The usual eclectic breakfast followed: taro bun, ham & cheese omelet, purple yam roll (crunchy crust around purple yam), Caesar salad, papaya slice, OJ and coffee. Ryan had his usual rice, corn and papaya. Jonathan toast and papaya. Shelley had a smaller version of my menu. Good, but I ain't losing weight, that's for sure.
Then it was off to the MRT -- Red Line up to Shilin Station. A bit of advice to anyone coming to Taipei is that staying along the Red Line seems to be the most convenient. It's the longest line, and it seems to stop near most of the "must see" tourist sites. The transfers are so easy that this isn't a huge deal, but thought I'd mention it. On that note, I would also recommend our hotel, too (Taipei Royal Biz). It's about a six block walk from the hotel to the Dongmen MRT Station. I've come to enjoy the walk, as we see the same people and shops each day, and even wave to a few shop owners, now. If you have very small children, you might want to get something even closer to a station, though.
From the Shilin Station, we hopped on a bus to the National Palace Museum, located in the hills north of Taipei. The bus transfer was simple, and the ride took us through a nice area of Taipei. We've used the MRT so much to get around, it was a refreshing change to actually see the city as we traveled.
The National Palace Museum is an imposing building set partway up a hill. We followed the tour groups up into the building, paid our fee, and checked in our backpack filled with raincoats and water bottles. As we went into the museum, the guard turned Shelley back, informing her that she couldn't bring in her "backpack." Shelley's "purse" does, in fact, have straps, but it can also be carried as a sling bag and it is much smaller than the shoulder bags that many of the women were carrying in. Shelley tried to point this out, but the guard kept pointing at the picture showing the shape of a backpack and saying, "Sorry." So we unloaded her wallet and our important documents into our camera bag and checked in the bag. The lesson -- it doesn't matter what size your bag is or its purpose -- it's the shape that counts.
The Museum is on every list of "must see" attractions in Taipei, and I can see why, but we found it only OK. The collection is large, but here's a quote Shelley ran into this evening on the internet that describes our experience: "the main problem was that it was chock-a-block with tour groups. This made it hard to get around and see anything...The top floor was supposed to have the best items, but it was too full to see anything...I gave up after 45 minutes." We lasted maybe two hours, including a snack, but there wasn't the chance to relax and move at a leisurely pace that usually makes museum visits so enjoyable. Here are some photos of the Museum exterior -- no photos allowed inside.
Shelley and I with one wing of the Museum visible in the background.
Anecdote of the day: It happened twice, once to each boy. We were in the Museum moving through a crowd, and someone reached out and touched the boys' hair. Not a push or a pull, just enough of a touch to get a feel. I saw it happen to Ryan; he felt it but thought someone had just bumped into him. Jonathan felt it and recognized what it was. Neither was offended - they did find it odd but also kind of amusing. Shelley said that it happened a lot to her lighter-haired friends when she lived in Japan -- people just want to feel the texture of blond (or blondish) hair.
We needed some down time after the Museum, so we headed back to the hotel. As we walked from the MRT station, though, we saw something we hadn't seen all week -- a shadow! The sun was out for the first time! We recognized that this was our chance to go up Taipei 101 and see the view. After a short rest, we got back on the MRT and traveled the three short stops. We got off the train, went up the stairs, scanned our eyes towards the top of the building and...and...we couldn't see it. The clouds had returned just enough to cover the top 100 feet of the building. No sense in going up, so after taking pictures in front of the "LOVE" sign nearby, we ate dinner in the food court downstairs, went back "home," and relaxed for a while before bed.
Where's the top?
The boys, posing for mom.
And taking pictures of mom taking pictures.
While hiding.And the family giving our "Love Shaka".
The clouds had lifted...a little...by the time we came out, but it was raining lightly and we called it a night.
And enjoyed some down time. The photo is from the bedroom out through the shoji doors to the living room.
Observation of the day: There are very few "Western" tourists here. We're not in high season, but there are still very few.
I just finally sat down and read through your entire blog. How great that you are able to take time and have a real "vacation" as well as bring Malia home! It is really exciting to see the sights through your pictures...I'm looking forward to seeing you as a family of five! Courtney
ReplyDeleteHi fellas,
ReplyDeleteTutu and Papa miss you and can only imagine how much you are enjoying your adventures in Taiwan. You are learning so much and will have many stories to share with Malia and us when you come home. Time is flying and we can't wait to meet Miss Malia one week from today. God bless. Safe travels. A hui hou.