This past weekend Carrie and I went the some friends hiking in Taipei. It was an easy climb on a gorgeous Saturday morning. The exercise and outdoor activity was more then welcomed and the amazing view from the top was totally worth it!
After the climb Carrie and I got to experience Taiwan hot springs for the first time. We went to public hot springs for 40NT or 1.25 CDN per person. We moved from warm pools to cold pools and back to hot pools. We repeated this process and slowly increased the heat each time. The hot springs were a nice experience and very relaxing after a day of hiking. But it was a little awkward sitting in the center of the pools as all the other (Asian) people quietly stared at the white kids rocking the two pieces. It was quickly noted that male bathing suits here are more revealing than woman's. Also we learned that hot springs are very different than hot tubs in Canada. The water is relaxing but it is very calm and still. There are no massaging jets or chemicals to feel clean as you bath with hundereds of strangers. It is also so hot or so cold that you must sit very still and only move slowly in and out of the pools as not to disturb other bathers. Also the cold pools were a new sensation. Slowly crawling into a freezing pool of water and curling into a ball to keep warm seems like an unpleasant experience but it was actually what Carrie and I liked the best. It must be our inner Canadian missing the cold because if you sat really still the water felt refreshing.... moving in the cold water was another thing. Brrrr!!! We did not make it into the hottest pool where the water is coming out of the Earth basically boiling. Our friends' skin was pink like they were being cooked alive when they crawled out of the hot hot pool...no thanks.
After our hike and hot springs we went to our friends place for a roof top bbq with a few drinks to close out our weekend.
A great way to welcome spring 2010!
Hot Springs (minus the crowd)
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