Out and About

SUNDAY, 4 NOVEMBER 2012. First of all, we all got up Sunday morning. (See earlier post, Back at It.) There was no interpreter at the conference today so we were given most of the day off, which we resolved to enjoy to best advantage. First we hit the nearby jade and flower markets. Then we took the metro to a local landmark, Taipei 101. I'd seen the high-rise building from a distance, but I was completely unprepared for how high-end it was. No shopping there for me, but we grabbed a quick lunch in the very chic food court. (Think pesto with calamari rather than McD's.) From there three of us, sort of an international version of the three muskateers, went to a local temple, which was swarmed with people and offerings on a Sunday afternoon. We returned to the conference for closing ceremonies and a banquet that included a flaming tower of soup. We apparently hadn't had enough excitement because we moved on to the night market where we shopped for extra tote bags and enjoyed sugary pearl tea. It was a great day, but I could not wait to drop in to bed!