Kaohsiung Trip #3

We have definitely had an eventful time since my last post, so I will try to get all the pertinent info in. Like I mentioned yesterday, we went for Thai food for lunch. The restaurant is right across the street from Jon and Brieanna's apartment, so it was easy to get to. It was just recently opened, so the inside was very clean and new. There are several pictures of us and our lunch on flickr, so you can see what it was like.
After lunch, we came back to the apartment to get our things together for our trip to the hot springs. Tye had planned for us to meet a friend of his north of the city in the evening, since she has a van to drive us to the hot springs. Brieanna and I decided to head south to the Wufu night market around 3pm to meet up with Tye, and for me to check out a couple things. After connecting with Tye, and getting the item at the market that I needed, Tye and I scootered back to his apartment to get his stuff for the hot springs.
Around 5 pm, we left his place and rode his scooter up to the R13 MRT station to meet Mom and Dad. They had taken a taxi from Jon and Brieanna's and met us there. Since today was the first day that there was a cost for the MRT, we had to purchase tokens for our trip north. When we had our tokens in hand, we scanned them to get into the boarding area for the subway. It cost approx $1US per person to go from R13 station to R21.
When we got off the MRT, we were picked up by Tye's friend Amy. She took us to her home which was 5-10 minutes away. Her house is actually situated behind her husband's motorcycle shop, so this was an interesting view of Taiwanese culture. We spent at least an hour sitting in the shop waiting for Amy and her husband to be ready to leave for the hot springs. Luckily, we had water bottles and fans, but it was still warm and unusual.
We left the shop at 7:45pm, and started towards the hot springs. Tye had said it should take approximately 1 hour to get there, but I think we went the long way :) We were glad to have a ride, but the story of our ride has brought great laughter. Tye's friend Amy had borrowed a van from her brother, and her husband was driving 7 people in a 6 passenger van. The road was bumpy to begin with, but felt even bumpier in the back seat. We decided that the shocks on the van were nonexistent. At the end of the ride, Amy said that she thought the shocks were broken. I said, "you don't say" :) We had that all figured out.
Anyways, we were getting close to the hot springs area, and everyone decided they were hungry and should eat first before getting to the hot springs. We stopped at a restaurant at around 9:30pm (1 hour and 45 minutes after leaving, well longer than expected). We were the only ones there initially, and it seemed like we were opening the restaurant. By the time we left, there were a couple more people there. We benefited greatly from our Taiwanese company, as they were able to order for us and get us the best possible meal. Make sure to check out the flickr photos for the evidence. Mom B. gives a stellar performance in chicken disassembly.
The meal was delicious despite the initial impression of the facility. It continues to amaze us how we can go in to a place that looks close to closed, and have a hot, fresh, delicious meal in just minutes. All of the Taiwanese people have been superbly hospitable, and are eager to share themselves and their culture with us.
After leaving the restaurant, we arrived at the hot springs in approx. 10 minutes. We paid 300 NT (about $10 US) at the front desk, and then went to the locker room to change. Once we showered and changed into our bathing suits, we were able to enter the actual pools. There were 4 pools and 2 hot rooms (1 sauna and 1 steam room). The first pool was a large pool at a moderately cool temperature, not unlike a heated indoor pool in America. However, in this pool there were 4 fountains/shower heads that when turned on sprayed various formations of water sprays. There were also 6 divided sections that had a several different types and locations of water jets.
The second pool was a hot tub that had purple water. Evidently, the water in all the pools gets changed each Monday, so it was fresh for us that evening. They use a variety of colors/scents, but on this day it was purple and had a calming scent. This pool was a lot like a hot tub in the US except the temperature was slightly higher.
The third pool was the most unique. It was a bubbling mud pool. Not only was it made of mud, but the water was extremely hot. Mud is thought to be very good for the skin, and the heat is supposed to help release toxins from the body. It was too hot for me, but Dad and Tye soaked in it a while and Mom actually got a mud body mask before getting into the mud pool. Check out the pictures on flickr, and be sure to ask Mom B. about her thoughts on the matter. :)
The fourth pool was FREEZING! There is a definite order that the pools are to be done in, but we just sort of went in the ones that were most appealing. Mom, Tye, Amy, and Zoe got in the cold pool after Mom got her mud bath. They all looked like they were freezing. I of course wimped out, and did not get in the mud pool or the cold pool. I spent most of my time in the purple hot tub, and went in the largest pool periodically to cool off.
So around 11:30 PM we showered and left for home. Amy and her husband were so kind as to drive us all the way back to Brieanna's apartment, arriving there around 1:15AM. Long day but a very rewarding one.
Tuesday morning, Dad and Brieanna were up early and off to rent us a van for the rest of the week; it is a 9 passenger VW Transporter. It is very nice and roomy, and has wonderful airconditioning. They came back to the apartment and got the rest of us. We drove to Meinong which is a lovely Taiwanese village where they have several neat artisan shops. We had hoped to see them make the handpainted umbrellas, but that person was not there. We were able to buy some of the umbrellas, however, along with other neat gifts.
We drove around Meinong looking for a place to eat and then decided to come back to Kaohsiung and eat at Bagel Bagel. They have a wonderful macaroni, chicken, broccoli and cheese casserole as well as great sandwiches and salads.
Brieanna drove us back to the apartment where we went up on the roof to get a view of the city. It has been so clear here during our visit; Brieanna and Jon say it is never like this. We have had beautiful, clear weather the whole time.
Brieanna and Jon had to teach, so after they left, Dad, Tye and I sat and talked about all sorts of things, while Mom tried to catch up on her rest, we tried to catch short naps as well. Then, when Jon & Brieanna returned from school, we drove down along the Love River to meet friends of the kids for dinner at Green Bay. Awesome food, again. And the river was all lit up with colored lights and there was music playing. It was a perfect location to sit out and eat and start celebrating Brieanna's birthday; their friends had brought a delicious chocolate cake and lemon cheesecake. Home to play Rook until around 2AM.
Wednesday, we were up early to go to Monkey Mt and see monkeys. BUT, the monkeys thought it was too hot to be out, so they were sleeping back up on the cooler side of the mountain. So we left there and went back to the apartment to meet Tye and leave Jon off as he had to teach early. We drove down to the harbor and took the ferry over to Cijiin Island. We hiked up to the top of the island to see the lighthouse and see the view of the harbor, city and ocean from there. Magnificent!!
We went back to the apartment so that Brieanna could get her scooter and go to school. Dad and Tye decided to rest and Mom and I drove back over to Monkey Mt to see if the monkeys were out. We saw only one when we got there and couldn't decide what to do, but Mom suggested that we hike up a ways and see if they were out. As we did, we began to see them in the trees, etc. As we rounded a bend, there was one sitting right next to the path and I decided to see if I could get my picture taken with it. It seemed fine at first, but all of a sudden, that nasty monkey reached out and tried to swat me. He wasn't able to reach me, but I decided to be a little more cautious after that. We were trying so hard to see monkeys and a nice little Taiwanese lady came along with food: YIKES!! As she threw out the food, monkeys came flying from every direction. Freaky!!! But, we sure did get to see lots of monkeys.
We came back to the apartment and all got showers after our sweaty day and got ready to take Brieanna out to dinner. We actually went to a wonderful French restaurant right down the street from their apartment. The meal was fabulous. Again, it was a several course meal.
We walked back tot Jon & Brieanna's apartment and just kinda relaxed a little; part of the crew played Rook.
Thursday found us up and off to see the British Consulate and view the city from there. It is such a super location to see the city, the harbor, Cijiin Island and the ocean. As Brittany said last summer, if you look closely, you can see China from there :):):)
We drove on up the mountain road to eat lunch at the Oceanside Cafe, only to discover it doesn't open until 1:00 and we were there at 11:30. So, we drove back down and met the kids' dear friend, Rose for lunch at the San Antonio Restaurant. WOW, another delicious seafood pasta meal. Brieanna and Jon left from there to head off to work and Dad, Mom and I drove to Tye's apartment to do some computer work and to walk to the night market to do some shopping. We returned to Tye's apartment at about 8PM and at 8:30 we were hit with an incredible rainstorm. Good timing on our part.

Kaohsiung Trip #2

Where do I begin? This whole blogging process is still very new to me. I ended my first blog with the amazing breakfast on Saturday. We spent Saturday afternoon just hanging out. I went on my first scooter ride, and had a blast. To me, the best part about riding a scooter is always being able to be at the front of the line :) You don't have to wait behind other vehicles; you can just move on up to the front. It's great!
We rode the scooters downtown, and went to an electronics store to pick up a computer accessory. I was amazed by how reasonably priced everything was. We then went to see Tye's apartment, and check out the downtown. His apartment is in a neat complex within view of Mega Mall; it has a small fitness center and very nice pool. We came back to Brieanna and Jon's apartment to rest for a bit before meeting a bunch of Jon and Brieanna's friends for dinner around 7:30 pm. We ate at a Canadian pub called Foster Hewitt's. It was good company, and great food. One of their friend's was celebrating his birthday, so Jon bought a cake at a bakery down the street for the party. There is a picture of it on Flickr, so check it out. It was beautiful, and it cost only $10-12 US!
After dinner, the boys went bowling and the girls went shopping at a night market. The market was overwhelming. There were hundreds of people, and equally as many smells. That definitely takes some getting used to. The best way to describe the night market is a busy flea market times 100. But it is a lot of fun, and is definitely a must do experience here.
We left the night market around 11:30pm and headed home. Jet lag was starting to set in so we called it a day. The culture here is very much a night one. The day starts around 11am and ends between 1-3am. It certainly takes some getting used to. It helps to be a night owl.
Sunday morning we slept in a bit, and went to meet Tye for lunch around 1 pm. We took a taxi to the MRT (subway) station for our first ride on their newly opened underground public transportation. The MRT opened a month ago, and has been free to ride until today. The Taiwanese people are fascinated by it, and are taking the opportunity to explore the island. The different MRT stops are so clean and beautiful that it is hard to believe it is a subway system. As Mom & Dad were standing there looking somewhat lost, a very nice Taiwanese lady came up to them and explained about the MRT in perfect English and offered any help they might need; so typical of the Taiwanese people.
We ate lunch at Sweet Home, which is a local Taiwanese restaurant run by a couple that speak very good English. The owners have 5 children, 1 boy and 4 girls; as the mother told us this, she was saying that boys are preferred in the Chinese culture, but she smiled about this fact and did not seem the least bit disappointed in the number of girls. Since this is a favorite eating place for Tye, Brieanna and Jon, the owners treated us especially nice (however, they are always nice to everyone since that is the culture here). They serve the meals family style on a lazy susan in the center of the table. We had sweet and sour pork, cashew chicken, pork fried rice, fried bread, shrimp with egg and tomato, hot tea, and waxed apple for desert. It was phenomenal. The whole meal only cost $40 for 6 people. Not bad at all for so much delicious food.
From there, we went to the 9x9 stationary store, which is a 3 story store full of paper, pencils, bags, and all sorts of sundry items to look at. I could not believe the variety of everything that was available. Since school is such a huge part of the lives of children over here, their school supplies are so unique. Brieanna said she thinks they make fun and entertaining to add appeal to school supply shopping. I have to agree. They have every possible type, color, style, and design you can imagine of pens, pencils, highlighters, tape dispensers, pencil sharpeners, erasers, etc. It was immense.
After that, we headed over to Mega Mall which is exactly that-a mega mall. It is 17 floors tall with a lookout deck on the 17th level. We spent some time enjoying the view of the city, and then spent a good bit of time in the bookstore on the same level. While we were in the bookstore, 2 young girls asked to have their picture taken with us and since my mom thought one of them was a student of Brieanna's, she said sure and we went wandering off to find a spot to take the picture. We decided to ride the escalator down so we could check out the different floors in the mall. Floors 13-16 are the movie theater, and the 11th and 12th floors were eating places and dance dance revolution. That is hugely popular over here.
We came home around 5:30pm and crashed. Everyone took a nap in some form and duration. In retrospect, it was like the rotating naptime. I think we had all spent our energy or had it sapped from the heat. Tye brought 2 Pizza Hut pizza's for dinner around 8:30pm, and then Brieanna and I went for a little jaunt to the Wufu night market, her favorite. We walked around for a while, and were able to find some neat gifts to take home to my boys. We stopped at an open air shoe store, and looked around a bit. When we got home around midnight, the rest of the crew had just started watching a movie ("August Rush"). We all watched that, and then hit the sack around 2am.
Now it is a new day, and we are planning head out for a Thai special for lunch. I will try to update every day or two so everyone can stay up to date. Hope all are healthy and well.

Kaohsiung Trip

Saturday, April 5 - This post may be longer than most so that I can capture the events of my trip since we left on Thursday, April 3. Luckily, all 3 of our flights on the trip here went very well. The first leg from Columbus, OH to Newark, NJ was short and sweet. The second leg from Newark to Hong Kong was veeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long. It was 16 hours from start to finish. The flight itself was very smooth and uneventful. The food was good, and there were no loud passengers near us. The seating, however, was small and uncomfortable. First class flying is calling my name. Unfortunately, it is way out of our price range. I am going to make sure that I have something comfortable to sit on for our return flight.
When we landed in Hong Kong, I was thrilled to be off the plane. I had started to feel like the flight would never end, but luckily it did. We only spent 1 hour there before we had to get on a plane again for the final piece of our trip. I was soooooooo tired, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I was so happy that there were more empty seats than occupied ones. I actually was able to lay down, and have a whole row to myself. That flight was just an hour, so I didn't sleep long, but it was worth it.
When we landed in Taiwan, it was 9:30pm, and I was feeling like I had been awake for a week. We had to get our passports stamped at immigration, and then get our luggage to take through customs. That was a surprisingly uneventful experience, and before long we were being greeted by Tye, Jon, and Brieanna. They were so happy to see us, and we were thrilled to see them. I made the previous 24 hours of travel totally worth it.
We took 2 taxi's from the airport to Jon and Brieanna's apartment, so we were able to see the city all lit up at night. They have a huge mall that has a ferris wheel on the roof! It is like 10 stories tall. Jon said it is the largest mall in Southeast Asia. Sounds like a dream come true to me :) It looks cool. I think we are going to it later this week so I will make sure to take lots of pictures, and put them online.
Even though Brieanna and Tye had told me about the millions of scooters, it is still amazing and a little freaky to actually see them in action. When the taxi turned on to the road that Brieanna and Jon live on, he had to do a u-turn to pull in front of the building. There were at least 3 scooters that passed him on both sides while he was doing the u-turn. I was amazed that one of them did not run into the side of the car. It was bizarre.
It was such a relief to finally arrive inside the apartment. It is such a nice place, and so homey and comfortable. We all have our own room to stay in, and there is plenty of air conditioning. The weather here is very humid and hot, especially during the day.
We spent some time unpacking, and just winding down. It did not take long at all to fall asleep after my head hit the pillow. It is amazing how good it felt to stretch out, and just crash.
I was awakened this morning by my 3 wonderful sons and my husband on the phone. It was great to hear their voices, and know that all is well. They are eager to see pictures of what we have done so far, so I will upload them with this blog and with future ones as well.
Today is going to be low-key and relaxing. Jon made a delicious breakfast/lunch of scrambled eggs and pancakes with fresh grapefruit and pineapple on the side. The fruits here are delicious. They also had orange juice that is fresh squeezed at the grocery store. I will try to get a picture of them making the juice sometime this week. Tye said that they take an orange and put it inside a metal press and then the juice and pulp drips into the bottle. Each bottle contains the juice of approximately 8 oranges, and one bottle costs about $1.25. It tastes so fresh and sweet.
Now, we are just relaxing in the apartment enjoying each others company. It feels so good to have no agenda, and just hang out. This is going to be a great vacation, and I will try to send pictures each day when I blog. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to e-mail. We miss everyone, and wish we could bring all of our family and friends here with us. Since we can't, we will try to share Taiwan with you from you. We will also bring back pieces of our experience with us.
Love to everyone. Be safe and healthy!

For all photos, check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/thewheelands/