My Eastern Adventure - part 2

This blog is about my adventures across the East.  I looked at the world map and decided to trek on a route of discovery from the north to the south, starting in the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan; and ending down under in the glorious sun baked city of Sydney, Australia.  I will travel through 7 countries over two months, including South Korea, China, Thailand, Malaysia and New Zealand. 

Some of the countries I have visited before.  However, as an avid traveller, with a passion for photography, adventure and exploration, I will be setting foot in certain places as a debutant guest with a curious mind.  This adventure to me is a case of whether curiosity did kill the cat, but this is my time to find out.

This is the continuation of my story through South Korea, China, and Taiwan...

Finding my Seoul

Travelling through South Korea from Busan to Seoul on the KTX train made me think there was more to South Korea than meets the eye.  A good way to explore it is to board the O train or the Central Inland Sightseeing train, which will take you through some spectacular, mountainous vistas.  Perhaps give you a chance to find some hidden gems.  There are several trains that criss cross the country, all with their unique tourist trails.  One of the more famous lines is the DMZ train to the notorious Demilitarised zone between North and South Korea (www.letskorail.com).

The KTX train wasn't as glamourous or speedy as its Japanese counterpart, but it certainly was cheaper.  And that was something I immediately noticed setting foot in South Korea - prices were a lot cheaper than Japan.  Finally my wallet could get some respite.  Except the time when I arrived in Seoul train station.  The end of the line for everyone on board, so I got off the train, big luggage in hand, as normal.  As soon as I disembarked a middle aged man of short stature with a trolley came sprinting across to me, and without saying a word, grabbed my luggage and sincerely put them on the trolley.  With a hand gesture of 'follow me' I duly obliged.  At first I thought this is quite handy, but then I slowly realised this guy could be one of those 'helpers' who at the end wants a hefty tip just for carrying my stuff!  I didn't see anyone else getting help, especially the locals.  We quickly raced through Seoul train station, with its myriad of eateries and coffee shops that resembled an international airport food court.  He asked me where I was heading in broken English.  I explained I was going to Insadong, and he guided me to the metro, which I was going to do myself anyway.  He took me and my bags to the platform and low and behold asks for his tip.  Abit furious at first as I did not request the baggage handling service, but considering he took my things up and down stairs on a trolley I actually looked past the swindled service and paid up.  However, I realised I was on a metro platform without a ticket.  The gentleman said I had to go back and over the barrier to get one.  My immediate thoughts were 'why the hell didn't tell me that before getting to the platform?'.  Reluctant to go as he had my possessions with him, I had no choice but to go back and buy a ticket.  Furious and frustrated, I went to get a ticket and luckiliy I got through the barrier without any security seeing me.  Ticket in hand and very annoyed, not to mention concerned about my possessions, I went back and found the so-called helper waiting for me. 

In hindsight the service he provided wasn't actually too bad considering he carried my things from the train all the way to the metro platform, then even helped me load my luggage onto the metro train.  So all in all he did a good job in my mind and deserved his tip, though on the expensive side!

Staying in the Insadong area of Seoul meant that getting to the main areas was easy and fairly cheap.  Seoul's highlights are arguably its highest points at dusk.  Going up the N Tower (www.nseoultower.co.kr/eng) at night and making my way down whilst admiring the twinkling lights below certainly savoured in my memory banks.

View of Seoul from N Tower

View of Seoul from N Tower

Apart from savouring the sights and sounds of Seoul, one of my objectives of my eastern adventure was to help Muslim travellers.  Yearning for halal meat I ventured to look for some permissible food.  Halal for Muslims basically means what is permissible or lawful, and relates to every aspect in a Muslim's life, be it food, drink, finance, personal and family matters, law and order and so on.  The opposite is haram, meaning unlawful or not permissible.  What society considers right and wrong, Muslims say what is halal and haram.  Different words but the same meaning.

Continuing on, the main mosque I felt would be a good starting point.  Boy was it a good option.  I expected maybe one or two eateries, but an entire street?  Wow, goodness gracious me!  Pretty much the whole of Usadan-ro-10-gil, a street in the Itaewon district, left me spoilt for choice.  Eventually I settled into Moree restaurant and enjoyed a lovely bulgogi, which is thinly sliced or shredded beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, sugar, green onions and black pepper, and then grilled.  I had mine with plain fried rice, perfect way to end my eventful day.

On your bike

A good way to explore cities I believe is on a bicycle.  Seoul has developed the riverbanks of the Han river to comprise of a footpath and cycling track.  From Jamsil station I pursued what ended up being an almost never-ending tour to Yeouido - a 30 km roundtrip.  Might not seem long to some but as a mediocre cycling enthusiast I embarked on a journey along Seoul's largest waterway.  That said, riding along the river is highly recommended.  Also considering hiring a bike in Seoul is free (it's a government scheme), it's well worth the exertion.

There are several bicycle hire outlets in Seoul.  One of the better ones in regards to cycle availability and ease of access is the rental office opposite Lotte World Mall.  If you come out of exit 3 of Jamsil station (www.smrt.co.kr) the office is about 50 metres on the right.  I made the mistake of walking on the opposite side of the road and thinking about getting to the old location of the rental office.  Of course, varyingly every cloud has a silver lining and I had a pleasant stroll around Seokchonhosu lake within Sonpa Naru park whilst searching for the rental office.  Fortunately, the Songpa Naru park tourist office came to my rescue and the staff guided me to the new location, thus becoming the source of my embarrassment considering there was a big sign of a bicycle above the rental office!

Lotte World Mall from Sonpa Naru Park

Biking along the river you get a glimpse of Seoul life

Food for thought

As a westerner you don't come to the Far East and not experience the delicacies of the local cuisine.  As a Muslim, certain food and beverage restrictions do apply.  Far East cuisine involves a lot of seafood, so that was my first port of call.  As I discovered in the market area of Bujeon in Busan, looking for a bite to eat didn't come with many challenges, only the ever present skin rash on my foot was causing me pain to ponder.  My inquisitive mind at the time helped me find out the Korean word 'mulgogi', meaning fish.  A nice, greasy spoon takeaway serving all types of mulgogi - fried, grilled, steamed - came to my rescue and tantilised my tastebuds. 

Seoul has its fair share of fodder establishments too.  Good restaurants and bars can be found in the hubbub roughly triangular shaped region between Euljiro, Myeong-dong, and Hoehyeon.  Even the grand scale, shopping mall-like Seoul train station has plenty to offer.  For Muslims, the Itaewon area, where Seoul Central Mosque can be located, serves up plenty of halal options - both local and international dishes.  The main thoroughfare for these establishments is along Usadan-ro-10-gil.  Another recommended area to indulge your tastebuds is around the Jongno-3-ga Supya-ro (exit 5 on metro line 5), which has several stalls selling cheap snacks to keep you going.  However, to experience something more authentic, head out of exit 6 of Jongno-3-ga station on line 5 and meander through the labyrinth of gullies and alleyways of miniature establishments serving up all types of Korean BBQ.  Of course, many of them have menus in Korean, but with a little effort, or better still make a new local friend, the struggle is well worth it.

Forbidden world

A quick 2 hour hop by plane from Seoul to Beijing and I am in the land that has unequivocally rekindled its glorious past.  We live in an age where people want the past to be the present; where protectionist ideologies is the order of the day.  Donald Trump wanting to make America great again, Russia trying to rekindle its Soviet past, Erdogan attempting to reignite the Ottoman empire, and Britain going through a sense of pride and nostalgia in the shape of Brexit.  The above examples are countries attempting to regain past achievements, but China certainly has made nostalgia a reality.  With high rise buildings, shopping malls, car ownership rising exponentially, and an infrastructure program that is arguably the envy of the world.

I had visited Beijing once before, but on this occasion it was really a stopover.  I wanted to experience the Chinese bullet train (english.ctrip.com).  China's lightning-fast upgrade of its rail infrastructure has made it a rival to the Japanese Shinkansen.....or so it would seem.

However, before I climbed aboard China's latest transport sensation, I made a quick trip to the old China Central TV (CCTV) Tower (www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/cctv-tower or www.tour-beijing.com/blog/beijing-travel/how-to-visit-cctv-tower-in-Beijing) in Beijing (nearest metro station Gongzhufeng).  It's about a 15 minute walk to the tower from the station (www.ebeijing.gov.cn/feature_2/BeijingSubway).  By the time I arrived it was overcast and that is not the best time to visit.  I was duly informed to come on a clear evening, but being pressed for time I had little choice.  Across the road from the tower is Yuyuantan Park and Yuyuan Pond.  Excellent for strolling and jogging and taking a breather from the Beijing traffic air.  Of course there are plenty of 'city lungs' around Beijing such as Taoranting Park, Temple of Heaven Park - no guesses for where that is, and Qiongdao Island near the Forbidden City.  However, Yuyuan Park is less touristy and therefore one can get more privacy and space.  A good way to get from one park to another is to hire a bicycle, or better still an electric bicycle (www.bikebeijing.com/bikerental). Distances between metro stations can be great and so a good way to save time is to invest in two wheels. 

Old CCTV Tower at night

There aren't many people out there who don't like or appreciate Chinese food.  There are many options across the city, with a large ethnic mix found in parts.  A good place to sample halal options is along Wangfujing Food Street and Wangfujing Snack Street (exit C1/C2 Wangfujing metro station).  Also ethnic food samples and restaurants can be found in the Niujie Residential District served by Guang'anmen Inner metro station (exit C).  A lot of the restaurants and food markets sell snacks by the store front and are cheap and surprisingly filling.  The best places to sample western China cuisine and snacks is to go to either Xihai Gumeng Muslim shopping mall or on the bottom floor of Niujie Qingzhen Supermarket Food City, both are located on Niujie Street.  They are on the opposite side of Beijing Niujie Mosque, built in 996, and subsequently reconstructed to its current size under the Kangxi Emperor during the Qing Dynasty.  Also there are about 5 halal restaurants in Beijing South railway station that provide good quality options at reasonable prices.  I certainly thought Beijing, and perhaps China as a whole, was a homogeneous society, but after visiting the Niujie Residential District in Beijing my narrow-mindedness was made more broad.

Interior of Beijing Niujie Mosque

Anyway, onwards and upwards, and the day had arrived for me to experience China's answer to the Shinkansen.  Starting from Beijing South station, I boarded my train for Shanghai.  Even though I knew which platform to get on and where the queue was, somehow I ended up asking the ticket official if it certainly was the queue for Shanghai.  With a stern, featureless facial expression she said something at me in Mandarin.  My reply was simply, "Oh".  As I walked away to the back of the queue a couple at the front started smiling at me, probably realising that I was bamboozled by the official's response.  But I couldn't care less as I was confident I was getting on the right train, and this was confirmed when the same official stamped my ticket!

Curious to know if the Chinese bullet train was a match for its Japanese counterpart, I climbed aboard, found my seat, and figured out how I would pass the 5 and a half hour journey to Shanghai.  This being a country that banned Google and Facebook after all.  They do say that once you've tried something good everything that comes after seems second best.  This was certainly the case when travelling by rail through China.  Granted the seat was clean, train was on time, surrounded by an elderly but friendly tour group, and a sweet-faced, friendly trolley girl added to the trip's pleasantries.  The only issues for me were that the train wasn't as fast as its Japanese opposite number, and the scenery - picturesque no doubt - was as flat as a pancake.

Shanghai

If Beijing is historic, Shanghai complements with modernity.  Home to the second tallest building in the world - the Shanghai Tower at 632m - it can give cities such as New York and Singapore a run for its money.  Vibrant nightlife, superb dining options - notably The Bund and Nanjing Road - and a glitzy riverfront aka Pudong, Shanghai can certainly claim to be the Dubai of the East.

For all its glitz and glamour, Shanghai comes into its own at night.  Starting from People's Square and strolling along Nanjing Road you could be forgiven for thinking you were walking in Times Square.  Neon lights as far as the eye can see (not very far really considering how crowded the street is).  Some of it carries traffic, some of it is pedestrianised.  No doubt visitors and locals will have their favourite haunts along the way.  Being a tourist spot does come with its traps.  Hagglers and pimps strewn Nanjing Road from People's Square to The Bund.  On two or three occasions I got approached by these procurers, who are inept at spotting a visitor from a local.  Then again being brown it wasn't too difficult!  My strategy was politely say no and start walking faster.  Awkward when they are stood next to you at a crossing and being persistent, and you're waiting for the traffic to clear before moving on.

Pimps aside, walking along Nanjing Road is a pleasant experience.  And once I reached The Bund the view was spectacular.  Pudong certainly was for me one of the most breathtaking riverfronts I've seen.  A case of hashtag smiley face - #😊

There are several halal places to eat in Shanghai.  If you know the language then it's very straight forward.  If not, most restaurants have pictures of the dishes they serve either in the menu book or strewn on the wall.  It's just a case of pointing at what you want.  Good eating establishments are dotted around the city.  For example Fine Beef Noodle restaurant underneath Shenkeju hotel on Beijing West Road, Bostan on Fangbang Middle Road, or one or two options on Ninghui Road within Central Plaza near Yu Garden.  On Fridays snacks can be purchased outside mosques such as Fuyou Road mosque, and Xiao Taoyuan Qingzhensi mosque on the corner of Fuxing East Road and Henan South Road.

The Shanghai Tower

The Bund at sunset

Nanjing Road from People's Square

Nanjing Road facing People's Square

In the nick of time

As far as infrastructure is concerned, Shanghai is up there with the best of them.  And nowhere else in the world can whisk you from the city to the airport on a Maglev train. (www.shanghai-airport-transfer.com/transportation/maglev-train) I say city but it actually starts from Longyang Road station on line 2 only.  Impressive it may be the journey only lasts 8 minutes and reaches speeds of 300 kph (the train apparently can do 414 kph).  Sure the metro (service.shmetro.com/en) can get you to the airport too for less, but it takes longer.  An instance of less on the dime, more on the time.

Guangzhou

Perhaps overshadowed by other cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, Guangzhou seems like the silent sideshow that travellers and tourists alike seem to overlook.  However, hidden gems are often the ones best visiting.  Arriving at Guangzhou airport I made contact with my Airbnb host, who fortunately was available to make sure I arrived safe and sound.  Greeted by her husband at the metro stop the first thing that got me was how hot and humid the city is.  First time I had experienced such humidity on my adventure so far, but I just quietly carried on.  Formalities done and a quick dig at my host's husband's choice of football team to support - he was an Arsenal fan - I set out to experience Guangzhou's halal cuisine.  One thing I found through my trip of China was the array of predominantly Uighur restaurants dotted within Chinese cities.  Guangzhou was no exception and I found a cosy establishment selling authentic Uighur/Western Chinese cuisine - Guangzhou Nur Bostan Muslim restaurant.  The food arrived very quickly after ordering, and certainly gave my tastebuds a whizz.  The only downer being service without a smile. 

The restaurant itself is opposite the Huaisheng Mosque, which is said to date back to the time of the Prophet's uncle.  The nearest metro station is Ximenkou on line 1 (www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/guangdong/guangzhou/subway).  Just as a side note, the other main mosque in Guangzhou is Saad bin Abi Waqas mosque, which is conveniently opposite Yuexiu Park and its namesake metro station (line 2, exit B1).

Head for heights

One advantage Guangzhou's CBD has over other financial cities is how open planned and spacious it is.  Standing alone and aloof at 488m high at the southern end of the financial district is Canton Tower.  What the Eiffel Tower brings to Paris, Canton Tower brings to Guangzhou.  As with a lot of Chinese cities they best come to life at night.  Canton Tower glistens in an array of colours that can be witnessed far and wide. 

Starting from Linhe West station I made my way by foot through Huangpu Park and Flower City Square to Haixinsha station, dripping in perspiration from all the humidity - not a pleasant site I can assure you!  Arriving at Canton Tower it was already dusk and Guangzhou started to reveal how it can be described as an owl and not a lark.  From 488m above the view took my breathe away.

View from Level 488

Canton Tower at night

Special attention

Being so close to Hong Kong I felt I had to visit the special administrative region of Hong Kong.  Getting there was easy - a 2 hour train ride is all it takes (www.chinatrainguide.com/guangzhou-railway-station/hongkong).  However, getting a ticket was trickier than it sounds, at least I made it trickier than it should have been.  Queueing up as you normally do I got to the kiosk and requested a return ticket to Hong Kong.  Easy right?  Well not quite.  Although I hadn't realised you don't buy your return tickets in advance I was greeted with a confused looking ticket officer wondering why I wanted a return ticket.  To make matters worse I queued up at a time when everyone wanted to board the last train and I was there at the kiosk holding everyone up!  Lucky for me an Indian man who spoke both English and Cantonese explained what I wanted to do and finally I got my return ticket.  Yippee!!

Arriving at Hong Kong I checked into my hotel and immediately checked out Nathan Road, Hong Kong's answer to London's Oxford Road or New York's Fifth Avenue.  With plenty of shops and restaurants on and around Nathan Road there was plenty to choose from.

One of my ambitions on my eastern adventure was to get an aerial shot at night of every city that had an observation deck, and Hong Kong was no exception.  The best place to go for this is Victoria Peak, or sometimes dubbed 'The Peak'.  The best way to get up there is by The Peak tram.  Beginning its operation on 30th May 1888, it's by far the easiest, but not the cheapest, way to the top.  In order to save money I decided to buy a one way ticket, then walk down.  After lining up for 2 hours I finally made it to the top, with sensational views of Hong Kong and Kowloon down below.  After admiring the night time vista I could have followed the madding crowd and taken the tram back to the bottom.  However, there is a lesser known - if not cheaper - way to and from The Peak.  From the Sky Terrace follow Old Peak Road, a footpath that leads to the bottom of Victoria Peak.  Once you reach the main road, follow it round the residential tower blocks and continue until you reach Canossa Hospital.  From there take a slight right onto the downhill Albany Road.  Continue around the Botanical Gardens until you reach Glenealy.  This street will lead to Wyndham Street, then Pedder Street, and eventually Central Station.  Alternatively, from Albany Road turn right onto Upper Albert Road heading back towards the city.  About 50m on your left will be Albert Path.  Follow the staircase to Lower Albert Road and down to the Foreign Correspondents Club.  To the right of the club is a flight of stairs, which leads to Wyndham Street.

View of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak at night

The walk from Peak Tower to Central station

I, however, decided to walk through the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.  Once on the other side head downhill towards the Peak Tram station and continue onto Garden Road, where you will find St John's Cathedral and the famous Bank of China Tower.  From here I crossed over Chater Square, where I found exit J1, J2 and J3 for Central Station (thankfully, as I was exhausted!).

As with most Asian cities, Hong Kong is beautified at night.  Kowloon is lovely from Victoria Peak, but equally impressive is the night time view of Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay, and The Peak, from the Kowloon side, especially from Kowloon Public Pier next to the Kowloon-Canton Clock Tower and Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

Bank of China Tower from Chater Square

Central from Kowloon Public Pier

Just a word of note, if you are looking for halal food options, the best place to go is Chungking Mansion Shopping Arcade where the options are cheap and plentiful.  Not the nicest or most romantic choices by any means, but enough food to wet your appetite.  Also on Fridays food can be bought from outside Kowloon Mosque on Nathan Road.  Another option is on the Central-Midlevel side at Jamia HK Central mosque.  It's best accessed via the Central-Midlevel escalators which start from Queens Road and end at Robinson Road - a tourist attraction in itself - with the mosque on the corner of Shelley Road and Mosque Road near the top end of the escalators.  Cheap snack foods can be purchased outside the mosque every Friday.

Exterior of Jamia HK Central Mosque

Taiwan

After returning from Hong Kong it was one last night in China ie Guangzhou.  Just a formality for me as I was curious to know what lay ahead in Taiwan (www.guidetotaipei.com).  Unsure if the territory was independent or not I was soon to find out.  As per usual mishaps were almost second nature to me on this adventure, then again it wouldn't be one if there were no mishaps.  Minor one this time.  At Guangzhou airport security staff pulled me to one side and told me my 100ml mouthwash was not allowed on carry-on luggage.  I told her the limit was 100ml, and anything higher is banned.  She would not accept my argument and confiscated my mouthwash (fortunately I already brushed my teeth, lucky me!).  Annoyed at the fact this was the second item to be seized - the first being a 100ml can of deodorant confiscated at Gimpo International in Seoul - I just left in a strop and decided it's not worth it.  Just keep calm and move on to the next destination.  Judging by her colleagues behaviour it appeared they agreed with me that the can should not have been taken off me, but I guess she was an insistent one.

Arriving in Taipei it didn't feel much different to other airports in the region.  The language appeared the same, immigration was the usual rigmarole, and I just got my baggage and headed for my accommodation.

As always more mishaps and misgivings lay in wait for me.  Confusion about which bus to catch to get to the city was no mean feat.  Asking one ticket clerk about which bus to get turned into a group of clerks surrounding me asking if I was heading to Taipei about 5 or 6 times in succession.  Someone more faint hearted would probably assume they were being mugged or harassed.  Me, however, just declared my heading and they duly informed me which bus to catch.  The bus itself was comfortable and made stops along the way to its final destination at Taipei Railway station, where one can catch all forms of public transport as well as taxis.  As it was fairly late and carrying all my luggage I decided to get a taxi.  Easy?  Not quite, not when there is a language barrier involved.  One taxi driver after another refusing to give me a lift.  Luck bestowed upon me and a helpful local translated for me and got me a taxi ride.  Thank my lucky stars as I thought I might end up sleeping rough on my first night in Taiwan, which incidentally was formerly known as Formosa and comes under the jurisdiction of China - not independent as I first thought.

Taipei 101

My ambition to capture night shots of every city with an observation deck did not stop in Hong Kong.  Taiwan's answer to the high rise observation deck is Taipei 101 - a financial tower block at 449m.  Formerly known as Taipei World Financial Center.  Perhaps not the best views in terms of looking for significant landmarks - Shanghai and Hong Kong come to mind, but still up there with the best of them.  The experience though was slightly marred when an over zealous tourist kept on interrupting a photo shoot, insisting on having the female model in one of his many selfies.  It was clear the photographer and the male and female models were getting rather annoyed with the tourist's insistence.  All in all though the price of the entrance fee was value for money and I had no regrets visiting Taiwan's highest man made point, which by the way has a typical but fashionable shopping mall at its base.

Taipei 101

On your bike...again

I was happy to find a similar cycle scheme as Seoul in Taipei.  Also the main route was virtually identical in that it followed the main river, and there are plenty of segregated cycle lanes through the city.  The only difference was in Taipei the cycle hire has to be paid for (it's free in Seoul).  This time I decided to spend more time exploring by bike.  The good thing about cycling round Taipei is the segregated cycle paths along wide boulevards.  It certainly gives a sense of safe cycling and reassurance.  Also in Taipei the riverside cycle paths go along both riverbanks, with regular rest areas along the paths.  The scheme runs a very similar system as London's bike hire scheme in that you pay as you go, and return it to any bike station.

As like Seoul, Taipei's cycle routes predominantly follow the city's waterways, giving a glimpse into Taipei life

Crescent Bridge over Tamsui river

Shoestring cuisine

Taipei has a whole array of culinary delights.  Very similar to Chinese cuisine, Taiwanese fare comes in all shapes and sizes.  I was keen to discover Taipei's halal options.  There are many vegetarian and seafood choices to be found in Taipei, notably at its night markets.  The best and largest of these is Ximending Night Market in Wanhua district (Ximen station - Bannan Line/Songshan Line, Exit 1/6).  I came across a nice little food kiosk selling halal options run by an Arab man.  For about 70 Taiwanese dollars I satisfied my tastebuds no end, and surprisingly filling despite its size.  However, exploring the rest of the market is a feast of the senses, with smells and bright lights in all directions.  Entertainment was provided when I stubbled across abit of a tussle between two food stall owners.  The best I could gather was maybe the argument was something to do with personal space, but that was just me making a guess.  The crowd started to gather for a showdown between two budding chefs, where the exchange started to get more verbally loud.  Before things got physical the police arrived and asked them to leave peacefully in opposite directions.  I dreaded to think what could have happened if the law enforcers did not arrive.  I continued touring round the market when I had a hankering for some local streetfood delights.  The place I ended up ordering from, ironically, was the kiosk of one of the angry chefs who had the bust up a couple of streets away.  Looking cool, calm and collected he gave me my order, and with a smirk on my face I gladly walked away appreciatively with my seafood snack.

Another excellent eating establishment is Halal Chinese Beef Noodle on the corner of Alley 7 and Lane 137 Yanji street.  Their beef dumplings are exceptional.  Food and service is good and friendly, and the prices are reasonable.  Other places to eat from are Royal Indonesian Food restaurant on Xinsheng South Road, next to Taipei Grand mosque and opposite Daan Park.

Inside Taipei Grand Mosque

Halal Chinese Beef Noodle restaurant. Very good halal food can be purchased here with a good atmosphere

A good option is to go to convenience stores like 7-Eleven.  Not just in Taiwan, but nearly all eastern countries I noticed convenience stores sell readymade meals that the attendants will heat for you.  Some even have seating areas.  Literally taking convenience to what it really entails.  These choices are good if you are short on time or just want a quick snack. 

It's a matter of security

As I have persistently found, no 2 airport staff members are the same.  When leaving Taipei the check in desk official for Air Asia insisted on me carrying less weight in my cabin luggage.  After transferring some things to my check in luggage he still wanted me to empty more as I was only 500g over the limit!  Much to my annoyance I duly obliged.  Even after this he wanted me to empty even more, and at this point I was about 150g over.  Fortunately by now he let it go and finally allowed me to check in.  Just another mishap I thought.

After going through security and being searched by a cute, female security guard, I felt a little sad.  At this point I was about half way through my eastern adventure.  North East Asia for me was quite the eye opener, but I was eternally grateful.  The cultures, people, food and environments might seemingly look the same, but looks can so often be deceiving.  Having travelled extensively around the world I have found each country has its own little quirks and perks, no matter how mundane that country can be on paper.  Sometimes the differences can be found amongst the similarities, and for me that was what helped me appreciate a region I thought I knew well but left me even more in depth and enriched.

To North East Asia......Arigato, Gamse and Shi shien! 😀