Partie de Champagne.,.+*

When our family frends came to visit us in Taiwan, we invited them to go to Danshui, one of the port towns in the northern part of Taiwan that has so much colonial history.  When we got there, the sun was almost gone and the tides were out. The place has a rather rustic feel. By the water was the old streets where nightmarket snacks, games, shopping things attract and fill the streets with full of people. Although you would assume most of them are tourists, that is in fact...

not so true because a lot of young people from Taipei or other parts of Taiwan would just come to Danshui for the exoticism of the buildings and the super busy shops and stands that sell more food than you can imagine. 



A stand was selling these HUGE hermit crabs (alive). I used to collect the small ones (probably about the size of a thumb) when my family took us to the northern beach of Taiwan. I've never seen one this big (for sale too).



Some typical nightmarket game. Stab the water balloons with an arrow. 


We didn't get to go to the Fisherman's Wharf nor the historical buildings further down the streets (& up the hill), which was a bit "zannen". Then we took the crowded MRT back to Taipei where we went to the Grand Hotel (圓山飯店), another historical landmark in Taipei,  for dinner. I've not been to that hotel in AGES. It still looks very shiny & RED & "traditional" Chinese. It's definitely very different from all the other popular, chic and modern 5 Star hotels in Taipei now. 



The view of Taipei City from the Grand Hotel's restaurant is definitely unbeatable for what it has. What makes Taipei a bit different from other large metropolitans is that in a huge metropolis overcrowded with buildings and people, there are still places in the city centre where you can breathe.