2011 Year in Review

Here's the link to our annual Year in Review slideshow.  2011 Taipei Towner's Year in Review Unlike most of our slideshow's this one focuses on the family...vice the scenery...so friends and family can see how the kids have grown.etc..with just a taste of what we've been up to and where we've been over the course of the year.  DO keep in touch!!!!

Matt, Hsiu-ling, Aileen, and Natalie

Back from Borneo

We just got back from a week spent in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia on the island of Borneo.    Click on our slide show in the window above if you want to see what we saw or link to the slideshow in a bigger window by clicking Exploring Borneo

 We had a good time enjoying the ocean, the jungle, and the benefits of a nice resort.  I also got my craving for good Indian and Malay filled.   East Malaysia is still struggling to catch up with its wealthier half and despite the polish and price of a nice resort, many of the details go wanting...especially service and efficiency..  What makes it tolerable is a people with a smile and that KK does have.

After getting settled in on Monday we took a city tour on Tuesday....Kota Kinabalu is no great shakes squeezed between the jungle and the sea, but the tour was a nice orientation and we learned a lot at the Sabah Museum.

Wednesday I took the kids to Palau Sipa where Aileen went Sea Walking.  It's like test driving scuba diving at about 25 feet   Natalie was going to go but had trouble equalizing so she went down and came right back up...I thus did not have a chance to try it myself.

Thursday we went on a daylong trip to Mount Kinabalu  about 2 hours from KK City.  Mt. Kinabalu is a 13,000 foot mountain rising out of the jungle with thousands of unique plant and animal species within the park. We walked through the park botanic gardens...which seemed more like a fenced off section of the jungle, but still gave you a feel for the tropical environs.   We took a canopy walk that was a bit freaky...I guess I just assumed it would be a more solid walkway vice rope bridges, so that took some getting used to...for the adults.  The kids loved it.  When we came down we were caught in the tropical deluge while hiking to a waterfall .  At the base of the falls, little fish nibbled the deadskin from your feet ...very theraputic and ticklish.  We also saw a Rafflesia Flower, the largest flower in the world and only found in Borneo.

Friday we relaxed at the hotel and Saturday we took a boat to Palau Mamutik where we snorkeled for four hours...we saw some amazing marine life and because we got up early we did so before the tour groups started flooding the beaches.

We were back in Taipei by 930 PM and watched the fireworks off Taipei 101 at midnight to welcome the new year