Jiufen and Shifen

Headed up into the mountainous region about an hour north east of Taipei and stayed in an amazing traditional house built into the side of the mountain, 50 metres from the entrance to the old walking street. Jiufen old street is a popular destination lined with shops, tea houses, and restaurants. It is a really photogenic place to walk around, particularly at night, with hundreds of red lanterns lining the streets. More amazing food was sampled, particularly the popular beef noodle soup. I spent one afternoon walking about 4km down from the town to Golden waterfall. Well worth the steep journey despite some navigation difficulties. Day 2 we visited nearby Shifen, another famous destination popular for its old street built on the railway line and its lanterns. The kids enjoyed writing their wishes on the lanterns and then letting it float into the sky. A short walk from the old town and we visited Shifen waterfall, a spectacular falls which happen to be the largest in Taiwan. The afternoon was spent with Frog Zooming into his Yr 6 graduation ceremony. Whilst he would have loved to have been there, the opportunity to do this virtually whilst travelling was excellent. Almost forgot...found a lady selling Angus beef pies....scoreRead more