Danshui

Having spent too much time in 'downtown' Taipei, I decided to visit the historic seaside "town" of Danshui, 20 km away, at the mouth of the river with the same name.  It was one of the first colonial outposts - initially inhabited by the Spanish, then the Dutch, Chinese, and finally the Japanese. It was nice to breathe fresh air, eat fresh seafood, and hike along the hilly terrain while visiting sites of historical significance.  The best part of this was that it was accessible by subway and I didn't even have to change trains once. Maybe next weekend I'll hike up Qixing peak in Yangmingshan, a 1100m mountain just outside of Taipei.