18th Feb 2010: Xin Beitou - Hot Spring City

A trip to Taipei does not seem complete until it includes a visit to either Danshui or Beitou, the 2 towns on the outskirts of the city.

Taking the train was a special affair. Much like Disneyland HK and their 'Mickey Mouse' ear window trains. Xin Beitou line had their hot tub trains.





Another reason to come to Beitou is because of this. I tried to find the same fountain where Takeshi and Gigi first met but failed. But the mood in the neighbourhood is very similar to the film. Distant, rainy, quiet walking streets. But do not be mistaken. Beitou has more greenery than other districts I saw in Taipei.



First stop, close to the train station. Ketagalan Culture Center. Closed for the first week of CNY. According to this, this Northern Taiwan tribe is now extinct.



Further up the hill along the same road, I came across this famous landmark of Beitou. The Beitou Hotsprings Museum – initially built in 1913 by Japanese colonial government as Beitou Public Baths, it was deserted and left to rot but was rediscovered by teachers and students from Beitou Elementary School in 1994. The design of the baths mirrored that of Mount Izu Hot Spring Bath in Japan and had Romanesque stained glass. Free entry btw and a beckoning warmth for visitors seeking shelter from the rain.



Next stop, the Thermal Valley of Death. Taiwan has numerous hot springs, both sulfurous and non-sulfurous. This one was the largest I have seen in Taiwan. As I got closer to the water, the smell of rotten eggs was strong enough to make me wince. The surrounding walls and path were also steaming because the ground was being heated by the volcanic activity directly below my feet. Not a place to go when there is an earthquake.





For those with strength and $$, go for lunch at the Taiwan Folk Arts Museum. Aka Jiashan or Kayama hot springs inn. This early Japanese style building, converted in 1984, is one of the largest free standing Japanese wood buildings. Lots of rooms to explore. Great views and a rock garden!







Last stop in Beitou is Puji Temple, a Japanese-era built Buddhist place of worship. The care-taker was very warm and welcoming. Offered me some sweets and a place to shelter from the rain. Aesthetics of the temple is very different from the rest I had seen in Taiwan. This one offered up simplicity and tranquility.





And I left Beitou for dinner at Danshui. I've been here earlier in my trip and I know it's a place for great food. So I decided to have some good food before heading off to Tokyo the next day. There's a specialty there which I didn't try the last time. Agate Toufu, short for Agedashi toufu. This one was more like Yong Tau Foo, stuffed with vermicelli and served in a sweet sauce. Heartwarming local fare. Much like the hospitality that the Taiwanese people have shown me. Viva La Taiwan!

17th Feb 2010: Yeh Liu National Park

Yeh Liu, as described from a brochure. Located in Wanli, it is a natural park full of sea-water eroded holes and numerous rocks in the shape of mushroom, candle, ginger and chessboard. The most famous rock formation there was the Queen’s Head and is the landmark of the geological park.

Yehliu is situated in northern Taiwan about 15km from Keelung harbor, between Jin shan and Wanli. It is a small peninsula, 1700m long and 50-250m wide.

Convinced my dear friend Kaz to go along in pre-typhoon weather which was typical of the week in Taipei. We left early in the morning to hunt down the bus that would take us to the North East part of Taiwan and into Keelung.

When we got off the bus, we wished we hadn't chose that day to visit. Look at the size of the waves in the pictures.



Right at the edge of the harbour, there was a temple. It looked really traditional and probably good for photo taking on a clear day. However, the gale force winds and biting cold made walking difficult. I now see why people avoid going to the harbour in typhoon season. The umbrella I borrowed from the hostel also couldn't hold out to the wind and broke shortly after arriving there.



And these are the rock formations that we came to see. Amazing. Reminded me of the Pinnacles in Perth but very wet and Mars-like, more so than in Australia.







From then on, the weather just got wetter and more horrendous.



The highlight of the day is this one precious picture of the Queen's Head.



After which, Mission was accomplished. Time to eat.

Kee lung has tons of weird seafood and it is really fresh. I loved the clams while my Japanese friend liked the snail-like mollusc which was as tasty as it looked. Back to the hostel to defrost.

16th Feb 2010: Day of rest in Taipei

After a crazy few days and equally squalid wet weather in Taipei, I took a day off and decided to just stay inside the city and explore.

First stop: 中正纪念堂

Second stop: Breeze Center





I remember being really wet and lost. Found some nice mushroom soup in the alleys around Breeze Centre. It's supposed to be like Bugis area with lots of small dress shops, cafes and nail salons. I found it just confusing. There was a store selling Japanese products in Breeze Center where items like dollar bills made out of soap flakes, Doraemon pancake makers and lots of beauty items were on sale. I easily spent a couple of hours there.

After that, I returned to the hostel for a steamboat dinner with my nice hostel mates. They were a motley crew of English teachers to be, iPhone cover designers, game software designer. All in the creative industry. A friend from HK was going back the next day so it was the last nite celebration as well.

I realise it's the people who counts in making my trip memorable. The sights and food are the initial draw but when I left Taiwan, I really missed my nights at both the hostels where I stayed the longest.