The Providence of Kathy and Z: Kenting

Showing posts with label Kenting. Show all posts

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Dragon Boat Festival in Kenting

The past year or so every Saturday, I'd invite my daughter's swimming coach Ivy's daughter Maggie to come over and spend the day with us while her Mom worked full-time at our gym. Ivy is also a single mom. Ivy taught Z to swim several years ago when E-Power moved into the basement of these condos' pools.(We actually lived on the 17th floor of one of those condos when we first arrived from the States). Our daughters became instant buddies, fast friends, and played together when I took a yoga or kickboxing class. Those Saturdays were a win-win situation for both of us; Z had a companion her own age, so I'd just bring us to the park, do some yoga or reading while they adventured on in their imaginary worlds.

Ivy and me catching the sunset

After the Anping branch of E-power closed, Ivy took a new job as a swim coach in Kaohsiung. One Saturday we came to pick up Maggie as usual and the staff told us they had moved to Kaohsiung, my daughter was gutted. We called them to wish them the best of luck with their new life and tell them we will miss them.

I was surprised when Ivy called me out of the blue and invited us to spend the Dragon Boat 3 day weekend with them in Kenting (墾丁). I've been to Kenting maybe four or five times, and think its a bit overrated. Still, I wouldn't not think of declining such an invitation, my daughter was stoked. Her cousin Benson would join us. He happens to be fluent in English (and Afrikaans, Taiwanese, Mandarin) having grown up in S. Africa. He certainly helped when my poor Mandarin and Ivy's poor English didn't connect.

On the drive down to Kenting we stopped at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium in Pingtung. Sure we have been there four times, but each time Z a little older and we are with different company, so although we know where each exhibit is, its still altogether a new experience. We saw the penguin feeding this time which was a first. There we were, two strapping single mom's with our daughters on our shoulders so they could look over everyone's heads.

We decided to save some money and camp it the first night. We found a campground south of the city center with a view of the beach, but alas we got there too late for prime viewing tent sites. After we set up camp we found dinner run by the French chef at Chez Papa. After our yummy dinner we drank a few beers and played cards but no one but the kids got any sleep. It was much too hot in the tents and in typical Taiwanese campgrounds, its much too loud too late. Thankfully there was no KTV, as I've experienced camping in Taiwan before, but drunk dudes did come back in the middle of the night, immune to the volume of their own voices and there were people setting up camp at 3 am next to us. With the heat, we were pretty blood shot come morning. There were quite a few foreign dudes from Tainan. I recognized their voices bright and early also complaining of the early heat. One guy, packed up and returned to the AC of his apartment back in Tainan. We fortunately booked a room in a hotel the next night, otherwise I might have joined him.

Early we left for breakfast and drove outside of Kenting to where there were some reefs. Ivy brought us all snorkel gear and the girls had life vests. It was nice to snorkel on our own terms, the way its supposed to be done and not how the locals do here, wet suits, vests, a whole group of them tied to a rope and kicking each other's masks off with their fins. It was a perfect, if not scorching day to snorkel. I was vigilant about covering up my kid most of the time, the sun was so strong. By the end of the day I was the one with a sunburned back, but the coral was lovely, I was surprised having scuba dived here before. I didn't see anything "big", just trumpet fish, parrot fish, but it was still so peaceful.

For dinner that night we hit the strip for something cheap and found a burrito stand. Of course it was burritos for a Taiwanese palate and more of a snack, than a meal, but I appreciated the effort. How nice to sleep on a bed with AC and avoid the crowded strip which was right outside our doorstep. That strip was like a glorified night market with scantily clad young Taiwanese women, the crowd moving along like a serpent at a snail's pace.

Ivy, Z and Maggie

After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and then decided to do some 4 wheeling. It was pretty mellow, not a dangerous dirt track with hills, small jumps and sharp turns. It was exhilarating catching some air. Then we hit a different track for some go-carting. Now that was worth the 20 minute wait! All the penned up aggression and road rage from 5 years of risking my life driving the "mean" streets of Tainan on scooter came spilling out. I ran people off the track into walls, spun a few out, finding satisfaction in passing people. I even rammed a dude who nicked my bumper. Every time we cut in front of someone, Z and I giggled wickedly. I highly recommend go-carting in Taiwan for therapeutic it's purposes.

Post 4-wheeling

Speed Racers

On our way back we stopped for lunch somewhere off the road at some restaurant that made their own mango ice-creams We dropped off Benson at his place in Pingtung and then we continued to the beach near my place in Anping. We met my friend with his paddle boards and relished the end of our amazing weekend with more time in the water. I felt so grateful paddle boarding into the majestic pink and lavender sunset. There must of been some kind of magic in the air that eve, because Ivy and my paddle board friend hit it off and they've been keeping good company ever since.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Summer Soujourn

With the parting of summer and somewhat cooling climate, its only fitting I reap the harvests of my summer journey both outer and inner, they somehow reflect each other. It began in May, going to Kenting with friends and staying in an opulent resort in the mts. Cabins and pools, kids playing, wine at night, me addicted to archery.

Then in June, spending Dragon Boat weekend in Green Island.
Camping beside a rocky coral cove beside a dramatic cliff wall, lush black sky full of milky stars, a primordial fire to watch us while we slept, then recovering in the rare sea water hot springs.

Salt water hot springs

In July we spent 14 days in the Malaysian peninsula and ending in Singapore. I met 2 wonderful men I had a kind of connection with, whom I’m still in contact with. The first a Syrian in KL, who is doing some rare stones trading between Sri Lanka and Dubai who is now trying to get a Taiwanese visa to come visit. The other a roving Irishman I met in a bus to Cherating, where we stayed and traveled down to Singapore together. He did come for a short visit just last weekend here in Tainan and hopefully will return before Christmas.

Pulau Pankgor

I am well acquainted with my own company and don’t mind being alone, but one night in Pulau Pangkor, I had this excruciating experience. I was so utterly lonely and so acutely aware of it. It was so incredibly painful, a piercing rawness that this night, it was as if the Universe held an enormous galactic mirror up to me. I thought I might burst into tears right there on the paradise beach where all the European holidayers where having dinner with their families watching the pink sunset. I never felt so odd and out of place before, even the monkeys were pointing their fingers at me. To slightly make up for it, I was blessed the next day with a free snorkeling trip to a nearby coral island, by a local, who gave me enough attention and was still a gentleman. Still, I was recovering from the previous night, of being slammed by the accumulative past 5 years of being independent, being alone, all of it overwhelmed me like karmic avalanche.

So we headed back to the mainland to the other side of the peninsula to Kota Bharu. The difficulty of the travel, waiting for buses hours late, crowded buses w/o seats or AC, night buses w/o sleep, filled that space. Then the magic of traditional Malay culture a few days in Kota Bharu strengthened my spirit. Soon, I met a kindred spirit again, as a kind of blessing. The easy togetherness also threw off my equilibrium, I got used to it, so did Z. I realized I need other people to be my sledgehammer and break through my walls, the illusion of being this strong, independent, single mom.

Traveling solitary its like this dance of being alone for a while, which is fine, because its so temporary, then I meet up with lovely company and I certainly did in Malaysia. If that Malayisa/Singapore trip taught me anything, its there is this wide world outside of Tainan full of available, single men of quality (there were some nice Frenchmen along the way too I'll briefly mention).

Singapore Zoo

Universal studios, Singapore

In August, me and some Taiwanese friends went to Alishan. They organized everything. It was like a pilgrimage to this ancient cypress forest with 2000 year old trees, a gorgeous sunset, waking for sunrise, hiking in clouded tea terraces, great food, happy kids, coming home tired and happy.

In early September, for Moon Festival's 3 day weekend, Z and I took a weekend to Guanshan to see the blooming Daylillies in the East Rift Valley in Taiwan's East Coast. Later in September, I met up with an old friend from my Taipei days a decade ago and we went camping in a farm in Kenting. BBQ, more wine, great company, our kids, her great husband, great fun in finding this past friendship and picking up where we parted. I felt lucky. Then, recovering in the Pingtong hot springs, the original Japanese structure, hinting of October.

In October for 10/10 holiday, I took an extra day off and flew to Tokyo for a 4 day stint. Autumn was just beginning to breath her first breaths into this phenomenal city. Z and I didn’t want to come back to Taiwan and even now I’m considering moving to Tokyo in a year or two if I can wait. I know what neighborhood I’d like to live in more or less. There is so much to see, so much under the surface, calling out to me, “explore me, stay here.” The magical part is I had no desire to even go to Japan until like a month ago, and now I can’t get Japan out of my dreams. I simply liked looking at the faces. The people bent over backwards to help me, locals went out of their way to make me stay. Tokyo is this paradox of ancient medieval Endo with uber-modernism, the bustle of crowds on their way, belaying an inner gentleness. There is this gentleness and then you sense this hidden cruelness. I can’t put my finger on it, especially after only 4 days, but I’m hooked.

I’ve been to a lot of countries, exchanged in many courtesies ad currencies but only a handful of places sort of grabbed me, beckoned me to linger a while. After 2 years of working around Western Europe, Galway totally conquered me. I couldn’t leave, I grieved when I had no way to stay there permanently, legally. Guatemala, I was there all 90 days of my visa and mourned leaving. I’d probably be living in Kashmir and married to a Kashmiri if it was more stable. Now after living in Tainan 3 years, 5 years total in Taiwan, I feel that itch again. Ok I admit when we went to KL I exclaimed I could live in KL too (I could, Z could continue her Mandarin, and I could have my piece of Indian culture). So who knows?

Z’s stability, and continuing her Mandarin is paramount. I just feel like the poetic eagle, phoenix being reborn and itching to spread her wings. If that means growing in a new territory, moving, or staying in Tainan and having this inner journey, remains to be lived out.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Catching up in Kenting

My dear friend Monica and I reconnected after 11 years (good friends can do that sort of thing). We worked together at Kid Castle in Chu Wei, Tamsui once upon a time. Thanks to Facebook she found me and when she saw I was in Tainan, contacted me—she too had moved south to Tainan County, living near the Science Park. We met at the Julius Mannich Merchant House, turned restaurant, for a dunkel and some sausage, catching up, her husband Roger watching the kids (my daughter and her son) while we chatted, then went out for dinner later. We made vows to go camping together in the near future.

After a few weeks we made plans. On Friday straight after work, Z and I took a local train 2 stops north (cheapest train I ever took, 15NT a ticket) and they picked us up. We went shopping at Carrefore for the BBQ and I spent a 1000NT on wine and meats, shrimps. That Friday we had a late dinner and she and I caught up over a bottle of burgundy and cheese.

The next morning we made our way down south towards Kending, stopping at the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium (NMMBA) on our way. It was my 3rd time there, by 2ndtime this year, but that’s ok, Z still loved it and I got to spend time with Monica and her family. We spent the day there and then made our way to Kenting around dusk, found the farm (Kenting Tuscany resort) and started to set up camp. Well Roger set up the tents while Monica and I watched one of the workers on the farm help us get our BBQ charcoals going. Im a bit of a camp fire expert myself, but charcoals are out of my experience, Ive been a vegetarian most of my life and only recently started eating meat again. So we had another late dinner, again too much wine and I consumed too much tasty meat.

Z and I slept like rocks. They on the other hand had a terrible night, their son waking up every hour and they didn’t get to sleep til 530am. They had to put him in the car and run it, took him to 7-11 and were afraid his crying was gonna wake up all the campers (I didn’t hear him). I woke up around 6 to the sound of rain on my tent and tied my umbrella to our top opening coz the water was splashing a bit on us.

We were all moving slow and hurting that morning (except the kids) so we first went to a find a breakfast shop and then recovered most of the day in the Sichong River Hot Spring Area located at Checheng Township, Pingtong Hot springs. We went to the original Japanese Hot Springs, a hotel, with several outdoor pools, rooftop patio, Japanese style gardens, etc. They were filming a travel show with I guess famous Taiwanese travelers (Monica and everyone knew them) and people were snapping pics with their cellphones. Around 2:30 we left the pools, washed and dressed and walked around admiring some of the hotel. I saw the famous little private bath where the Japanese emperor spent his honeymoon. That hot springs was built by the Japanese Army in 1895. The private rooms were gorgeous and cost 800 NT an hour. The public pools we went to cost for me I think it was 250NT and Z’s was slightly cheaper. The water was odorless, clear, sodium carbonated.

Emperor Hirohito honeymooned here while he was crowned prince

We dined a 5 minute walk from the Hotel. Around the corner was the infamous Big Mountain Goat restaurant serving all things goat, the specialty being goat hotpot with Chinese medicinal herbs. They had some eclectic collections of nic-naks I appreciated. The kitchen was outside across a lane in the back next to a rocky enclosure with chickens, an angry hissing goose and some turkeys all free ranging together in soon to be succulent harmony. The goats must be kept some other place. We had a few dishes along with our goat hotpot. I asked what Chinese medicinal herbs they used and I guess it’s a secret concoction.

Goat w/Chinese medicine Hot Pot specialty

Afterwards, Roger drove us back to the main highway and dropped us off at the local bus stop, making sure I got the right tickets and right bus (Ive taken the slow Pingtong bus from Kenting and that was nightmare). We parted and they intended to drive to Taitong and then on to Green Island (but a typhoon kept them in Kenting). Z and I waited 15 minutes for the 88 bus at 4:10. It took 2 hours to Kaohsiung train station (she slept most of the time) and then we took the hour train back to Tainan , reaching home at around 9pm.