The guide book did not lie when it said August was typhoon season in Taiwan.  The last few days it has rained almost constantly and it’s been very windy has typhoon Saola headed our way.  The government issued an extreme weather warning yesterday and told everyone to stay home, so today Taipei came to a standstill, with nearly all offices and businesses closed.  I took refuge in my hotel and made it a duvet day.

Typhoon Shelter – Lucky I did not need to use one :o)

In my neighbourhood luckily we just experienced torrential rains, but watching the news some parts of Taiwan did not get off as lightly, with some lowland areas suffering severe flooding.    It has now been downgraded to a strong tropical storm, but still lots more rain forecasted.  Also the lovely newsreader on the TV mentions all the rain that’s fallen in the hillsides has to come down.  Oh joy!!!

This evening I ventured out to hunt down some food.  Nearly everything was closed, but I did manage to find one open restaurant.  It was the strangest dinner I have ever eaten, it reminded me of my uni days when my house mate would cook everything in the cupboard.  The menu said fried cod; I ate a fish coverered in an omelete, on a bed of macaroni, with a side of black peppered sauce.    Maybe the chef was running short of supplies due to typhoon Saola. :oS  Needless to say I don’t think I will be going back.

Recommendation:  Since I came to Taipei for work I had no choice on the time of year to visit, but if I was coming here on holiday I would stay away during typhoon season (late Summer to Mid Autumn).  Taiwan is a beautiful country, but this time of year it is very hot and you run the risk of torrential rains and even landslides in the mountains.  Instead, in spring you could enjoy the cherry blossom or the maple leaves in Autumn.