Layover in Taipei

I had a gap between planes of about 8 hours in Taipei, so I caught a bus into town and took a look around. On the way in, I sat next to a Canadian named Rich who's lived in Taiwan for 5 years (after several years on the backpack circuit). He gave me some tips on places to go in town.

Stopped by the grandiose Chaing Kai Shek memorial. Super sized, no doubt to be bigger than Mao's tomb... It includes a museum of artifacts, including the CKS Cadillac. Like the Pharoah, in case he needs it in the afterlife?

The shopping districts are a neat way to see city life. People sure seem to love to shop. And the shops are full of staff just hanging out, including young people who hang out while working. Seems like every other shop is clothes for young women, but there are odd ones too: a shop just for card tricks, another with anime action figures for grownups.

People are into gadgets. Here's a first for me: I was in a taxi, and the driver took a cell phone call from his grade-school son. Positioning the phone carefully on his driving wheel, he had a video conversation with him - he could see himself in a tiny picture-in-picture, so he made sure his son could see him, and they passed the time while he drove. (Probably not too safe -- one hand half-occupied and eyes off the road...)