Photo Diary: 24 Hours in Taiwan

Recently I had the brilliant idea to jet-set to Taiwan, a small island off the coast of China that is technically ruled by the ROC but still makes a valiant effort to differentiate itself from the most populated country in the world.

There were a few goals I had drawn up for myself on this quick trip, mainly to write a feature story on Taiwan’s street food–said to be some of the best in Asia, or on its high-speed rail system, which connects the entire island and offers easy access to its lush mountainside and a bevy of hot springs.

Unfortunately, when I arrived one misty night in December, after experiencing a powerful earthquake at the Tokyo-Narita Airport, rain was pounding the Taiwanese capital of Taipei. So the next day I braved the torrential downpours and walked around the city taking photos. But even with my new definitely–made-in-Taiwan $2 umbrella there was simply no way to escape the rain. Feeling mildly defeated but at least spontaneous, I studied the forecast for the next few days: rain, rain and more rain. So here are the photos I managed to take, some of them from a lively meat market–where I found refuge from the rain– before throwing in the wet towel and jumping on a plane back to the States the following morning.