when i last visited, I found the tea generally good but overpriced. Probably wouldnāt get a teapot there tho.
I enjoyed walking around it even though it was a bit busy. Bit really drinking tea with the view down over the cloudy mountains was pretty nice. So I really enjoyed that.
Yes thatās what I mean too.
If itās darker than maybe we donāt notice the rats as much 
Reminds me of Feng Chia night marketā¦yeah popular night market but people like to dump their trash anywhere even though thereās like 6-8 convenience stores in the area and trash bins. I think itās better these days. I think it started getting better after the news reported how people just start dumping all their trash in front of the schoolās main gate. The pile would get pretty big.
Pretty sure lots of students and tourists still just dump their trash at the bus stops near the school though. See some big rats crawling out from time to time there to grab a bite to eat and run away between the legs of everyone waiting for the bus.
I havenāt run into that issue here in Kaohsiung, but itās very bad in central Tainan.
I think it used to be much worse although these past 4-5 years I either notice it less or itās gotten better. Thatās how I āknewā I was back in Taiwan. Got off the plane took the bus to the city and first thing you smell is the sewage.
As for Taichung itās definitely better downtownā¦used to be pretty bad and messy. The area thatās now the ę°ēē¶ å·ę°“å²øå»é Shin Sei Green Waterway is way better than before and now people actually like to hangout in the area and even attracts people to come and take pictures or just chill out and relax. It also doesnāt have that nasty smell anymore.
Ironically enough it was simply a restoration project to change it back to more what it was like during the Japanese colonial period.
Wheres the cable car and mrt connection? Thatās what its been missing
Thatās the only part of Taichung Iāve been to, and I enjoyed it.
Yeah, cleaning up the area and making it quieter and more relaxed/chilled turned out great. I think more areas could benefit from something similar.
Some friends that Iāve met in other cities that have only been to downtown Taichung area all have similar feelings to you, they liked that area. Buy some ice cream at Miyahara and take a seat and relax.
And yet 95% of Taichungās rivers and streams are open sewers running through the city. And I mean through the most expensive districts too.
Lazy govt just fixes up a tiny part of the waterways/concrete storm drains. I actually think they should cover them over and put some parks on top and cycle ways they are that bad.
Thereās a few really vile ones in Kaohsiung as well.
Itās getting betterā¦ Itās something at least. On some of the bridges/crossings they only made space for vehicles so pedestrians would have to squeeze in and walk across. In areas theyāve redone so far they have widened them and made sidewalks or a whole separate crossing right next to intersection.
I hate, hate, HATE those damn things! I swear, so many times I came this close to stealing/breaking those obnoxious megaphones. I donāt encounter them nearly as often as I did a few years agoāthankfullyāat least not in Taoyuan.
Jiufen has been a hoe since I first visited around 15 years ago. Seems to have improved a bit and still worth a visit since then but generally still shithole. Avoid crowded times and can feel better.
Now they have cruise ships pulling up with 4000 passengers and few other choices for a day trip.
Just spent a couple nights there during some special after-lantern festival.
Do they differ from old tourist streets? Iām thinking Wanhua
I donāt know. Depends on what you mean by that. You just switched a few words around.
I donāt know what Wanhua is.
I donāt know either.
I apologise for switching words around.
By Old Street I mean a clearly delineated single street full of meat on a stick and candy floss.
In that case, yes. Thatās what I meant by Old Street, too.
In the south, there is Anping Old Street and Yongkang Old Street in Tainan (and perhaps Shennong Street but Iām not sure if that counts); Cishan Old Street and Meinong Yongāan Old Street (and perhaps others) in Kaohsiung; and several in Pingtung county (Fengtian Old Street, Xi Sheng Old Street, Yangjiyuan Old Street, and Hengchun Old Street).
And of course there are old streets in central Taiwan as well, but Iām not as familiar with them. I only know Lukang Old Street in Changhua county.
Jiufen at night , with the sunset and later is quite charming after the crowds go away. Spectacular view from up there. Also early morning.
Ye Olde Street Taiwanese style. Donāt forget some stinky dofu wedged at the end.
Iām spamming here I know.
But Kenting hasnāt changed one fecking iota since I first visited over 20 years ago. That place is a time warp stuck in a time warp.
What is it with Taiwan the āhot spotsā just donāt seem to change at all. They just keep doing the same ole thing. Kenting is just such a fecking embarrassment of a tourist destination.