Taylor comes to Taichung

This past weekend, our friend Taylor (a friendly, Taipei-dwelling Texan) came down for a quick visit and his first expedition out of the city into the rest of the island. We met him at training back in August, and it was so nice to see him again on Saturday and catch up over some dinner and Carslberg! After our very early dinner, we went out with some other teachers to a place in our neighbourhood called LM Relax, home of the world's prettiest restaurant decor. It was also home to some of the world's prettiest/tastiest alcoholic milkshakes. I'm definitely going back for dinner sometime! After drinks at LM Relax, Taylor headed out with another friend from training to a club, and I went home to promptly pass out after a full day of teaching and a full night of eating.

The next morning, we had pancakes at Early Bird - an awesome experience for any foreigner missing home. Once we'd all had our fill of carbs and coffee, we walked over to the Taiwan's National Museum of Natural Science where Boje and I had our whole Silk Road debacle back in September. For $250, we decided to try again. The special exhibit on the books this time? "Quest for Immortality - The Hidden Treasure of Ancient Egypt". We weren't allowed to take photos inside the exhibit, but we did have a good time checking everything out. The collection was thoughtfully curated, and despite the very heavy crowds we felt comfortable milling around. There were multiple human mummies, as well as several different species of mummified animals! It was really cool, especially after having recently read this BBC article about how ancient Egyptians were mummifying certain animals to the point of endangerment and extinction! I highly recommend this exhibit! You still have plenty of time to go, as it will be here until February 12.

Once we'd finished the exhibit we wandered around the grounds. The NMNS is a huge facility adjoining Taichung's botanical garden. It's a really cool park with lots of tree-shaded trails and big, open, green spaces. There were people there doing tai-chi, meditating, napping, and playing with their kids.

Brett took Taylor back to the HSR station that evening, and I must say it was lovely having him. I'm always happiest when there's someone staying in the guest room, so drop by any time!

Amanda and Taylor in front of the Taichung canal.

Taylor in front of the Taiwan National Museum of Natural Science. Say that three times fast!

Taylor riding a sidewalk dinosaur!

When cropped close in... Taylor riding... the sidewalk. Weird.