Return to Taipei

Our morning consisted of mad repacking in a desperate attempt to add in the random stuff we acquired these last two weeks. Loaded down with two roller suitcases, two duffel bags, and two backpacks, we headed to the train station. 

Transportation anywhere outside of the States is impressive, but it especially rocks in Taiwan. We easily navigated purchasing tickets, finding the platform and getting on the correct train.

I have to confess, I am in love with high-speed rail travel. It was quiet and smooth as we moved along at just under 300 km/hour. The seats were comfy and the fellow passengers quiet. I'd like to say I enjoyed watching the bucolic scenery pass by, but it all went too fast. There were at least 12 cars on the train and it literally took seconds to pass the train going the opposite way.

We arrived at Taipei Main Station less than an hour later. We were all so happy to be back in the Capitol. We love this city. Our hotel is in Ximden, a fun and lively part of town. We arrived around 2:00 and our room was ready, so we dropped our stuff, cleaned up and headed out to play.

We were prepared to brave the heat and make the four-minute walk to the metro, but instead we found the underground pedestrian metro tunnel right outside our hotel. We descended the stairs and immediately came across a kids' dance class. I tried to convince Romi to join but he demurred. Along the way we also found a library, right in the metro. Such a brilliant idea!

We jumped on the blue line for one stop and ascended to find Longshan Temple. Thanks to our guide Stephen, we knew what to do. We quickly recreated a picture in front of the waterfall and entered on the right. 

We admired the gifts, ornate architecture and incense, and reminisced about the last time we had been there as a family. There are 13 separate gods who reside at Longshan, and their specialties range from security to job success to pets.

There is a shopping center under Longshan, so we shmied around, looking for last-minute treasures. At one point we wandered into a tea house in search of some gifts to bring home. The lovely proprietor immediately greeted us, described her teas, and kindly coerced us into a tasting.  We sipped hot tea and learned all about her life in Canada and Taiwan. It was such an unexpected delight; encounters such as this are one of the things that makes Taiwan amazing.

We did some more shopping at Net, the Far Eastern Department Store, and the Ximdening pedestrian area (which is basically a night market). The whole thing was bittersweet, knowing our time here is coming to an end. We had our last mango smoothies and headed back to the hotel for our last sleep here in Taiwan.