At the ZOO or I like to move it, move it :)

Taipei ZOO, 4.9. 2012

When ever in a new city for a while, I like to visit the ZOO. Firstly, because I'm a big child and secondly because the ZOO sais a lot about the people in that city. If the animals are treated well, so are the people usually...
I was again denied the student discount (ueeeeeee), but the ZOO was worth the money.
I started with the butterfly and insect part, which was not that special, but soon got to the pandas, where the employes informed me that the pandas were taking a nap and I should go to the to of the ZOO first and than decend down the hill towards the pandas.

Sure thing I said, checked out the sleepy coalas (so cute) in their not so great cages and took the bus up the mountain. Each ride will cost you only 5 NT, but save you a 1 km walk. Since I haven't told you this yet, people in Taiwan hate to walk...

I was really impressed with the Madagascar part of the ZOO and was singing I like to move it move it all the way through... :D

:))) hahaha

After we move it move it, we get king of tired...

Party time :)

The gorilas were feeling particularely romantic that day, just playing with the flowers :)

The squirels just live where ever they want. Me and this guy put on a little show when I was feeding it and the chinese turists of course had a picture taking frenzee.

The bangalian tiger descided to take a dip in his pond. Who sais cats are afraid of water?

One of the huuuuuuuuuuge pandas was eating and didn't care what was going on.

The other cared even less and was stil sleeping :))) Like a boss.

By the time I got to the penguins, I was singing the music from Happy feet :)

And than I just felt sorry for this guy, who names a penguin that? :)

When in Taipei, the ZOO is a good choice to spend the day, combined with a trip to Maokong, since the gondola station is 5 minutes from the ZOO enterance.... :)

In the name of liberty

Taipei, 12.9. 2012

All the parks and squares here have nice names...peace park, liberty square... I like it :)

So I was kind of curious what it's all about and descided to find out. I took the MRT to CSK memorial hall. When I came out from the MRT, I first saw a big temple like building, that turned out to be the National concert hall.

Walking on, there was another building, that looked just like it, which is the National theater.

Between the both lie the The gate of great centrality and perfect uprightness :))))

I just love this name :)

And on the other side in the light of the light of dusk, I saw the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall. It's 70 m high and hold a bronze statue of the former president, which you can see from the outside...

In the hall, there are many exhibitions, there was one on Dali at the moment,

 hence the clock on the picture above :)

My timing being unpeckable again, since the change of guards did not staart at 17.00, 

but at 16.50 to end at a ful hour, it was also the last one that day...

Everyone was impressed, even the kids...

...and monks :)

I was more impressed by the view as the sun was going down...

The ceiling with the taiwanese sun.

And the statue with the very cheerful looking and smiling president.

Last look before leaving :)

Yehliu with all the surprises

Yehliu, 13.9. 2012

Before leaving Slovenia, I got a very unexpected text from a friend giving me some tips on Taiwan...
I remember two in particular - don't eat durian and go to Yehliu :) Oh, and I almost forgot another one - do shoping in Hualien :)))

So since I followed two of them, I descided to also go to Yehliu. It's a great one day trip from Taipei. I was cehcking it on line and was very surprised taht every one seemed to have problems with public transportation. My trip was great and simple. I bought a ticket at the bus station at the main station in Taipei, hopped on the bus 5 minutes later (it leaves every 20 minutes or so) and got of at the station Yehliu an hour and a half later.

I than followed the signes through Yehliu fishing village, which in known for their lantern festival, admired the temple on the way and the fishing boats and arrived at the park 10 minutes later. I could't miss it due to the numerous buses parked outside.
It's wise to go early, since after 1 pm, the turistes are to much to handle and you just get annoyed at the chinese turistes screaming all the time. They are not very civilized, so the park actually has people employed to walk around and tell people not to climb the rock formations... Awful...
The park also denied me the student ticket, they only accept ISIC cards as valid... I payed 50 NT (1,35 €) instead of 30 ;)

From above... I was one of the few that climbed on the top to see the park...

Famous queens head and in the backgrounf turists - chinese of course.

Typical mushroom rocks.

Fairy slipper.

Elephant.

Water container.

The employes are very nice and tell you what shapes to look for in the formations.... You can see some above.
After a while, I got really tired from the sun and found shade in the covered marked near by, where I bought some special food. There is also an ocean park with dolphin shows, but I wasn't really interested so I head back to the bus stop. There I got a free ticket back to Taipei (98 NT = 2,65 €) from a taxy driver whose client didn't need it anymore. :)))
By the way - you can pay for the ticket with your public transportation easy card, so it makes the journey even easier.
I really recomend this trip out of season due to the turists.... really anoying :))))

A gondola journey to the emerald peaks

Maokong, 12.9. 2012

In the capital of my country (Ljubljana, Slovenia), we have a gondola to the city castle on a hill. It takes 5 minutes and costs 1,8 € one way. The Maokong gondola takes you 4 km one way for only 50 NTD, which is about 1,35 € :) No comment on that...
I took the gondola from the station at the top of the ZOO, since I first went there. Each station costs you 10 NTD. You can pay with the public transportation easy card. The view is amazing all the way through, since it takes you over the mountains of trees.

the gondola

Zhinan temple - you can get off at this station and visit it. The temple mixes Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist elements which is rare here and so the temple is very special...

City in the fog...

Tea fields

Tea tree :)

Fields again. You can take a walk on one of the turistic trails between them.

The teahouse I chose, was on the Zhanghu trail (about 1 km each way) in an apricot tree garden.

Heaven: shrimp pica, fresh mango smoothie, my notebook for ideas 

and a Hello kitty lamp to keep me company :)

Part of the trail I hiked... Bring mosquito repelent...

The trailes are well marked and many to choose from. You get an english map at 

the information office with all the trails and teahouses.

As i took the gondola back, the sun was slowly descending also :)

Up in the air - one way or the other

Taipei, 11.9. 2012

The inicial plan was to leave Taiwan after a month and go to China for a week. After one week of problems with the aircompany, travel agency and the bank, I gave up my plan in tears.
So if I couldn't fly, I'll just go up in the air some other way. Every one told me to go to the platform of Taipei 101, the highest skyscraper in Taipei, but that would be to classic, so I set out in search of the Miramar ferris wheel.

It is the biggest in Taiwan, but since one is set on a higher building, that one takes you higher. The ferris wheel takes you 100 m high to see the view of the city.

The trip with the metro to the station Jiannan is interesting, because it takes you pretty high itself, so it's worth trying it. I payed 80 NT, that is a little over 3 evros for the 10 minute ride. I was quite scared at times and happy I didn't wait for the tranparent floor one... 

I really recomend it, maybe for a date ;)