Taipei, Taiwan
I figured that since my Europe adventures have concluded, we could travel a bit east to my motherland and place of birth: Taiwan! It is a tiny island to the east of China and between Japan and the Philippines. I have only been back there twice; once when I was 10 and the second time was 2 summers ago. Because my mother's grandparents live in Taipei (the country's capital) we tend to live there when we visit.
There are many sites to visit and things to experience in Taiwan. The tallest building in the world is located in Taiwan. It is called Taipei 101. It consists of companies in the high tower, but on the bottom, there is a shopping mall with a food court in the basement. I highly recommend you going to visit Taipei 101 because the building is amazing, but not only that, the food in the basement is out of this world. It took me 30 minutes just to walk around to see all the food they were offering!
Now that we are on the topic of food, you can't beat how great the food is over there. Everything is super cheap and comes in LARGE quantities. The noodle bowls are bigger than the size of my face!! Let's face it, the chinese food served in America doesn't represent the authetic Taiwanese food. I must warn you that most Taiwanese people in restaurants don't speak English very well. They can pick up small words, but it can be very difficult at times.
Two places that I recommend are the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the National Palace Museum. The CKS Memorial is pictured on the right. It was built in memory of their former president. It is one of the most visited tourist sites in Taiwan. The National Palace Museum holds many chinese art works as well as historial documents and treasures. (Picture to the right)
One of my favorite past times in Taiwan that America does not have are: NIGHTMARKETS. The best time to go is late at night because the streets will be filled with shops selling clothes, carts selling food, and also games. Nightmarkets tend to have inexpensive things, so students and young adults love to go. One of the most famous nightmarket that I recommend going to is Shilin. It is the oldest and largest night market in Taiwan.
Tips:
- Go explore and hike many of the mountains outside of Taipei. The views are amazing.
- If you visit Taiwan for a week or so, make sure to buy the MRT (subway) pass.
- Eat as much as you can!
- Step out of your comfort zone to learn and experience the culture as much as you can.
In my most Asian pose : PEACE OUT!
For more information about this great country: Taiwan
Italian Part 2
For my free travel, my friends and I decided to venture out to Florence and Venice. We decided to go to Florence first and then head over to Venice. When we arrived, we checked into our ghetto hotel (only 20 euros per night) and tried to find a travel agency. We decided to be spontenous and so we went on a day trip to Tuscany! The trip consisted of going to a small castle where they produced their own wine. We basically went to a wine tasting in Tuscany and got to see the amazing views. Although it was in the winter, the hills and the scenary still looked breathless.
The next day, we started out by walking to see the Duomo. This is the huge Dome located in Florence. It was so difficult to take a picture of it because so many tall buildings were surrounding it. The details to this Dome was am
azing and it seems as if you're looking at a painting. Afterwards, we headed to see where the original David was located. There are actually 3 statues of David in Florence, but the real one is located in the Acedemia. The other two are replicas and are both located outside. Right by the original location of the David is the Uffuzi, which used to be used as offices, but is now used as a museum. I definitely recommend going in the musuem because the art pieces are simply amazing.The Duomo is the picture located on the right and the Uffuzi is located on the left.
Now before I headed out to Italy, I emailed my friend (E-shyh) about the locations that was a must see in Florence. She told me all the usual tourist sights, but the only one we have never heard of was Piazza Michangelo. If you are ever in Florence, GO TO THE PIAZZA MICHANGELO! You won't hear much about it, but it gives you the best view of the city. It is actually located on the other side of the Pointe Vecchio (the famous bridge). The Piazza Michangelo is also the location for the 3rd David statue. The view of the city is beyond words, so I will show you a picture!The one restaurant that I recommend is called Trattoria de ZaZa. Great Italian food.The next day, we packed up and headed off to Venice. When you step out of the train station in Venice, you will literally be breathless. Right when you walk out, the river is dir
ectly in front of you. I knew right there and then that I was going to LOVE venice.There are 3 things that you must do if you are in Venice:1.) Get ridiculously lost in their small streets2.) Go on a gondola or some sort of boat3.) Go visit San Marco Square (pic on the right)
When we visited Venice, it was right in the middle of their Festival called Carnivale!! Basically it is where everybody dresses up in crazy costumes and the city is literally partying every night for a whole month. My friends and I decided to join in the fun!
Venice was definitely one of my favorite cities. The atmosphere and the environment were both out of this world. Other sights that you should visit are the Bridge of Sighs and the Rialto Bridge. Just walk around, get lost, and realize that you are probably walking right next to water.
P.S. We DID go skiing in the Alps!!
Italy
For this country, I have decided to split it in two. The first part would be describing my friend's Italy experience. She stayed in Italy for a couple of months, so she is going to give everybody an overview of the country and what it has to offer. The second entry will be my Italy experience. I went on my free travel with my friends and we decided to go to Italy, mainly Florence and Venice.My friend had a chance to live in Italy longer than me, so I figured, who would know the place as well as someone who actually lived there? Her name is E-Shyh and she is one of the most travelled person I know (who is still in college). She has travelled all over Europe as well as Asia. I asked her to give a short description of the country and which cities to go to. My favorite place to visit is Italy. The Italian culture, history, art, architecture, landscapes, food, fashion and people are unforgettable. The country varies tremendously from the north to the south making Italy a country that is great to visit all year round. Italy is composed of 20 different regions, each with its own unique characteristics and claims to fame. Taking a train a few hours away to a different region may seem like visiting a whole other country. The main cities of attraction in Italy are Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Sicily, Venice, and Milan. Northern Italy borders Switzerland and is colder. It has a great mountain range called the Dolomites. Milan is located towards the north. It is known for fashion and the people h
ave a reputation of being more snobby. It is also the home of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. Venice is also located in the north, but closer to Eastern Europe. Of course Venice is known for its canals. 
Florence and Pisa are located in Tuscany, which is more central. Tuscany is known for its vineyards and countryside. Pisa is the home of the Leaning Tower, and Florence is the heart of the Renaissance. There are many museums in Florence with priceless pieces of art including works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Massaccio, Brunelleschi, and many others. Rome is further south of Tuscany. Vatican City is where the Pope lives and it is located in Rome. The main attractions of Rome are the Coliseum, Spanish Steps and the Trevy Fountain. Sicily is an island off the southern tip of Italy. Sicilians speak a different dialect of Italian and they are known to be louder and very expressive. Sicily has beautiful beaches a
nd architecture that differs from most of Italy.
Some of my favorite places to visit that are less known are Orvieto, San Gimignano, Citiva di Bagnoregio, Amalfi, Sorrento, Cinqueterre and Bologna.
Although the train system in Italy is not always reliable (as Italians are never on time), but it is very easy to get around by train. Most train stations will bring you in or near the city center. Accommodations do not have a very high standard, but that adds to the charm of Italy. My first trip to Italy was for 10 days, it was not nearly enough time to appreciate everything Italy had to offer. That trip left me with a desire to see more. My second trip to Italy was for 9 months and I hope to spend more time there in the future.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Austria is a very historic city because it is the city of music! Mozart, Strauss, and many other famous classical musicans were all from Vienna. The city is filled with history and the culture is simply amazing. We did not stay in Austria as long as the other cities we were at, but there are still a lot of wonderful places to visit and experience. I would not recommend going to Austria in the winter because a lot of the places to visit are outside and more beautiful in the other seasons. It is way too cold to enjoy these sites when all you can think about is how frozen your feet are.We did spend a lot of our time by St. Stephen's cathedral. (Picture to the left) I recommend climbing up the stairs to the top to see a great view of the city. The tricky part is finding where to go to get to the very top. You have to go to the side of the building to pay a fee to climb. It is not located in the main entrance so not a lot of people know that you can climb to the top because they can't find the entrance. Around St. Stephen's are great places to purchase souveniors or simply to go shopping. They also have good places to dine within these streets.Another place we visited was Hofburg- Austria's Imperial Palace.
Hofburg is the place where the Habsburg royal family lived. Within the palace, which is no longer a residental place, you can find the National Library, Imperial Treasury, and the Spanish Riding School among others. Around the palace is the Sissy Musuem. The musuem documented and followed the life of Sissy, the princess of Vienna. I loved the musuem because it only focused on one person and it was shown in a storybook fashion. I would definitely recommend going to the musuem.
There are a lot of small sites to see around Vienna, especially the various statues of all the famous musicans. Here is a statue of Mozart to the left. While we were there, we also attended a concert. The Strauss Concert was held at Kursalon, a famous concert hall. The concert was based on music from Strauss and Mozart and they had dancers and opera singers throughout the concert. Here is a picture of Kursalon.
I feel as if we did not stay here long enough to enjoy other sites and experience the whole culture, but while we were here, we enjoyed it. I definitely recommend just walking around Vienna because there is so much history to learn about and to see. For more information about Vienna.Next week: ITALY!!
Hungary
Well I hope that everybody enjoyed the break from my study abroad trip and got a chance to learn more about Russia. Now, it's time to get back to my European study abroad trip.
The next city we visited was Budapest which was in Hungary. I didn't know anything about Hungary before my trip, so everything was new to me. The coolest fact I learned about Budapest is that this city is split in half. The buda side represents the mountain side while the Pest side is the flat side, with the Danube river splitting it in half. There are many sites to see when in Hungary.
We stayed on the Pest side, and the first sight we visited was the Parliament. It is located right on the side of the river. Afterwards, we went to the Danube River and saw all the different bridges that were built. Hungarians are very big on their bridges because they always build symbolic statues on them. This is a picture of the Parliament at night.
The next place we visited was to see the Royal Palace and the Castle District, which was located on the Buda side. The castle is on top of a moutnain, so you can overlook the whole Pest side. The Royal Palace and the Castles were beautiful. They looked like white sand castles. This is where you can overlook the Pest side. There isn't much to do there, but the view is well worth the trip. One of my favorite things that we did in Hungary was to go to the Labyrinth. It is located in the Buda Castle and is basically an underground cave that you go into and try to find your way out. It was quite creepy and you can easily get lost. I definitely recommend to go there. It is a lot of fun with your friends.
Another fun thing that we did was to bathe in the Hungarian baths. Our study abroad trip was in January, so it was freezing outside. The baths are all located outside. They have one pool which is super hot, another that is lukewarm, and one that is cool. The bath house, which is shown to the right, was huge and beautiful looking on the outside. You would never imagine that it is a bath house. It was unusual because you are swimming in the middle of the winter, but it was so relaxing. If you do go there, you have to go to the whirlpool. Now, when you think of a whirlpool, you think of bubbly water, but not in this case. This was literally a whirlpool. All you had to do was float in the water and when the jets came on, they literally pushed you in a circle.To end the Hungarian trip, we had one of the best nights in Hungary at a restaurant/show. I don't remember the name of the place, but the food was great and the environment was great. I guess this was one of the nights that you just had to be there to experience how much fun we had.
Til next time! We're off to Vienna, Austria.
Somebody's Russia Experience
For a little break from my Study abroad trip, I decided to document someone else's travelling experiences in Russia!
MOSCOW, JUNE 2002 - Some places you have seen hundreds of times on television, have seen so many pictures of them in books, and you know all about the details of the buildings and history. But still, one day, if you really visit these places, it does something to you. Some feeling that it is not like you thought it would be, or just the effect of realizing you are actually standing in a very famous place. And afterward, back at home, when you see these places many times again on television, it is never the same as before. Because now you think 'I have walked on that particular pavement, I have crossed this road, I have seen the inside of that church, etc...'.
The Red Square is one of these places.I arrived in the late evening, and the first view of the Red Square was sunset from the top of the 'Rossia' Hotel - a spectacular sight. In the evening, I made a walk on the Red Square. The evening light created a special atmosphere. My first impression was that the square is in fact not that big... much smaller than I had expected. Maybe it is because I came from Beijing just a couple of weeks before, and was comparing with the really huge 'Tien An Men' ? Also Lenin's mausoleum looked actually much smaller than the pictures I remembered from sovjet times, when the sovjet leaders were standing on top of it, saluting the military parades...
Lenin's Mausoleum
One of the following days I visited Lenin's mausoleum. There is actually not much too see inside, and it all looks quite 'unreal' to me, but still every day there is a line of visitors. It just one of the things to do when in Moscow... Regulations are very strict. You cannot take your camera or any drinks or food inside, you have to take off your hat before entering, and you have to respect absolute silence ! I was not very serious about this last rule... As soon as you walk inside the mausoleum, you have to descend some stairs, which are almost unlit. As your eyes do not have the time to adapt to the darkness, you just have to shuffle to find the stairs, and I even didn't see the Russian security men standing on the sides, but I knew quickly enough they were there, because when I said to my friends "It is dark in here, I cannot see..." , they reminded me promptly about the "complete silence" rule !An interesting part of this visit is also the graves of the other communist party members and former sovjet leaders, which are buried in the space between the mausoleum and the Kremlin walls.
The Kremlin
Many Russian cities have a Kremlin, but the one in Moscow is always referred to as "The Kremlin". In present times, inside the Kremlin walls, you find a mixture of past and present. The tsarist legacy such as the Armoury, the different cathedrals, Ivan's clocktower, the big cannon,... but also the current government buildings and the residence of president Putin.One rule that our guide made clear quickly, is that it is forbidden to walk anywhere but on the pavement ! If you get off the pavement, security officers use their whistles... and they have to use them a lot since not all tourists know or respect this rule. Also when you stand too long in one place, especially when looking in their direction, they also tell you to move on. Only privileged vehicles and officials have the right to use the roads. Here you can see the black Russian limousines you recognise from every movie...but no photos allowed.
Also no photos allowed inside the cathedrals or in the armoury (or only after paying a photo allowance fee). The armoury is a museum now and contains actually not a lot of armour, but 'everything tsarist' can be found here, ranging from tsarina dresses and jewelry to horse carriages, Faberge Eggs and (very expensive) tea cups. The cathedrals are also all museums and have a very interesting collection of icons and also some graves can be seen in here.
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Czech Republic
Our second city to visit was Prague located in the Czech Republic. The hotel that we stayed at was called Hotel Meran and it was located on the popular and busy street in Welceslas Square. It is a busy street filled with shops, discos, bars, and restaurants. It was a very convenient location for us because nothing was far from our reach. You can go anywhere in Prague by foot which saves a lot of money for transportation.
For a bit of background on Prague and Czech Republic, this country is located in the centre of Europe and borders Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland. There are 10.2 millino inhabitants and they speak the Czech language. While we were there, we used the currently called the Czech crown or "Kc"
The places that are a "must see" if you are in Prague are: the Prague Castle, Lesser Town, the Jewish Quarter, Old Town, and New Town. We were staying in New Town because Welceslas Square is located there.
We were taken on a walking tour of Prague and we started by walking towards Old Town, where two towers are located. One is in the picture above and the other tower was where I was standing when I look this picture. The tower I was standing in is called Old Town Hall. The main attraction is the hourly procession of the 12 Apostles. It is quite impossible to figure out how to get to the top of this tower, but if you want to, you have to go into a building located to the left of the tower and pay to go up the tower. It is very hidden because they don't have any signs to inform you where to go in order to go up. I highly recommend going up to the tower for a small price because the view is amazing.
In order to go to the Castle, you have to buy a ticket first in the underground train station but then come back up and walk to a tram area. This tram will take you up to the Castle. There are many courtyards in the Castle and also contains a huge cathedral with beautifully stained glass windows which depicts Welceslas's history.
We headed back by walking on the Charles Bridge. From the bridge, you can see many other bridges and a view of various landmarks. Many performers, artists, and vendors are located on the bridge. There are vendors everywhere you walk. Stores are located left and right of you between walking through Old Town to New Town.
The food in Czech was definitely interesting. While we were in Old Town, we decided to try this traditional Czech pastry called Trdco? It was a sugary bread which was cooked around a sphere and comes out like a cup with the bottom missing. It was delicious. General traditional Czech dishes are- meats (pork or beef) in heavy cream sauces served with dumplings (knedliky). Side dishes of rice, potatoes or French fries are the most common. Every main dish is usually garnished with obloha (cucumber, tomato, lettuce, cabbage or pickles). Meats and yeast-dumplings dominate the national lunch table. The traditional Czech dish is knedlo, zelo, vepro (roast pork served with sauerkraut and dumplings). Another classic dishes are svickova na smetane (sliced beef sirloin served in a cream sauce with a garnish of cranberries and, of course, dumplings) or gulas (goulash served with dumplings and often garnished with onion slices).
The most famous Czech drink is beer and it is also thought to be the world's best. A mug is cheaper than a glass of soda or cup of coffee. The best-known brands are Pilsner Urquell (we actually got to visit!) and Budweiser. Czech Republic also has a great nightlife with many clubs and bars.
The travels of Coastal Living staffers lead to accommodations that run the
gamut in style and service. Read on for a dozen of their latest finds.
