We had a few vacation days left for the year, but due to work constraints we really could only afford the time for a long weekend. So we were looking for a quick jaunt from Seoul, and I honestly can't even tell you where the idea of Taipei came from. Before we started researching for this trip, I didn't even have a clue what there was to see. But we certainly didn't have any trouble finding things to fill our short time there.
Having to change airports in Seoul, as always, gave us a few hours to kill. And of course what else would we decide to do with that time but search for some Western food? It was a cold, snowy afternoon, but we braved the weather with one goal in mind.
And thank goodness we did! Because this was that all-important adventure that afforded us the Times Square shopping and dining complex in Seoul.
And thank goodness we did! Because this was that all-important adventure that afforded us the Times Square shopping and dining complex in Seoul.
I think all of us (of the Albemarle clan anyway) living in Yeosu have now spent some significant time at the Times Square. Because...
They have an On the Border, which is a particular favorite among the Albemarle-Expat-Yeosu community. You know, all 6 of us.
Mmmmm.... It makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Thank goodness we're flying through Seoul this coming weekend and can go back.
But if you're not very fond of so-so Tex Mex, which is unexpectedly fabulous in South Korea (it's all relative), there are many other choices as well.
They have Popeyes, Lotteria (South Korean fast-food not too dissimilar from McDonald's), Smoothie King, Auntie Anne's, Krispy Kreme (mmm...Krispy Kreme), an Italian restaurant, a 3D and 4D movie theater, and more. And the nearby metro station, which we eventually discovered is connected to this shopping mall through underground tunnels, also has a Bennigan's, TGIFriday's, and another Krispy Kreme (mmm...Krispy Kreme). Just as important, there's a Courtyard Marriott attached to the mall, which is quite nice and more affordable than many of the other Western hotel options in Seoul. If nothing else, it's a relief that all of us seeking a couple days of denial don't have to trek all the way across the city of Seoul to the Intercontinental hotels in the Gagnam-Gu area of town, which was previously our only known source for such things.
So after a few hours of eating to our homesick hearts' content, we finally made it to the Incheon airport and headed to Taipei. While researching the city, we had found a neat little boutique hotel. It wasn't expensive, but it was really nice.
Hotel Quote.
The rooms were nice, and so were the public areas of the hotel. They had a lounge that was open 24-hours with complimentary snacks and drinks. Nice touch. We had a tasty meal in their restaurant/bar, too.
Since we love zoos, we've made an effort to visit zoos in different parts of the world. We've already seen the pandas at 3 of the 4 zoos in the US that have them, and we couldn't waste an opportunity to see the pandas in the Taipei Zoo. It really was a pretty nice zoo.
One of the major attractions of the city is Taipei 101, otherwise known as the Taipei Financial Center. We took the metro and stumbled across some interesting sights along the way.
The botanical-wall, if you will, at the top left was just placed along the walk way near the metro station. It looked like it could have been mail slots with plants growing out of them. It was certainly an interesting way to "go green." The second picture down on the right side was a craft area in a large shopping mall where children could sit and play with modeling clay. I'm guessing all of these were made by the professionals, though. Do you see the Pokemon figurines? Or whatever those anime characters are called. The third picture on the right was a restaurant in the same shopping mall. This one made me laugh. Seriously? People PAY MONEY to eat in a restaurant that simulates the in-flight dining experience of an airline? These people must not have flown anywhere recently! LOL.
That tree on the top right is covered in intricate paper snowflakes. Much larger and more complex than the ones we all made as kids, but the principle was the same. Really beautiful and yet such a simple idea. I really liked it. The guy in the bottom (no pun intended) center in the collage above was wandering this particular street corner with a sign, which of course we couldn't read. And there is nothing underneath those feathers, by the way, in case you were wondering. Nothing. *Shudder* Thank goodness it wasn't too, too cold there! The bottom right picture displays a laundry hamper full of balloon animals. Still haven't quite figured that one out yet.
We finally made it to Taipei 101, which is one of those buildings that had its fifteen minutes of fame as "tallest building in the world," for a few years. It beat out the previously-reigning Petronas Towers (which, coincidentally, we visited just a month later) with its completion in 2004, only to be eclipsed by some new monstrosity in Dubai in 2010. Guess we'll have to visit the UAE to complete the trifecta. Of course, by the time we could manage that, some other tower somewhere else in the world will hold the new record.
Anyway, it was quite impressive and decked out for Christmas. While we were there, there was a live choir concert put on by a local Christian organization. It was fun to sit and listen for a while and really cool to see such an effort in another country.
Like many of the famously tall towers around the world, Taipei 101 has an observatory open to tourists on one of the highest levels. The building was aptly named for its one hundred and one above-ground floors, although it boasts an additional five below-ground floors as well, and it also contains what was once the fastest elevator in the world (also surpassed by the same Dubai tower I mentioned earlier). Supposedly it was designed to go almost 17 meters per second, which of course, as an American, means nothing to me. But anyway, it went really fast. ;)
On the observation level they had the obligatory sweeping city views, but they also offered a few unique exhibits we haven't seen in any of the other towers we've ascended. Ok, I guess you probably got that when I said "unique." Anyway, they had a display of coral artwork. Pretty cool. And a presentation explaining details about the structure and design of the building. They even allowed you to view the mass damper used to counter the effect of strong winds on the towering building. And of course my engineer-nerd husband enjoyed that. (Love you, bay!)
We chose a different metro stop to head back toward our hotel, and we made our way past the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. Sun Yat-sen was a revolutionary and former president of China, often called the "Father of China."
Of course, what I enjoyed most was all the people out walking their dogs in the surrounding area.
During one of our nights there, we visited a couple of the main night markets. The crush of people was almost oppressive, but it's such an interesting way to view the culture of a city.
Here are some shots of the area around our hotel. Some nearby restaurants, office buildings, and hotels. The second shot down on the right shows a facade made of empty, plastic 2L bottles.
And the bottom picture shows a Hooters. Yes, we did eat at there. Not quite as good as home, but pretty darn good.
On our last night there, we tried to visit two temples. The Confucius Temple was closed, so we only got to peek through the gates. But the Baoan Temple turned out to be an entire complex, complete with gardens showcasing mythical scenes depicted with painted figurines, a sizable water feature with live coy, temple buildings, and elaborate dragon sculptures.
It was a fun trip and, as always, amazing to get to experience another culture.
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