As my final day continued one thing I did find open was the Tapiei 101 observation deck, so up I went to take in the slightly hazy view of the city post Typhoon. There is something very pleasing about this 508 meter building, designed with sections like a giant flexing bamboo stalk. The worlds’s fastest elevator zips you up to the 89th floor in a mere 39 seconds. For those of you with an appreciation of Engineering the tower also hosts the world’s largest, heaviest and only publically visible Tuned Mass Damper. Hanging from cables and stretching between the 87th and 92nd floor, the 730-ton steel ball is the reason this building can withstand Typhoons and earthquakes.
Inspired by viewing the city from up high I made my way to Yuanshan hill behind the Grand Hotel, easily accessible from Jiantan MRT station. From here a number of walking trails take you high up the hill side, past many temples and eventually to some viewpoints looking over the city. From here I stood looking back at Taipei 101 where I had been merely hours earlier, how easy and accessible this city is to cross.
The following day as the clear blue skies returned and I headed to the airport it struck me by how much I had crammed into just five short days and at the same time how much more there was to see. I hope that one day I get the chance to return and enjoy this city and its friendly people once again.
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