Portuguese sailors first called Taiwan Formosa which means Beautiful Island in 1544. It is a fitting name for the island south of China and north of the Philippines. We arrived in Taipei, Taiwan in the early morning after a long flight from Los Angeles. We had a ten hour layover in Taipei on our way to Miyazaki, Japan. My wife and I wanted to experience the city for the short time we had. Once we made it through customs, we went and exchanged our money so we had about $100 of spending money. We also put our carry-ons in a locker and headed for the bus stop. We hoped on Bus 1841 to Nankan City to experience a farmers market. The market was located on many busy narrow streets throughout the heart of the city. Mopeds, bicycles, and carts whizzed by as people wandered to each vendor. Raw meat and fish were hanging on hooks at the vendors filling the air with a very potent smell. It was so interesting to get a glimpse of the local farmers market. We decided to settle on some dumplings, pot stickers, and fried pastries with an omelet center. We ordered our food by pointing at what we wanted. Overall, our layover in Taipei was fun and interesting. We got to experience a culture for a few hours and enjoy the local cuisine. I highly recommend taking longer layovers in other countries and going outside of the airport. After our time in Taipei, we headed over the East China Sea to Miyazaki, Japan.
