Hello world, this is Kenny speaking.

I arrived in the Taipei airport at around 11 oclock am, and easily caught the hour bus into the city. I found my hostel without any problems. It was located right near a bustling market, and the whole area reminded me alot of Vietnam. I ate a quick lunch before embarking on my mission: to find and eat snake.

The "snake market" was easy to find, and was located near an ornate temple in what seemed like a sleazy part of town. There were gambling old men, and middle-aged women of a questionable profession. After walking for a few minutes, I approached the snake restaurant. There were about 4 snakes, each in its own cage, as well as a cage full of mice. I sat down and the waiter immediately came over to the table with a bowl of soup, 3 shots, and two pills. The shots were all different colors, and I soon learned their contents: snake wine, bile, and venom. I presume the pills were the antidote. They didn't taste good. After the shots, I felt a bit of a buzz, which made it considerably easier to eat the main course. The soup had a clear broth and its contents were simple, if unelegant. The meat was bony, gamey, and tasted like chicken (a cliche, I know). All in all, it was a strange experience, and I almost vomited about a half hour later.