Katy in Taiwan: Kenting!

Wednesday, September 22nd 2010

What we woke up at 4:30am to see!

The 22nd of September is Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) in Asia, and thus is our only day off all semester! So what do we do? Go to Kenting of course!!!! Most teachers don't have Tues. classes after 11:30am. So they went down after Tues. morning classes and I joined them that night (well I didn't get there 'till just before 1am, so I guess I joined them that morning ;)

The other two teachers who work Tues. night got subs so I traveled down by myself. I think I took every form of transportation possible save a plane. I biked to the train station. I took a train to the High Speed Rail. I took the Metro from there. I then took a bus and finally a taxi. The whole next day we drove scooters, so . . . yep I think that covers it!

After the HSR I originally planed on taking a bus the last two hours to Kenting, but it was late and I couldn't find one. Thankfully I was asking this guy how to get there (I was not about to spend 2,000 NT on a taxi), and found he was headed to the same city! So he took it upon himself to help me out! He even got me an great deal on a taxi (400 NT . . . not bad for a 15 min. drive at 12:30am). I never did catch his name, but I felt he was definitely an angel!

So I finally got to the hostel we were staying at (which was run by the Canadian that takes Devin and Allison scuba-diving, and yep, my first time at a hostel!!). At this point I was re-informed that we would be waking up at 4:30am so that we could make it to the east side of Taiwan for the sunrise . . . 3 hours of sleep for the whole day? Hey, why not! ;)

Was it worth-it? . . .

Oh, I wish you could see just how worth-it it really was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is not justice in pictures.

We just couldn't resist ;)

Right to left: Lein, Kristi, Whitney, Katy, Meg, Erin, Allison

Left to right: Meg, Katy, Whitney, Kristi, Laura, Lein

Oh, it was gorgeous!!!!

(so much so that the during the drive there all the drivers became easily distracted by the beauty! . . . well we didn't crash ;)

Again, I couldn't resist ;)

Big centipede . . . which we later found out was poisonous . . . .

Still cool!

On our drive back, and almost by accident, we went to the southern most tip of Taiwan!

Lein was setting up for herself and asked if I wanted a pic!

With all those ledges it just asks to be climbed on!

Hanging off the ledge of the monument is as far south as I will get in Taiwan.

In the background you can see Libby in pink and Allison at the water's edge, so technically they went further south ;)

All of us on the pathway back from the Southern Most Tip

Left to right (by noses): Meg, Allison, Kristi, Lein, Whitney, Libby, Katy, Laura, Devin, Erin

Whitney and I shared a scooter most of the time (although I drove Allison back from the beach. Yep, I've now experienced true Taiwan, I've driven a scooter!)

Speaking of beach . . . after a quick stop a the hostel we headed to the beach!!!!!!

Trail to the beach

Closest to furthest: Allison, Devin, Lein, Laura, Katy

Setting up for a morning at the beach!

Right to left: Laura, Lein, Kristi, Whitney, Erin, Meg, Allison, Katy

(Oh, I was so white . . . I'm not so much anymore . . . :(

Left to right: Allison, Libby, Laura, Whitney, Devin, Meg, Erin, Kristi, Katy, Lein

I was the second in.

(Devin, the swimmer, is far out there under the waves somewhere)

Left to right: Katy, Meg, Devin, Erin

I don't remember who's fingers are who's . . .

(but, can you guess which nails are mine? ;)

Yep, we drank coconut water at this tropical beach!

color me happy ;)

(by the way, the boogie-boarding and body-surfing was AWESOME!!!!!)

(The landings rocked! ;)

Ode to Kenting, by Lein

8:00am-11:30am: fun in the waves

Picture to commemorate

Left to right: Devin, Erin, Katy, Libby, Meg, Whitney, Laura, Lein, Kristi, Allison

We cleaned up (to some extent) and headed to lunch at Surf Shack Bar and Grill, which run by another Canadian (the guy taking our order).

We were all exhausted and starting to feel the sunburns coming on, but the food was fabulous!!! All I have to say: Honey-Mustard Chicken Sandwich + Dad's Root-beer!