With the Servas group we visited two places.
It was a large group of mostly women and these tours happened over a couple of days. We had a guide who was also a Servas member.
Firstly we visited the Beitou Hot Spring area.
It was a bit of a challenge for us with the language but several Servas members were willing to translate and other times we gleaned stuff from information boards.
The valley has acidic sulphurous waters. The extremely high temperatures mean you cannot swim in it directly. At one time it was named Hell Valley because of the accidents that occurred there. Obviously humans found a way and built various bath houses along it’s route and we visited a Japanese one that is now a museum.
The following day the group visited another museum but I cannot remember where! I think it must have been rather like herding cats to guide us but, it was lovely to chat to everyone. This was the place where everyone was trying to feed us.
Juliana then took us to her home and later we walked through a Zhongshsn Park to an old Tobacco Factory that is the Songsham Cultural and Creative Park. Many art students were having there graduation presentations there!
Wandering back through the park, the frogs were amazing!
A few things that we have noticed or had pointed out to us;
There are very few public bins, sometimes we had to ask someone to dispose of something or you find a shop like 7-Eleven that does have bins.
The recyling collection vans play a tune (not unlike an ice-cream van in the UK) and everyone trots out with their waste and often there is a queue on the roadside.
There are air defense shelters in most town areas!
In this place for the first time in my life I’ve encountered a parking lift!
The bus drivers are demonic, no sooner are you on, they take off at break-neck speed and you slide about in your seat.
Next Wishing Balloons amongst other things!
The Travelling Bee 