GO ASIA TRAIL 
this is the first time I have DNS'd in an overseas race after making it to the area. I was very disappointed, although I had hoped to actually run the race and report back to you all. I was not able to run in a foreign country, so it was a trip to recuperate and see the sights.
Before entering the country
Here's how it happened.
- 9/20 22:00- Take Air Asia flight from Kansai Airport to Taipei.
- I had noticed that I was feeling kind of sick before departure.
- The air conditioner on the plane was cold, so I spent the flight in pretty heavy clothes.
- After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport, I was caught by the thermography inspection.
Probably made worse by the in-flight air conditioning. I took my temperature at the thermography checkpoint and found that it was 39.2 degrees Celsius. I thought to myself, "Oh no, I'm going to be denied entry and sent back to Japan." But since my symptoms were only high fever, I was allowed to enter the country as is (I think they would have refused me if I had diarrhea, nausea, rash, etc.). ) At that time, they made a copy of my passport and asked me about the hotel where I would be staying and my contact information. After that, we took the express bus into Taipei City and went straight to bed at the hotel. Before going to bed, I took some cold medicine that I brought from Japan and went to bed.
9/21 (the day before the race)
Thanks to the medicine I took, I felt a little better. I wanted to take my temperature, so I bought a thermometer at a drugstore (Watson's?) near the hotel. I bought a thermometer at a drugstore (Watson's?) near the hotel. I took it and found that my temperature was about 38 degrees Celsius. I ate a light breakfast, took the medicine, and stayed in bed.
In the afternoon, I took the train to Dongmen Station to pick up my race pack (the hotel is in front of Taipei Station). During the trip, I was so out of breath just climbing the subway stairs that I thought, "Holy crap, I'm going to be DNS tomorrow," but I successfully pick up the pack. After that, I went back to the hotel and basically spent my time either at the hotel or at the convenience store next door.
Then, I went back to the hotel or the convenience store next door and basically spent the rest of the day there. What kind of food should I eat in Taiwan?" My Taiwanese friends will immediately contact me via DM and say, "I recommend this medicine or this nutritional drink," or "If you need to go to the hospital, I will make an appointment for you. And then, "Where is your hotel? I'll bring you some medicine," and they gave me something that is like Bufferin in Japan.
Also, this is a nutritional drink called Ji-jin, which is concentrated chicken extract. It tastes like "cold, unsalted chicken noodle soup. It is not very tasty, but it is not undrinkable. When I drink it, my body feels warm and I feel strangely energized. In Taiwan, people drink this soup when they have a cold or are feeling down. It is sold at convenience stores, so give it a try. Come to think of it, this drink was served at the aid station of the Taipei Marathon.
I stayed at the hotel on the 21st, and I was recovering nicely, but it was still 37.7 degrees Celsius at 10 p.m., so I gave up on the race completely and switched to sightseeing mode in Taiwan!
After that, we went sightseeing in Dihua Street.
The next day, my fever was down to normal and I went back to sightseeing mode.
In the morning of September 22 (Sun.), I went to Dihua Street. I have been to Taipei many times, but this was my first visit. The town is retro and a great spot for shopping. The only drawback is that it is a bit far from the station.
For lunch, I had dinner at a popular restaurant called "Lao Ah Piao Fish Maw". The restaurant seems to be famous for its fish ball soup, which is made of fish ball, squid soup (sogo yu), and cooked greens. The taste was simple and just right for me after a long day of illness.
Hakka restaurant with a local friend
I had originally planned to go out for Hakka cuisine on the evening of September 22 (Sunday) with a Japanese student living in Taipei and a Taiwanese who used to live in Osaka.
Hakka cuisine
This was the first time I had eaten authentic Hakka food. The food was delicious. Especially the stinky bean curd, which is seasoned with pepper, salt, and some other spices, was delicious with a nice saltiness. The stinky smell was a nice accent and went well with the alcohol. The other dishes were also very good and I would like to go back again.
New friends I wouldn't have met if I hadn't DNF'd the race
After the Hakka dinner, I went back to the hostel and relaxed in the lobby, where I made friends with a Singaporean. The next morning, we decided to have breakfast together. In Taiwan, it is popular to eat a sandwich (sanmei) as breakfast. If I had not DNS'd the race, I am sure I would have never met him. I still keep in touch with him on Facebook from time to time.
And some more trophies (souvenirs). The blue-colored bag on the far right is a laptop case that I bought at Dihua Street. Purchased at the following store.
It's about time I wrote another article about what I often buy in Taiwan. So this time, I was able to enjoy Taiwan without racing. I like this kind of trip once in a while.
Next time, in Hong Kong in December!