19th – 24th October 2014
On the 19th of October 2014, we were up early ready to get to Kuala Lumpur International Airport for a memorable trip to Taipei. As soon as we arrived at Tao Yuan International Airport, the driver gave us a lift to Dandy Hotel, located in an alley filled with towering houses. The minute we stepped into the hotel, we were greeted by friendly staff who served us with delectable Crème Brule, hot chocolate and soda crackers. We stayed on the seventh floor which was decorated with pictures of steaming hot Indian milk tea called Massala Chai. We stayed in a deluxe family room with a bathtub and shower. The hotel has 7 levels and each level has a different tea decoration. Level 2 is British tea, level 3 is French tea, no level 4, level 5 is Russian tea, level 6 is Japanese tea and level 8 is Taiwanese tea. The Hotel even provides a dessert and hot drinks for afternoon teatime. The breakfast they serve were good too. It was certainly a small hotel with a big heart.
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| At Chiang Kai Shek Memorial |
The next day, we went to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall by MRT. While stepping up the stairs, we were totally amazed by the elegant way the gardens with their Chinese style ponds were done. Beside the Memorial Hall stood the National Concert Hall and the National Theatre. As we stepped in, standing in front of us was a large statue of Chiang Kai Shek and two guards standing on wooden stools facing each other with guns clutched in their calloused hands. They stood motionless without moving a muscle like an ostrich and I mistook them for fake people. We visited the hall that was full of Chiang Kai Shek’s personal belongings including his two sedans and his uniforms along with his books and his wife’s precious paintings. After that, we went up to watch the changing of the guards. The place was crammed with tourists. The guards performed their usual procedures like twirling guns and shouting leaders. My mother took a video of the changing of guards. It was an unforgettable experience for me.
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| One of the two Sadan of Chiang Kai Shek |
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| Change of the Guards |
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| At the entrance of Taipei Zoo |
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| King Penguin at Taipei Zoo |
On the second day, we went to the Taipei Zoo where we saw a lot of exciting creatures including Rhinoceros Iguanas and Tomistomas (a kind of reptile) followed by the cassowaries (a flightless bird). Firstly, we took the Zoo Train Service to the Penguin House where we saw King Penguins. A pair of King Penguins huddled up together in love. Then we saw the Gray Wolf freely roaming around in its enclosure. This stinky wolf just went to a nearby bush and piddled in it and the whole area reeked of wolf urine. Then we went to the Puma enclosure where we saw a big cat called a puma hiding just at the back of its cage. As it was a sun-drenched day, we rested under a shade while enjoying our cold drink. Next, we went to the reptile house where we saw a large snake called a Boa Constrictor. Some of these reptiles were clever camouflagers while others ended up being easy spotters. The silliest thing I saw at the Reptile House was two blue skinks sharing a sumptuous meal of boiled eggs. If we looked carefully for these camouflages, we might have even seen the venomous but colourful Poison Dart Frog. This frog has just about enough venom to kill 2200 people. We had a close glance of the Chinese Crocodile Lizard and the gigantic Rhinoceros Iguana. We even saw some baby turtles swimming freely in their cage as well as the Burmese Python just curled in a spiral relaxing. Next stop came the sleepy Koalas. This animal is a picky eater that only eats eucalyptus leaves from the eucalyptus trees and it is a nocturnal animal. After that came the Hippos just seen in the water opening their big mouths just enough to fit one explorer, two native porters, a canoe and a cheeseburger. Shortly after came the toucan. They love to feast on fruits but if there is no fruit left, it will grab some yummy spiders or ransack a bird’s nest. One amazing fact about toucans is that a male toucan will throw a bunch of grapes at a female he adores. Next came the Dromedary Camel with only one hump and the Bactrian Camel with two humps. One interesting fact about camels is that the humps on their backs vanish when there is nothing to eat. Next came the Aoudad (Barbary Sheep) which was quite similar to the more well-known goat. It looks like the combination of goat and antelope. Just before we decided to leave the Zoo to catch a Maokong gondola, we went to the panda house. It was a terribly long queue and the place was crammed with noisy students. At first the two pandas went out like a light. However, we were fortunate to find one who woke up and walked towards us. My mother captured a few photos of them before leaving panda house. Then we left the Zoo and walked to the gondola (cable car) station. It was the first time I experienced a cable car ride but I was not nervous. The view from the gondola was spectacular! Cars and houses were like tiny ants from above and the people looked like little specks of dust. From the gondola, I had a view of the Taipei 101, Taiwan’s tallest tower and one of the tallest in the world. There was nothing much to do at the peak.
The following day, we took a taxi to the National Palace Museum. After purchasing the tickets, we waited for the guide to show us around the museum. We wanted to see the Jadeite Cabbage With Insects but the queue was tremendously long. So she brought us to see the other collections such as the Filigree Cloisonne Box With Lotus Motif, Ju Ware Bowl in the Shape of a Lotus, Ko Ware High Stemmed Bowl, Tou Tsai Cup with Chicken Decoration, Tzu Fan Bell Set made out of bronze and Ivory Ball with 19 layers of Carving. Sadly, tourists are prohibited to take photos or videos. They are not allowed to bring bags in too. All bags and electronic devices are to be put inside the cloakroom.
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| Outside National Palace Museum |
On the fourth day, we went to the National Taiwan Science Education Center in the morning. We watched Rio 2 at the Turbo Ride 3D Theater where our hydraulic chairs moved in sync with the images on the screen. It was an exhilarating experience that left me walking out awestruck. My mother wanted to purchase tickets for the Earthquake Theater but it was sadly under maintenance. So we went to the 3D theatre to watch Sherlock Holmes and Rescue. Rescue was about the mayhem caused by earthquakes and tsunamis which swept away the whole city while Sherlock Holmes was about this detective who was very good at observing every detail. Then we went to the 7th floor where there was a special exhibition on Revealing the Hidden Code of Insects. I saw a tarantula, two cockroaches, a beetle and a grasshopper. My favourite was the Mysteries of Life and the Human Body. I learnt about genes and DNA. We travelled the Tour of the Digestive System where food enters the mouth and goes down to the stomach, intestines and anus. I also learnt about the major biomes in the world and the five ecosystems.
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Tour of the Digestive System - Starting Point |
After lunch, we went to the Taipei Astronomical Museum which is located opposite the National Science Education Center. First, we watched a 3D film called Cosmic Journey which was about the planets and the galaxies. Then, we went on the Cosmic Adventure Ride which took us on an unforgettable journey to Space before returning to Earth again.
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| Taipei Astronomical Museum |
on the 24th of October with reluctant hearts. I vowed to visit Taipei and other parts of Taiwan again.
Written by:
Koh Chee Yuan
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