Sunday, April 15, 2012

Tourist Trap Alert: Jiufen

I was in Taipei for a quick 3 day getaway. It was more of a sightseeing excursion but we did manage to squeeze in a few culinary adventures along the way! This is the 5th of 10 parts.

I dragged Murtle and Curly to Jiufen a sleepy mountain town, an hour away from Taipei because I couldn't resist the lure of quaint shops, red lanterns, and its Spirited Away connection.
    


I learned however, that Jiufen is nothing but a tourist trap making me regret all the hours we wasted exploring the place. It was hard to appreciate whatever little charm the community had as it was very crowded.

We had to navigate our way through throngs of people everywhere we went...




Aside from avoiding the crowds at Jiufen, one can eat overpriced street food,

Curry Balls
take pictures of the town below,

and shop for souvenirs.

Given the number of people visiting Jiufen, it was no longer surprising that we had to deal with a long line just to return to Taipei.

 I couldn't be happier when the bus finally arrived!

I'm not sure if Jiufen is worth a visit even without the crowds as the only memorable moment I have is seeing this beautiful sleeping dog. :(

From Jiufen, we went to Shida, a popular night market among college folks. Egad! It was just as crowded!

We gave up and called it a night after a quick takoyaki run. 

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