We began our journey before the sun rose Saturday morning, dragging our kids out of bed and onto a plane. After a transfer in KL, we arrived in Taipei mid-afternoon, hungry and ready to stretch our legs. We chose the fancy Palais de Chine hotel because of its central location next to Taipei Main Station (major hub for both the high-speed rail train (HSR) and the subway lines (MRT)). Walking into the lobby, we took in the dim lights, rich red curtains, and a full-scale horse as we were greeted courteously and directed up some fancy elevators to reception on the 6th floor. Renaissance style and artistic touches were reflected in every detail, recreations of classic art greeted guests in every hallway, and classical music played in the elevators. My kids particularly liked the revolving door in front! After settling in, we ambled through downtown streets enjoying the sights and dined at the Japanese restaurant Gen Tei Shoku--yummy!
On Sunday morning, we grabbed a quick bite for breakfast then headed to Taipei Main Station to ride the high-speed rail to Hsinchu. We all enjoyed the exhilarating and smooth ride as we sped past rice fields and through tunnels on this train built using Japanese technology, capable of speeds up to 330 km/hour. So cool!!
Once there, we had to use hand gestures to buy tickets on the branch train line that would take us to Hsinchu's city center. Then we hopped in a taxi to get to the city's main park where there was a glass museum I wanted to visit. It looked a bit like Disneyland out front, and we spent several hours playing on the playgrounds, enjoying the cherry blossom trees and the cooler weather, riding coin cars in front of a temple, and wandering through the museum. I enjoyed people-watching in the park: men playing majong, families drinking tea, a man selling birds, and friends singing karaoke. One large group was very friendly and insisted on giving our kids a huge bag of fried, sugary breadstick twists. They spoke no English, and we spoke no Mandarin, but smiles and thanks were exchanged nonetheless!
Back in Taipei that evening, we purchased Easy Cards (to facilitate the use of buses and MRTs) and hopped on a subway to the famous Shilin night market. We ate some amazing dumplings then wandered around sampling street fare and taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. Our kids had lots of fun playing a ring toss game, and we got alien knife massages!
On Monday, we visited the Chaing Kai Shek Memorial Hall. This famous landmark with a blue octagonal roof has 87 steps (for each year of his life) leading up to a cavernous room with a huge statue of the man, protected by two motionless guards with bayoneted rifles. We arrived right before the changing of the guard ceremony and all enjoyed the stomping and marching routine. The elaborate National Theatre is on the same grounds, amidst beautifully landscaped gardens.
Before we left, Rachel was swarmed with doting papparatzi. Our little blonde beauty is quite popular here in the East!
We then headed up to the Beitou Hot Springs area just north of the city. Taiwan is a geothermic hot spot and is famous for its many natural hot springs. We didn't have time to soak, but I had wanted to wander through the Geothermal Scenic Park. Unfortunately, I forgot that most museums in Taiwan are closed on Mondays. =( Nevertheless, we had a nice time eating lunch at a vegetarian restaurant, playing at a park, and wandering along a hot springs trail.
Our next stop of the day was the National Palace Museum, which houses the most extensive collection of Chinese art in the world. Our kids weren't as enthusiastic as we were so we couldn't see everything, but they did enjoy the Children's Gallery downstairs.
We ended the day again at the Shilin Night Market, grabbing yummy street food like fried spicy calamari, meat on a stick, egg cake, and pineapple cakes. We also discovered a new fruit that we all loved (green and bumpy on the outside), but I couldn't ask what it was. I hope I can find it in Malaysia!
On Tuesday, we spent most of the day at the Taipei Zoo. We enjoyed all the animals, but our favorite was the panda bears. There are only a few zoos in the world that have them due to their endangered status, and they really are just as cute as you see in the pictures! We, of course, had to buy our share of panda souvenirs on the way out!
Next, we visited Taipei 101, the world's 2nd tallest building. We rode the world's fastest elevator up to the 89th floor (84 floors in only 37 seconds!) and marveled at the tiny cars and buildings down below. The view was a bit hazy and due to winds, the outside observatory was closed, but we were there at sunset and listened to audio tours as we watched the city turn from light to dark. One special highlight was getting to see the huge damper built to counter the sway of the building in the event of high winds. I also enjoyed wandering through Treasure Sky, a huge coral and jewelry boutique up at the top. Of course, I just had to buy myself a beautiful jade necklace to take back home! (Jade is one of Taiwan's lovely natural resources.) My purchase also entitled me to a free drink, and we all shared a local favorite, Pearl Bubble Tea, which is made with small tapioca balls--yummy! We ended our evening with a large and satisfying meal at the Crystal Spoon Thai restaurant near our hotel.
Wednesday was mainly spent traveling back home (and waiting in long airport lines!), but in the morning, we had just enough time to play at the children's playground at Da'an Park. Our trip to Taiwan was short but very memorable, and we were so glad that we chose to visit Taipei!
That is a great picture of Mark and the train. It really captures the speed of it. That alien knife massage looks interesting, too.
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