Hello! I apologise for the wait.
It turns out that this entry is a lot longer than I expected, and naturally, took longer than expected to complete too! Please bear with me =)
*This is going to be a very long post.
**Seriously, a very long post.
Back when I was in college in 2004, I rented rooms with one or two other students near campus.
We slept in bunk beds, so I was quite used to that gentle rocking when someone climbs up or down the bunk bed.
However, the gentle rocking at 5am in this hostel didn't make sense. The beds are all built-in and solid.
So unless the person below my bunk was suddenly in the mood for cardio...
Wait... was that a quake I just felt? No one else in my dorm made any movements though.
Was it my imagination? What should I do? Should I get out of the room and wait outside?
Being the tech-savvy person I am, I went to google 'Earthquake in Kaohsiung'.
I know, right? In case of a real emergency, I would probably be found under a rubble clutching my phone. #drama
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| Source: http://earthquaketrack.com/p/taiwan/kaohsiung/recent |
Turns out there was a 5.0 magnitude earthquake at Ping Tung earlier and what I felt was probably the aftershock.
Yeah, it was a shock alright. I couldn't go back to sleep with all that adrenaline.
I did fall asleep again eventually... and overslept. By the time I checked-out, it was almost 2 hours behind my initial schedule. Initially I thought I would go food hunting on the way to Sizihwan so that plan got scrapped, but that's okay, the beauty of travelling solo is that I can go wherever I want, whenever I want.
The plan for the day was to visit the British Consulate and Cijin District before heading to Tainan in the evening. Now, many MRT / Train stations in Taiwan offer lockers. They vary in sizes, price, and duration of use. I will mention them in upcoming posts. As for this day, the hostel, Kaohsiung Backpacker's Inn, allowed me to leave my backpack in the lobby for the day for free and that is what I did because it will be cheaper to leave my luggage there than to keep it in a locker.
Here's why:
I will need to take the MRT and exit at Kaohsiung Main Station (being the station where I will be taking the train to Tainan) for NTD17 (NTD20 by single journey ticket) to use the locker there for another NTD30.
If I chose to leave my luggage at Central Park station, which I will have to go to anyway because that's where my hostel is, I will be spending NTD30 on the locker when the hostel was just a few minutes away.
I could buy a meal deal from the convenience store and still have change to spare with that NTD47.
The weather was a lot better than the day before, although the sky wasn't exactly clear (in fact it was so cloudy that it could rain anytime), I spotted the Tuntex Sky Tower from outside the hostel. The 85-storey skyscraper is also the tallest building in Kaohsiung. Initailly I spotted a good room deal on Gomaji within that building but couldn't purchase that deal without a Taiwan phone number.
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| The Tuntex Sky Tower at a distance. Also, check out how the city council allocated the public parking spaces. |
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| Decided to take the longer but more scenic route to the station |
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| One of the many art pieces / sculptures on display in Central Park. |
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| Father - son bonding time |
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| Pigeons posing and waiting to be fed |
One of the 'must-see' on my list is the Dome of Light at Formosa Boulevard Station. It is one of the largest glass artworks in the world, designed by Narcissus Quaglita. I didn't manage to find any information on the internet if one needs to 'tap-out' of the turnstiles to view this beautiful piece. Turns out you can see the dome without needing to 'tap-out', BUT, if you want a closer look to appreciate every theme then yes, you will need to 'tap-out'.
The MRT from Central Park to Formosa Boulevard costs NTD17 with the iPass (NTD20 if you purchase single journey ticket). Check for fare prices here.
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| Just look out for the yellow signs |
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| Keep going =) |
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| You can see the turnstiles on the right It would be nice if the dome rotates as well |
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| And here's my selfie / free advertising for Osprey |
And then it's back on the MRT to Sizihwan.
The MRT from Central Park to Sizihwan costs NTD17 with the iPass (NTD20 if you purchase single journey ticket) if you choose not to 'tap-out' at Formosa Boulevard; ticket price by iPass is also NTD17 from Formosa Boulevard to Sizihwan.
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| Sizihwan (or also known as Hamaxing) station |
The plan was to get to the British Consulate by cycling since Google Maps indicated that it would take 20 minutes to reach the British Consulate on foot. I even wanted to ride into Sun Yat Sen University to check out the look-out point. So, first order of business upon exiting Sizihwan station was to look for the public bicycles.
I used this app to find the nearest public bicycle station and it also lets you know the current number of bikes available for rent and also empty slots available for when you want to return the bike. The app is only in Chinese for now and is also available in iOS. Alternatively you can search this website for info in English.
Unfortunately the app can only show you where is the bike station is, but is unable to point you in the right direction. So instead of the bike station, I found Takao Railway Museum, which was right next to the station exit.
By the way, there was also a minivan parked outside the station that offers to bring you (and other tourists) to several scenic places in the area for a fee. I didn't go for it because I had no idea who these guys were and I wasn't about to hop on a minivan on my own.
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| There is a local tour van that picks up tourists at the MRT station entrance. No pre-booking required, you can pay the driver NTD50 for a one-day pass. |
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| The entrance to Takao Railway Museum |
Well, I am not a big train fan. I do find the evolution of trains interesting, of course, but since I've only allocated limited time in Kaohsiung, this museum did not make it to my priority list... however, I did manage to get a few pictures outside since I already there and I was lost anyway.
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| Old engines on display |
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| A little sculpture of tracks 'leading' to the museum |
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| Trains played a big part in transporting logs and other resources that helped build Taiwan's economy |
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| The museum was actually a working train station which was closed in 2008 |
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| Mural on the pavement |
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| Railway that is no longer in use, converted into rows flower bed |
After walking long the same street TWICE, I finally realized that the public bikes were right across the street from the museum.
*smacks forehead*
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| ..and to add icing to the cake, I COULDN'T rent a bike because I did not register my iPass beforehand. |
What was I thinking? Right. I wasn't thinking. That's what's happened.
I guess that's why one should read the user manual that came with the iPass, eh?
So it was off to the British Consulate by Bus No.11. (Also known as 'on foot')
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| Should be easy enough...if the map didn't keep changing its mind! |
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| Got lost again but it's okay, because I got a glimpse of clouds rolling in this harbour |
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| Walked past a little marina behind a row of factory/shops This city girl has never seen a conveyor belt like this one here before |
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| The famous shaved ice shop, which was full of customers even though it wasn't a hot day |
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| The Gushan Ferry Pier. The ferries carry both passengers and motorcycles The red/white canopies is where passengers on foot queue, motorcyclists wait beneath the green/white canopies on the left. |
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| Crossing the pier via the pedestrian bridge (the bridge doesn't show up on Google Maps. |
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| The ferries come quite frequently since the pier at Cijin Island is only roughly 5 minutes away |
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| Got distracted for a bit...This leads to another lookout point of the sea & Cijin Lighthouse |
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| Passed by this building where there were visitors taking pictures with life-sized statues Didn't realise that that was one of the two entrances to the British Consulate! |
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| Passed by a visitor's center next to the BC exit that sells these cute whistles |
I spotted a 7-Eleven across the street from the visitor's center and then remembered that I haven't had anything to eat in the morning and it was already close to lunch-time. Ah-ha! The opportunity to try their 7-Eleven food has presented itself! (I've heard a lot about their 7-Eleven selections from Taiwanese talk shows.)
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| Hello, Mentaiko Onigiri & Sushi rolls! Onigiri was NTD25, Sushi roll was NTD39 |
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| I do wish I can get this in our 7-Eleven, I will eat this everyday for months until I get tired of it Really, I would. |
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| You'll find people fishing just about everywhere. That cliff on the right is the Syongjhen North Gate look out point that I mentioned earlier |
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| You know you are at a place for tourists when you see a tour guide |
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| The sea was just beautiful, I noticed that the 'salty' smell was missing here. Nature enthusiasts, please tell me why... |
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| Cijin Lighthouse. That's how close the island is. |
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| Entrance to Sun Yat Sen University Oh I'm so jealous of the students here who can enjoy the sea-view anytime |
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| Google maps directed me to the stairs behind the yellow sign on the right. There were no signs (that I could see) that indicated this was the way to the BC. |
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| You can see the top of the British Consulate from here. Perhaps not in a few years when the trees grow taller. |
After getting a little lost again, I finally found the other entrance to the British Consulate, not without the help of some locals who were chit-chatting on a platform above the stairs pictured below. "Climb up those stairs, you'll see a temple. Turn right." they said, I could tell they were enjoying that look of shock on my face when I heard those instructions.
Here's how you get there: CLIMB THOSE STAIRS.
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| Trust me, these stairs are easier to climb than the ones inside the BC's compound |
There are several flights of stairs zig-zagging upwards after that.
Hey, if those retirees I approached earlier could do it, you can do it too.
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| Even this little guy could do it. |
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| *huff* *puff* This better be worth it *puff puff* |
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| The temple, as advertised. |
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| A wishing tree outside the temple |
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| NTD99 admission fee, which includes NTD30 discount on selected F&B in the tea room Open all week from 9am to 9pm (last entry at 8.30pm) Closed on the third Monday of the month |
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| I think it's interesting that they kept an English postbox in the compound It's a working postbox, by the way. Postcards and stamps are available in the gift shop. |
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| A quick guide of the premise |
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| The first room you'll see is the guft shop I think my momma would like to collect some of these sets |
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| I' m not a big architecture buff but there's something about the clean lines here that intrigues me |
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| Harlo! |
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| You can also have enjoy some F&B in any one of the 2 tearooms, or out on the patio where you can enjoy the seaview This is the Victoria lounge |
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| George V lounge |
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| A glimpse of the sea from the top floor The overall environment felt peaceful... if only there were some benches to sit on while enjoying the view and breeze... |
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| A miniature display of the harbour, back-in-the-day |
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| Might I add that this establishment is wheelchair friendly? I believe there is a car drop-off point at the temple next door, however I didn't see any wheelchair access rom the top of the hill to the museum at the bottom of the hill, so I guess wheelchair bound tourists will need to get there by car. |
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| A large info-mural outdoors |
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| Have some ice cream or coffee at the outdoor cafe |
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| NTD90 for single scoop of ice-cream, NTD150 for double scoop Drinks are priced between NTD90 and NTD130 |
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| Honestly there really isn't much to see inside the building |
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| Nice detail. |
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| Last view of the harbour before descending the hill |
Beyond the Union Jack gate is the steps leading towards the museum at the bottom of the hill.
Now you'll see why I recommended entering the British Consulate from the top of the hill.
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| I mean, of course you can climb all these steps if you want to... |
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| ..I'm just giving you the heads up... |
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| ...so you'll know what you're getting yourself into... |
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| It just goes on and on... |
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| I think it's a lot easier to enjoy the scenery when you're not huffing and puffing up the stairs |
It started raining just as I was about to reach the bottom of the hill.
Did a quick stop at the museum, nothing much, really.
For more info about the British Consulate at Takao;
Time to head back to the ferry pier.
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| Told you, fishermen everywhere. |
Gushan Ferry Pier
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| Price as at 22May2016 NTD25/trip for Adults, NTD20 if you use your iPass NTD20/trip for Students (Identification needed) NTD12/trip for Children & Senior Citizens (Identification needed also) |
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| That guy in red makes sure you either tap your ipass or drop the exact change in a clear box in front of him The EasyCard (not accepted at the MRT) is accepted here, if I'm not mistaken. |
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| Welcomed by the shopping / food district right across the street from the ferry pier |
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| You'll find seafood restaurants and endless stall of street food |
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| After checking with Google maps, it was approximately 500 meters stalls on both sides of the street |
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| Fried potato balls! |
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| Home-made soda |
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| Massive church building smack in the middle of the shopping/food street |
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| Solar powered rickshaws are available for rent On the right: Hotel / Seafood produce market |
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| You'll find a wide variety of seafood for sale here |
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| Fresh catch! |
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| While on the way to Cijin Coast Park |
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| It started raining so I sat here to finish the rest of my sushi roll while waiting for the rain to stop |
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| There's this 'church' structure which I believe belongs to a wedding photography studio |
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| erm. |
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| Some surfers waiting for the perfect wave |
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| No need for redundant leaf blowers and multiple plastic bags tied to the sweeping pan (like how it's done in Malaysia) |
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| Fancy a haircut at the park? |
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| What's interesting about this scenario is... All those ladies in hats are actually inviting motorists to park outside that restaurant |
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| At the car park near the route to the light house and fort I thought it was a good idea that the ground was lined with this plastic canvas so that it won't get too muddy when the rain comes |
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| This 'Into the woods' looking path leads to the fort and lighthouse |
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| Turn left for the fort; right to the lighthouse |
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| Oh, you thought there was no climbing involved? |
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| View of the coast on the way up |
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| It started raining (again)...which is why the place was practically empty Seriously, a herd of tourists left the moment I arrived Like a mini stampede |
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| Living quarters / storage rooms, I guess? |
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| View from the top of the Fort Here you can see a group of people taking cover from the rain Yes. I was standing in the rain. You're welcome. |
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| Overlooking a pier |
Next, I went down the hill and up again to reach the light house on the opposite side of the hill. Yay.
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| There is a small area at the bottom of the hill where tourists can park their motorcycles, bicycles or solar-powered rickshaw |
There are several routes that will lead you to the fort and lighthouse, this I found out when I realised there were signs around me... which I would have noticed if my eyes weren't glued to Google Maps on my phone.
It was close to 3.40pm by the time I reached the bottom of the hill and noticed that Google stated that the lighthouse is only open till 4pm. This information is inaccurate. So don't go running up the hill like I did.
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| *pant pant pant pant* |
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| Almost there! |
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| Correct information about the opening hours Tues-Sun 9am-6pm (01Apr-31Oct) Tues-Sun 9am-5pm (01Nov-31Mar) Admission is free |
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| Details at the gate |
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| "Kaohsiung Lighthouse" |
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| Glad I chose to come here last, otherwise the pictures will be all gloomy |
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| Deep-in-thought pose... |
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| There's a small sundial in the compound The brass plate was so worn out I can't really tell what those marking were |
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| I'm guessing this was a store room of some sort |
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| Spot the Tuntex Sky Tower |
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| One last look of the lighthouse |
By the way, I asked a local who was passing by and he said that the if I continue to go uphill, I will end up back at the fort but it seems to be quite deserted so I wouldn't recommend it.
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| Spotted another flight of stair on my way down |
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| No idea where it leads but why not? |
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| Surprise! Beautiful view of the island, the sea, and Kaohsiung city on the other side |
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| ...lo and behold...MORE fishing enthusiasts |
If you take the route to the left, it will bring you around the edge of the island, pass a gorgeous view of the sea, and back to the carpark I mentioned earlier.
And of course, since that route wasn't registered on Google Map, I ended up taking the longer route. #happensallthetime
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| I think that the sign is quite misleading. Ended on the beach...lost. |
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| Turns out pedestrians are supposed to turn right, and right again, through a concrete path that will lead you here. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the Starlight Tunnel. |
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| You'll find graffiti, murals, black light, and an unobstructed view of the ocean at the end of the tunnel |
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| First, a couple of teasers... |
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| A sculpture to commemorate something I don't remember, I apologise. |
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| The pier that was spotted earlier from the fort. It is closed to the public. |
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| Walking down the Cijin Seawall (not really a wall, just a wooden pathway that brings you back where the fishing enthusiasts were.) |
By then it was about time to take the ferry back to the city before it gets dark. I still needed to pickup my backpack from the hostel before going to the train station to catch a regular train to Tainan.
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| Scallops! I can't resist scallops. Or salmon sashimi. Or fried chicken. *pats belly* |
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| The vendor grilled my order on-the-spot. Prices start from NTD20. |
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| Yeah I felt a little embarrassed to make him go through the whole motion of firing up the grill and all that for just ONE stick of hotate. Which I finished so fast, he offered his bin for me to dispose the stick. |
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| And a regular (which is really large) Taiwanese Bubble Milk Tea from Cha-Tang-Hui. They offer the options between fresh milk and powdered milk. I paid a little extra for the fresh milk and it was worth it. Also, they use thick paper cups instead of plastic. |
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| Back to the ferry port |
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| ..and there's the line... |
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| Last glimpses of the waters |
I noticed some seats have the words 博爱座on some of the seats (there were no pictograms or instructions in English) and almost sat on one (because it had prime view), then quickly learned that it meant that those seats are reserved for the elderly, handicapped, pregnant or children.
Getting back to the mrt station was fairly easy without the help of Google Maps if you remember which way you came from. I omitted all the wrong turns that I took earlier that day, of course.
The MRT from Sizihwan to Central Park costs NTD17 with the iPass (NTD20 if you purchase single journey ticket).
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| Picked up my backpack and bye-bye Kaohsiung Backpacker's Inn! |
Dropped by the shopping mall outside the Central Park mrt station for another two bottles of my new favourite isotonic drinks... which I cannot find anywhere else during my trip. I do have some regrets not buying some of the things I spotted in the supermarket because I decided against carrying them around for the next 2 weeks.
The MRT from Central Park to Kaohsiung Main Station costs NTD17 with the iPass (NTD20 if you purchase single journey ticket).
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| Oh look, a laptop for you to register your iPass to use the public bicycles |
Upon arrival at the main train station, I logged on to Taiwan Railways to check for the latest trains and times to Tainan. All you need to do is to tap in your departure and destination stations, the time, and the 'express' 'ordinary' or 'all types' option.
There are 2 ways to purchase train tickets at the station, either by machine, or queue in front of the counters. Purchasing at the machine will definitely be faster, but there are many buttons which I found to be daunting. So I took my place in the queue.
You can take a screenshot of the site to point the train you want to board to the ticketing officer. I encountered some ticketing officers who can speak basic English, but not many, and they probably will not be able to answer any enquiries in English.
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| I decided to purchase the NTD68 train that would get me to Tainan in 1 hour, instead of the NTD106, because it was already 7pm by the time I reached the station, I didn't want to rush to catch the 7.13pm train. |
By the time it was my turn at the ticket counter, it was about 7.10pm. The ticketing officer said I could still make it for the 7.13pm train, which I declined because I didn't want to miss the train if I got lost trying to find the platform.
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| The ticket is about 5cm by 3cm with a magnetic strip at the back. Pretty easy to lose if you're not careful. |
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| Here's a clearer picture. |
Here comes the most interesting part of the day. After I passed the turnstiles and walked towards my platform, the led board promptly changed my train's info from "Platform 4" to "Cancelled".
Err...say what?
Turns out, the 7.13pm train was late, which was why the ticketing officer said I could still buy its ticket. I walked over the the information counter, the poor lady at the counter must have had a very long day dealing with stranded passengers. Her instructions for me were short, curt, and simple: "Go to platform 4, board any train that stops".
Alright, got it.
My guess was that some trains must have gotten stuck somewhere because the rain must have flooded the tracks, which explains why platform 4 was so full of passengers, people were waiting on the steps!
I squeezed my way through the platform and took this opportunity to call my parents. Surprisingly Whatsapp calls are a lot clearer when I'm overseas. Anyway, a train came eventually and I just hopped on as instructed, having no idea which train it was or where it was heading. The train was so packed I only had room next to the door. Not the carriage door, but the first door you go through when you step on a train. For the next half an hour, I stood by the door, with nothing to hold on to, praying nobody accidentally presses the button to open it. Thanks to my backpack, I also had a little bit more personal space than other passengers.
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| Arriving at Tainan train station |
Finally figured out that the train I boarded was the NTD106 express train, not bad since I paid for a different train. Don't try this though, you'll have to pay a full fare plus penalty if a conductor catches you.
Next: Arriving at Tainan, being an aimless tourist, and being the only passenger on a public bus!
Total NTD spent (MRT and Ferry rides excluded because I used the iPass):
NTD64 Brunch from 7-Eleven
NTD99 Admission to the British Consulate at Takao
NTD20 Grilled hotate
NTD60 Bubble tea
NTD30 3 Bottles of Isotonic beverages
NTD68 Train ticket to Tainan (boarded the express train instead, saved NTD38)
Total of NTD341 (About RM44.33)
By the way, you can track your iPass expenditures on their website. Just key in the serial number at the back of your card and you'll be able to see up to three months' transactions.
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