Hiking in Neihu: Discovering Gems

A few Saturdays back, we set out on a family hike in an area just a few metro stops away in Neihu.  It turned out to be just a wonderful day for a hike and the kids were mostly happy throughout which made it very enjoyable! We discovered some great things along the way that we wanted to share.

 #1 Gem: A little family farm on the hillside, so serene

 #2 Gem- An old coal mine area

From  a later trip with the play group! 

 #3 Gem- Well not really a gem per se... actually quite the opposite.  A big banana spider- these things are about the size of your hand!  Creepy and they are everywhere.  Yay.

 #4 Gem- A really nice temple that we just happened across.  It is a family temple maintained by the Ye family but they were really nice to let us wander about.

On our way back, we walked home a different way and saw a beautiful park down below.  The kids were tired so we didn't explore it then.

 I came back with the girls and found it was a very beautiful little walk, and river.

Gem #5- A Butterfly haven!! I wish wish wish our camera hadn't broken right before this (yeah- the shutter stopped working. way lame) So I had to take all these with my phone and it is really hard to see just how many butterflies were fluttering about.  Elliana loved it because they didn't really fly away when you came near.  She even touched some of them.  Sienna seemed quite taken too.  I hope you are able to see at least some of them- they were all colors, white, big black ones, orange, sparkly blue... it was so awesome!

We came back another day with our play group because we loved the butterflies so much!

 Gem #6  On our way out of the park, we saw a lady walking  6 very done up poodles.  It was so funny to see them all running up beside her with their little bows.  I think it was mostly comical too because the woman was very Not prissy or the kind of woman you would think would have 6 poodles.  Elli was in awe of course!    People here in Taiwan love their dogs!

 #7 Gem- Saving the best for last folks.   On the second trip out to this park, the temple was doing some sort of festival and these three lovely hogs were being presented as gifts to their gods.  I have never seen a dead hog like this and I was surprised that it didn't stink.  They looked almost fake, kind of like a how somebody looks in a casket after they have died.  Really interesting cultural gem.  I wish we could have stayed for the whole celebration, but at least we got to see these three big pigs splayed out as an offering.