Taiwan- Taipei and Taroko Gorge
/Taipei and Taroko Gorge
Taiwan was on my 2012 Bucket list as it was known for the worlds fastest elevator and underground shopping throughout the city.
We chose to stay at the Taipei Garden Hotel which was a quick metro ride away from most of the site including Taipei 101. For Asia hotels the room was spacious and the hotel had a bar connected just outside. The city was easy to get around especially with the metro being less than $1 per ride. Major sites for us were the Presidental building, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Traditional Taiwanese Temple and National Palace Museum.
The city felt like any larger city in USA with shopping districts and restaurants lining the streets. It was a true shoppers paradise with high dollar items and lower priced items in the shops under the city which were connected to the metro links. The best shopping was under the main train station and it went on for miles with lots of markets and full of all sorts of clothes, shoes, and purses. The locals loved us in the city. We were seen posing with many of them as they would grab us to take photos with them and their groups.
We witnessed a changing of the guard at the palace which was caught really by surprise, but it was at 10am so this is something you could do if you made it over there earlier enough. The buildings in Taiwan can be overwhelming as they are vast in size. The courtyards are usually bigger than football fields. We found the local Hello Kitty sweet shop. It is well worth a visit if you want to enjoy everything in the shape of Hello Kitty. The place was decorated and staff were dressed in suits ready to serve your pastries on silver platters.
Taroko Gorge
