At 11:34 PM 6/9/2005 +1200, you wrote:
>ecloak]
>
>Maybe :-)
>
>Anyone who feels that their answer to the following would be of so little 
>merit under OT as to bore silly all who read it, please reply directly to 
>me. Any replies that you feel will enrich PIC OT (most of them, I'd hope) 
>please send on list.
>
>I'll be visiting Taiwan for one week from next Tuesday. First 3 days 
>(Wed-Fri) will be on business* in Taichung, Taiwan's second largest city, 
>about 100 km south of Taipei. From Friday evening I'll be free to do 
>touristy things (provided business works out OK as it should). Fly out of 
>Taipei at 9pm Tuesday
>
>So, what can I best do with 3.5 days in Taiwan. Budget is "as little as 
>possible and as much as necessary". Necessary is at least partially 
>defined by my wife :-). eg Budget wise I'm unlikely to go on eg helicopter 
>rides unless the reason is compelling. Extreme photo opportunities tend to 
>compel me :-). In the time available I'm happy to see a little of much 
>rather than much of little.

There are some nice buildings in Taipei- the skyscraper Taipei 101 (ugly, I 
think),
way out by CETRA, the CKS Memorial Hall etc. There's the Palace Museum if 
you like that sort of thing.
The food is great, and the "food court" setups are very economical and give 
a wide range
of stuff (in large department stores, for example).

You could probably book a tour of Hualien for a price you'd find 
attractive, including
domestic flights (which are very competitive). Flights are generally out of 
Sung Shan
airport, which is basically right in Taipei (a few km from the center). I 
didn't think
Sun-Moon lake was worth the trouble, BTW.

BTW, if you care about such things, take the bus to/from CKS airport to the 
main railway
station. It's only $120 or so per person, vs. about $1000 for a cab.

>I have a friend in Taipei who can probably give me accommodation for the 
>period as required (depends partially on whether flat mate goes on holiday 
>as planned). Just in case, any  highly recommended approximately free 
>places to stay would be nice to know of. There are stacks of very well 
>priced places on web so I shouldn't have much trouble regardless.

Cheap places in Taipei tend to be a bit grim and/or dedicated to "by the 
hour" customers.
Check it out, especially if the better half is in tow.


>Google provides many pages of things to see in Taipei alone. Given lack of 
>mobility (car hire is possible but probably unwise) I'd probably be best 
>advised to spend most time in Taipei.
>
>I'm told "Snake Alley" is a must see.

It's not the same as it was 20 years ago. I lived for a time in Taipei
some years back, setting up a local office. Actually got to understand
the bus routes (you MUST buy a map with the routes if you want to try).
The subway and cabs are more practical for a short-term visitor. I saw
a number of serious motorcycle accidents, be careful if you go this
route.

>Apart from that there are gardens, temples, hot springs, monuments, scenic 
>railways, historic buildings, museums, amusement parks and much more.
>
>Out of this incredible selection can anyone offer any more "must sees" to see.
>I'd consider hiring a (small) motorcycle if they'd hire me one. Yes, I've 
>seen their traffic. I think I could service in it and a small bike adds 
>wondrously to ones mobility.

You absolutely don't need to hire a vehicle to get around. The local bus,
Taipei's subway, long distance bus, train and domestic flights (and taxis) 
are quite
sufficient. A lot less worries, reasonably priced, frequent and efficient.

Since the subway went in (and some say, since 1,000,000+ Taiwanese moved
to the mainland) Taipei's traffic is not really that bad anymore and the
pollution levels are vastly improved. It's also (slowly) becoming more
attractive.

Best regards,

Spehro Pefhany --"it's the network..."            "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com             Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog  Info for designers:  http://www.speff.com
->> Inexpensive test equipment & parts http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZspeff


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