The Little Big Traveler

From the busy streets of Manila, I took on an adventure to a place where the people, food, and culture can warm your heart in a blink of an eye. This magical place is called Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa.

This trip is my first time to travel alone, be away from my friends and family, and feel like a local in a different country. I joined Couchsurfing.com, a website that allows you to meet and interact with locals from different countries who act as hosts to help you learn and discover things about the place. Being a part of this community definitely made me a better and more understanding person.

My second trip to Taiwan gave me more opportunities to meet more people and see more places. In Taipei, I was hosted by a group of foreigners who were not Taiwanese but who have lived in the city long enough to show me around. They served as my guide and taught me what to expect in my first few days in Taiwan. I stayed with locals when I travelled to different cities in Taiwan and it was helpful that I had two different perspectives while I was there.

From the expats’ perspectives, Taiwan is a wonderful place. They consider it as one of the best places to live in for its great food, clean streets and nice people. The infrastructure is great and food is fairly cheap, too. Thanks to the numerous night markets that cater to everyone’s cravings and always keep the cleanliness of the surroundings.

One of the things that made me fall in love with Taipei is the MRT or subway. In Taipei, taking the MRT is one of the most affordable ways to go about the city, cheaper than taking a cab or renting a scooter. Riding in the MRT is also more fun because I like people-watching and guessing their life stories based on how tired they look, how busy they are on their smartphones, or how they stand or sit in the train.

In my next trips to various cities such as Keelung, Hsinchu, Taichung, Puli and Sun Moon Lake, I was hosted by Taiwanese of different backgrounds. Some of them were university students, two were employed, and one was on a break from the army and stays with his family. They were all surprised on how much I fell in love with Taiwan. With their kindness and hospitality, they made me want to stay longer and not go back home.