Excuse my lateness with the latest blog post. We have been busy! When I said we were ready for a quicker pace, I must have meant it. I’m sneaking this post in before we fly to Shanghai, where we’ll be putting this VPN to the test.
The original plan for this part of the trip was a month in China, followed by two weeks in Japan. Once we started looking into that, we realised we needed to be in New Zealand to get a visa for China, and if we had applied before we left, it would have expired before we arrived. So, that meant back to the drawing board, especially since we’d already booked a Shanghai to Tokyo flight, trying to beat the crazy costs of the cherry blossom season. Both Jerry and I went away with our respective world maps, and looked at what we might do for four weeks in March. Funnily enough, we came back with the same route - Taiwan, South Korea, Shanghai (with a visa-free stopover) then onto Japan. That is how we landed on our current itinerary. It involves more jumping than we originally planned, but we are getting to see so much!
This leg of the trip, we are joined by a special guest. For those who haven’t met our new series regular, this is Janina, Jerry’s sister. She is jumping around East Asia with us across 6 weeks. She took Mandarin in University, and has picked up some Korean language and cultural norms through Korean media, so she is our cultural advisor and frequent translator. She’s also just a bundle of wonderful positive energy, suggesting new activities and foods we might otherwise not have tried.
Taiwan was a bit of a mystery for us, going into planning. It had been on our radar as a potential destination, but neither Jerry nor I had done any significant research into what it would be like to travel in Taiwan.
Taiwan is currently running a lucky land promotion, to try encourage tourism to the area. I think I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts that Jerry has all the luck. Traffic lights turn green when he drives up, items go on sale just as he wants them, the sun shines when he wants to go for a walk…The Taiwanese government must have gotten word of his nature, as they awarded Jerry with TWD$5000, (about NZD$260) just for entering the country. Janina and I did not magic up this same achievement, but conveniently Jerry had suggested we share the winnings if any of us won…
If you’re heading to Taiwan any time soon: https://5000.taiwan.net.tw/index_en.html
With such an auspicious start, Taiwan could only be incredible. We continued our lucky streak when we arrived at our accommodation. When you work within the price ranges that Jerry and I do, sometimes you are playing the lottery with your accommodation. We check the reviews meticulously, and we review the photos, but sometimes there’s a wild card which could go either way. In Taipei, our accommodation looked amazing in the pictures, and had overall good reviews. It’s wild card was check in. There were a few reviews from people saying they couldn’t get in, that their booking was cancelled, etc… There was nothing else in this price point with such a good location, so we took the gamble. It paid off! Check in was a nightmare, yes, but we just took it as a free escape room. Once we were locked into the lobby, the faceless administrator messaged me through LINE while watching us via CCTV, and we eventually freed our room key from the fake bookshelf, with a series of different lockbox codes. Once we made it out of the lobby, we were rewarded with a two story apartment that included the best shower of our trip so far. Success.
Taipei always features on the New Year’s countdowns around the world, thanks to the epic fireworks show that is let off from Taipei 101. This distinctive skyscraper was designed to evoke the traditional form of Chinese pagodas, and is centred around the lucky number 8, but it’s also often compared to stacked Chinese takeaway containers (we found in Taiwan, so many things were described based on what food it looked like…) We took a hike up elephant hill to view the Taipei skyline, preferring to view Taipei 101 from the outside, rather than the inside.
After all that exercise, we rewarded ourselves with dumplings. Taiwan is home to Din Tai Fung, the xiao long bao restaurant that has now spread worldwide. Xiao long bao are soup dumplings, which originated in the Shanghai region. There will be comparisons later in this trip. We utilised the very efficient queuing system to get a table, and enjoyed traditional pork xiao long bao, as well as chocolate xiao long bao for dessert. Although it was a completely different style of dining, this experience brought back memories of our time in Hong Kong in 2019, when Jerry and I had dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, at our first ever Michelin starred restaurant. It was, in fact, the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world at the time. The Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong has coincidentally also earned itself a Michelin star.
We got to watch the xiao long bao being made through the window, and we went back again later in the week, to have more (once again, the same as Tim Ho Wan)! Other food highlights were pepper pork buns (famous at the Raohe street market, but the same stand is at Shilin street market with a shorter line, FYI), and crispy milk doughnuts, which were Jerry’s favourite doughnuts of all time. For me, they’re tied with the beignets we had in New Orleans. It’s a fierce competition. We also loved brown sugar bubble tea, gua bao, and our frequent breakfast of scallion pancakes with a warm soy milk. Taiwan had a strong snack game. This was probably aided by the two hundred dollars we had to spend at convenience stores and on the metro, which meant we really sampled the options from 7-11 and Family Mart.
One misty morning, we went out to Jiufen, and wandered the old street. We went early, and had the place mostly to ourselves. We ducked into Amei teahouse, which is often credited as inspiration for the bathhouse in Spirited Away. It was a couple hours later by the time we emerged, filled with a dozen cups of tea each. By this point, many more people had arrived, and we looked into bustling souvenir shops while trying many of the free tastings.
As well as exploring Taipei, we took the high speed train down to Tainan for a weekend. We were planning to just see a few sights in Tainan, and sample food from a different region, but we ended up coinciding our trip with the lantern festival. Jerry and I actually became friends at the Christchurch lantern festival, where he bought me an ice cream. When I shared this joyful memory out loud, Jerry’s response was “apparently”, so I guess it was less memorable for some of us…The Tainan lantern festival was on a different level. It was massive, with lanterns that moved to music and our first ever drone show. Super fortunate to line up with our time there!
Before we left Taiwan, I clearly needed another story from our accommodation choices. We were impressed with the hotel we picked for our last night, since it was much nicer than it had looked in the photos. We were celebrating as we checked in in the lobby. I love a freebie, so when I saw a box of pretty wrapped squares with flowers on them with a sign that said “take me!”, I grabbed a handful (along with one of the lollies). When I noticed one of the receptionists looking at me, I thought about returning one, but I was too far gone towards the lift at that point. Upstairs, Janina and I opened them to discover they were, in fact, condoms. Oh my goodness. Let me paint that picture for you - three of us with the same last name just checked into the triple room, grabbed a couple of condoms, and breezed out of reception. Jerry and Janina nearly choked on all their giggles, while I died a slow, mortifying death, and then avoided eye contact with reception for the rest of our stay.
From Taiwan, we headed to South Korea. Korea has had the sad honour of being our home
base during one of the toughest times of the year for me. The 14th was the third anniversary of my Dad’s death, marking four years since he passed away, shortly before the lockdown in 2020. It was one of those days where I felt a very long way from home. We went to the Coex aquarium for some quiet reflective time. At my parent’s house, there is a frame on the wall that now houses a piece of art, but when we were little, there used to be a fishtank. My dad loved his fish; particularly the neon tetras. So being in the aquarium brought back some fun memories of that time. On our way home, I decided that one tear was going to slip out, then I’d pull myself together. That was a gamble I lost. Cue Caitlin having a silent cry on the metro on the way home. The people of Seoul politely ignored my public display of emotion, and I got some lovely squeezy hugs from Jerry and Janina once we got back. I am so grateful for modern technology, with the ability to video call back home at the press of a button.
Thankfully, Seoul has not ended up being the negative five degrees we saw for the forecast the week before we arrived, but it has still been chillier than the past few months of travel, with mornings sometimes reaching negatives. We’re not complaining though, as we have had the most incredible bluebird days. It also meant Jerry and I got to buy city people clothing, meaning one item each that isn’t black or technical fabric. I’ve worn my new jumper every day, so well worth the purchase from the clearance rack at Uniqlo.
We’ve mixed our experiences in Seoul, visiting palaces and museums, as well as eating ramen by the Han river, wandering along Cheonggyecheon urban river with a coffee in hand, and trying Korean barbecue for the first time. The first time we went for it, it felt like cooking Christmas dinner for the family - trying to get the roast ready at the same time as the mashed potatoes, while also trying to eat your Christmas dinner, and stop the sauce from burning in the saucepan. Thankfully, we gave it a second go, and were much improved.
Hotteok has been the food of the moment, since apparently all we want in life is CAAAAAAAARBS. A hotteok is a Korean pancake, filled with melted brown sugar, honey, or nuts. We have tried a few different versions:
Classic hotteok - 8/10. Solid choice.
Seed hotteok - 9/10. I think this was our favourite, as it was extra chewy and good. We had a few of these down in Busan.
Snow (?) hotteok - 2/10. At this spot, we asked what the stall owner recommended, and this is what we got. It seemed that the hotteok was covered in chicken salt. I like a sweet salty mix, but we had to scrape it off because it was not the vibe. Gave me cheese bar ice cream vibes - these two flavours do not go together for me.
Cheese and vegetable hotteok - 8/10. Who can say no to mozarella?
Between Korean bbq, hotteok, Korean fried chicken, all the banchan with every meal, we have been well fed here.
Inevitably in this year of travel, Jerry and I are going to disagree on certain things, or want to do different things. For Jerry, visiting the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea was low on his priority list. For me, it felt like an active piece of history, and something I wanted to experience. So, he dropped me off at the meeting point, and I hopped on a tour up North.
I was fortunate with my tour, as I had a small group, and my group was made up of wonderful people. Not only were they all lovely people, they were goldmines of personal anecdotes too! In my group, I had a tour guide who shared his own experiences of mandatory conscription in the South Korean army, a British Taekwondo champion who had visited North Korea for competitions and shared his experiences and photos from the other side of the DMZ, and a Korean American family, whose mum grew up in the Paju province, where the DMZ is located. She shared her stories of her father’s family trying to reunite following the Korean war, as well as her childhood memories of a defector flying over her village in a plane, which led her entire village into a frenzy, thinking North Korea was invading again. These personal stories enriched what could have otherwise been a very touristy experience, so I am grateful for how openly they shared. I also had plenty of time to look through the binoculars into North Korean territory, and see soldiers on the other side, patrolling what I would describe as a highly militarised zone, and got to clamber through the tunnel dug by North Koreans under the DMZ in an attempt to invade in the 1970s (sadly no photos allowed in the tunnel, we were security checked).
A part of travel I love is how it brings world history to life, in a depth I could never have gained from reading alone. Our time in Asia has felt like we are walking through history, connecting the dots of the aftermath following on from the Second World War. In Taiwan, we learnt about the Chinese Civil War (which ended in 1949). Here in Korea, we have learnt about the Korean War (1950-53), which then connected back to our time in Vietnam, with our learning about the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and the domino effects into our first stop in Asia, Cambodia. We have also learnt more about how these contribute to the political tensions of today. I won’t be writing in too much depth about that, as we continue to travel to destinations where those tensions are still felt, but still. Much to ponder.
We explored some non-war related history as well, while in South Korea. We visited two hanok villages, in both Seoul and Jeonju. In Jeonju, we stayed in a traditional hanok, sleeping on futons and having a traditional breakfast each day, before venturing out and renting hanbok. Renting hanbok is very popular in Jeonju (and in Seoul, where you can enter the palaces for free while wearing one!) Janina, Jerry, and I all chose blue hanbok, so we are lovely and matchy in all our photos.
We also spent a few days in Busan, on the southern coast. We had more beautiful weather in Busan, so we enjoyed sunny days walking on the beach, taking the sky capsule, and visiting Gamcheon culture village, which is often called the Positano of Korea, thanks to its small colourful homes built on the hillside.
Our memories of South Korea are a mix of tangible places, such as the DMZ, Jeonju’s hanok village, inside the smoky barbecue restaurants, as well as some more specific intangible memories - joking about iced americanos even though none of us drank one the entire time we were here, learning new Korean phrases and then relearning them when we found out that everyone seems to blend them into half the number of syllables, ducking into every Daiso we could find, and boogying to the metro tune while waiting for its arrival. We have heard concerning news that they have changed the metro jingle while we were down South - since we leave today, we may never know. It’s probably for the best, as Jerry’s heart might break if it’s true.
P.S.: Souvenir update: I have purchased several sets of training chopsticks while here. I have spent a lot of time at my wonderful friend Ji Won’s house over the years, since we became friends in primary school. At age 5, I definitely could not use chopsticks, so her family generously let me use her younger sister’s training chopsticks. I have hunted high and low for these as an adult, and finally found them while here in Korea’s Daiso. What are the odds we get back to New Zealand, and they suddenly stock them in Wellington’s Daiso…
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