Friedman's travels

Thanks for checking out our blog!  This is the start of our world trip and we're going to do our best to post pictures and stories here for friends and family.  This is us - and all our luggage - for the next three months. We're starting off with three weeks in Taiwan.  Two weeks in Taipei followed by a week traveling around the island.  In general, our plan is to "slow travel".  We're staying predominantly in airbnbs in local neighborhoods.  In addition to doing school work each day, we're shopping in local markets, cooking, and visiting both tourist attractions and places off the beaten trail.    We're currently in an airbnb apartment on the second floor in one of the biggest night markets in Taipei - Shilin Night Market.  In the morning, vendors are out selling fruits, vegetables and meats.  Starting around 4 pm, the shops open and the food vendors come out.  The crowds start arriving and the place is packed until around 2 am....

  This was me at the beginning of our three month adventure. We were on the plane for five hours to get to San Francisco, stayed there for one hour, then got on another plane for fourteen hours. We got to Taiwan at four in the morning, Their Time. We got to our airbnb, and after putting down all of our stuff we went out. The night market was clearly not open yet but it was still amazing to see everything. At night when the night market did open it was amazing. There were people everywhere and stalls right, left, up, and down the street.  This is the night market and a crazy festival. The night market happens every night from four pm till two am. It's really cool to walk around it and see everything. There are endless shops, food, drinks, and games, and it's extremely big too. We are staying in a building right above it so it's pretty easy access if we want to got down to it. It is also the most famous night market in all of Taiwan. As for the festival, it was for the birthd...