Taipei Day 3 Flower and Jade Market, Gondola and Tea!

What a beautiful day here in Taiwan.  We are falling in love with this beautiful city.  I've never been much of a traveler but being married to a wannabe world traveler (aka Chris Rhine) he sets a big trip every year for us to go somewhere new, even if it's Florida.  lol
After a day like today I can see why so many people just move here or feel so drawn to this city.  It's 68 degrees and not a cloud in the sky and a nice breeze.  Just like the weather we had at home before we left but this is how it is every day here (minus the rainy season). 

We loved going to Jade and Flower market.  It has changed somewhat since we have been there last.  The last time we were there it was all jade jewelry and had a few other stands but this time there was a really nice variety of art, tea, beautiful teapots and cups, custom stamps, gorgeous wood furniture and lots of other items.  There was still a ton of Jade but it was cool to see all the other items there as well this time.  I loved every second of it and went through twice!  :) 

We purchased a beautfiful hand painted lantern for our dining room - here the lady has a daughter that lives in Newport Beach and we had a wonderful conversation with her.  Lizzie got a beautiful pendant and bracelet for when she is older as I have one saved for Sophie as well.  I already have a jade ring I wear a lot to give to Sophie on her wedding day.  I need to find one I like for Miss Lizzie, nothing really struck me but there are may other places to buy just probably not as good deals as there at the jade market.  Sophie got a custom bracelet (many were too big) but one of the ladies there made a custom one for her with purple string (her fav color) and she is thrilled beyond belief it.  She says "mommy my wrist looks good with a bracelet"  lol  We also purchased some soap.  It is an odd purchase yes but the soap really smells good!

The flower market was wonderful.  It is one of my fondest memories of our previous trip and I so wish we were allowed to bring plants home with us.  There are orchids galore here and they are literally $1 - $5 a piece and they are gorgeous.  The trees, plants and water features here are really something to see and Sophie wanted to bring them all home.  She did get a shark that grows like 200x it's size and of course she's tickled pink.  The tea sold here is amazing too.  Chris was high on tea by the time we left.  He had one man giving him a sample of like 15 teas!!!  We still drink the tea we bought from Taiwan all the time, we bought 4 large canisters at our last trip it's time to replenish.

Diva Sophie and Pandy the Panda at the Flower Market 

Orchids.  $3.48!! 

Sophie's fav stand with every glitter tipped fake flower known to man 

Sophie found a pond full of fish just one of the awesome water feature throughout the flower market 

TEA!!!  We have no idea what we were drinking but it was good

All you D and H'ers prepare yourself for the next casual day, don't say I didn't warn you! This was Crhine's big purchase of the day  :)  Love it!!!

We are on the hunt for Lizzie for a little baby jade rabbit necklace.  Chris bought sophie a little pink jade dog necklace when we adopted Sophie and he wants to find the same special gift for Lizzie. 

We hit Da'an Park after the Jade and Flower market and we will visit again weather permitting after AIT with Lizzie on Wednesday morning.  It's absolutely stunning here.  The park is huge and its interesting if we had a park this size on a weekend like this it would be empty compared to how packed it was today.  It was as packed as Herhsey Park on a good weekend yet it's an outdoor park where the kids play, joggers, bikers, scooters, frisbee and complete with a roller skating area and speed skating.  It was super cool to see and SOphie loved running around after she took a cat nap on the park bench.

Huge play area for kids 

Other side of the play area 

roller skating area.  Soph wants to learn how to roller skate now after seeing this.  No problem Mommy used to be a skaing star at Rainbow Roller Rink - lol  flashback for all of you Mechanicsburgians.

Later we hit the Maokong Gondola and tea houses.  What an experience.

 Stops along teh gondola

 Sophie inside the gondola

Truly awesome.  Can't even put into words how great this was.  We waited for about 25 minutes to get the gondola it was really busy.  It was a really cool way to see Taiwan, the city and the people.  The gondola takes you about 1000 feet up into the mountainside.  As you ascend you see Taipei city, the zoo,  the Temple and tiny little towns.  Once you get up to the top it's like a little city.  Narrow roads full of scooters and cars and tons of street vendors selling fruit, ice cream, popsicles, pork and sausage on a stick.  You see a signs with literally 60 tea houses to visit!  We didn't make it too far with SOphie and we knew this going into it, we wanted to see a few experience it and then head back down.  We went to the mountainside tea house which is a large one but the young boy there spoke really good english and explained to us the whole science behind how they make and brew the tea.  It is a true art form.

 mountain teahouse brewing tea

 Sophie posing by the bags full of loose tea

 Where we ate lunch, Sophie took the pic

 tea service

 Beef fried rice and the back plate is the tea leaf fried rice

 Sign of lunch place

Mountain Tea House

Better loose tea can be used 5 - 6 times in the tea pot just by adding more hot water into it.  Never use the first pot of tea with the loose tea leaves it is poured out and used only to heat the pot.  Then you only let it sit for 15 - 20 seconds for the first pot after and then every additional pot thereafter should go a little longer.  The tea gets better.  It's true.  I'm not leaving here without a teapot.  We bought loose tea in oolong and jasmine green.  I didn't quite care for the black tea and actually we were told green tea has more caffine in it than black tea they roast most of the caffine out of it..

We asked for a recommendation for food and he told us that everyone on this mountain was his family and cousins so he couldn't pick just one.  lol  We also had the best fried rice ever.  Called tea leaf fried rice.  So good.  It had rice, tea leaves, egg, and chicken, it was soooo good.  The atmosphere is exactly what you would imagine and think.   Set in a mountainside, rustic, natural and beautiful.

 vendors off the gondola

 Signs for the tea houses.  wowza.  this wasn't even all of them, just one side.

 Sophie took this pic you can see Taipei 101.

 Gondola's

 Taken from inside the gondola

another pic from inside the gondola, beautiful mountains.

So glad we had the chance to experience this.  What a great day.  Tomorrow will be our last day as a fam of 3!