Thailand part 2

Today we headed to eat Vietnamese food and then go to a temple. We rode a Thai taxi, which was just a small truck where we sit in the back. It was very interesting experience. It was a bumpy ride and the pollution was terrible.

Vietnamese food tasted very good. But I like Taiwanese food better. Vietnamese food is more vegetables and has less meat in it. Also both Vietnamese food and Thai food use peanuts alot for sauces and in the cooking. The taste is very unique and takes some getting use to.

This river flows on the side of the road as we walked towards the main road to get another truck taxi. The water is brown because of the dirt the river picks up as it makes its way down a mountain nearby.

We took a taxi up a big mountain to get to this beautiful mountain. I got a little dizzy from smelling the exhaust from the truck taxi but I guess I will have to get use to the smell. The dragons are very ornate and beautiful.

We climbed all the way to the top. It was a long way up and very tiring. I am getting older ><.

After paying to get inside the temple  by way of a "donation" we can pass through the gate. Here is a sitting place. The actual temple is up the steps but you have to take off your shoes before you enter. Also inside the temple you can not talk loudly or show affection to show respects to the monks and Gods.

This is the central part of the temple. It was very beautiful. The silence was also very peaceful. There were many tourist in the temple but also just as many people praying.

Through out the temple there were many idols where people were praying or showing their respect. I don't know what each one represented, but they were all beautiful and very well made.

My host mother and me are resting we are both very tired and feel dizzy and sick from riding the truck taxi around.

 There were many flowers and this huge tree were scattered around the temple creating a peaceful environment.

 This carving was made out of wood and is very intricate. The craftsmanship that went into this was very high.

 These columns are also made out of wood but have beautiful carvings on them depicting important scenes from their religion.

 Later at night we headed to a night market. I noticed that Thailand's night market focuses more on selling things while Taiwanese night markets forces on selling food. Either way there was alot of cheap things to look at.

 There was a temple near the middle of the night market.

 That is a glowing Statue of Liberty in the night market. It was strange seeing it. It looked like there was some kind of lantern festival going on that night.

After walking around for a few hours the nightmarket started to close down. I saw this sign at the entrance to a temple. I found it pretty funny.

Taipei Mountains and Roehe Night Market. Part 1.

Today was a very fun day!! And we walked A LOT because we were up in the mountains today. Today my host mother gave me eggs and bread for breakfast. A very American feeling breakfast which she thought was funny when I told her.  My host sister found out today that I was ticklish so she likes to grab my hands and try to tickle me. Haha but I am stronger then her so I beat her in this tickle war she has started with me : D. We all got dressed and head off to the Taipei zoo(that is where the cable car going up to the mountain is). We stopped for gas on the way there. They still have full service gasoline stations there. Someone pumps your gas and you get a free car wash with every trip. You also get a free gift like water, tissue papers, or a snack from inside the station. My host father didn’t want to ride the cable car so it was just my host mother, host sister and me.  There were a little scared but I wasn’t scared at all ; ).

 

Scared!



Grabbing on so she won't fall
 

The scenery was breath taking!! It was also a little scary because it was very windy so the cable car was shaking a lot. I had a lot of fun seeing Taipei we could see Taipei 101 from the car which was very cool! Here are some pictures of the scenery and a video.

 

 



You can still see Taipei 101 from here!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the cable car we meet some girls who were from a town down south and had come to visit the mountains like us. They were on a bus for 4 hours to get here. After we got off the cable car we were at the exit of a big Buddhist/Taoism temple. It was a beautiful temple. It was very peaceful and there were so many gardens with flowers and trees I have never seen before. It is strange to have such a huge city next to such beautiful country side.   The walk was very long up the mountain to get to the temples.

Photo Bomb lol

While walking all the way up you could see Taipei and still see Taipei 101. On the way up there were many flags this was a pretty yellow one with the Ying and Yang sign on it. You had to be very careful while walking through this narrow path because scooters would come flying up and down beside you.





 

 Here is a very pretty building. I could not get to close to it but it had dragons built on the side of it. It looked very old but beautiful.





 Behind us is the biggest temple. There are three temples. I think it looks so beautiful on top of this mountain. My host mother told me that God loves mountains that's why most temples are on top of them. The air up here smells so fresh compared to the city air in Taipei.

 You can sit under this building and meditate with nature surrounding you. It was so peacefully up here. All you could hear was wind rushing through trees and birds.

Even up here we found another "stamp station" so my host sister can keep her collection of stamps going. You take a coin and place your paper on top of the stamp and scratch the paper with the coin leaving the picture on the paper.

 Here is another picture of the envirmoent around the temple.

This is inside the smaller temple. You can see boxes on the ground to the right. That is because the temple is getting ready for Chinese New Year. They are unboxing incents to burn and good luck red paper.

This is the front of the temple. To pray you go to the front with incents and put your hands together and pray.





Picture of me outside the smaller temple. My host family loves when I do poses for them. So I try to be cute.











After looking at the smaller temple we hiked back up to see the biggest temple of the three. It was a long but peaceful walk. There where not many people here. I put a video at the very bottom if you want to see the temple better.


 After walking for what seemed forever we are finally here!! This is the way inside of the temple. It is so big and beautiful.



 

 



Maybe you can see the small path from here. Over on that path is where I took the picture with the big temple behind us. You have to walk in a zig zag down and then zig zag back up to get up here.

Here you can see how detailed and colorful everything is.

My host sister praying for good luck and wealth for the new year. 

 My host mother said this flower is only grown during Chinese New Year. It is pretty but it has a very strong sweet smell. It smelled so good I wanted to eat it lol : D.

When you walk through this gate all your bad luck and sins will be taken away. Then you can have good luck for the new year.

 Here is a quick picture of the inside of the temple. I didn't want to take any more pictures because there were many people praying inside.



I love reading bad English XD