One Saturday in Taipei, Taiwan

Saturday morning in Taipei, I went for a solid four hour walk. My meandering route took me south from our hotel near Ren Ai Circle through Da’an Park and to the park along Xindian Stream. The sky was clear and the air balmy. I tried to stay on the smaller side-streets whenever possible, through narrow alleys, along the edges of highways, past little restaurants and barber shops, shanties, abandoned vine-covered buildings, markets and parks. Everywhere were tea stands and a great variety of tiled surfaces.

Some photos:
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Parking lot markings.
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Alley.
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Water bottles.
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Tree lined street near a government building.
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A cat looks at his owner inside a restaurant.
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Lady with back brace.
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Orchids for sale in a horticultural market under Fuxing overpass.
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The market under the train tracks.
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Sprouts.
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Busy intersection near Da’an Park.
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Path in the park.
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Taipei Grand Mosque.
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Classy building.
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Pedestrian walkway.
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Statue inside a school courtyard.
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Green tile, orange ceilings.
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An old apartment wall.
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Man making steamed buns.
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Gate and wall.
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An abandoned hoop in a blocked off government property. Like everything left unattended in Taipei, plants are growing out of it.
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Government building.
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Neat little lane of homes in the shadow of the Shuiyuan Expressway.
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Egg shells.
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Red door.
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Abandoned machinery.
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Colorful wall and door.
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Jesus is Lord.
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There once was an old lady who left her shoe on a shelf outside.
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Window with netting.
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Sneakers drying on a car.
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The park along Xindian Stream near Yong Fu Bridge.
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Taipei Tower in the distance, seen through the colorfully painted Shuiyuan Expressway.
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Yong Fu Bridge.
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Shuiyuan Expressway.
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Cyclists on the bridge.
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Decorative duck decoys!
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Abandoned homes near the river.
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Warning sign.
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Turtle and dragonfly.
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Kingfishers were having a feast on the numerous fish in a creek.
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Can you count the number of Kingfishers perched on rocks in the photo? Answer: 9.
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Graffiti on weirdly shaped walls.
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More graffiti.
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Decorate red things.
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Striped poles.
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The locked gate to nature.
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Meats for sale.
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Stray dog crosses overpass.
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View from the overpass.
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Local restaurant.
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Everyone has a different window treatment.
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The main road through National Taiwan University reminds me of LA.
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Interesting wall.
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Track.
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Rollable hoops.
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Restaurant table.
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People eating.
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Unnecessary pipe decoration.
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Blue door and patched together wall.
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The mysterious red gate.
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Food stalls.
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Dueling weathered buildings.
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Check out those knockers.
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“Burger” with pork and kimchi from Mos Burger.

After some work in the hotel lobby, three coworkers and I took a cab to bustling Shilin Night Market. The place was packed with youth, cheap food, and scooters. It felt like Thailand on steroids. Unfortunately, we only had time for a quick meal and some ice desserts before needing to head back to the hotel to deal with work again. I want to make it back to the market on this trip, as we only saw a sliver of it.

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Ethnic singers at the night market.
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People eating.
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Fried bread.
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A floury surface.
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Oily omelets.
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Yuck.
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More diners.
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More diners at a grilling counter.
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Congealed blood and tofu.
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Squid.
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Taiwanese sausages cause self-esteem issues.
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Signs and grime.
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Our dinner: Beef filet over pasta with egg and pepper gravy.
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Prawns.
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Claw games.
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Jumbo granola bars.
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A popular jelly drink.
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More signs.
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My iced dessert, delicious.
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Toppings.
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The variety of desserts at the stall.
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The pipes above.
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Fried crabs.

Work lasted past midnight and my belly was unsettled by the food. But regardless, I fall for this city more by each passing day.

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October 31st, 2009. Categories / Taiwan

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