Poland Travel 2023: Just 2 days in Poland and a lot of family meetings

Travel Date: 2023/03/24 ~ 04/12

In the first 2.5 days in Poland, we visited many family members who live nearby. No matter which house we went to, there was always an abundance of food, tea, and homemade desserts. Even my 50+ year old single uncle now bakes cakes, and to my surprise, his cheesecake tasted even better than the one made by one of my aunts. He even has a Facebook account now, although he doesn't use it much. This is still progress compared to some other family members who have yet to learn how to use smartphones and the internet. I thought it would only be my uncle at his place, but he informed some distant family members whom I haven't seen in years, and they also came to meet me.

While staying in Poland, I started driving a car more often. I really enjoy driving here, unlike in Taiwan. We don't have scooters coming from every possible direction, including reverse! It's much easier to drive, and nothing scares me on the road. The only annoying part is the new rule of stopping for pedestrians. It's okay to stop, of course, but having to do so when they are on the sidewalk with no intention of crossing the road is a bit excessive. The penalties for breaking traffic rules are quite high in Poland compared to Taiwan, and drivers generally follow the rules.

We brought many different snacks to Poland. I think the most special one for my family was the strawberry waffle-flavored Lay's chips. My cousin and niece even wanted to take pictures with them. We also brought pineapple cakes, as they requested, and some traditional snacks such as Suncakes or wife's cakes, taro cookies, guava and starfruit drinks, and a variety of teas. My cousin also wanted oil-painted umbrellas as decorations. We couldn't find the authentic ones, as they are only made in Meinong, Kaohsiung, which is over 300km away from our place. Luckily, it was easy to find similar items made in China. We also found Chinese hair sticks for my niece, although I'm not sure if she will actually use them. I find them a bit difficult to hold my hair, maybe because they are too long for it?

I don't often meet or chat with some of my family members, but they are still happy to invite us to their homes. My husband had the chance to try some food that he hadn't eaten before. He also fell in love with tomato soup but wasn't a fan of pig's feet jelly. It's not the type of food I would normally eat, but it tasted much better than I had imagined.

Check out my YouTube video

Read More

Poland Travel 2023: Going back to Poland, but why I don't feel happy!?

Travel Date: 2023/03/24 ~ 04/12

At the end of March, we are going back to Poland. It has been over 3 years since the last time I visited my home country. I have been living in Taiwan for nearly 6 years and have become quite accustomed to life here. In the past, I used to miss home and eagerly awaited each trip back. However, as time passed, and with the challenges of COVID-19, travel restrictions, and difficulties going abroad, I have somewhat lost that feeling of needing to go back. Of course, I still want to see my family, but after such a long time, I don't feel as close to them anymore. Everyone is living their own lives, some have gone through divorces and entered new relationships, and sadly, some have passed away. In recent months, one of my aunts was diagnosed with cancer, and I hope I will be able to see her again.

Not being there for the past few years, I now feel somewhat like a stranger, as I am unaware of what is happening in their lives. It is not like in the past when I lived close to my family and visited them frequently. Now, I am not as significant a part of their lives. Many of them do not use the internet or Facebook, so there was no way to stay in touch. Part of me also feels guilty for leaving my family and everything behind, especially leaving my brother shortly after our mother died and moving 8000km away. It was an incredibly difficult decision. I wasn't even there for his 18th birthday, thanks to COVID-19. We used to be close, but now we barely even talk. He has a job, and the time difference makes it challenging to communicate.

Our flight was on the 23rd of March. We left home at 7 PM, and our friends picked us up to go to Miaoli High-Speed Rail Station. We took the train at 8 PM to Taoyuan and then the MRT to the airport. We arrived a little after 9 PM and boarded the flight at 11 PM. We had a layover in the Netherlands. This time the flight was 16 hours!!! It was crazy... Due to the pandemic, the flight was 3-4 hours longer than it used to be. At least there weren't many people flying, so we had plenty of space. My husband and a few other people sat in empty seats around us. He had three seats to himself, while I sat with our son. Flying with kids is always challenging. Our son slept for a few hours, but then he became bored and only watched cartoons for a while. He kept asking when we would finally arrive. At least he had his own seat on the plane. The last time we flew, he wasn't even 2 years old, so he sat on my lap the entire flight. After arriving in the Netherlands, we only had a 2-hour wait for the next airplane, which would take us to Poland. That flight was also about 2 hours long. We rented a car and drove for the next 2 hours... After counting, the entire journey from leaving our home to arriving at my family's home took 30 hours! It was an incredibly long trip. Additionally, the price of the tickets was much more expensive, nearly double what we paid 3+ years ago.

Our son, Adrian, was really happy. As soon as we landed in the Netherlands, he heard some people speaking Polish and became very excited. He doesn't have memories from our previous trips back to Poland, so I hope this time he will remember everything we do there.

On the first day (actually in the afternoon, as we arrived at 4 PM), we first visited my father and brother. My uncle, who lives nearby, came to help cut some dead roses, and that's when I learned that my aunt had just left the hospital and was staying at home. We also went to visit her, although I felt so anxious to see her because I knew she was seriously ill and didn't look well. At first, I wanted to cry when I saw her, but I told myself that I should try to make her feel better. So we chatted and joked for a while, but she was already very weak at that time. Later on, we drove to another aunt's place, about 40 minutes away, as we will be staying there for the next almost 3 weeks. Adrian fell asleep in the car, and I initially wanted to let him sleep and carry him to the room, but all of a sudden, he became full of energy and excitement because everyone was speaking Polish. He played for another 3-4 hours before finally going to sleep! I wish I had as much energy as he does... We were so tired, and we slept really well that night. My aunt's home is right in front of a railway, but even the sound of passing trains didn't bother us.

Check out my YouTube video

Read More

Miaoli Travel: Lion's Head Mountain Trails - Visiting Lingxia Cave

Finally, the weather improved and became warmer and sunny. I wasn't sure where to go, so I thought about Lion's Head Mountain, which we had passed by several times before. We parked at the beginning of the Shishan Historic Trail on Hsinchu's side and hiked all the way to Lingxia Cave (靈霞洞). Later on, we returned to our scooter and rode to Shitoushan Quanhua Temple, which is on Miaoli's side. There is a road that you can continue on from Lingxia Cave to reach the temple, although my husband and son were complaining about the amount of walking. Maybe next time we can explore another trail there.

Check out my YouTube video

Lion’s Head Mountain (獅頭山)

Lion's Head Mountain (獅頭山) is only 492 meters at its highest point and covers an area spanning Miaoli and Hsinchu counties. The mountain is considered sacred to Taiwanese Buddhists and is a popular weekend tourist destination due to the presence of numerous temples, shrines, and monasteries scattered throughout the mountain. Its slopes are covered in dense, lush forests with various rock walls, caves, and grottos.

In 1892, a Buddhist monk named Pujie from Taoyuan discovered a collection of bones in a cave while exploring the area. He requested the landowner to construct a temple to honor the deceased. The temple, initially known as Shiyan Dong (獅巖洞) or Lion Cave, was located near the peak of the mountain, which resembles a lion's head. It was later renamed Yuanguang Temple (元光寺). Following the construction of Shiyan Dong, many more temples were established, including Quanhua Temple (勸化堂) on the Miaoli side. Several of these temples were partially built within caves, on cliff walls, or beneath rock overhangs.

In 1993, Lion's Head Mountain was designated as a Provincial Scenic Area. This 24,221-hectare zone includes other attractions such as Emei Lake, famous for the Buddhist complex Nature Loving Wonderland, as well as the Beipu area, known for its Hakka culture, Old Street, and cold springs.

There are four main hiking routes on Lion's Head Mountain, all starting near the Shitoushan Visitor's Center on the Hsinchu side. The most popular trail is the Shishan Historic Trail (獅山古道), which leads from the Hsinchu side to Quanhua Temple on the Miaoli side. The trails on Lion's Head Mountain are well-marked and not too difficult. On weekends, you can often see local middle-aged and elderly hikers enjoying the trails.

Quanhua Temple's kitchen, located right next to the main shrine at Futian Temple, also serves simple Buddhist vegetarian meals by donation at 6:30 a.m., noon, and 5:30 p.m.

Fu Tian Temple (輔天宮)

Fu Tian Temple (輔天宮) is a Buddhist temple that was built during the Japanese Colonial Period in Taiwan. Completed in 1915, the temple incorporates traditional Taiwanese design elements adhering to Feng Shui principles. It stands as a testament to the Japanese influence on the local people at that time. The main shrine of the temple is dedicated to Ksitigarbha Buddha (地藏菩薩), a popular Japanese Bodhisattva commonly known as "Jizo" in Japanese. It is common to find depictions of Ksitigarbha in Taiwanese Buddhist temples.

 Lingxia Cave (靈霞洞)

Lingxia Caveis a natural cave known for its stunning rock formations and spiritual significance. 

Shitoushan Quanhua Temple (獅頭山勸化堂)

Shitoushan Quanhua Temple is situated on the Miaoli side of Lion's Head Mountain. The temple holds great cultural and religious significance in the area. It was established within a natural cave, blending harmoniously with the surrounding environment. Shitoushan Quanhua Temple is dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva, a revered figure in Buddhism known for compassion and mercy. 

Unfortunately, Shitoushan Quanhua Temple was not open to visitors today.

Address:

Lingxia Cave: 新竹縣峨眉鄉七星村六寮56號

Read More