Imagine it, a weekday off, in Taipei, in April, after weeks of rain and gloom, being sunny and warm. 
I set up the big tent we bought for camping in the lawn next to our house for a practice sleepout tonight. Actually got a little color on my pale white skin, and not just from swearing.
So fellow posters, did you take advantage of this gorgeous day, which is not even close to being over yet?
Just prepping the motorcycle now for a spin around the 118 behind Shrmen dam… 
a little bball in taoyuan at 2
paper writing till then … 
Going to Belgiam Pie’s place in Sanxia and taking a nap afterwards, though I might go to Baijishan for a nice little hike and some chingcaocha.
A great afternoon at Muzha Park with my kids and met a lovely lady and her daughter who offered us some wild berries right off the tree.
Had a superb drive out to Keelung via #3 and then followed the coast down to Aodi before coming back via some beeeeeeeeeeatuiful valley into Taipei(highway 2, the 104?).
This country has some fantastic mountain roads. Very underrated indeed.
Yeah, got up this morning, weighed myself, and hit an all-time high, then my pants split when I put them on. So I headed out to buy some bigger pants, and found out they don’t carry them that big.
So I went for a brisk, hour-long walk on the Academia Sinica campus. Very nice. Just got back.
If anyone wants to get a regular hiking group together, let me know. We could do Forumosa hikes, kids and dogs welcome, around different edges of town like Sishoushan (e.g., Xiangshan, Elephant Mt.), Yangmingshan, the temple at Bishan in Neihu, Bailusi Shan at Dahu Park in Neihu, etc. I’m only naming ones I know better because they’re near me, but we could do others, including day trips to Yingge, and so on – anything to get out, meet folks, and get some exercise!
Hiked from Shifen (a stop along the Pingxi rail line) up to a weather tower than overlooked Keelung and Ruifang. Could see mountains rolling off behind me and sweeping back to the right and left. The ocean lay ahead, and cool Keelung island out to sea. Fantastic panaroma. I couldn’t recommneded this trail enough. I’ll be writing about it in detail in the Travel section.
What a day! 
Pls pls pls, let’s do it together! Next time the weather looks good, announce it on Forumosa and let’s have a gang hike, shall we?
Beautiful news and posts from all. Glad to see/hear good news.
I went up to a hot spring recommended by MJB, and anjoyed a nice moderataly strenious hike down to the river, and then looking longing at the hot spring on the other side of the white swirling icy waters…
Great day and great trip…
Mr He,
You strike me, after extended reflection, as a very Norweigian kind of person. Just a guess.
K
you are some 200km off.
Honestly, a great hike, and my first totally natural hot spring. didn’t feel like walking thru cold waist-deep water, so took in the scenery.
Well, given the similarity of regional dialects, I’m not surprised. OK, Danish? If I’m wrong, I’ll buy you a beer!
[quote]Yeah, got up this morning, weighed myself, and hit an all-time high, then my pants split when I put them on. So I headed out to buy some bigger pants, and found out they don’t carry them that big.
[/quote]
He he. You went shopping in your undies? Oh dear.
I went for a ride along the treacherous road from Pinglin to Yilan which today, actually wasn’t that bad.
Found a beach along the No.2 and took some photos of a crab I found. I forget what it is called, but it has one claw bigger than the other for attracting a mate.
No one in sight…just the sea and the wind driven sand.
Then I went and had something to eat.
I found out that my alternator had failed and wasn’t charging the battery so I had to whiz back through Fulong and then Pingxi before it got dark, but it was still great.
Glad everybody had fun.
It has been an incredible day, BBQ, beer and excellent company. The only way I can finish the day is to have a toasted Marmite and Peanut butter sandwich
[quote=“Mr He”]you are some 200km off.
Honestly, a great hike, and my first totally natural hot spring. didn’t feel like walking through cold waist-deep water, so took in the scenery.[/quote]
Is that up on the Beiheng past Baling? Down the hill on the right-hand side of the road? That’s a nice hotspring if its the same one. Last time I went there was a big old tree down that you could use to cross the river with dry feet.
Gorgeous day at the park. Drinking biiru, men playing with balls, lots of sex…talk, finger lickin’…food.
Good time.
[quote=“Mr He”]I went up to a hot spring recommended by MJB, and anjoyed a nice moderataly strenious hike down to the river, and then looking longing at the hot spring on the other side of the white swirling icy waters…
Great day and great trip…[/quote]
Good, you found it…
And for Sandman…Yep, it’s the same place. But the big tree was washed away by Nari. However Mr. He, the water is only cold about half-way across and then warms up due to the inter-mingling with the hot water. You are telling me you hiked all the way down there and didn’t brave a 15 foot swim? Damn dude, my daughter did it when she was 9! 
oh yeah, for the 'mosans out this way…
On Sunday we paid our 2nd visit to a very small mountain cafe, over looking a superb vista. The turn off is just south of Fuxing(heading towards the gorge), just past the turnoff up to that Forest Visitor’s Center.
I have a card but can’t make any sense of the language. Highly recommended tho.