McKenna's Map

  We both loved Taiwan so much and definitely want to go back the next time we are in that part of the world. I think my favorite thing about Taiwan was the culture/atmosphere. Locals were very laid back and the vibe was very relaxed. We were met with so much kindness and friendliness   A LOT of people have asked: did you feel the tensions with China while you were there? And to that, I would say a few things: I will not speak for locals and also was not able to hear their perspectives due to the language barrier. We did get to chat with a girl who was practicing English at her family’s restaurant but I wasn’t about to be like “so how do you feel about China?” I think there is a misconception that political/international tensions, economic issues, human rights issues are always visible or noticeable from the perspective of a foreigner. It can be really difficult for a tourist to see and feel these things when observing daily life, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or t...

  Notes from the journal: 6/6 The address for our hotel in Chiayi was wrong and took us to a building that also happened to be a hotel, so we were really confused and after lots of messages with our actual hotel, we managed to find it. 6/7 Walked across the street to board our bus to Alishan and got off at Shizuo on the way to hike amongst the oolong tea fields. It was very scenic with lots of clouds but we were unable to buy a cup of tea since the tea shops only sold in bulk.   Got back on the bus and went to Alishan, walked around the entire park for a couple of hours. The forest was very misty and lush with giant trees, streams, flowers, and ponds.   It started pouring on the bus ride back and the roads started to flood, with small mudslides. The ride up was very scenic and we saw lots of monkeys on the side of the road. Back in Chiayi we went to a very yummy local restaurant where Tyler tried congealed duck blood (it was…interesting). Stopped for boba on the way back ...

  Notes from the journal: 6/3 • Took a bus from the Taitung train station to the ferry port and went to our nice little B&B next to the port. Sat outside on the balcony and enjoyed the breeze and views of the ocean. The trash truck came around the neighborhood playing a loud tune that sounded like an ice cream truck to alert people to bring their trash out. • Went to an amazing little restaurant nearby in the village for dinner and got flower tea, sashimi (even better than the sashimi in Japan in my opinion), braised pork belly, and seafood soup. • Walked around the village to stock up on snacks at the 7/11 and came across a cool temple. 6/4 • I went to the ferry port to pick up our pre-reserved tickets while Tyler ordered our free breakfast. I forgot his passport so I had to go back through the village. • We had a weird interaction when we got on the boat where they took our tickets and ushered us on but then kind of shouted after us so we turned around and then they waved as ...

  Notes from the journal: 6/1 • Caught the last train from the airport into Taipei and got to our Airbnb late at night 6/2 • Slept in due to late night and I woke up with a sore throat so we lazed around a bit • Walked through the rain to an American/Taiwanese/Japanese breakfast place for Tyler and I tried some tea which was AMAZING (Taiwan had the best tea out of any country we visited by far - especially oolong tea) • Went to a Michelin recommended beef noodle place for my meal (Tyler has a gluten allergy but I really wanted to try this dish in Taipei so that’s why we went to two places). We luckily got there when it opened so we didn’t have to wait too long and the beef tendon and beef cuts were sooooo yummy and the broth was perfect. • Took a bus to Elephant mountain, walked through cute streets with lots of greenery, and climbed up for a view of the city and Taipei 101 in the fog • On the way down we saw two giant snails mating and Tyler thought it was the best thing ever (thr...

Notes from the journal: 5/30 • Busan Museum of Art was closed for renovations so we went to the only open exhibit which was a modern art collection by Lee Ufan. It was interesting…basically some rocks on the floor and blank canvases • Took the bus to Songjeong Beach and laid in the sand. I took a nap under my jacket and we chatted for a couple hours before finding a seaweed soup restaurant. Apparently that dish is traditionally eaten on birthdays and after giving birth, but it was amazing on neither of those occasions. • Walked an hour to Headong Younggunsa Temple, which is a true hidden gem at night. We were the only people aside from two locals worshipping and we got to see the beautiful temple complex all lit up at night with hundreds of little golden lights. The temple is next to the sea so it was incredibly peaceful and was one of our favorite parts of our time in Busan. 5/31 • I slept horribly at the hostel and was very cranky when I woke up but we got moving and went to Taejongd...

  Notes from the journal: 5/27 • Landed in Jeju, tried to walk 30 mins to our Airbnb but ended up on a freeway and walking thru bushes so went back to the airport and took a bus 5/28 • Woke up early to climb the tallest mountain in South Korea!! • Hopped on a very crowded public bus with a bunch of kids going to school, waited forever at a bus transfer point and met some other tourists planning to climb Hallasan who we ended up seeing several times throughout the trail • I was stressing a bit about the buses taking so long because we had to check in for the hike at a certain time and be at certain checkpoints along the trail by early afternoon • Hiked about 13 miles with 4,000 ft elevation gain in the national park. Tons of stairs and muggy heat but the summit had amazing views of the island, ocean, and the crater lake. We were also carrying all of our luggage for all of Asia because the trail is point to point and we were going to a new hostel • As soon as we got off the mountain ...