Sherry's Place

Our arrival in Taichung came after a long flight (14 hours) from Detroit to Tokyo, followed by a 3 hour flight from Tokyo to Taipei, Taiwan, and then another 3 hours on a bus to Taichung. Whew! We were rather tired. OK, we were exhausted and excited at the same time. Our first street level view of Taiwan came as we walked a block from the bus stop to our hotel. The Splendor Hotel is located in the heart of Taichung’s business and commercial district, and it provided a most elegant and comfortable place to rest and recuperate for the each day’s adventures. This hotel was our base of operations during our stay in Taichung, Taiwan in the fall of 2008. The Splendor, a five star rated facility, certainly lived up to its rating.

The Splendor greeted us with an impeccably dressed staff, with check in sitting at a beautiful desk instead of the usual standing in front of a counter. Our bags were waiting for us in our room. The luxury of the room, even though it was rather small, was, well, luxurious. Bottled water was on the room desk and in the bathroom. There are some rather remarkable differences between Taiwan and the United States. The bottled water was not in the room as a nice extra. No, it was there to drink, including for use when you brushed your teeth. That’s right; the tap water was not potable, i.e. not fit for human consumption. In addition, another difference in personal hygiene was related to the use of the toilet. It was a real eye opener when we were told that toilet paper was not to be flushed. Hmmm. No wonder the waste basket in the bathroom had a lid. Enough of that.

The hotel had marvelous food. We ate breakfast each morning in the magnificent dining area, served on a buffet. I was fascinated by the differences in breakfast fare. The Taiwanese have a very healthy diet, and breakfast is no different. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and hot soups were nicely displayed. There were some “Western” style offerings as well, namely scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. The sausage was very different, spicy, and had quite a bite to it.

Our room was several stories up, and the window overlooked the eight lane street below. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the scooters on the streets from the window of our room. You have to realize that literally thousands of scooters are used as transportation. Seeing them moving through the streets reminds you of mass, organized confusion.

The Splendor Hotel was our home for several days, and the staff was most gracious to us each time we went through the lobby. I would certainly recommend this 5 star hotel to any traveler to Taichung.

Scooter parking next to The Splendor

Taichung street scene