Hey I'm getting pretty good at this blog thing.

Another weekend in Taipei, so I was moping around thinking where I'm going to go today. I had thought of going to Luzhou, this place that has an offshoot from the subway line we're on. I thought, "Hey, if they bothered to build a subway out there, there's gotta be something good."

But instead, I was recommended to try out Neihu, which coincidentally the giant ferris wheel is on the outskirts of. Well I charged into the city proper this time, not really sure what I'd find. And I decided not to bother with the bus shortcut, and instead took the MRT the whole way. One thing I never bothered to notice before is that on the elevated, Wenhu line, there is no driver at either the front or back of the train. So if you bother to get in one of those cars, you can see the city zip by. I thought this was pretty cool, especially when it went past the airport. When I got off at the station, and you know those signs that tell you "Exit 1 has this and this attraction, Exit 2 has that and that..." etc.? Well the only thing listed was a park. So uhhh, let's go to the park I guess? And it's not a bad park, although there were parts under construction that significantly detracted from its scenicness. Nice bridge though.

And from the top of the bridge, I saw a sign that said in English, STAR CAKE. It's weird that when you're constantly surrounded by a sea of Chinese characters, English really stands out. So I went over to see what these star cakes were, and it turns out they're star shaped pastries filled with stuff. I got a wild strawberry and a peanut butter from a guy in a van. Because they were a little cold by then they were so so, but I bet they're amazing fresh.

Near the star cake guy there was a sign to a hiking trail up a mountain. I wasn't sure if the distance specified was the height of the mountain or the length of the trail, but 1 km didn't seem that bad either way. Future Weg shortly thereafter wanted to punch Past Weg in the face. Regardless of which one it is, 1 km straight up is not exactly a leisurely stroll. But I did make it to the top, eventually. And it turns out the other side is significantly easier to climb up. Well forget you old men and women, I did it the real way. Also I climbed 1/9th of Mt. Everest, so like, line up ladies.

Significantly exhausted by this point, I headed back down. Wouldn't ya know it, that was is a lot easier. I thought I had taken a wrong turn though because the trail I took just kind of ends in some dudes garden. I'm glad the dude wasn't out to see my trekking through his vegetables. In retrospect, that trail I took was probably not the designated route. Anyway, I walked back towards the city proper, coming across where they're building the new American Embassy. There was also a teppanyaki place, which seemed fun. It was a very small joint with not a lot of room available. So I sat down at the first available seat, and the woman next to me shot me a look that said "What the hell is this white guy doing?" I realized something was up, so I asked her if it was okay for me to sit there. She looked very confused and then the waitress guided me over to a booth hidden back behind drinks.

I still don't really know what exactly happened there. Clearly I have dishonored her ancestors, or something.