The Old and the New

Every day Taipei brings a new delight.  Today, Solomon, Taylor and I walked to get breakfast.  Solomon, trained to live in a big city, walks along as if it's no big deal to be in a huge city.

After breakfast we walked over to Qingguan Park to get the wiggles out.

When we realized we all needed a bathroom break, we headed down the alley to go back to our apartment.  When..........................what do I spy? A little mini temple, the size of a phone booth.

I could have easily missed this.

I think the only reason I looked was because of the scent of incense.

After taking these photos I looked behind me, and there was a storefront temple, about the size of a single garage. Two older ladies were watching TV on the big screen on the wall.  They motioned me to come in, which I did.  They wanted me to sit down, but I declined. I needed to catch up with Taylor and Solomon who continued down the alley without even noticing these little gems. I felt I would impose if I took a photo, so you just have to trust me that it was another small, gem of a temple. 

I find that I have to pay attention all the time while I'm here, because I can so easily miss hidden treasures. The contrast of modern playgrounds with ancient temples, as well as the contrast of an ornate temple with a TV on the wall  are  constant sources of wonder for me.

More Temples

As if the beautiful Jingfu Temple wasn't enough of a feast for the eyes, I just found two more temples within a 10 minute walk in the opposite direction from our apartment.

This first temple, Yongjing Temple, is on the way to the Shuanglian Market, where we went to scope out the fresh fruit, veg, fish, etc.  I saw this temple the first night while I was out exploring with Jennifer.  At that time the gate was closed but all the red lanterns inside the courtyard were lit.  It was quite magical. I was thrilled to find it again.

Yongjing Temple

Once we got into Shuanglian Market, we stumbled over this beauty right in the middle of the vendors.

Students and their families come here to Wen Chang Temple to pray for good grades. 

There is Taylor, checking out the produce.

Religion in Daxue Village

One of the aspects of Taiwan I enjoy most is the prevalence of temples.  There are 30,000 temples in Taiwan.  Apparently that is more than any other country in Asia. The temples have been built by Buddhists, Taoists or practitioners of Chinese folk religion.  Pretty much every where you go you run into temples, large and extravagant, small and informal, or modest but distinctive.

A pint size temple in the Hakka Cultural Park which is within walking distance of our neighborhood.

This temple is on a table in a corner of the Gongguan Traditional Market which is across one of the main roads from Daxue Village.

One of the disappointments I've experienced living in our current neighborhood is the lack of temples.  2.6% of the population in Taiwan is Protestant, and they all seem to live in our community.  We've got a large Baptist Church, a larger Presbyterian Church and the Lutherans are here too. I'm not going to include photos, because you know what they look like.

We had a big surprise yesterday morning while taking our morning walk.  We strolled past Daxue Park which we had visited before.  This time, we approached the park from a different angle, and lo and behold - here is our local temple!!!

Now I feel that all is right with my world.  I've got at least one temple in my immediate neighborhood.  There are probably more, I just haven't figured out where to look yet.

Final Snapshots of Taiwan

Even though we spent as much time as we possible could holding our grandson Solomon, aka Soup, Taylor and I loved exploring Taipei and areas north of the city.  We saw so much, that I find it impossible to write about it all.  Here are some of the memorable sights and experiences from our month in Taiwan.

The main attraction.

Moo, Baa, Lalala. "Don't make the scary goat sound."

Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

Meeting Paddington Bear.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

Big arms and kicks.

Small local temple.

Squid on a stick in Danshui.

Longshan Temple, where we heard monks and participants chanting.

I am the birthday boy - 3 months old.

Yulia, our Mandarin teacher.

Yulia

Shongshan Ciyou Temple - the biggest and the most extravagant.

Fortune telling stones.  You toss two at a time to get answers to your questions.

This fellow is one of many on the top of the roof at Songshan Temple - I took the photo from the 5th floor balcony.

Another treasure on the Shonghan roof.

Lunch with Chia's dad.  Two grandpas and a grandma.

Confucius at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

Getting ready for a nap.

Our local trash lady.  After tidying up the street, she takes off her green vest and cap, and sits at the outdoor cafe for a cigarette and a snack.

Lin An Tai Historical House and Museum.

Lin House.

The garden at Lin House.

A Walk in the Park

Most mornings Taylor and I get up at six and start our forced march in Taipei. There are lots of parks, so we usually have a goal to walk toward.  One day, we decided to combine taking the MRT (subway) with our morning hike.  The goal:  Elephant Mountain.

We hopped on the MRT at Xinye Anhe Station which is a few blocks from our apartment.

We took the red line to Xiangshan. We emerged from the MRT station.

We came out of this station.

 And here we were, in a charming park at the base of Sishoushan Community Forest.

Regular morning exercisers were already at it.

 We were also a stone's throw from Taipei 101.

We walked through the park and found the trails up into the forest.

Looking at at the extensive trail system, I was reminded of Forest Park in Portland, OR.

We found what we thought was the trail to Elephant Mountain, and we started hiking.  We passed a lovely temple built into the side of the mountain.

Elephant Mountain is only 600 feet high, but it's a killer.  The Taiwanese don't believe in the switchback system.  This walk is what Margit and I call the "buns of steel" walk.

The walk was pretty much like this all the way up. There were very few flat areas for resting.

The day, of course, was hot and humid and the walk was pretty strenuous.  However, the view from the top was amazing.

So, we made it to the top of Elephant Mountain, saw the sights, and went home to shower, shave and shine.  Another walk in the park for Jamar and Taylor.

Cleaning Frenzy

We are settled back into our original flat.  It turns out the leak was due to heavy rains the night before we arrived.  We were a little sad to leave the immaculate replacement apartment, but I knew that I would be claustrophobic after a month without being able to see outside. The positive points of moving back are the big windows looking onto the alley, and the fact that we already know our neighbor.

Ted, our host, came to collect us and took us in a taxi back to the flat.  We took time to ask questions about the flat and to make a few requests. We asked for cleaning supplies to clean the kitchen. He pointed to a disgusting sponge and said, "There's the sponge, that will work, won't it?"  I decided not to press the point.  Then we asked for 2 more chairs, so when David and Chia visit we could all sit at the table together for a meal.  I also asked for cups and glasses.  He thought that was a good idea and asked if two of each would be good.  Once again I told him 4 of us would like a cup of tea at the same time.  So, Ted went shopping last night and will come over today with cups, glasses, chairs and a pot big enough to boil noodles. Sheesh.  By the way, Ted is a French 30 something, from Paris.

As soon as Ted left, Taylor and I went to the local supermarket and bought rubber gloves, sponges, dish cloths, scrubbers, etc.  Oddly enough, Ted has lots of Mr. Muscle under the kitchen sink.  Then we went to work scouring the kitchen.  I know it hasn't been cleaned in a very long time.  We worked up a serious sweat during two hours of work.  Ted's cleaning lady has been pulling the wool over his eyes for quite some time. Now, the kitchen is spotless and we can warm bottles for our precious Soup.

Now we are settled in, enjoying the view of our alley from our windows, and loving the presence of Soup when he comes to visit.

Last night, Chia took us to a traditional Taiwanese restaurant for dinner so we finally had real Taiwanese food.  These people sure know how to cook.  And the restaurant is right down the alley from our flat.

Chia selecting the fresh seafood and vegetables for our dinner.

The bin on to right is full of fresh, young bamboo shoots.  They are fabulous and do not resemble the ones we buy in cans in the US.

This fish was so tender and sweet.

Next to the restaurant is this temple:

And when we looked past the temple, we saw this fabulous view of Taipei 101.

Even though we've had a cleaning frenzy, and the disruption of moving back and forth to apartments, we love our neighborhood.  We also love living in the same city as Soup.