Pink Plankton

Taiwan always seemed like an interesting place full of quirky Asianness.  So when the opportunity of a 24-hour layover presented itself, of course I took it.

EVA Air was nice enough to reach out and book my hotel for the evening (this is something that certain airlines offer, but normally not unless you inquire yourself).  If they didn't, I probably would've opted to just slept in the airport because Taipei Airport is one of the nicest airports ever!  It has complimentary massage chairs, an orchid garden, a cinema, and many other wonderful features to pass the time.

Anyways, here are some of the things I saw during my 24 hours in Taipei:

penis cakes in Taipei, Taiwan

I first made my way over to Ximending, which I read was the hip, young, weird part of town.  The first thing I noticed was that there were many shops selling penis cake.  I kinda wish I bought one looking back.

penis cake sign in Taipei, Taiwan

claw machine games in Taipei, Taiwan

There were many claw machine game stores, which was very reminiscent of Japan.

claw machine games in Taipei, Taiwan

lineup for Xing Fu Tang bubble tea in Taipei, TaiwanBubble tea was invented in Taiwan and I couldn't wait to try one here, as it's one of my favourite drinks.  This particular chain, Xing Fu Tang, seemed to be super popular.

bubble tea making at Xing Fu Tang in Taipei, TaiwanI'd never actually seen the tapioca bubbles being made, so this was cool.

brown sugar syrup bubble tea in Taipei, Taiwan

I didn't want to wait in line, so I went down the street to a cheaper, no name bubble tea stall. Theirs looked just as good, and I'm sure it tasted good as well!

brown sugar bubble tea in Taipei, Taiwan

The must-do tourist shot of the brown sugar milk bubble tea. Mmmm...

street art in Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

There is also a lot of street art in this area.

street art water fountain in Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

street art duck dude mural in Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

street art alley in Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

street art mural in Ximending, Taipei, Taiwan

toy coin machines in Taipei, Taiwan

Rows and rows of coin machine games.

Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan

This is Taipei 101 Tower.

view from Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan

Google's office is at the top.  My friend Joel works there and he gave me a tour!  What an amazing view.

view from Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan

street in Taipei, Taiwan

This is a random street in another area I dropped by before going back to the airport.

market in Taipei, Taiwan

good luck charms in Taipei, Taiwan

These are good luck charms I believe.