the 4th, I planned to get some of the Red Line stamps and poke around in a few parks. The weather was hot and sunny and nearly perfect for parks. However, I ended up pushing through and collecting ALL the stamps I needed to finish the line. I even had to start my new stamp notebook! I did not do as much poking around, though. I started at the eastern end, which is near the Taipei 101, and worked my way northwest to Tamsui. I saw some fun public art. I decided to take the new light rail like from Hongshulin, the penultimate stop, out to Fisherman's Wharf, a touristy area on the coast. It was a disappointing excursion, alas. There were very few people out and about despite it being a lovely Saturday afternoon. Many of the shops were closed, and the few that were open sold the same kitschy junk you can get anywhere, no doubt at highly marked-up prices. I took the ferry around the tip of the coast down to the Tamsui Old Street. That area was MUCH more hopping, but it was also nearly 5 p.m. and I was hot, tired, and hungry.
On one hand, it felt appropriate for my "last" trip to be a bit disappointing. People romanticize times of transition and change, so having an utterly ordinary day helped lessen the sting of leaving.
As I said, I didn't intend to go back again. I need to clean my apartment, save money, and pack. But a birding account I follow on Twitter announced a meet-up in Da'an Park for World Migratory Bird Day, so I decided I would go and try and meet people and see birds. Alas, there were a LOT of birders in the park, and I couldn't figure out who was part of the Twitter group, so I ended up walking around by myself. I was rewarded with a very clear sighting of a Taiwan barbet -- I noticed a cluster of people with very fancy cameras all pointed at a particular tree. I waited around for a bit and saw the bird! Then I saw another (or possibly the same as the bird in the tree flew off) barbet a bit farther down the path and managed to snap a decent photo with my phone AND get a recording of its distinctive song. I also saw what I'm reasonably sure was a crested goshawk -- there is a nest in the park that had a few chicks earlier in the spring, although sadly, the chicks both died. There was a webcam feed you could watch. In addition to the birds (including the many herons and egrets that hang out on an island in the pond in the park), I saw some cheeky black squirrels, a half-dozen or so turtles, and a tiny black frog no larger than my thumbnail. I also got eaten alive by bugs despite using bug spray. My legs are not happy.
After the park, I picked up a few stamps from the Orange Line -- I was way too tired to try and get the whole collection -- and then went back to Chifeng Street and had lunch at Her Rose Cafe, a cute little cafe that specializes in rose-shaped desserts. All in all, it was a pleasant day, and I'm glad I went back and had a more satisfying last (for now) afternoon in Taipei.
On one hand, it felt appropriate for my "last" trip to be a bit disappointing. People romanticize times of transition and change, so having an utterly ordinary day helped lessen the sting of leaving.
As I said, I didn't intend to go back again. I need to clean my apartment, save money, and pack. But a birding account I follow on Twitter announced a meet-up in Da'an Park for World Migratory Bird Day, so I decided I would go and try and meet people and see birds. Alas, there were a LOT of birders in the park, and I couldn't figure out who was part of the Twitter group, so I ended up walking around by myself. I was rewarded with a very clear sighting of a Taiwan barbet -- I noticed a cluster of people with very fancy cameras all pointed at a particular tree. I waited around for a bit and saw the bird! Then I saw another (or possibly the same as the bird in the tree flew off) barbet a bit farther down the path and managed to snap a decent photo with my phone AND get a recording of its distinctive song. I also saw what I'm reasonably sure was a crested goshawk -- there is a nest in the park that had a few chicks earlier in the spring, although sadly, the chicks both died. There was a webcam feed you could watch. In addition to the birds (including the many herons and egrets that hang out on an island in the pond in the park), I saw some cheeky black squirrels, a half-dozen or so turtles, and a tiny black frog no larger than my thumbnail. I also got eaten alive by bugs despite using bug spray. My legs are not happy.
After the park, I picked up a few stamps from the Orange Line -- I was way too tired to try and get the whole collection -- and then went back to Chifeng Street and had lunch at Her Rose Cafe, a cute little cafe that specializes in rose-shaped desserts. All in all, it was a pleasant day, and I'm glad I went back and had a more satisfying last (for now) afternoon in Taipei.
