Republic of China Taiwan 2005

In a sense this was my first backpacking experience - it was obvious from the stuff i could fish out from my luggage, most embarassing of which was a mess tin, resulting in a pack that weighted around 12 kg when i checked it in at Changi Airport flying into Taipei.

Taipei was brilliant. It was cold, it was noisy, it was bustling. First few days were spent wandering around Taipei city, the popular Ximending area, night markets, like Shihlin, and checking out a few temples and the Taipei 101, at the moment, the tallest building in the world. Funny, these accolades - Last time i was in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, the Petronas Twin Tower, dominating the KL skyline, had the title. And now i was again looking at the tallest building in the world.

What i most remember of Taipei, almost 3 years down, was the bright neon lights that lit up the chilly night sky, and the smells and tastes of roadside eateries that greeted you when you stepped onto the streets of Taipei at night, and of course the game arcades that are almost everywhere. A quintessential city of the Far East, one could just feel Taiwan, its vibes, and what it stood for, on the streets of the capital city of the Republic of China.

One thing that always made me think of Taiwan was their 7-11s. They had everything you could wish for, and on a cold, hungry night, it was almost like heaven. Reminds me of Ernest Hemingway's A Clean Well-Lighted Place. Hearing the welcoming, automated chimes as you pushed the door open, to be greeted, first by the warmth, then by the array of food and other comfort items, like magazines and newspapers (to me, peculiarly, having a dinner of small, instant packs of food like pudding, sandwiches on the bed, while flipping through the pages of a magazine or newspaper, at the same time changing TV channels every 5 minutes, was strangely comforting, even if i don't do it much at home. Perhaps, im thinking on hindsight, its the cosiness. The security of being huddled up in thick blankets, everything you ever need a hand length away, safe, warm, and with food and drink i could spend the whole night like this, until i eventually doze off)

Now saying you eat at 7-11 when backpacking is like confessing you eat Mickey D's while overseas. Cardinal sin of backpacking. But i confess. To me, the 7-11s in Taiwan, with its mouth watering and culinary creativity inducing array of food such as pudding, all sorts, gourmet coffee, and all sorts of wonderful desserts was as much a part of its modern popular culture, the clean well lighted place where people on the road, or working executives pop by for a quick bite before heading home. A 24 hour city, quick, on the move, pushing towards new frontiers, breaking old boundaries. The pace of Taipei. Not exactly Hong Kong frenetic, but busy, bustling with life, definitely not just "a nation of engineers" as the western media so often likes to pan it. To me, the 7-11s in Taipei had a very on the road feel, like th traditional American cafes that serve hot coffee, strawberry ice cream and apple pies to passing motorists. It reminds me so much of travel, and of Taiwan.