Sometimes it's the journey getting there that means the most

Early Saturday morning, August 22nd, I met Kristin at Banqio train station to head south to Kenting. Kenting is located at the southern most tip of Taiwan.  The train ride was almost 5 hours.  However, there is no train or even bus that goes directly from Taipei to Kenting.  So, we took the train to the largest city near Kenting, Kaohsiung; the second largest city in Taiwan. Kaohsiung is located on the west side of the island.  The train ride was very nice and relaxing.  I enjoyed a nice conversation with Kristin, however, the train ride was nothing compared to the weekend before to Hualian.  The west side is filled with cities and buildings while the east is filled with mountains and greenery, my personal favorite.  The train made stops along the way, one of them being Taichung.  We coordinated train times with Amanda, Kristin's friend from back in Canada, so she got on the train in Taichung, where she lives and works. 

Once we made it to Kaohsiung we took a taxi to Kenting.  Kristin, had been to Kenting many times before so she knew the taxi was the best route to take.  We had trouble finding an inexpensive shared taxi, so we took the Kaohsiung MRT to the main station.  There we found a shared taxi for 400 NT each.  We shared the taxi with a young girl about 30 years old and an older lady with an elderly woman.  I sat next to the older lady and found out she is from the Philippines and has been working here for 5 years.  There is no work in the Philippines, so she had to leave her two kids behind and look elsewhere.  Many foreigners (such as Filipino's) come to Taiwan to help the elders with every day tasks; it's about the only job they are able to get here.  It's very hard on parents when they can't provide for their family and have to leave their own children behind.  The lady told me she only sees her kids once a year!  She and I talked the whole two hours to Kenting; she was an incredible lady.  She made my day!  I tried to keep eye contact with her, but it was hard not looking out the window, everything was so tropical.  The trees, fruit plants, change in climate; it was fabulous!  

We arrived at Kenting around 3 p.m. !  Kristin, Amanda and I were all hungry so we had a nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  I had a beef burrito; It was the nicest and most expensive meal I have eaten since I've got here! Kenting is considered a touristy area, so there were many western restaurants, but all were rather pricey.  Afterwards, we rented scooters.  Kristin and Amanda taught me how to ride a scooter!!  It took me a couple of tries to feel like I could ride to the beach where the group we were meeting was at.  The group took the overnight bus from Taipei to Kaohsiung (1 a.m. to 6 a.m.) and then renting scooters, and rode three hours to Kenting.  Kristin didn't want to ride that far, so I decided to go with her and Amanda on Saturday by Train.  The group, about 20 of them, were all very nice.  They all have been in Taiwan for a year or so, some even 4 years or more.  

That evening we enjoyed drinks on the beach and chilled; all the beaches in Kenting are so beautiful. Late into the night, most of us took a dip in the ocean.  As we moved through the dark water we could see hundreds of tiny star-like bioluminescent plankton! We were all so mesmerized by the tiny glowing dots every time we would move. It was a spectacular sight, something I will remember for a very long time.  That night we all passed out on the beach.. and wake up very early the next morning.

Sunday, we all separated.  Most of the group went back early, the rest stayed for a few hours and enjoyed the sun.  It was a very hot day!  Kristin and I rode scooters along the coast to the very south tip of Taiwan.  As we looked to the left we could see the east and to the right we could see the west.  It was very cool!  We took some awesome pictures, very pretty scenery. Afterwards, we had some breakfast/lunch and rented snorkels.  We went to two coral reef locations that were right next to each other.  The reefs were great!  We saw some excellent coral and many beautiful fish.  I got a little sea sick unfortunately, but I was still able to enjoy the reefs.  It was about 3 p.m. and we decided to return both our snorkels and scooters and head back to Taipei.  We managed to get a shared taxi for 350 NT and then decided to take the bus back (530 NT) instead of the train.

It was a great weekend!  I loved the south!  It was so tropical and extremely different than the other parts of Taiwan especially Taipei.  We spent a big chunk traveling as Kenting is so far away, the farthest you can go from Taipei.  But, we still managed to enjoy the area and have a fun weekend.  Sometimes it's the journey getting there that means the most.  ..riding the train along the coast, meeting the Filipino lady, taking a cab through the farmland, and learning to ride a scooter.. =)