To Undreamed Shores

Kenting Extravaganza Leftovers

I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. But luckily, 9 other people came on the trip, so I had more than enough pictures to choose from. Tehehe.

In no particular order:

Whale tail detail at the aquarium

Calligraphist at the night market.

This was us before we went for the ride of our lives. So naive. So happy.

Artsy fartsy squids at the aquarium

We were all very delirious by the time we arrived in Kaohsiung on Friday morning.

Our expressions tell it all.

She looks like she was made for nature.

9 people in six seats. Only Michael was comfortable in front.

Poker should be everyone's favorite past time :D

Big, big, big tanks at the aquarium

We played MASH and other card games on Friday night.

Aye dios mios. Final destination by inner tube.

Slow dancing on the shore

I wish I could cross "wade in a fountain" off my bucket list, but all the little kids were doing it.

Ahh! Me and Yong Hong were twinsies with our fresh mango juices.

...and this is Terry and me being dragged across the ocean.

Kenting Extravaganza Day Three

Two people had work on Sunday morning, so they left on Saturday night, leaving just 8 of us to play on the last day. Throughout the weekend, we had attempted to make the most of the days by pushing through, regardless of how tired we were. Well, on Sunday morning, it all fell apart. The five of us that set alarms slept through them. We finally woke up at 10:30am, got food, and called the driver so we could go to the National Park and Forest.

This part was fun, but I think the majority of us were worn out, so it was more relaxing and enjoyable than say, exciting and unforgettable. We spent about 2 hours there, got our bags, and took a 3:30pm bus back to Kaohsiung so we wouldn't arrive in Taipei too late. So in total, we had 2 full days and a half-day in Kenting.

View from the entrance of the National Park

"Giant Autumn Maple"

I'm always a lady

Swamp?

Plank tree (because of the plank-like trunk/roots)

"Stalactite Explanation Board"

We thought we were going into a Fairy Cave, so we gave ourselves names. I was Thumbelina, Sara was the green fairy, Lesley was Tinkerbell, and Michael was the fairy godmother.

Artificial lights in the cave enhanced the experience.

View from the Sea-Viewing Tower

The snake that Gaby almost stepped on because she thought it was a twig.

The greenhouse had poinsettias!

The best part about coming home from a weekend at the beach is the tan. Sun-kissed MUAH!

Kenting Extravaganza Day One

I'm not very good at many things. However, I believe I have the ability to plan extraordinary events. ;) ;) ;) Since Kenting was so fun the first time around, I planned a three-day trip to the beautiful town for a group of us kids. Absolutely. Ridiculously. Too-fantastic-for-our-own-good. Fun.

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.