Kyoto Trip: Seimei Jinja (晴明神社)

Just got back from a trip to Kyoto. We were trying to see cherry blossoms, but there weren't many since it was cold the majority of the time. It was still really nice there. Surprisingly, I had no allergy problems there. I guess Japan just has less air pollution than Taiwan.

Anyway, this sketch is from a shrine that I visited called Seimei Jinja (晴明神社). There is a peach statue on the temple grounds, and you are supposed to be able to get rid of bad luck by rubbing it. Seimei Shrine is a bit small and more modern looking when compared to major shrines such as Kiyomizu-dera, but I still went because I've been a fan of Seimei ever since watching the movies Onmyoji 1 & 2. Seimei was a powerful onmyoji, which is something like a magician or sorcerer, during the Heian period in Japan and, his mother was a fox spirit. The shrine sells lots of cute pentagram charms/omamori.

Here is the google map for Seimei Shrine:

Places to visit in Keelung: Zhongzheng Park (中正公園)

Zhongzheng Park is on top of a mountain in Keelung. There are several play areas for kids, a basketball court, and several temples and pavilions in the park area. The temple that I went to visit was the one that has a giant white statue of the goddess of mercy. The statue is hollow on the inside, and visitors who make a small donation can climb up to get a view of Keelung City and the harbor. I've never been up since the view from the area around the statue is pretty decent.
The day that we went to the park was gloomy, raining, and quite windy, so I sketched in the veranda of the temple. The weather was not ideal for sketching at all, but at least there were less people up there than usual and it wasn't super crowded. I caught a horrible cold (lasted 2 weeks!) after coming back and wasn't able to sketch for a while. I still have residual symptoms from the cold along with seasonal allergies and will also be off on vacation for a while soon, so I probably will be posting very sporadically.
Back to the topic: I wouldn't really rate Zhongzheng Park as a must see for Keelung since none of the temples and pavilions are that old. In my opinion, a lot of the stuff can be a bit garish looking. If you do happen to be around in the summer for Zhongyuan Festival, one of the temples (Zhuputan) is really famous for their festival and it might be worthwhile to go. Don't get too close though, as they set off a lot of fire crackers which can be dangerous when it is crowded. Here is a google map of the park location:

Places to eat at in Hsinchu: Karimantan Toko Indo Restaurant (咖哩曼丹簡餐)

I recently stumbled upon a little place called Karimantan that serves Indonesian food. We tried some fried rice and the red curry, and both were delicious and flavorful. The red curry is one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. The food was slightly spicy but still at a tolerable level for someone like me who never eats spicy food.

The place can be a bit hard to find since it is inside a traditional market (Tung-Men market), but the signs are pretty colorful and recognizable. It is on a corner of the main alley of the market (where lots of mopeds zip through). The space is small and informal and is more suited for parties of 3 or less. I'd advise takeout for larger parties and eating in front of the Hsinchu city government building if the weather is nice. The place is quite clean, and the owner is really friendly and helpful. The prices are very reasonable (<100 NTD per dish), and all the menus have English translations. My guess is that the owner probably can speak English too. Their facebook page has lots of pictures if you want a preview of their food.

Here's a google map for Tung-Men market: