The country of Taiwan will be our stops for the next two days. Known for centuries as Formosa (the beautiful isle), Taiwan has emerged as a land of old traditions and Asian sophistications. This country has towering cliffs, gorges of marble walls, as well as tropical forests. Chinese cuisine and Japanese dishes add to Taipai beef noodles and Tainan milkfish. They even serve BBQ wild boar and snacks of what they call “stinky” tofu, steamed dumplings, oyster omelets shrimp rolls and shave ice. We’ll opt for the shave ice to be on the safe side.
The capital is Taipai and the population of the country is 23.5 million people. The language is Mandarin and Taiwanese with English spoken in the travel-related businesses.
Politically speaking, there is a vibrant democracy in a liberal society, free press, and a respect for human and animal rights. Always in the back round is the lingering problem with China who would prefer to own this island/nation. But that’s another whole story.
What are their favorite foods? As we just stated, stinky tofu or chou doufu is a most loved snack. Worse than the smell of durian we were told by a fellow guest. A stew of seafood, chicken, duck and pork simmered in a jar of rice wine is called “Buddha Jump Over the Moon” good. Can’t make this up, we swear. A fermented sorghum called Kaoliang liquor goes well with stir fried cuttlefish with leeks, tofu, and pork or clear oyster soup with ginger. Another specialty is fatty wild boar grilled twice with onions and wild greens. Any chance we might find wood-fired pizza? We suspect the chances are slim to zero.
We stopped in Taiwan back in 2002 while on the maiden voyage on this very same ship. Our only port was Keelung for the capital city of Taipai. We have never been back ever since then. A few days ago, we were issued a photocopy of our passports with the official stamp from the Taiwanese authorities. We will be required to carry these copies with us in both ports as proof of our immigration clearance while visiting here. We were advised not to lose them or misplace them, as it would delay the ship being cleared.
There were six tour options starting with a simple transfer to Taipai for 8 hours and $60. Historical Taipai and Temples was 4.5 hours and $70, while Taipai highlights for 5 hours was $90. Two excursions priced at $160 were the best of Taipai for 8 hours or Taipai at night for 6.5 hours. Last was a wellness and hot springs tour for 7.5 hours and $180.
So here we are in Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan with a population of 2,724,000 people that live in a tropical climate. The warm season is April through October. The main economy in this part of the country has always been heavily industrial. The city has been modernized to a major economic, cultural, and a tourist haven. Their natural resources of mountains, seaports, high rise buildings, arts, culture and food surprises most visitors. To make it easier to get around this huge city, they have an efficient underground MRT, high speed rail, light rail vehicles, buses, and taxis…including Uber.
The cruise terminal here is new and huge with a very modern design. After passing through xray in this terminal, we noticed that our stamped passport pages were not screened. There was a really nice information counter with real maps where a helper pointed out places we could walk from the terminal. He did add that it was going to rain, and he hoped we had umbrellas. Yes, we did. Little did we know how soon we would need them.
Following the directions we were given, we headed out of the terminal and past the Uber and taxi drivers. There were no pushy drivers trying to sell us tours, so it may not be allowed here. The first thing we noticed was the fact there were no local people out and about and very few cars on the streets. The city appeared to be asleep or there was a holiday we did not know about. We ran into friends already coming back to the terminal. We asked why and they said there was nothing opened and there appeared to be no shopping area within view. They were nervous taking any public transportation not knowing where they were going. One of the ladies said she looked it up, and there were two holidays. One was Children’s Day and the other Sweep the Graves Day tomorrow. Yes you read that right…sweep the graves of the families, a way to honor their relatives.
We turned left crossing the train tracks and soon discovered there was a very upscale modern harbor from Piers 11 to 15. This complex had a centerpiece called Kaohsiung Music Center, a most unique piece of architecture we have ever seen. We entered the harbor at the Whale Promenade passing some small cars in the water that were actually different types of boats. They must be rentals. There was nothing opened yet, and we found it strange that so few people were there since it was 11am. Locals probably pay attention to the weather forecast we bet.
We found our way to an elevator that would take us up to an overpass, which was for bikes also. It dropped us off near the Music Center, the ultra-modern design which opened in 2021. Designed by Spanish and local Taiwanese architects, this building has become a new base for music entertainment in Southern Taiwan and an international cultural landmark.
Going inside, we came upon a rehearsal in the lobby, then continued up each escalator to almost the top venue. We got as far as Pop-Pop, which I thought was a popcorn counter. No, it was a pop music venue. At one point, we thought we heard thunder and may have seen lightning. Time to head back down the escalators…quickly. Once back outside, we headed around the side of the complex and KABOOM….thunder clapped overhead, lightning lit up the dark skies, and the rain began lightly. We knew it would be seconds before it got worse. And worse – it did.
By now, we had reached the area of Pier 2 Art Center where a giant dinosaur was roaring and waving its huge tail. Most people were using umbrellas, and others running for cover. We did spot our friend Ilsa on a bus tour taking pictures before she went running for the coach. Then the downpour hit with a force of wind that drove the rain sideways. The umbrellas were useless at this point. The closest structure happened to be the Great Harbor Bridge across the 3rd wet basin of the port. It was strictly a pedestrian bridge and loaded with locals trying to stay dry. Nothing kept us dry at this point, and we got soaked to the bone. The local people even screamed like little kids, then we wondered what did they know that we did not. Like maybe we should not be on this bridge over the river with lightning so close? Too late, we could not get any wetter at this point. Only electrocuted. We laughed as we made our way up higher to find a small spot out of the driving rain. Even the circular steps were flooded.
Good news, the worst had passed, and the rain let up. We stashed our room key card holders and wallet into umbrella bags one of us picked up in the Music Center. A bit late, because most everything was wet already. Heaven forbid, we ruin those passport copies. We did take the time to stroll around this Art Center in the old warehouses but found nothing but tea and coffee houses. The search for a suitable lunch venue was not going to happen. Passing the one possibility at the Meat Restaurant was not for one of us with a lot of fish items. No pizza at all. Darn…..
We avoided the puddles best we could as we entered the terminal by 1:30pm. Back in our room, we showered and changed to dry clothing. We would send the wet stuff to the laundry tonight. Our shoes were soaked, but we had brought a blue pool towel to our room and used that to stuff inside the shoes. It wicked the water out by morning, and we were good to go with cleaner shoes.
Captain Frank gave his talk at 4:45pm and said it was a great day in Kaohsiung even with the rain. Lots of rain. We would leave the port by 5pm with a short but scenic sail away. We had a short distance to reach Keelung in the morning with 50 nautical miles to cover.
We worked the remainder of the day on the computer so we don’t fall further behind with pictures and reports. Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm where we ordered our favorite wedge salads with 2 pieces of clothesline bacon on the side. One of us had the New York strip steak, while the other had the 8 oz filet mignon….both cooked to perfection. Sides were mashed potatoes and French fries. We shared the smallest slice of Key Lime pie and passed on the macaroons.
Too tired to move, we missed the entertainment of Ian Jacinto with his saxophone tunes. Maybe we will catch his next performance.
Bill & Mary Ann
