@@@ March 22, 2018 Location: Taipei, Taiwan - Tidbits

I was told by a friend who lives in Taiwan to make sure I tried some of the street food. Taiwan’s food is great, varied and somewhat unique. Drinks as well. Everyone should try Bubble Tea, Referred to as Boba. It is a Taiwanese tea-based drink invented in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s. Most bubble tea recipes contain a tea base mixed with fruit or milk, to which chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly are often added.

Fried Cuttlefish

 Creating a dozen dishes at once. A street artisan combines a fried egg, tofu, bacon, spices and a few other ingredients all at lightning speed.

So popular are these streetside eateries that you can find them by the long lines outside. 

In and around Ximen ...

Goodbye Taiwan ... Thank you! ...... 晚安台湾。谢谢！

@@@ March 22, 2018 Location: Taipei, Taiwan - Peace Memorial Park and Taipei Botanical Garden

Today started out with little planned but decided to give the Botanical Garden a try as it was not that far from the hotel. Glad I did! Oddly enough it was ok for plants but even better for seeing some uncommon birds!

First - Peace Memorial Park. A great place to sit and relax...and take photos!

One of the residents 

A good place to relax and muse over the state if the world...

Heron watching out for dinner

Family bonding for Dusty Moor Hens

Wonderful singer ...

And the Botanical Park...

This beautiful bird was being followed around by a cadre of photographers 

Butterfly Bush ...

@@@ March 21, 2018 Location: Taipei, Taiwan - Maokong Gondola

On this cloudy day the rain stopped long enough to go on the Gondola which goes to the top of hills surrounding Taipei Zoo. Here, are a few shots.

Even monks take the Gondola

Some of the views

And Chi Nan Temple on the mountain 

@@@ March 21, 2018 Location: Taipei, Taiwan - Taipei Zoo and

The Taipei Zoo, sometimes referred to as the "Muzha Zoo" was the first stop today. One of the largest in Asia, it is 165 hectares. In 2015 it was badly damaged by typhoon Soudelor. Today it proved interesting for me. I like Zoos and the results ...

The star of the zoo ... two Pandas and the resulting “Pandemonium” surrounding them

And some of the other residents ...

Kids Day ... after all it’s kids young and old who enjoy Zoos the most!

And some of the uncaged residents...

Black Buuterfly ... The Great Mormon

It’s all to much for the STAR ... so just rest and do some people watching!