In an attempt to see more of Taiwan, Ben and I went to Tainan one of the last weekends in May. He had already been last year, so it was nice to have a walking a talking guide, rather than just my Lonely Planet guidebook. It was a long bus ride from Taipei down to Tainan, but it was totally worth it. The forecast for the weekend was supposed to be rain, so we were prepared to be wet the whole time. However, we were pleasantly surprised that it was only overcast, which meant that it wasn't too hot. Score!

Love for the little brother in Tainan!

Anyway, Tainan is lovely. It has the feel of a bigger city, without the craziness I've come to associate with Taiwanese cities. It seemed to have a slower pace, and there was an incredible blend of city, old history, and greenery. Apparently, it has the most Buddhist and Taoist temples than any other city in Taiwan. And it's also one of the oldest cities. We saw the old wall of the city, the Chihkan Towers, which were built by the Dutch, TONS of temples, including one with pretty vivid and gruesome pictures of all the possible ways you could die, the Anping fort area, and the Eternal Golden Castle, which was a cool fort with some huge cannons.

The old wall

The top of Chihkan Towers

Ben in a vase doorway at Chihkan Towers

Why, yes! That IS a pomegranate growing in the wild!

My favorite temple was the Lady Linshui Temple, where parents brought their children to pray for safety and health.

Lady Linshui and a baby