Day in the...Sun?

Today was, against all odds, sunny. And I do mean all odds. Last night all the weather services and typhoon watch websites showed a tropical storm heading straight for Kaohsiung; we had the preliminary rain and wind most of the day yesterday, and today had a promised 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms. I talked to my friend Danny, who was supposed to come today to see the city, and he agreed to postpone until Monday.

And then I woke up this morning to sun shining through my curtains; it wasn't even overcast for most of the day. Go figure. Well, ast least Monday is still forecast to be nice! (Knock on wood.)

So, all that to say, I spent the day much as I would have had the weather not cooperated: lazing about the apartment and enjoying my first weekend in about a month which did not involve me going places and doing things.

The one thing that was different, however, and which I greatly enjoyed, was that I got to go to dinner with my host family tonight! They picked me up at 5:30 and took me to Hotel Kingdom, where they treated me to a fantastic Hong Kong-style buffet. At Margaret's suggestion, I had a little bit of just about everything, from oyster to stewed rib soup to deep fried seafood cakes to crab and curry dumplings to a delicious milk-pudding-and-passion-fruit dessert. It was fantastic.

Please note that I have in front of me a bowl of scrumptious cream of corn-and-seafood soup, topped by puff pastry. Mmmmm....

I had a lot of fun just chatting with them, about everything from American (and Taiwanese) immigration debates to the aboriginal peoples of Taiwan to the fact that I have Cherokee in my ancestry to how Steven's Chinese family name is actually Hakka in origin to what I want to see while I'm here in Taiwan. (Wow, apparently I'm into run-on but still technically grammatically correct lists today...)

After we finished eating, around 8pm, we decided to head over to the Kaohsiung Museum of History for the last hour they were open, since we were in the area. And, for the record, it's both gorgeous and free! We came on the last day of one exhibit and the second day of another, meaning we hit the jackpot of being able to see an exhibit about the cultural rituals surrounding marriage and childhood, and of seeing one about the Daliao area of Kaohsiung.

GORGEOUS building!

They let (encouraged, even) me get inside the display!

These are BIBS. Just saying.

Fantastic day, with or without sun! Moral of the story: take your day, just add host family, and everything becomes sunny. :)

Into the Wind

Today I boarded a bus for Kenting, Taiwan's coastal paradise; to the city which is named "eternal spring." I was super excited to finally get a taste of a tropical beach, since I have never before in my life been to an ocean warm enough to get into, or blue enough to see through. I was thorough in my packing--grabbed my 30 SPF sunscreen, two swimsuits, shorts, sundress, sandals--and, just in case, a rain coat and tennis shoes. I was ready for a beach unlike that in the Pacific Northwest--one that did not involve wind and rain.

But, as it turned out, wind and rain is what I got.

I pictured this (actual picture of Kenting from the Internet)

And got this (actual picture of Kenting from hostel window. Note the raindrops)

The whole trip down to Kenting was overcast-ish outside, but could still see patches of sun, and I grew more and more excited as I saw the coastline appear and realized that, when I got out, it would still be warm.

Then we got closer. Right around 5 minutes beforehand, it started raining. And it didn't stop. I put on my raincoat before we stepped outside, and then began the sprint for the nearest 7-11 so Brittany, Rachel, and Karina could buy ponchos. And I discovered that my thinking ahead was actually not the best of plans, since they were now better covered than I was. Which became a big regret as our taxi driver couldn't find our hostel and we wandered back and forth within a few blocks of it for a while asking people before we finally found it--and my stuff, and everything not covered by my raincoat, was soaked. Around this time, the rain began going sideways.

By the time we were in our room, the wind was gusting against the screen door and I was wondering how we could possibly do anything. Did I mention that a typhoon recently just missed Taiwan and hit Hong Kong instead? Turns out these are the edges of it. Today I've felt exactly like I'm at the Oregon coast--all wind and rain--but with the thermostat turned up about 40*. Very odd, yet oddly homey. Wind and rain: normal!

So with that wether, naturally, we rented scooters and headed for the beach!

And oh yeah--when our hostel owner drove us to get the scooters, he got pulled over. Seriously, this day was shaping up to be a combination of the least likely events ever. Rain and wind in Kenting? Check. Police involved? Check. What next?

Still don't know what they wanted...

The beach was not quite doable, so after lunch (delicious Italian), we decided to do some shopping, then head up to the Southernmost point of Taiwan and see the lighthouse there around sunset. But there were...complications, beginning with the marginal typhoon-strength wind. Driving a scooter in driving rain and wind is somewhat less than fun, and then Rachel and Brittany, who were leading, went past the turn-off for the Southernmost point, and then up an unprotected mountain. It had a GLORIOUS view, but Karina and I turned back--it was impossible to keep a straight line.

And we headed back to the Southernmost point! It was wonderful, and the winds were actually a boon there--high winds equal high waves which are beautiful to look at. Then the lighthouse, where we met some roving dogs who were also watching the sunset. Rachel and Brittany eventually made it back, and while we waited for them by the lighthouse, we were guarded by an adorable little golden dog, who reminded me of the cat in The Horse and His Boy, when Shasta is by the tombs. (If you don't get that reference, you're probably more normal than me, but you'd best go read that book.)

Trail to the Southernmost point

Looking south at the tip

LOVE the waves in the wind!

Eluanbi Lighthouse

Sunset. :)

On the way back, we stopped through at the Kenting night market, which had filled with people who had materialized out of nowhere--the streets were all but empty earlier today--and had a bit more shopping time. Tried on numerous hats, none of which quite worked, and bought a sweet travel coffee mug with Taiwan stuff on it, and--of course--watermelon milk. I have to say, too, that Kenting night market is a bit of a nightmare: a bunch of people at a market are annoying no matter what, then add in the vacation aspect, and it's not good. Still great time, though.

This doesn't even begin to cover the epicness of the day--I'll do more later. But the wind is still beating on our door, and we're getting up early tomorrow to enjoy what will hopefully be a less storm day in Kenting, so that's it for now. Turns out the "eternal spring" in Kenting is currently stuck in April, with no chance of May.