 |
| Longshan Temple MRT Station |
We had two tour guides, Vincent and Janet. Of course Longshan Temple was included in this tour but there were some other interesting stops. We started out at the temple.
Longshan Temple looked especially beautiful at night with the lights and the waterfall.The guides led us inside and gave a detailed explanation on how to worship the gods and explained the rituals that were going on around us. They also told the stories behind the main gods. Everything inside was very ornate and colorful. This temple was rebuilt three times; it was destroyed by an earthquake, a typhoon and bombs (in WWII). This was a great chance to learn a little bit about another religion and actually being present in the temple and observing what was happening around us.
 |
| Outside of Longshan Temple |
 |
| Offerings inside the temple |
 |
| An altar inside the temple |
Another stop in the tour was Herb Alley (Xichang St.). Let me just say that I love tea and I like all kinds of herbal teas. Here we tried two different teas. The first one was okay. The second (bitter tea) was AWFUL! It was more than bitter, it left a nasty aftertaste in your mouth. And they said this is supposed to be good for your health. ??? YUCK!
On the way to the market we went through a dark area that had been a merchant area in the past. The guides gave us some background history and took us to the oldest hotel where we entered the lobby.
H
We also went to Snake Alley. There was a snake shop where you could eat snake and get other things like snake blood. The interesting thing is that Snake Alley was where the prostitutes hung out. Their customers would visit the snake shop for an aphrodisiac when their energy and stamina wore out. Then they could go back for another round.
We also went to Snake Alley. There was a snake shop where you could eat snake and get other things like snake blood. The interesting thing is that Snake Alley was where the prostitutes hung out. Their customers would visit the snake shop for an aphrodisiac when their energy and stamina wore out. Then they could go back for another round.
 |
| Snake Shop |
 |
| Huaxi Night Market |
When we reached Huaxi Night Market they explained a little about it then left us to go on our own and explore. There were tons of food stands. We tried some fish cakes (deep fried with two kinds of sauce - sweet & sour and wasabi), meat on sticks and papaya milk. I love to try new and different foods and I wasn't disappointed. It was a lively place with lots of people.
On the tour with us were people from the United States (Colorado, California and North Carolina), a young man from Texas that was living in Japan, someone from Calgary, Canada, some from Australia and New Zealand, a couple from Switzerland and others from Singapore, the Philippines, and Portugal.
This tour was advertised as free, however the guides (who are volunteers) did pass out envelopes for tips mentioning that if we liked the tour we could give a donation. We gladly put something in the envelope because they were both so personable and informative and did such a fabulous job. It was well worth it. We saw and experienced Taipei in a way we could never have done on our own.
We returned to the hotel after 11:00 P.M. It was a good day.
Here is the link for TourMeAway
No comments:
Post a Comment