Category: The Seattle Times

The mosquitos got a few parting chomps, my least favorite souvenir. Home to the land of flushing toilet paper, of shower curtains, a clothes dryer and drinking tap water. Goodbye narrow alleys, scooters darting around pedestrians, clotheslines, bars over every window and door, the visual chaos of signage gone wild. Miss you.

Alishan National Park

Some sightseeing around Chiayi, the one place I don’t have to explain how to pronounce my name! Then to a decadent 10-course dinner and the most luxurious hotel experience of my life.

This route is a popular day trip from Taipei. Our driver, Mr. Yang, said he’s driven this route nearly every day for the past 8 years, but it was my first time (unless I went as a baby?). Soggy, fantastic day.

MRT Sanchong exit playground, family meetup, Shilin night market

Kenting National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Taiwan, with sandy beaches, caves, coral reefs, oodles of coastal scenery. We caught the Kenting Express bus from the Zuoying HSR station. It’s a two-hour ride on a comfy coach bus, and the driver presented each of us with bottles of water and packets…

Onward to Kaohsiung. Wild monkeys! Kaohsiung is the major city in Taiwan’s south. Like Seattle, it’s a bustling port city with wide avenues and a beautiful waterfront. Unlike Seattle, it’s home to wild monkeys that run around like squirrels. We went to the Shoushan Zoo, which was really nice. Admission cost 50 cents for adults,…

HSR to Tainan! Tian Gong temple, National Museum of Taiwan Literature, Confucius temple and Koxinga shrine