The following is an excerpt from a recent travel experience in Taiwan.
Today, we came to Baishawan, one of the most beautiful beaches north of Taipei. We came here with Dewin from Honduras and Pauline from Belgium. A lot of families, a lot of people. Taiwan, despite being almost 200 km away from the Chinese coast, only had approximately 500 cases of COVID-19. It seems that the people here live in another universe outside of this planet.
Taiwan managed to handle the coronavirus situation very well. It seems that while everyone around the world continues to struggle, with each country experiencing difficulties in terms of health, the population in Taiwan is doing very well.
Taiwan reacted quickly to COVID-19
I think the country developed very robust protocols early on, very rigid, but very effective. I feel that Taiwan reacted in time, and that was a big difference compared to other countries. For example, in Belgium, I feel like they didn’t take it seriously at first, and now it is one of the most affected countries in Europe. It is also a matter of discipline, I feel that Taiwanese people are very disciplined.
The case of Taiwan is quite particular because, from the beginning, they began to control flights from Wuhan, which was the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, which, as many know, was hidden by the Chinese Communist regime. Taiwan is a country with more than 24 million inhabitants, and it usually has many flights and connections with China. Now, flights are suspended to many countries, so that’s why contagions have also been contained quite well. Taiwan, by not following the guidelines of the WHO (World Health Organization) and not trusting the information that the Chinese communist regime was issuing, was able to tackle this issue very effectively.
The lifestyle here is very comfortable, as it gives foreigners, in particular, the opportunity to adapt very well to the culture. Safety is not a concern. Having the opportunity to go out at night and feeling sure that I’m going to make it home without incident, regardless of the time, is very satisfying.
If I was a girl in Belgium, I wouldn’t dare to go out alone at night or take the subway when there are not many people around. In comparison, nothing happens here. No one bothers you. It provides a feeling of freedom and makes one do things that they would not ordinarily do in their country. Opening up to new experiences is a very nice experience.
On a lifestyle level, Taipei is one is a very cosmopolitan city, that allows foreigners to meet people from different nationalities and eat food from different parts of the world. There is always something new and fun to do. And for people who prefer the countryside, the mountains, or the sea, there are endless opportunities to take in the surrounding beauty. I was very impressed with Taiwan and plan on returning soon.
