Taipei, Day 7 - Danshui, Finally

It took a full week in Taipei before we made it to Danshui (a mere two MRT stops from our apartment).  My friend had never been and so we met in the morning on the lovely banks of the Danshui River.  The little streets and alleyways in Danshui are lined with souvenir shops and food stalls. It reminded me of a beach boardwalk.  There were numerous arcades for kids - BB, DD and my friend's son played and won little figurines.  We stopped to pick up souvenirs.  We bought street food to try.  See BB standing in front of the mushroom man waiting for his order?

There were so many great shops and we really didn't get to look at them all.  The kids were hungry so we ducked into a restaurant for a delicious and cheap lunch.  Afterwards, we did cool off at the indoor mall there and bought a bunch of clothes from Uniqlo.  Everyone needed some down time so all of us went back to our apartment and the kids watched My Neighbor Totoro, which BB and DD really wanted to see after we bought a bunch of Totoro toys, and my friend's son had never seen but really enjoyed.  C watched all three boys while my friend and I explored our neighborhood.  We talked while she ate a big bowl of shaved ice.

The next time we visit Taipei, we will definitely put Danshui on our list.  I actually lived in Danshui for two months after my freshman year in college on a cultural exchange program.  It was nothing like it is now.