The plan had been to take my honored guests to see Taiwan's most prized scenic attraction, Taroko Gorge 太魯閣. However, thanks to Typhoon Megi and the effect it had on the Suhua Highway, the four of us (me, Amber, Jeff and Barbara - my wife had to work) instead fell back to Plan B - two nights in K'enting National Park 墾丁國家公園, at the southern tip of the island. The disappointment of not being able to drive to the east coast, plus the disappointing rainy weather that precluded any attempts at swimming and/or snorkeling while in Kenting, were greatly eased by our lodgings at the Fullon Resort:
It was a long, leisurely drive from T'aichung 台中 to K'enting 墾丁, and our first night (Thursday) was spent strolling along the main strip:
The next morning, Jeff and Barbara were hoping to do some snorkeling at Sail Rock, while Amber was eager to go swimming, either at the ocean or in the hotel pool. However, Friday was windy and frequently drizzly, so plans had to be adjusted. We began by strolling along the beach not far from the resort (visible in the photo on the right):
...before making the short drive to Sail Rock. The tide was out, and some crabs and fish were visible in the tidal pools:
Next stop was Eluanpi 鵝鑾鼻, where we had lunch, then visited the lighthouse and strolled the grounds:
You know you're in the tropics when you can buy a coconut, and have the seller cut off the top, punch a hole in it, and insert two straws for you and your loved one to share in the milk inside:
From Eluanpi, it was up the coast road to the coral formations of Chialeshui 佳楽水:
Continuing our driving tour, from Chialeshui we drove inland to Hengch'un 恒春, stopping to see the old East Gate 東門 and the natural gas fires at Ch'uhuo 出火奇観. At the latter,Jeff and Barbara could see first-hand the great respect Taiwanese have for posted regulations, especially those warning people against trespassing and vending:
We ended our mini-road trip back at the hotel. After freshening up, we took the shuttle bus back into Kenting, where we all enjoyed a truly Taiwanese evening by dining on Mexican food, and drinking Belgian beers afterward. Globalization in action!
Today (Saturday) we checked out of the Fallon, and visited Taiwan's premier aquarium, the National Museum of Marine Biology 國立海洋生物博物館. It was well worth the time and money spent there. The displays are well-organized, and the collections of sharks and rays (and a whale shark) were fascinating, especially to Amber. My favorite part was the exhibit on prehistoric oceans, in 3-D no less - dinosaurs so realistic you could reach out and touch them:
It was another long, leisurely drive from the aquarium back to Taichung. Everyone had a great time this past couple of days. Tomorrow it's off to Changhua Shō彰化 and Lukang 鹿港. Stay tuned...
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