Entry #22 || Taiwan Trip • Day 3: Maokong Gondola, Taipei Zoo & Shilin Night Market 🚡🐼🌙

Day 3 was all about mixing calm, adventure, and a little bit of chaos at the end. We started by hopping on the Maokong Gondola, a ride that gave us breathtaking mountain views. At the top, we tried Maokong’s famous tea-cat ice cream (so unique!) along with lamb and beef skewers that hit the spot. The scenery made everything taste even better.

On the way down, we stopped at Zhinan Temple — a place overflowing with peace and history. It had this quiet, grounding energy that made me want to stay all day, but the animals were waiting. So off we went to Taipei Zoo! The mini train ride into the zoo felt fun and scenic, and once inside, it was like childhood dreams coming true — seeing pandas, elephants, and animals I’d only known from books and TV. (No capybaras, but the panda made up for it 🐼💛).

We also had our first full meal of the trip — McDonald’s! Funny enough, the menu was different from what we were used to back home, and it felt like a little adventure of its own. After a few more animal encounters, the zoo closed, and our next destination awaited: Shilin Night Market.

Shilin was a world of its own. The lights, the food, the energy — it was alive in every direction. From the biggest fried chicken cutlet I’ve ever had to random claw machine games we didn’t win (but laughed so hard playing), it was an experience worth remembering. We snacked on so many unique treats, packed up goodies to bring back to the Philippines, and ended the night heading home with full bags and even fuller hearts (and stomachs).