3 May 2023
The newer parts of the new part
The big buildings of Xinyi
THE building is in Xinyi. So are a few other buildings as you shall see, including some under construction and a few that have been finished since I was last here. This area of Taipei is the newest cleanest fanciest part of the city, and probably the country.
I have been up Taipei 101 before, but despite the $20 fee, I feel as though tonight was a missed opportunity and I should have paid for a repeat visit, as the sunset was great. Oh well, my tightartedness strikes again.
Most of the shops around here are clearly not for me, the ironic part though was when I was looking at the Porsche dealership in the shopping mall (a strange concept), the salesman came over and asked me to leave. I guess I won't be getting another one of those any time soon then, they are clearly not for me.
A good thing about Taipei 101 is the food court. I love a food court, everyone knows that, it's cheap, you do not get turned away for being a party of one, and you get to wander around for ages making your choice. Tonight I was early so seating was not an issue. Also as I mentioned on a previous night, the whole buy a card, charge a card with more money than you need on the card, buy a meal with the card, refund the remaining funds on the card system is dead and buried, all the individual shops take credit card now. Actually I think this particular food court had an even sillier system previously where you had to pay at a central cashier, and tell them what you wanted from a stall 150 metres away who's plastic display meals you looked at. They had books or cards of all the stalls to remind you, but the pictures on the cards looked nothing like what was actually on offer.
I have no idea if they actually take cash. That was all a bit long and overly complex for buying a cheap meal in a food court.
The main show. If you go to the top you get to see the counterweight wobbling.
Just part of the extensive food court discussed extensively above.
Taipei 101 itself also has a high end mall. The type of place with shops and no customers, but rope sashes for forming a queue.
I descended to street level, here are some food vans. Nice trees.
This part of the walk to city hall was here previously. It is mainly cinemas. The 4 building Shin Kong Mitsukoshi is all new since I was last here, so I did not photograph it properly.
I got asked to leave.
Almost looks rendered. These are apartment buildings that often get proposed but never built. Here is one that got built.
Nice sunset!
OK, one more of the iconic phallic monument.
Another building under construction. Great sunset.
When you think of stock photo that they use on news stories about finance, you think of this. So I took one. Although it would need men in suits carrying briefcases (which no longer actually exist as a concept) for it to be used as a news story stock photo.
Tonight's dinner, a Taiwanese style meal of braised fatty pork on rice. Delicious.
And for my final shot this evening, proof that I stayed out until it got dark, just. Today I was up early, had lunch early, had dinner early, and I guess I will go to bed early. Tomorrow is a hiking day, in the heat. Additional research on the bus to take to the remote starting point is still required, so I will do that now.