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 : D

Today I was off with my girlfriend to Taipei to meet up with one of her colleagues she use to work with in a cram school. We had to wake up early to catch the train going to Taipei from Toayuan train Station. It was a cloudy morning so I was hopping for a very cool day.

 I have been living with Sylvia's family for the past week. Tomorrow I will move into my new apartment. This is Sylvia's house it is 5 stories and my room is on the 4th floor. It is a very beautiful house!

 Here we are in the MRT station after arriving to Taipei. We are waiting for Sylvia's friends John to come so we can go eat together.

The restaurant we wanted to eat out wouldn't open for another hour so we walked around Taipei trying to kill off some time.

 We ate at a Japanese restaurant. This is a kind of hot pot called "壽喜燒" . It is kind of hard to explain what the Chinese means but it was very delicious!!

 First you drop the slices of raw meat into the soup to cook them.

 Here you can see the meat cooking. We cooked beef and bacon in the pot.

 The sauce you use is a raw egg with peppers.

 My desert was mango with green tea pudding.

 After eating John had to go to work so Sylvia and me waiting at Taipei Main Station for my host mother to get off work to go visit her and her family.

 Seeing my host family again was great!! I had missed them soooo much! We all went out to eat at a Vietnam restaurant. Here I am drinking Vietnamese milk tea. It taste like regular milk tea but with a coffee after taste.

 My host father, Jerry.

 Some egg rolls.

 Vietnamese beef noodles. They were good but Taiwanese ones are much better!

 Our desert haha. Pineapple ice cream inside a pineapple.

I had a great time in Taipei!! I can't wait to  go visit Taipei and my host family again! On the way back to Taoyuan Sylvia and me were so tired that we fell asleep on the train till we got to our stop ><.