Taiwan Journey: The Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei and my peaceful solo walk.
This time, my destination for traveling in Taipei is the museum located just a 10-minute walk from the HSR Taipei Station.
And if you want to go somewhere where you can start exploring Taipei as soon as you arrive at the train station, this museum is a great choice that I’d recommend, that is — -Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei.
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To explore my story traveling to the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei.
1. Excited to be leaving!
2. The first challenge
3. Almost give up
4. Convince myself
5. Faced another challenge
6. Relief
Note: At the end of this piece of writing, I hope you enjoy the photographs that I’ve utilized to convey the viewpoints and atmosphere of the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei!
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1. Excited to be leaving!
It was a happy time, I took the train to Taipei from Southern Taiwan by Taiwan High-Speed Rail or widely known as THSR, the trip only took 3–4 hours and it was quite convenient.
Traveling alone in Taiwan made me realize how simple and secure this country is. Anyway, there are always challenges in our lives though (haha).
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2. The first challenge
The first challenge said hi to me, yes — my journey didn’t go as smoothly as I planned.
Even after spending some time in Taiwan, I was still taken surprised by the country’s climate. From the extremely hot heat in the southern area to meet Taichung’s nice weather upon arrival.
And then — after leaving Taichung, the sky quickly changed; it immediately became dark and gloomy, and heavy rain continued till the train arrived in Taipei.
Even though I kept praying for the rain to stop, nothing changed (haha).
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3. Almost give up
My planned visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art (Taipei) was almost canceled due to that unexpected weather.
Stuffy and hot weather,
No umbrella — -and had to buy a new one,
No indication that the heavy rain would stop, and many kinds of stuff to carry.
Yes.. frustrated, and a little annoyed at that moment. Anyway, this circumstance couldn’t convince me to head straight to the hotel; even if I really wanted to do so (laughing again).
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4. Convince myself
This is how I solved the problem.
1. Asked for information about where to leave my belongings at the information desk at the train station, and made sure that I knew the exact spot before facing heavy rain outside. Then — -runnnnnnn!!!!
2. In front of the train station is where you’ll find the luggage storage space, the distance is pretty close to where you could grab a taxi. The worker there was very nice and friendly to me.
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5. Faced another challenge
1. When cabs are lined up on a rainy day in front of you, you may wonder whether you should walk or take a taxi for such a short distance, right?
Me too.
In the end, I decided to walk. But after I got lost, I thought I had chosen the wrong choice.
The weather was getting worse, it was just a hot and humid day with pouring rain. So, if you love dressing up (like me), I advise you just take a taxi.
2. I continued to check Google Maps as I walked by the long blocks with few people on the road, saw a group of homeless people around some buildings. I was surprised since I didn’t notice much homelessness in other cities in Taiwan before. That time, one of them seemed to follow me, I just walked down to the subway station to escape that situation.
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6. Relief
Finally got here!
As soon as I got to the Museum of Contemporary Art, I started to feel calm when the door welcomed me. The air conditioner blew cool air right onto my skin, the atmosphere was quiet, and I could smell peacefulness in the vibe. Thanks to myself I didn’t give up —cause I really like these kinds of feelings.
Those gloomy feelings were gone.
I was fortunate to be able to quietly wander through the museum since that day didn’t have many visitors. Most artworks there were modern art that I spent more time than I expected.
Especially, one room that kept me longer than others, the room was dark with an empty space, there were just windows that let the visitors view outside and chairs to sit in.
I was sitting there and listening to museum audio, and that vibe led me to think about my (struggling) life in the past and at that moment. Although I found tiredness in some parts of my mind, on the other hand, I felt relief and freedom that I was sitting there; alone, with an appreciated feeling of still alive.
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Let some of the photos below tell a story!
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Today, I can vividly recall my feelings at the time as well as the peaceful surroundings.
Several times, solo traveling teaches us a lot.
You might struggle alone, eat, or feel uneasy in a strange place by yourself.
But at the end of the day,
you will thank yourself and the friendship with new people you have met along the way.
Especially, when you’re used to traveling alone, you might become addicted to it, Lol.
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Other advice:
You can simply purchase or book a ticket on the THSR website, and choose the ‘English’ option to change your interface if using English makes you feel safer than Mandarin. Remember to bring your student ID card with you if you take a THSR travel at a discounted rate for students (in case the station officer needs to check it).
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Thanks for reading!
And, please visit my Instagram account @Cloud9Milestone
Hope life treats you well!
