Terrific Taiwan Part One ....

Continuing on with my posts about our latest overseas adventure ...

[you can read about my DS1 and DDIL1's 12 hour photo shoot photos and then the Pre-wedding rituals and ceremonies, the wedding itself and then the post-wedding shenanigans, if you follow any of these links]

.... Well, after all of the excitement of the wedding (and the karaoke) you would think that we would all have taken it quietly after that.  But no, not at all.  The next day, my DDIL's mother organised for us to visit a huge Buddhist monastery complex which was about an hour or two away.

So, the next morning, she turned up in a big bus (for about 10 or so of us) which happened to include a special facility - you guessed it!  Karaoke! - to take us all there.  DDIL loved the Karaoke (did I tell you that is how DS1 and she first met, at a Karaoke party), so it was Taiwanese singing all the way there and back - lol!

When we arrived, what was the first thing we saw in the bus parking area - the toilet facilities built to look like a bus!

The entire complex was only built a few years ago and is quite enormous.  These next few photos are just the entry way.

Of course, once we got inside, as Food and Eating are the other Taiwanese favourite pastimes apart from Karaoke, we had to stop for lunch  - $10 for an all you can eat vegetarian buffet prepared by the Buddhist monks.

Then it was off to explore all of the towers and to find the giant Buddha.

Stunning vista, isn't it?

There were also some gorgeous shops in the complex, selling these beautiful glass pieces.

[Updated: Quite a few people have asked me if we bought one of these lovely pieces of glassware (the blue one seems to be everyone's favourite).  Unfortunately, no, it was very expensive and also, TraderVic and I were worried about how we would get it home in one piece - so sorry, no new glassware is gracing my home, these days.]

Then, on the way home, we visited one of the oldest street markets in Taiwan.

Now, what you need to understand about Taiwanese street markets, is that unlike all of the other street markets I have visited during my travels in South-east Asia, the Street markets are all about the Food, there are not a lot of stalls selling trinkets  and other bits and bobs as you might expect to see.

These are glazed strawberries - absolutely delicious!

This stall holder is cooking quail eggs.

I hope that you have enjoyed this visit with me of Day Four of our time in Taiwan.

Stay tuned for further posts of our adventures over the next few weeks.

hugs,