Trip to Taipei 101 is Through the Roof

Don't you just love up-the-nose shots?

Taipei 101, world's SECOND tallest building, was the adventure today. I knew it would be about an hour there and back on the MRT. What I didn't anticipate was the PRICEY $100 it cost us to get to the 89th floor observation deck. Ouch.

I'm feeling better about the price after googling tickets to the US fossils, The Empire State Building and Seattle's Space Needle. So our $15/head pales, AND we got the second tallest building to boot.

Anyway, the view was high, the cars below tiny. The ride from the 5th floor to the 89th takes a measly 37 seconds. Give me a glass-encased elevator and the $15/ride begins to sound a bit more appealing.

We probably spent a good 2 hours on the top of the world. We learned a bit about dampers and a bit about coral gemstone. Kai found a Discovery Channel program about Taipei 101 and we learned even more when we got home (and thought the whole experience was MORE cool after the fact).

Eloise demos with her belly the size and shape of a damper.

The animated "Damper Baby" video had Arthur converted to joining the dampers and living with them forever. He was VERY SAD to leave them behind.

Much like Disney, this place was over-priced, had a line, everywhere was an up-sell, and you exit through an elaborate gift shop maze of gem-stone coral. Still, the one in this pic is cool. See it's specs below. :)

Now I know what you are thinking: "It is so Chinese to be harvesting coral for the 'pretty,' but what about the LIVING ENVIRONMENT?" I was thinking the same thing. Then I got me some 'edumacation.'

So there you go. It's kosher.

We ate at the food court in the mall there on the ground level. And broke up for the journey back, Q coming back first with the boys to start work again, Rachel last because she went back into Tamsui for more shopping, and me and the girls stopping once so they could make it home without peeing their pants, and once again for groceries. (When you are limited to what you can carry when you buy groceries and you are feeding 7 people, grocery shopping happens about once every 3 days.)

If you can stand MORE learning than what you have just consumed on my blog, check out these videos!!!! The video posted below is 3 of 5. Check them all out for more great detail and the "wow" factor that exceeds the $15 elevator ride to the top to think, "Yep, we're pretty high."