Longshan Temple

The day I went to Herb Alley, I also visited Longshan Temple.

Here, two young ladies perform poah poe (pronounced "bwah bway") in front of the Old Man Under the Moon, a god of love and marriage.

 

More to come...

Herb Alley

Just around the corner from Taipei's famed Longshan Temple is a lesser-known attraction: Herb Alley. It's a tiny covered lane with a number of shops selling medicinal herbs. Walk in, and you'll be hit by the aromas of a myriad herbs.



A view into the alley. On the right, there are some large Aloe vera plants hanging. And the brown tangled masses are the roots of Uraria crinita.


Visible in the photo below are prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), also called nopal; milk spurge (Euphorbia neriifolia), which though itself poisonous is said to treat cancer (herbal chemo?); a fruit of the screw pine (Pandanus odoratissimus), which can be brewed into a tea, is hanging from a pink cord.



Left to right: common rue (Ruta graveolens), turmeric (Curcuma longa), and fo-ti (Polygonum multiflorum) roots. Behind the fo-ti roots are Tinospora cordifolia vines, said to be good for the liver.



Outside the alley there are some stalls selling herbal teas. I bought a cup of tea brewed from the chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata). It's supposed to rid you of toxins and harmful bacteria.



If you go visit Longshan Temple, be sure to stop by Herb Alley and take a look around. You may find the cure for what ails you!

More photos from Nepal

A Common Myna bird (Acridotheres tristis) eyes some tasty morsels.



Cows crossing a river


Rickshaw-wallahs awaiting fares




A tangle of wires


Bryan Adams concert!


Indian curry flavored snack!




Notice the date in the "Star of David"!


A tasty cup of masala tea!

Miscellaneous Photos from Nepal

swasthya: it means "health" or "well-being" in Hindi. Derived from Sanskrit svasti, it ultimately analyzes into su- ("good" or "well", akin to Greek heu-, eu-) + asti ("to be", akin to Latin est, German ist, English "is"). The Thai greeting sawatdee (spelled swasdi in their script) is directly derived from this word, as is the word "swastika."

स्वास्थ्य


Flame Vine (Pyrostegia venusta), a popular decorative


Always a welcome sign!


To deal with Nepal's infamous rolling blackouts, many hotels employ the use of generators for power.



Indian Big-Leaf Fig (Ficus auriculata)


And its fruits


Traveling by ox-cart


Turmeric (Curcuma longa) drying in the sun


A baby in a cot at a local orphanage


A cold beer at the end of a long day

Changu Narayan and Bhaktapur

Today, after leaving Nagarkot, we first hiked to a famous Hindu temple called Changu Narayan.









Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare


Narasimha (4th avatar of Vishnu) kills the demon Hiranyakashyap


A religious ritual


Then we went to Bhaktapur, which is about an hour's drive from Kathmandu. It's a UN World Heritage Site, and is a fascinating historic site and living community with surprises around every corner.

Durbar Square


Nyatapola Temple, the tallest temple in Nepal


Video of this plaza





Big wheels (for a ceremonial chariot)




At the well




This area is filled with traditional Nepali carved windows







And the Peacock Window


We encountered a festival in which boys taunt the goddess Kali, who chases after them and tries to catch them.



Kali chases the children


Woman spinning yarn


We soon passed by a Hindu temple by a river. This temple was filled with Shiva linga, which are stylized representations of male and female genitalia. These are found throughout regions of the world heavily influenced by Hinduism, including Angkor Wat in Cambodia.



Lots o' lingas


Big linga. Size matters.


Potter's Square


A ritual in which young girls are married to a Hindu god. It's just a rite of passage: they will still be allowed to marry a real human man when they grow up.


Proud mother and twin daughters, after the marriage ritual, in Potter's Square