Day 3 ~ Lonshang Temple and West Downtonwn

Today was our first day navigating Taipei's public transit system on our own.  As a group we made it to Longshang Temple using the bus and subway system, and were able to explore the area surrounding the temple before meeting up with Dr. Huang.  Our group walked around the narrow alleys and markets surrounding the temple.  The streets were filled with old men, many of the smoking, and many of them homeless.  This was the old, historic part of town, and is also close to what is the red light district of the city during nighttime.  The markets were filled with fresh produce of all varieties, along with a variety of women's clothing.  Seafood was everywhere, as well as a lot of small local restaurants and food vendors.  The temple itself was very ornate and beautiful, with a waterfall and two koi ponds in the main garden.  Inside the temple were different rooms dedicated to different gods; the smaller rooms belonging to the specialty gods.  The largest statues and rooms were reserved for the main gods.  People left food and flowers as offerings to the gods, as well as burned incense.  The gods of fertility, career, academics, and marriage/relationships were surrounded by the most people, mainly women, and offerings.  I didn't notice many men making offerings to any of the gods at the temple.  After visiting the temple, we went to lunch at a noodle place within a four level supermarket.  The meal was very good, especially the sweet potato fries, and shrimp tempura.  I am having an easier time with chopsticks every time I eat.  We also purchased snacks and drinks for our gathering tonight.  Finally, we spent the rest of our day shopping in West Taipei, in the Wanhua and Jhongjheng Districts.  This area was filled with teen and young adult shops, street vendors, and restaurants.  This area of the city was extremely crowded with very narrow streets.