Approaching a major city provides an entertaining clip, for me personally, as the flat horizon surrenders to suburbs, taller and taller structures, welcome signs, the inevitable toll booth crossing, the neon-works and gentlemen's clubs' weekend guest stars in bright lights.
From Taipei's International Airport, you get a 40-minute transition from paddies to pavement (well, not too rural, really). But early, when a semblance of a city looms ahead, you'd wish it wasn't Taipei just yet. 'Cause it's un-inviting to the city tourist. No imposing skyline.
Well, you're not there yet.
When one finally spots the city, two landmarks jut up from afar with a vast even-ness in-between. Two lone monuments defining a backdrop where towering structures ought to be. Are we really there yet? Uh...yes. To the right, the Topview Taipei Observatory. To the left, further in, the tallest building in the world (2005), Taipei 101. Between them, was my hope for a nice time.
Its not a tourist hotspot like San Francisco or Paris (shopping, yes). The highlights of Taiwan extend out of Taipei. My short stay allowed no such countryside trip and I stayed within:
While Shanghai streets were busy with pedal-bikes, I found it an upgrade being swarmed by motorscooters, which, with the power difference, allowed them to share the street lanes with four-wheel traffic, along with taxi drivers cruising to a slower beat, unlike Shanghai. And while Shanghai had foreign names for car models, Taiwan sported mostly the same US names as Corollas, Civics and 330's and A4's.
It had to be the city of people with the best looking hair. Upon further observation, every block seems to have three salons. That's just street level. Look up higher and you find one or two more. And that's just for those who's names you can read in English.
Les Suites - Taipei, the little hotel that could. Only about 50 rooms and an alley for a front entrance, I got the luxury I wanted: full Western and Oriental breakfast, internet access with at least 8 personal laptops, wireless access up the floors, a trio of cardio-equipment, and elegant living.
Taipei 101 towers like Chinese take-out gift boxes stacked one over the other, up to that box of the last shrimp in your banquet table that everyone humbly declined. The first 5 floors was a mall with a grand atrium. Found 'Page One' better than the biggest Borders bookstore around. The 89th, an observatory. They'd shoot you up for a 32-second ride for US$8, free headache and all. The 88th floor would have been free, same view, but I'd have to walk up.
Branded and expensive, 101's district isn't the only highlight of Taipei shopping. A subway ride west of the city finds Ximen Ding and the youth of Taiwan, driven by trendsetting stores from Japan, HK, Korea and the US. A one-stop shop landmark for everything Sony, Sanrio, Nike, Shiseido, Pizza Hut, Giordano, an afternoon salon appointment, boba lai cha, squid-on-a-stick, a minor recording contract---that being: Taiwan Idol, TRL-style, second floor glass-walled studio, karaoke scream-fest, overlooking revellers below, perhaps hoping for a music exec in the crowd).
At the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial...
...I remembered.
Again, a disappointing shortage of access points for my wireless PSP.
1 comment:
Too bad you didn't have more time to cruise around Taiwan ... it does have a lot to offer the eye.
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