Fun in an airport?

            I didn’t think it was possible to have fun in an airport, especially for a bleary-eyed who had to wake up before the crack of dawn and is not looking forward to the next 20 hours of travel back to the real world.  But I was wrong!  This airport was filled with amazing surprises.  Not only did they have a prayer room, children’s playground, relaxation lounge with waterfalls but they also had several exhibits.  I learned about the 14 aborigine tribes, in whom Taiwan takes great pride as the cultural center of their country’s heritage.  I learned about Alishan Mountain and enjoyed a calligraphy and painting exhibit.  The Chinese puppetry area was my favorite- they described the stereotypical character roles and how you would know who was who by the costumes.  In addition to describing the origins of this traditional art, they described modern performances that adapted the ancient art in a contemporary twist. 

Chinese Puppet exhibit at Taoyuan Airport

Aborigine exhibit 

So that definitely brightened my morning and I took advantage of the chance to walk around as much as possible before eternity on a plane.

APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS LATER...

            Japan's airport is fun too!  Why don't they have things like this in the US?  They have daybed type cozy arrangements so people can lie down between flights.  I also checked out the origami museum- absolutely mindblowing!  I'll post pictures of a Cinderella scene made entirely out of paper.  Wow!  Well, I've get ready to hop on my plane to Michigan and re-gain the 11 hours lost in time zone differences as I travel through time and space!  My now-alligator skin is looking forward to coming home to moisturizer- hotels here don't provide it (but they do give you toothbrushing kits!).  And of course, I can’t wait to get back in the pool.

Origami Museum in Tokyo Airport- it's almost all paper!

            I’ll add pictures and post at least one more entry to summarize my experiences but thanks to everyone for reading!  I’ve had fun sharing my travels with you and hearing your feedback along the way.  Almost 1,000 page views!