Oh hey Taipei: Weekend in Taiwan

This weekend was one to remember.. Friday night was relaxed, played board games with friends at Beer and Cheese. (The serve local beers and cheese). When it was time to go we all decided to rent bikes to get to the MRT station faster. All over the city they have stations where you can rent bikes, and the first thirty minutes are free! Not a bad way to get around.

Saturday I woke up early and rushed to make the 9AM train to leave the city. I was invited to go sailing in the city of Tainan. We took the high speed rail, and made it there in about 2 hours. After stopping for some famous shrimp rolls, we made it to the marina. We were extremely lucky with amazing weather, and to my surprise there weren't really any other boats out. I was told that sailing, and boating in general isn't a big recreational activity in Taiwan. At first the water was a murky dark brown green, and suddenly we passed into deep royal blue water. The water was extremely clear, and the blue water looked unreal. After a slight warning of the abundance of jelly fish, we all jumped in. I thought I had escaped a jelly fish sting, but then I felt a pain the second swimming session. My luck ran out. I guess the jellyfish don't actually sting, they just cause more of an stinging sensation, but of course I had a nice mark for a couple of hours. After that it was time to get closer to land before the sunset. It was beautiful!

Getting back to the dock, we expected to just unload the boat and head out to dinner. To our surprise, we walked into a "dock party". A guy who owned a yacht in the marina decided to hire a DJ and have a bar-b-q. We were welcomed with open arms. They made sure we were well fed and always had a drink in hand. I even got a tour of the yacht.

Sunday was a day of exploring that included an art market and live music. Walking off the MRT we immediately saw a stage and a lot of girls screaming. Getting closer, we realized we stumbled upon a boy band concert. The audience was loving them.. I guess they are famous in Taiwan. We were about to leave when two of the guys walked by and quickly said hi. I then saw a group of girls running after them.. I guess we had a brief encounter with local celebs :). Continuing to walk, it felt like we were in a little Times Square. There were street performers, dancers, and people everywhere. I saw some familiar restaurants like Fridays and Chilis, and even checked out Modern Toilet. The chairs are toilets, and the food is served in toilets. I'm sure I will eventually make it there to eat!

I am still shocked with how great the people here have been. My friends called it Taiwan Hospitality. So far I am having an amazing experience. ..