It’s probably the mild weather, but it seemed to me that Taiwanese people like to chill.  I saw a lot of people taking their time when walking around, hanging out in parks, or relaxing in a coffee shop.  Many people also go to the hot springs, which lucky for them, they don’t have to travel far to get there.

Beitou is a suburb to the north of Taipei.  You can find dozens of hotels, from the budget to the glamorous, that have hot springs for their guests.

Once you get to the Beitou MRT station, you take a short train to the New Beitou MRT staion, an important distinction to remember.

the adorable train

the train was designed to look like a hot spring bath house

People in Taiwan are so used to the rain, they just deal with it when going out because they don’t have much of a choice.

The Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese have all tried their luck at colonizing Taiwan with varying degrees of success.  But before Europe and the rest of Asia came knocking, the island was inhabited by different aboriginal peoples.

There is a small museum dedicated to the aboriginal history of the island close to the New Beitou MRT station.  It doesn’t take very long to look through all the exhibits, but it is important to remember all the people who have lived on the island.

You can also visit a hot spring museum.  Don’t forget to switch your shoes for slippers at the entrance!

modern art I think?

Next time I am in the city, I’d like to stay at a hotel in this area.  It sounds relaxing to go out and travel during the day and chill in a hot spring in the evening.

all the steam