Taipei 101
Trip Start
Aug 16, 2006
1
8
15
Trip End
Sep 08, 2006
Taipei,
Taiwan
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Today our day began with a visit to Taipei Zoo. For $1.00 CAD each, we saw pretty much every exotic animal you can imagine. Plus, because most Taiwanese work during the day - we pretty much had the place to ourselves. A world class zoo for sure.
After the Zoo we followed Marko's guide books to a delicious and sophisticated Thai restaurant in the heart of the city. Yum Yum.
On our way to Taipei 101 we stopped by the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen memorial. To give an idea of the kind of influence this guy has had, the year he was elected into power has become the "first year" in Taiwan. Therefore it is the year 95 here right now, not 2006. The memorial was having a special display on calligraphy, so Emily and Igor were able to try their hand at this beautiful art form. Igor showed some promising talent, while Emily's efforts were laughed at by some local children.
Lastly as the sun was starting to set on our day in Taipei, the three amigos ventured towards Taipei 101. Taipei 101 is currently the highest free standing building in the world. We took the fastest elevator in the world (reaching a top speed of 1010 meters per minute) and 39 seconds after departure from ground floor we were at the observation deck, on the 89th floor. Needless to say, the view was breathtaking. Finally, as the sun disappeared behind the mountains surrounding the city, the lights of Taipei blinked into life.
Tomorrow we leave for the Southern reaches of Taiwan, stay tuned for our updates.
