Originally Posted by
M60_to_LGA
One other recommendation I have is to take the Maokong Gondola cable car up to the top of the mountain and have tea or lunch at one of the tea houses, then walk some of the trails and check out the big temple. That was a highlight for me.
The Maokong Gondola is one of my favorites. You can combine this with a visit to the zoo, if that's your thing. Hint: if you don't opt for the "crystal" options, the line moves much faster. The "crystal" cars are just gondolas with a see-through floor, and although the fare is the same, crystal cars only come every 4th or 5th car.
As to ATMs, I'm from the US, but I can say that I never had a problem using my debit card anywhere in Taiwan, including at non-bank ATMs with weird names at 7/11 and the like. I'd just keep an eye on fees, as I recall they can differ a great deal from machine to machine.
The 7-11 ATMs are definitely from a major bank. The bank is CTBC, China Trust. It's the biggest non-state bank in Taiwan and have an exclusive deal with 7-11.