One of my favorite ways to get to know a country is through its markets.
And nothing can introduce you to Taiwan quite as well as a Taiwanese night market.
Usually, these markets are wedged down alleyways off of really busy roads and crammed in between tall, dilapidated apartment buildings.
They are crowded, humid, smelly, loud, and rudimentary.
I often feel like I float through one, kind of like the picture above suggests.
And every time I leave one, I am a little shell shocked by my experience.
At the market, scooters weave in and out of people.
Pig heads and chicken feet hang out in the open.
Locals bombard you with their excitement and jibber-jabber at you in Chinese.
Sweat drips down your back and beads on your forehead.
Scents, some delicious and others not so much, overwhelm you.
What is for sale at these traditional markets?
Fruits + veggies + meats + tofu + noodles + seafood.
Usually, I don't buy anything.
Instead I just take photos of it all.
Which includes the adorable dogs that are helping their owners strum up good business.
Taiwanese markets may be a little dirty and stinky, just like Taiwan itself.
You may get really overheated and sweaty.
And sometimes you will brush more than just shoulders with the people around you.
But they are still something extraordinary to be experienced, even if only once.
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To read more Taiwanese travel stories, head on over to Boy & Girl Globetrot!
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Great collection of pictures from a part of the world I have been dreaming and wanderlusting about for too long now. I hope I can atleast squeeze in one of the Asian countries in my travels next year.
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I don't think I would buy anything either.
ReplyDeleteThat last photo is great. I've only been to mainland China, but would love to visit Taiwan and its famous night markets one day.
ReplyDeletehttp://itsjpei.wordpress.com/
I often like to look but not buy I over think all purchases and it can be so bloody frustrating at times
ReplyDeleteI am glad to know I am not the only one who LOVES to take pictures at the market. There is just so much to document! www.eatallovertheworld.weebly.com
ReplyDeletemarket is my favorite thing to visit when i travel! love this.
ReplyDeleteGREAT BLOG- I'd love it if you checked mine out-
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xx