This outdoor pool is just so nice though. No slippery tiles to fall about on, lovely trees all around, tables and chairs, kiddie equipment…I could go on and on. Sure it’s a bit worse for wear and could do with some reno.
Of course, they could make it a half and half pool - that would satisfy everyone. Personally I would go for the outdoor pool with shady areas everytime over chlorine-smelling, stuffy indoor pools with no natural light but that’s just what I’m used to in Australia.
hehe… you sound like a real dad with your stories of attempting to have a fun day out with the kids and it going pear-shaped. I identify with that, why is it all dads seem to somehow be missing that ‘mummy gene’ that keeps things on track. :s
Anyone game for going to the zoo this weekend, Sunday morning ? I will bring my 18mth daughter if others are upto the task ?
I’m game. If the typhoon permits.
I’m game. If the typhoon permits.[/quote]
Anyone else ? Alternatively Saturday morning would ensure no typhoon worries, and most likely mean clear blue skies…
EDIT: and less locals
We can’t go Saturday morning becasue our girl has her first dentist appt then. 
But Sunday morning if it’s not storming too bad we’ll probably join you. We’ve never been to the Taipei zoo. Is it an old-fashioned, primitive zoo with just empty concrete cells and iron bars or do they have some more natural habitats as with more modern zoos?
Can one walk to the zoo from the MRT or does one then take a bus/taxi?
Any idea what time the zoo opens? Or what time you might want to go?
The zoo is pretty good, as zoos go.
there is a kid’s zoo right near the entrance, and the butterfly area is wonderful, air-conditioned, right near the entrance, with wooden walkways, a coffee shop, interactive area etc.
you can walk from the mrt, it’s less than 5 minutes.
You can hire strollers for 30twd, need a deposit of i can’t remember how much - 500? the strollers are nice, with sun-visors on them.
you can take the train up to the african area and walk down, too, that’s fun for older kids.
I wish I could meet you all at the zoo!! But this weekend I have absolutely no time for play.
Zoo’s nice. There’s been a lot of improvement over the last year or so and they always seem to be working on some part of it. Smelly but shady and always fun. My kids love the Reptile house and taking the train to the top (5 NT per person!)
MT, your daughter’s going to love it!!! Good luck with the dentist!
Actually, I don’t believe any of us will make it. I believe it will be storming and raining. I hope not, becasue otherwise I’ll be there.
Yes, she will love it. Actually, we took her to the zoo in Portland, Oregon 2 weeks ago and she was thrilled. First time seeing monkeys, elephants, etc., not in a picture book. And I taught her some time ago what noise monkeys make, but this was her first time to actually hear a real monkey. She liked all the animals. Maybe the best, though, was a giant window on the side of the sea lion tank, which the beasts swam up to repeatedly as if they were showing off for the visitors. Anyway, it was great and we’re looking forward to this.
Maybe anyone interested should check in here on Sun morning to confirm. Does anyone know when the zoo opens?
Sunday for us is good, so we will be there weather permitting. I hear it opens 9.00am ~ 5.00pm. A massive NT$60 for adults, kids under 6 years are free…
I think it is best to get there early before it gets too hot… I can do 9.00am
If it is raining then there is always playspace.
If mommies are welcome on your daddy day we’d be glad to go. My son LOVES the zoo and when it’s not too hot we get there about once a week! The African animal exhibit is definitely his favorite.
Well? Is it too gray and rainy for the zoo?
Well… it’s not raining here in Mucha right now, ground is wet of course… if someone decides to go, let me know!! PM and we can exchange tel. numbers or something?
ARe you fairly certain the zoo is open today despite the almost-typhoon?
It’s not raining in Songshan Dist right now either, but it looks like it could any time. Isn’t the sky very gray and ominous in Mucha presently?
We definitely want to go to the zoo, but don’t want to travel all the way out there to be caught in a downpour.
Sadly, maybe it would be best to postpone till next weekend.
Well, it turned out to be a great day, too bad about the zoo. We ended up playing in the river at Shi-ding.
About Rong-Shing pool, I called city govt. today. You can call 2720-8889, connect to the English service, and tell them your opinion about the pool. Hopefully if a few people call up they will at least think about it.
Anyone up for a family day at the zoo tomorrow?
I’m fairly certain that we’ll be going, probably in the morning, but not too early.
Get outside and enjoy it before the next typhoon hits (Sunday or Monday?).
Well, a month late, but we finally got out the zoo and I was impressed. Not quite as clean and well-designed as the zoos we’ve visited recently in Denver and Portland, OR, but still very good. The best things about the Taipei zoo are that:
The MRT stop is right there. Although we drove, next time we’ll take the MRT as it looks so convenient.
Incredibly cheap. Just NT$60 for adults and children over 12; NT$30 for kids age 6-12; and free for kids under 6 (which is why the place is swarming with babies and strollers).
Lots of good exhibits, such as the tropical rain forest area, with a walkway through nice vegetation, past monkeys, orangutangs, etc.; the giraffes, zebras and elephants were also very nice.
The penguin exhibit was a little small and disappointing compared to others I’ve seen, but it was still ok I guess, and some exhibits didn’t seem quite green and natural enough, but overall I don’t recall seeing any exhibit that I thought was truly barbaric, as I thought I might.
We went on Saturday and it was very crowded. It would definitely be better during the week. Incidentally, if you’re really cheap they apparently let guests in for free after 4 pm (it closes at 5), but for god sake it’s only NT$60.
There’s lots of construction going on, so in the future it will apparently be even better. But, even in its present state, it was a very good experience and our girl now has a much better understanding of important vocabulary words such as monkey, elephant and giraffe.
Finally, if you drive there and aren’t too exhausted afterwards, it’s a very short drive from the zoo to a famous tofu street that I mentioned in another thread a while ago, with lots of good food (if you like stinky tofu and the like) and nice gift stores.
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … ofu#344355](Famous Stinky Tofu Street near Taipei
We went to both. It was a long day but a very good one.
Anyone up for a group family outing tomorrow with young children?
Our girl is 2.5 yrs. Ideally, if it’s not raining tomorrow, I’d like to get an early start to avoid the heat, and go for a hike with my wife and daughter somewhere close by – perhaps the Fairy Footprints trail in Mucha which is a great trail up a hill, with trees, shade and nice views, or perhaps the animal mountains or something like that. We’ve done Fairy Footprints twice with our girl and she loves it, mostly insisting on walking herself and loving the great scenery and friendly hikers and dogs, but sometimes needing me to carry her up steep stairs or on my shoulders down at the end. It’s a great experience for all of us, after which we get home before noon (admittedly we left the house at 7 am last time), shower, eat lunch, give her a bottle and then a great nap. We would be thrilled if someone out there has a child at least age 2 and similar interests and abilities and would like to join us.
If it’s raining or no one is up for a hike, it would also be nice to get together somewhere else: Playspace (a good indoor play area mentioned at p1 of this thread and elsewhere in teh Parenting forum); or the children’s museum at 5F, Eslite, Warner Village; or maybe an outdoor pool if it’s not too dirty or too jam packed with big, rough kids; or anything else someone suggests.
Although I posted in the Daddy Day thread, mommies are also totally welcome to respond and participate.
My wife and I were discussing last night that most of the pure-Taiwanese kids we know seem less bright, active, playful, adventurous then the mixed-race counterparts, so we’d love to get together with some forumosa kids, who are obviously all spectacular.
Anyone game?
MT, we would be up for doing something tomorrow morning, I’m flying to China in the afternoon so would need to finish around lunch time. Amber’s 2.5yrs too
Fantastic! Actually, I was thinking of you. I remembered you from Playspace a year ago or whenever it was we went there. Do you like hiking? Are you all willing/able to get an early start, before 8 or so? Are you willing/able to carry your girl when it’s too steep or too far?
Here’s a couple of shots from Fairy Footprints trail in Mucha. It’s nice, close and not too difficult. If we arrived there before 8 you’d definitely be home before 12. Or, if that’s not quite right, let me know and other options are fine too.
We are game to go for a hike, don’t do a lot of hiking but I am used to carrying Amber 
Let’s tentitivley say 8am, and wait to see if any others are interested (flight is late afternoon so I am somewhat flexible). I will PM my contact details