TAIPEI | Bayen Hot Springs | Sunday

These sensational, smelly sulfur springs are located in Yangmingshan national park about an hour away from downtown Taipei by bus. The burning water rises to the surface to mingle with an icy clean waterfall, creating the perfect temperature for relaxation and healing. 

 Sulfur stained rocks.

Bright green escaping hatch for the gas. 

 Steaming stairs. 

 For Carrie, because she wants to see pictures of me and not Taiwan. LOL.

Ketteh guards the crops. I think this is a taro crop.   

 A wee touch of Ireland.

 Rice. 

A man, who must live up here on the mountain, tending to his land. 

A washing up station at a house on the mountain. 

 Bathers.

 The cold water source.

The mixing point for the hot and cold water. The hot was scalding hot. 

 Sulfur rock. 

 The hot water fall, steam rising in the light rainfall. 

The character says "Buddha."

Taiwan in a nutshell. 

  

TAIPEI | getting there, getting around | Saturday

I work until noon on Saturday mornings. At 1:30 I took the high-speed rail from Kaohsiung to Taipei City. I traveled 250 km with the highest speed reaching 297km/hour. It took 1.5 hours with 2 stops and cost $1500NT, or about $45 CAD for one way. 

 711 peanut butter and jam sammich.

Country side.

Fire side.

 Taipei Main Station - a hub for transit including the HSR, the MRT, buses and snail trains.

 My map of the city and my Easy Card loaded with $400NT and ready to see the city!

 It feels like there are way more people in Taipei than Kaohsiung. 2,618,772 people or 9,560 persons per square kilometer.  I think the two cities are similar in size but Taipei has way more people coming in for the work day.

 The Weekend Flower Market. I knew I was close when I saw people walking down the street carrying 6 foot tall trees.

 Ceramics at the market.

 Chopstick rests.

 Da'an Park: roller blade lessons, karaoke, water park, the usual Taiwan randomness.

View from the Palace Museum. "A visual feast of 5,000 years of traditional Chinese art, with a rich concentration of architecture and artifacts from the Ming and Qing imperial courts."

I was lucky to have Michelle H., a local art historian tour me around and enlighten me. She didn't even seem to mind my many questions. 

 I snapped one picture before being told, "No pictures." Opps. 

A miniature carving in wood.