In no time we found ourselves back in the north with the help of a sleek high-speed train. We stuffed ourselves with the most delicious and highly-anticipated dumplings at Din Tai Fung. We also made time for some spicy hot pot. The food in the north was really phenomenal.
The six of us spent a day in Taipei starting with the best Vietnamese food (and coffee!) I've ever had at Yue Yuan Pho (expertly reviewed
here). Then we took the metro to the expansive Taipei Zoo. We visited the popular Giant Panda House then checked in on koalas, hippos, flamingos, and several nocturnal species- including a
sloth.
Though I may not have made it clear after
my visit to the San Diego Zoo, the primates are my favorite beasts of the jungle. After spending a good time monkeying around, we left the zoo for higher ground. Soaring above the zoo on the Maokong Gondola, we rode 2.5 miles and climbed 903 feet to the scenic center of Taipei's tea culture.
At dusk we enjoyed watching our tea being traditionally prepared for us. While resting our weary feet, we sipped the soothing and medicinal herbal blend. We wandered our way through the mountaintop village returned on the gondola to see the glowing cityscape and Taipei 101 at night.
For our final stop on our Taipei adventure, we went to a bustling night market. Adam and I tested our gastronomical limits by trying the tastiest stuff we could find. Ending the busy day with some shaved ice cream was the perfect conclusion to a full day. Before I knew it we were flying back across the Pacific to ring in the New Year stateside. Thank you to the Tuttles for an amazing Taiwan adventure!
1 comment:
I think you were lucky to see the Taipei Zoo - there are fewer and fewer zoos these days. I share your enthusiasm for primates (although I tend to have a soft spot for penguins as well).
The Tuttles treated you to an extraordinarily memorable Christmas holiday - lucky you, Bubba!
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