Big S and Skeyes Taiwan Takeover

I have met many people throughout my time in Asia, and most have not been as lucky as me with visitors.  When I found out Sarah was coming to visit, I was beyond excited.  Her flight arrived late on a Sunday night, and our first stop was a late night dinner.  It didn't matter that we hadn't seen each other in over a year, it was like we were still roommates.  Unfortunately I had to work all week, but Sarah was able to do some exploring on her own, and catch up on sleep.  We hit as many sights as we could, including Taipei 101, Beitou Hot Springs, Yehliu Geopark and some of the memorials.

A highlight of Sarah's trip has to be our night at Shilin night market followed by shrimp fishing.  We sampled a few of my favorites, like dumplings and fried mashed potato balls filled with nacho cheese and broccoli.  Sarah was able to stock up on souvenirs and venture through the crowds and smells of the market.   She wasn't a fan of stinky tofu... 

After the night market we went shrimp fishing.  This local favorite is actually open 24 hours!  We arrived around midnight, and were greeted by a group of guys sitting around drinking Taiwan beer.  We got our poles, took our seats, and were quickly handed four beers to enjoy.  Being two western girls, people assume we have no idea what were are doing, and are eager to come help.  Surprisingly there is some skill to catching shrimp as you sit around the pool, and with a little help we were on fire!  One of the older men that worked there came and showed me how to take off the pinchers in order to take the shrimp off the hook.   I  wasn't sure at first how I felt about ripping the pinchers off a live shrimp, but quickly learned my lesson after getting pinched.  I had no mercy after that.  Sarah and I ended up catching around 15 shrimp, and I even caught two on the same hook at one point. 

  

Another highlight of our trip was visiting Kaoshiung.  We took the high speed rail to this southern city, and Sarah got a great lesson on the way about seat cushions.  We made it to the city, and after a few minutes of confusion went to see the Buddhist Monastery.  It was a gorgeous area, and very different from what the city offers.  Our next stop was the Lotus Pond, which is surrounded by temples and statues.   We received a lot of good luck that day!

Overall, exploring Taiwan with Sarah was an amazing experience, and I think she had a great time too...even with all the rain!

P.S. only a true friend brings you a packet of your favorite Chick Fil A sauce from across the world xxx