….is not that hard actually. We ran into quite a few of them on our public transportation adventure to Danshui.
Today Grandma Lin decided that she had sufficiently bashed on American food yesterday (but not really), and would now move on to a comparison in public transportation. We took a long bus ride out along the river (and finally across) to the fisherman’s wharf at the end of Danshui. After a lesson from the grandma about how every place can pretty much be reached in one bus, if not 2 (generally transferring at Taipei Main Station), she decided that she would take us through the subway system on the way back.
We took a stroll along the wharf, which had a lighthouse on one end, and a resort on the other. There were fishing poles set up along the rocks bordering the walkway, and restaurants on the opposite side where boats were docked. It seemed to be a popular biking area since there were a good number of people biking along the boardwalk.
After visiting the lighthouse, we backtracked and headed towards the resort. The actual building was only about 2 years old, but the outside looked much older, thanks to the weather and sea. Amy and I went up the lover’s tower (it was so romantic…not) and got a fantastic view of the mountains and sea. We then explored the inside of the resort, which showcased some of taiwan’s art specialties (coral sculptures and Taichi stone men), along with other forms of pottery and schmancy art pieces.
We ended our trip with dimsum at a restaurant owned by a supposedly famous Taiwan chef. We obviously had to pick a few dishes that weren’t normally available in the US (because of the grandma), such as baked crab and cabbage, scallop shumai, and fried tofu wrapped seafood. We also ordered some regular dishes (so we could do a proper comparison). In general, everything was a lot less oily than their American counterparts. The much tastier part goes without saying :).
On our way back, we took a different bus to the Danshui station, and subwayed back to Taipei Bridge station, which was a block from where we were staying.
Overall, public transportation is quite lovely in Taiwan. Whether you take the subway or the train, you can reach most places within the hour. On top of the convenience, the facilities are actually kept quite clean. There are underground shopping malls that stretch between train stations, and a number of amenities, including breast feeding rooms, are offered.
Food learnings of the day
Recipe for baked cabbage
* Sauté cabbage with butter
* Throw in a touch of cream and your choice of seafood (or meat, but seafood is lighter)
* Stir together, place in bakeware
* Top with some cheese and stick it in the oven at 250 degrees C until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned
* Why am I cooking in Celsius now???