It takes approximately 8 hours to get from Taipei to Kenting. A bus ride from Taipei to Kaohsiung takes 5 hours, and a bus ride from Kaohsiung to Kenting takes about 2 hours. This doesn't include the time it takes to transfer buses. Since I didn't think it was necessary to pay for a hotel if we arrived at 1am (if we left after class at 5pm on Thursday), nor efficient if we arrived at 2pm on Friday afternoon (if we left early on Friday morning), I decided on a midnight bus so we could sleep on the ride and arrive early on Friday morning. So, we met at 11pm, took the MRT to Taipei Main Station, and bought tickets for a 12:40am bus. We arrived in Kaohsiung at 5:30am and bought tickets for the 6:10am bus to Kenting.
The majority of us were able to get in some sleep, but all of us were still very tired. When we arrived in Kenting at 8:30am, we set our stuff in the lobby, paid for the hotel, and got breakfast at a nearby sandwich stand. Then, we went to a travel agency (of sorts) and tried to figure out the best plan for the day. Since it was so hot, the group decided to go to the aquarium.
The aquarium was unexpectedly fun. We didn't know what to expect, and since it took a while to get there (approximately 30 minutes), the excitement had somewhat worn off by the time we arrived. But it was so beautiful there! We stayed for about 3 hours, and then took a shuttle home. A ticket for students cost 250NT (about $8).
After we got back to the hotel, we got food from our favorite dinner stand, and jumped in the pool. Vacation is never fully vacation until you get into the pool. Sigh, I may be the most fortunate and blessed girl in the world.
After we had finished showering, we all went to the night market, which is literally right outside the hotel. Since it's now peak season in Kenting, there were 2x as many food stands and 3x as many people. We walked through and stopped occasionally to purchase food and souvenirs, took pictures, and played with sparklers ♥
After dinner, we went back to the rooms and four of us played Texas Hold 'Em. We each put in 100NT, and winner would take 300NT; second place would take back their 100NT. I lost, unfortunately. However, in my defense, I got a flush (with the heart of clubs on the river) ONLY to lose to Lesley and her four queens. Trickeries.
We all slept like babies that night.
The view from the travel agency. The rock is a part of the National Forest, which was across the street from the bus stop.
One of the many alleys in Kenting ♥
The AQUARIUM!
Life-size animals hanging from the ceiling
Daddy dolphins, mommy dolphins, and their baby dolphins
If I had to choose, the aquarium is probably more fun than the Taipei Zoo. It's just absolutely brilliant in every single way.
Happiness is evident in this picture. I was such a happy girl.
This was a real man! And he was wearing a nemo hat while feeding the fishies.
The stingray looked angry from the top and happy from the bottom. You'll have to come visit to understand what I mean.
Longest underwater path in Taiwan. Glorious.
This PHat fish was the size of my lower body. So fat.
I've got a smile that's only for you.
The clownfish and anemone combo. It's totally real.
I think this was the temperate zone of the aquarium? Lots of flash foods.
Fish feeding
Same jellyfish...
under changing colored lights.
Water snakes can move faster than on-the-ground snakes, I bet.
Tallest tank EVER.
If only the whales were real :'(
Main street aka night market central.
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