TXG

Taichung is Taiwan's third largest city. The National Museum of Natural Science is good for a full day trip, perhaps even two days. We didn't cover all there was, but one afternoon was the amount of time we spent there.

Quick Tips:

Carry small coins for the bus fare.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are several bus companies, all with very similar routes, but the fares vary depending on the bus company, whether you can figure out where you need to go, and which bus lines will get you there. You can take a taxi, but the ride may be rather lengthy.

When taking the train out of town, verify which platform you're supposed to be on several times. We missed our train by being on the wrong platform. We were confused about the correct platform.

Fuh Chun Hotel is conveniently located just across the street from the Taichung Train Station. There was someone available to speak English. A restaurant is attached to this establishment.

The walls are thin, and we could hear someone else’s phone conversation. The beds are typically hard or very firm. The air-conditioning was turned off because they thought it was cold. But we thought that they were trying to keep their expenses low. A man at the hotel showed us to the room and provided us with a couple of bananas, some candy, and chilled bottled water. There are sliding panels for privacy and to block out the light, but these were on the verge of falling apart. The room was clean, with fluorescent overhead lights uncovered.

The hotel was conveniently and centrally located next to the train station. So if you get lost, just get in a taxi and show them the card, or just tell them to take you to the train station. The room was just so-so, but the staff is really nice and helpful.

I Mei Bakery serves dim sum, sticky rice, sandwiches, and desserts. The bread is fresh and soft when biting into their sandwiches. It's conveniently close to the Taichung Train Station. It closes at 7pm.

Phone: (04) 2224-0609-10

Dai Shanghai is a gay men's sauna a few blocks from the train station. The staff person was very friendly, but spoke little English. In and out privileges are available for 24 hours, but you must let the staff person know you want to return on the same admission you already paid.

You are asked to remove your shoes and place them in storage next to the front desk before going in. The place looks relatively new and clean, with modern stand-up showers. There’s a TV lounge, computer access, complimentary drinks, dark areas, and private spaces. It’s not busy on weeknights.

There's a large fruit and vegetable vendor at the corner of the block, which sells delicious fresh-squeezed bottled orange juice.

Purple Grindery is a gay-friendly karaoke bar. It’s open from 9pm to 5am. The minimum drink price is NT$400 per person. The staff and customers are friendly, making rounds to keep you company so you're not lonely, though no one there spoke English.

Phone: 220-2126

The National Museum of Natural Science is a large complex of several buildings. We went in through the employee's entrance and got escorted to the proper area to pay the admission of NT$100. But upon entering to turn over our tickets, we were asked if we have our US passports. We were instructed to return to the ticket office and get a refund. The person at the office was puzzled and phoned to someone. A moment later the money was returned to us. I think they are doing a temporary promotion to encourage tourism from the US.

We saw the Mars exhibition with videos from National Geographic. Then we saw a film; The Meaning of Life is the English title. Everything else was in Mandarin Chinese, and I recommend passing on the film.

We paid a separate admission to watch a couple of 3-D animation films in a separate building (about a 5-minute walk away if you don't go in the wrong way), one called Panda Vision and the other called Dog and Bugs. Panda Vision was better than the second feature.

Other exhibits include the Science Center, Life Science Hall, Chinese Science Hall, Global Environment Hall, Theaters, and Botanical Garden.

There are refreshments.

There was also a large temporary photographic exhibit by photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. They had beautiful mural-sized images taken from the air with an ecological critique with what is wrong around the world. The display is outside of the museum, where it is accessible even after the museum closes. It was only opened for about a week.

Hours: 9am to 5pm daily, closed Mondays

Phone: 886-4-23226940

Take any of the following buses from the Taichung train station:

Taichung Transit Company

No. 22, 27, 46, 47, 103, 106, 135

Jenyou Transit Company

No. 22, 38, 45, 125

Chuyeh Bus Company

Any bus heading toward Shalu or Tachia

High Potential Bus

Brown line, green line, or orange line.

Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan's only large natural lake located in the middle of the country in Nantou Hsien. It's a very large lake indeed, but not what I had hoped for in terms of a view. It looks like a large body of water with a haze of pollution overhead. There are busloads of tourists coming here. But now that I have seen it, I wouldn't recommend it.

It looks like a tourist trap for an over-hyped view of the lake. We spent several hours and a very expensive cab fare to come here from Alishan for this rather disappointing view since there was no direct bus service and the route was a scenic ride only available by car.

The water views driving along the roads in and around Juneau, Alaska in the US are far more numerous and much better looking, but also with a much colder and wet climate and clean air.

The geographical center of Taiwan Marker is in Nantou County, just outside of Puli, near the Hutou Mountain and Carp Lake, which provides additional scenery and walks in the forest. There's a plaque on the marker.