Maokong Gondola and Rao He Night Market

I've been meaning to make a trip out on the Maokong Gondola in Taipei for awhile now - I finally got the opportunity to go with my grandma in December. This excursion is definitely about the journey rather than the destination. The ride is about 25 minutes each way and the view along the way is lovely - particularly cool if you are in a glass floor gondola. On the other hand, the view at the top is partially obstructed and the food is not impressive by Taipei standards. I had heard there were a lot of great teahouses at the top so I was pretty disappointed to find only one teahouse close to the last gondola stop that was open - and a serving of tea was 180NT! That might not seem like very much since it translates to approximately $5 USD but that's a lot for Taipei. Grandma and I skipped out on tea here and headed to Ba Fang Yun Ji, where we had a meal of dumplings, potstickers, wontons, and vegetables for a total of 180NT.

A fuzzy silhouette of Taipei 101 on the right

Hello Kitty branding everywhere!

A lackluster ice cream crepe with peanut powder and cilantro

Jeff and I had a chance to catch up with friends over a visit to the Rao He Night Market this time around. The older I am, the less I am enticed by the cheap wares they offer. Even still, I can't always resist a great deal! Between the four of us, we got a selfie stick, an iPhone case ($3 USD), a cute top ($5 USD), and some tasty snacks.

Grilled mochi