Keelung & Taipei days 14&15

Keelung & Taipei days 14&15

We arrived in the busy port of Keelung around midday and when cleared by the local authorities we left the Ship around 1.00 pm to meet Marcia, Uncle Robert we had a brief lap around the local shops before heading back to the terminal to meet Robert we eventually hooked up around 2pm ther was some. Robert and his wife Angela organised a taxi to ferry us around for the day, so we set of around the coast road which was quite busy with lots of scooters ducking in and out between the trucks and cars. Our first Port of call was Yehilu Geo Park which is a popular and pretty area of coastline with a sandstone or limestone base which has been eroded by wind and ocean over time, with most of the structures quite close to the sea they have attendant’s standing by to ensure you don’t get to close to the ocean or handle the sensitive structures. The areas are connected by a 2km board walk so it was quite a walk around the precinct. From there we visited a market precinct were Jennifer brought some more Skechers though these were copies and quite cheap. Robert also got us to try some local food. We had a almond based yoghurt desert which was tasty and also a Bean and Tarot root and Pumpkin cold soup affair which was quite different being a little sweet and a strange consistency.

We then hopped back in the taxi which Angela had arranged to wait for us, very convenient, and ventured back towards the Port district and the  vibrant food and clothing market that take up three parallel streets adjacent to the Passenger Terminal. We wandered through there and sampled some more street food, some sticky rice that was quite tasty and some chicken broth/soup. Robert offered for us to stay at his place for the night to save commuting time in the morning, but we didn’t want to put them out so we returned to the Ship around 7.00 pm. It had been a busy day so we had a extra bite and coffee in the cafe and retired early after a busy day of walking.

Wednesday morning we arranged to meet Robert and Angela out side the terminal around 9am we received a call from Robert to say that he was running a bit late. Upon his arrival we  headed towards the Keelung Station to board the train for Taipei. The attendant at the station advised Robert that it was actually quicker to catch the local bus so we backtracked to the bus station and boarded the bus to Taipei. It was quicker than expected and we then had to wait for Angela to  continue on to the first tourist destination. The National Palace Museum which has the world's best collection of Chinese historical artifacts and antiquities. The museum is in Shilin. The nearest MRT station is Shilin (士林), with frequent buses from Shilin heading for the Palace Museum. Look for the displays on the buses. Some are written in English. It's a must-see for first time visitors. We left the Museum and on our way we purchased some Pork Dumplings from a vendor by the Station, they were quite possibly be the most yummy dumplings you could eat. From there we traveled by train to the The National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, the famous symbol of both Taipei and the Republic of China. It is here that the nation's flag is raised every morning, and the huge court yard in front of the memorial serves as a place for both national celebrations as well as a platform to voice one's disapproval of the government. The memorial consists of a large bronze statue of Chiang Kai-shek, watched over by two motionless honor guards who are replaced every hour in a rifle twirling ceremony. Downstairs, there is a museum of Chiang's life, complete with his sedans and uniforms. Even if you are not into memorials, the gardens, with their Chinese style ponds, are definitely worth a visit. The memorial has its own MRT station on the Xindian line.

We left the Memorial and as the afternoon was wearing on, we had advised Robert that we should return to the Ship around four pm, so we parted from Angela at this point and Robert escorted us back to the bus station and traveled with us back to Keelung, along the way we chatted and Robert showed us some video of his karaoke performances which we have to say were very good. It was a real highlight of our trip to meet and share some time with Robert and Angela. We relaxed for a while on our return to the Ship before catching the evening show which was a Soul act with negro performers who had belonged to the Band the Drifters. It was then time for dinner for two and a nightcap before retiring for the night.