Taiwan Storyland

Last Tuesday, Melodie, Nareesa and I spent over an hour wandering around Taipei Main Station looking for Taiwan Storyland. We had planned on going there for lunch so we were starving and eventually gave up. I mentioned this to my neighbor, Christine, and she offered to escort us there herself. WoOt!! So on Tuesday, Christine, Nareesa and I (Mel had to teach) took the bus to Taipei Main Station and walked straight to Taipei Storyland as if it were the easiest place in the world to find. It was frustratingly located in a basement, one building away from where we had stopped looking last Tuesday. *RAGE*

The inside of Storyland is made to look like you are walking down the city streets of old Taiwan. Storyland has a police office, school, dentist, shop, house, restaurant, theater and a few other places that are made to look like the 40s. It was kind of cool being there with Christine, because she remembered having some of the things that we saw on display and was able to tell us a bit more about what we were seeing.

The best part about walking down the fake streets of Taiwan Storyland? No scooters trying to run us over. Yay!

The admission price was $280NT (a little under $10CAN), which includes $150NT worth of vouchers that you can use to buy food or things at the shop. We decided to eat our lunch there, so I ordered a decent but dry-tasting plate of pork with rice and a too-sweet melon tea. Nareesa was a bit more adventurous, as she usually is, and ordered a plate of chicken feet and gizzards. She kindly offered me some, which I declined- though they looked delicious.

For desert we had decided to get shaved ice from the old-timey shaved ice store (old ice shavers seen above). Usually when I order shaved ice, I can choose whatever toppings I want on the dessert but at this place the toppings were pre-decided. They all featured vast amounts of goo and beans and the only one that looked good to me turned out to be chocolate sauce with a raw egg cracked on top of the ice. Pass! Wasn't that hungry anymore anyway.

Old fashioned KKK car.

Old fashioned copyright infringement- a proud Asian tradition- on a Mickey Mouse ice cream cart.

Old-timey racist toothpaste ad.

Outside of the hospital there were some old ads warning of the dangers of letting your child drink DDT. Who was letting their kids drink DDT?????

There were also some pleasant signs advising of the messy side-effects of being bitten by insects. Not sure what bug they are referring to, but I'm hope that thing never bites me!