Taipei Week 1: Beitou/Danshui

There are I think only 3 or 4 places where there are hotsprings you can soak yourself in. Taiwan, Japan, Bath (England) and Italy but this one I'm not too sure.

So, how can one come to Taiwan and NOT go to a hotspring? The weather then made it really great for a soak in the hotspring!

So off to Beitou 北投I go! (In Taipei - you can go to Beitou or WuLai  or Yangmingshan for hotspring) 

Getting there: Don't  get mistaken - take the MRT to 新北投Xinbeitou (you'd have to change MRT) that will bring you nearer. IF you drop at Beitou itself - you may have to take a bus.

At the MRT station

I  wandered aimlessly - and managed to find the Beitou Hotspring Museum. Think it used to be where the Japanese used to soak themselves in. Now it's a museum showing you the Beitou area and how the hotspring came about etc etc.

 

The big pool on the left served as a mass pool for the Japanese to soak in.. right pic was just my attempt to make things artistic haha... since there was a couple who seemed to be doing nothing. 

View from the museum.

Not real.but pretty.

The same sort of 樱花 in Wulai

Headed off to find myself somewhere to soak. There are MANY places you can go to! 

I had no idea where to go - on a budget didn't want to spend a lot so decided to just explore. In the end, I ended up at Asia Pacific Resort (I read about it in forums so I thought shouldn't be that bad)- and it was really FAR in. I really do explore ya. It looked a bit deserted and I actually was contemplating walking back but since I walked that far, just go la, how much can it differ. 

Very basic - I chose the private one at about NT1240 thereabouts - abt SGD 50 plus? For 1.5-2hrs and you get to soak at the public pool as well. There's shower and a toilet in the area as well. Meant for 2 people... Didn't want to show my birthday suit to anyone else. It was really HOT. but after that soak- all that ache (remember I walked quite a bit before this) gone! Very refreshing! 

There are other places like Spring City Resort, Villa 32 (this one very nice! I plan to go back the next time - you have to call to reserve as its quite popular ) Or if you are on a super tight budget, you can go to the public hotspring for NT40 (about SGD 1.80)- u have to bring your swimsuit though cos its mixed gender kind.

On the way, to the hotspring, I walked past the thermal valley 地热谷. It's similar to Hell Valley in Hokkaido for those who have been there.

Super hot! 

I just find this a bit contradicting when this sign was just placed in front of a building that was probably abandoned halfway through construction.

All refreshed! Off to Danshui 淡水I go, since it's just a few stops away!
It's the last stop of the red line very easy to get to.

The huge square beside the station -the red building is the MRT station. Spot that lady on the bottom right? She's a blind busker singing away with her husband - remember sitting around having my fried chicken nuggets and listen to her sing -爱拼就会赢 classic man.

The old street is not too far away from the MRT exit.

Full of stalls selling food snacks and souvenirs.

Grilled smelly tofu - not bad but I still prefer my fried one. White balance completely off because stall owner was waiting for me to finish taking pics so I just took it without changing settings.

There's a museum for freak stuff - this is the ninja turtle...apparently because it's shell looked like the teenage ninja turtles or something... I still don't see it. 

Walked a bit more - walked past a few shops selling 阿给ah Gei- which is actually fried tofu/toupok stuffed with tanghoon and other things with sauce. Didn't try cos was full and it didn't look very yummy. But apparently this is what is famous in Danshui.

Then I started to walk along the coast line.

Guy on the left is Mackay/Mckay (told you I'm not a very good guide) - a missionary from some western country....

Got to the church - Mckay Church or something like that...

Had to take the picture on the right. Sometimes i feel like doing that to some people. Extracting teeth like that! Ouch.


Walked back to the MRT station after this - was too tired and probably undid all my hotspring therapy. There are other things to see like 渔人码头 (you'd have to take a bus from the MRT) and couple of other historical sites.
 Never mind. I'd be back! This time I'd take the bus first then come back and attack the old street...