by Hamza Adnan:
On Day 4 of our Taiwan trip, we began our marvelous foreign adventure by making our way to the world-renowned Taipei Zoo. And what a fascinating experience it was! Not only was our mode of transportation for getting there (Taipei Metro) unique and snazzy, but the zoo itself was also such an absolute delight to behold. We were blessed with the opportunity to feast our eyes upon a plethora of aesthetically appealing animals. I got to see monkeys, elephants, giraffes, zebras, birds, pandas, and many more unique and interesting creatures! One important observation that I would like to make is that the animals in the Taipei Zoo felt fairly exotic compared to the animals which I have seen in the zoos in America. Furthermore, I’d like to add that most of the time, there was no fence or cage to prevent the animals from reaching us! It felt quite odd!
After the zoo, we headed to the Breezy Autumn restaurant, where we feasted upon a cornucopia of scrumptious nourishments including chicken, pork, beef, salad, soup, and rice. We also got to drink some delicious guava and orange juice!
After eating lunch, we headed to Pingxi, where we had the opportunity to write our wishes in dark ink on red lanterns, and then we got to light the lanterns and release them into the beautiful sky! I found this experience to be quite engaging and appealing because most of us have never been able to enjoy such interesting endeavors back home in the United States!
After lighting the lanterns, we headed over to the Wen Shan Farm, where we got to personally handpick tea leaves and get a tour of the farm while wearing cool, authentic hats and baskets! Following the tea-picking, we ventured to the Wen Shan True Heart restaurant, where we feasted upon a plethora of delicious food, including fish, chicken, pork, soup, rice, and some interesting vinegar!One thing I found particularly exciting was the fact that the local Taiwanese people were so enthusiastic ab out the various flavors and characteristics of their tea.
Finally, we headed over to the forest on the mountain in pitch black darkness, in utter awe of the bioluminescent fireflies that came into our views. I would also like to point out that this experience with the fireflies resonated especially deeply with me because it made me reflect on the fact that I’ve never really had the opportunity to interact with fireflies in the past. Because this experience was completely new to me, it felt particularly special and awe-inducing.
All in all, Day 4 of the Taiwan trip was a huge success, and I would say it might even be the best day of the trip so far, with many more amazing days to come in the near future.
