Taipei served as the brackets to the 2017 trip to Oceania, a day-long layover both to and from Australia. In each instance, this meant an early morning arrival and late evening departure, with a full (and at times long) day in between. I had been to Taipei only once before, in 2008, for a few days after I had abandoned an English teaching contract. Coming back now was nice, under vastly different circumstances, and a pleasant buffer surrounding the heart of the bigger trip. It was also the only portion in three weeks where I was well and truly by myself, which made for a more free-ranging experience. I was however disappointed on arrival to find that the airport train line was still not completed and that I would indeed be on a coach bus instead. The train would open a month after my second day here.

The bus deposited me at the central station at 7 in the morning, overcast and grey. Homeless men were tidying up their cardboard abodes and beginning to slink off to…wherever the local homeless population goes during the day. The central station is a 1980s behemoth, like so many of Taipei’s civic buildings, seemingly evocative of a grand vision and the newfound wealth and nascent national confidence emerging after a successful spell as one of Asia’s Tigers. Backpack and pullover both on, I set out to find tea or a warm breakfast, eventually meeting success as the city woke up and the fleets of mopeds began to drone through the wide avenues of the capital.

Taipei is not a pretty city. It is in a pretty setting, a broad low river valley nestled between sharp green peaks, but the cityscape itself is innumerable blocks of low buildings, clad in tile and the visible infrastructure of PVC piping and electric wires. More and more, skyscrapers pop up, closing the gap with the former title holder of world’s tallest building, Taipei 101. Away from the exhaust-filled avenues though, the streets are a narrow warren of winding streets, punctuated with small parks and temples, intensely local with tiny doors opening to delicately curated potted plants, signs of humanity and individual taste displayed to the community.

Aesthetics notwithstanding, Taipei invites exploration. The MRT, Taipei’s metro, has been an ongoing project for the past decade, growing continuously, and is now a great tool to circumnavigate the city and bridge the longer gaps that are inevitable in a place with around 7 million people. The food spans the breadth of Chinese cuisine and other world fares. I was able to tuck into a small teahouse, an extant building that has been missed by the 20th century, being patiently walked through the steeping process by the proprietor before being left to my own devices, sipping and taking notes.

On the same note, I took the gondola to Maokong. It is multi-stop gondola departing from the endpoint of one of the MRT lines, gliding above and over the green hills with Taipei disappearing behind the backdrop. At the end station are a series of hiking trails and road, connecting small restaurants. The damp cold was seeping into my thin clothes (it was 30+ degrees in Melbourne…) and I stopped by a small restaurant to get some food and another hot pot of tea while a light rain misted through the trees. The cold weather was enough that I eventually went shopping…stopping into Uniqlo to pick up another layer to help retain a bit more of my body heat.

One of the highlights was the walk through Da’an Forest Park, one of the larger respites of green space in the city. It was filled with the requisite activity, groups doing tai chi or dancing en masse, while couples and small groups of friends strolled along the winding paths. Around the edges, building press up to the street. I don’t know what process was able to achieve or set aside the space for that park, but I am glad that it was a success.

I also took the chance to take the MRT out the other direction, to where the Tamsui River meets the sea, an old port town lined with some older buildings. Overall though the town was similar to the rest of Taipei, the same short, blocky buildings, busy streets, and cacophony of colours and signage demanding attention form the passerby. At any rate, the train was warm which was nice. The downside about my flights however was that the peak neat market time was spent waiting at the airport, missing the best of street food in exchange for a lackluster airport burger. The upshot was both Taipei days, spent on foot and on train, left me quite tired and I was able to sleep well on the long flights following.