Travel Diary

The morning had us traveling over to Taipei 101. It was time to climb the building. When we reached the right area, we noticed a lot of clouds. It wouldn't be the best of days to visit it, but it would be my only day, so it was a must, regardless of the weather.

Inside the lower part of the building was a mall. Not just any mall, mind you, but a rich people mall. The shops were all designer brands such as, well, shoot. Being that I never buy that stuff, it's hard to remember the names. Just think of those high-fashion models and all that junk they wear and purchase.  The stores sell what they would buy. I just looked. No need to even enter most of them.

We did try out a fun store that sold very expensive art items carved out of glass or stone. They were obscenely expensive, though, as Lesly noted, many things looked like you could have bought them out of a garage sale. That's never a good sign when spending a half million dollars (USD!!!). One item was called (well, by me) "Frog on Pig." Yeah, the neighbors will talk for hours on end over seeing that one on your living room coffee table. Neighbor: "Oh, I see you have a frog on pig statue." You: "Yup." Neighbor: "A gift from a child that you felt guilty about throwing away?" You: "Nope. A priceless piece of art that I bought for $500,000." Neighbor: "You're mental, yes?" You: "Indeed."

When the ground floors were seen, we went to the ticket booth. It wasn't cheap and they even warned us that the clouds were preventing a great view (honesty is nice!), but it was the only day, so we bought the tickets. Soon, we were scanned with a metal detector and entered the elevator.

The elevator is one of the fastest in the world (if not the fastest--though they seem to be ignoring Dubai's new tower and stats). In 39 seconds, we had risen about 80 stories. I checked the stats and it's about 38 mph. That may not seem fast, but in an elevator, it's pretty darn quick.

As we exited the top, I was aghast to look over to the far windows and see nothing but white. It was that bad?!? But we got our audio sets and then went to the window. It wasn't that bad. You couldn't see straight out on the horizon very far, but you could look down and see quite a lot. As they whipped by, the clouds offered random views and openings. You just had to be patient. I took many photos and video clips. We listened to the recordings, but you really did get the idea that the new Dubai tower was oddly left out of everything. For those not in the know, Dubai just beat out Taipei 101 for the world's tallest tower this week. Records like that just don't last long, I guess.

Inside we looked at a very huge wind and earthquake damper, which looked straight out of Moonraker (seems like the week for James Bond references). I was hoping to get to see the outside observation area, but it was closed due to massive winds. We checked out all the merchandise for sale, but then left. The elevator ironically descended slower than it went up. No matter. We were down in no time.

Leaving the tower, we took the MRT to another part of town. Here, we got coffee at a nice place. Coffee, by the way, is more expensive in Taipei than back home. That was a little surprising considering you can get a full meal here for well under $4.

Our next stop was the kids' school. It's an international school, and Bri and Elaine attend the British section. Upon entering, we were scanned with a temperature monitor, which they hold up to your head. I guess they don't want sick people around the other kids. We passed, so we went in. Yay for being healthy!

Elaine was ready to go, but we had to wait for Brianna to get out. While waiting, I went up and spoke with a teacher there about teaching in Taipei. She had helpful things to say, but I felt that there were many questions which still needed answering. I thanked her for her time and went to meet Lesly.

When Brianna got out, we walked back home. At home, they ate and then took off. I got to relax for a while. When they got back, we went to meet Terry and headed over to the Night Market. There, I got my spicy chicken again. It was good, but better the first time I had it. The others sat down for a "Benni Hanna" type dinner. They had a chef making their food right in front of them. It was fun to watch.

The market is amazing. It's very busy, but people seem to manage. Some solicit and some eat. In the end, it all works out. Of course, once you're satiated, nothing smells and looks as good. The vendors still try to get you to patronize their places, but it's no good then. What they need is a sign you wear saying, "I already ate. I'm full. Find another."

Whereas the girls headed home, Terry and I walked around the market. It's always fun to watch the pretty girls go by and see what the latest fashions are (boots, skirts, and leggings*). I also wanted to buy a pair of sweat pants. In time, we found the place that I had seen days earlier.

*No kidding here--boots, skirts, and leggings seem to be worn by 99.9% of the women under 30.

It was difficult buying sweats. True, it was something I needed, but I was unsure of the quality. I inspected a pair carefully, yet still was unsure. The price equaled about $10 USD, so it was certainly much cheaper than back home. I was sort of hoping to haggle for a bargain, so I walked away.

No counter offer.

I also thought about taking a chance and buying them. If they turned out poor, then I would avoid buying in the future. Plus, I could warn others. It was time to take a chance. I returned and paid the money and got my sweat pants. We headed home.

At home, I worked on the computer a little and planned out the next day. After that, I watched a little television and went to bed. I was...well, you know.

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