I’ve been doing some last minute exploring in Shu-lin since this will be our last week here. John and I signed a lease to take over a brand new apartment in Banciao in the Taipei Sky Dome on Minsheng Road. We’re very excited to be moving. Our apartment is on the 24th floor and has a terrific view of the city.
In addition to having a beautiful new apartment, we’re also going to be taking advantage of the brand new gym and spa facilities in the basement. The pool actually has a cascading waterfall. The spa includes thermal and artic pools, and saunas. We’re just a short jaunt away from the Xinpu MRT Station. We can’t wait to move!
Naturally I’m feeling a little sentimental about saying good-bye to my home for the past year and a bit. Shu-lin has been good to us. The people here are very kind and we’re a little sad to be saying good-bye.
I will miss my walks on Datong Mountain. I’ll miss my friendly neighbourhood cheerleaders who shout encouragement and give me the thumbs up while I’m running down the back streets. I’ll miss our local fruit and vegetable vendors. We’ve stopped by our favorite neighborhood restaurants to say good-bye to our friends and we’ve returned to a few special places just for the fun of it.
Lately, one of my favorite past times in Taiwan has been visiting the local Taoist temples, which can be found in almost every nook and cranny. I rode my bike to the main Taoist temple here in Shu-lin to take some photographs of the magnificent artwork featured on every available surface within the compound. I am literally entranced by these temples and spent hours today wandering around admiring the multi-colored hues of mythical creatures and local deities. It’s like looking at a story book in real life. Each day, I’ve devoted more and more time to getting to know all the mythical faces, creatures and sacred objects that are the essense of Taoism. I’m completely and utterly captivated. Luckily these temples can be found all over Taiwan. I’m looking forward to finding some new ones in Banciao.
Thanks Shu-lin, for a wonderful year!
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“Taipei Sky Dome”? are those the buildings with the 5 roof tops that are lit green or purple at night by the Da-Han bridge? if yes, that is sweet!!! those are some cool ass buildings! they are practaically a landmark of taipei county now.
by the way, we might be hiking up Datong Mountain this coming weekend
Yep. Those are the ones. The buildings are awesome and they do dominate the skyline. We’re really really excited to move in.
Carrie,
Your photos of the temple and neighborhood totally capture Shu-lin. I really liked living in the neighborhood and found it to be a really pleasant experience. Nonetheless, it is going to be great to see you and John in Banciao. I can’t wait to visit the gym and see your fantastic view from the 24th floor!
Beautiful Photos*
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I love the photos from the temples. And the fried dumplings and the spinach look great. Actually ou are making me hungry. I am sure that you will find plenty to love about your new neighborhood. The new apartment sounds fantastic!!!