Morning
Afternoon
Night life
Today was our first full day in Taiwan, in Kaohsiung. In the morning, we took a beautiful walk along Lotus Lake, which has several stunning temples and artworks. It’s really hot here, so after walking for two hours, we were drenched in sweat. Therefore, it was high time to find some relief at a noodle shop and also try a typical Taiwanese dish: braised beef noodle soup.
Others had the time to sleep in. After waking up, there were some nice eggs waiting for us for breakfast. Whilst almost everyone decided to visit temples or a beautiful part of town, we (Merel and Nikita) both decided to make a cultural trip to the supermarket. Seeing all the different types of meats, drinks and snacks was interesting in its own right, especially when it is not possible to read anything.
In de afternoon, it was time to visit LCY Chemicals. After a short introduction to the company and the R&D center, we received some tours of the labs and the pilot plant. This was all very interesting. To close off the visit, we got the ability to talk to the employees about the company, working in Taiwan, and the culture. This was done with the enjoyment of waffles and tea.
After quickly changing at the hostel, we went on a boat ride through the city, where we saw some beautiful buildings and statues. It was a pity that the only words said by the guide were ‘Taiwan’, ‘Kaohsiung’, and ‘Taipei’, since we are sure that it would have been very interesting.
One of those recommendations was to visit the night market, which we did. At the night market, we could try various local foods such as egg fried rice with pork and fried mushrooms. They also had a “buy 3, get 1 free” deal for half-liter beers, which we gratefully took advantage of.
After filling our bellies, it was time to find a local bar. Taiwan is known for its many small craft breweries, so we wanted to give them a try. We ended up at a small bar owned by a very friendly man who also brewed his own beer. We were the only guests there, along with two Koreans, with whom we spent the rest of the evening chatting. As a souvenir, we left a Japie sticker, which the man happily pinned to his wall.
Around 12:30, it was time to leave, but not before we sang the Japie song. Once back at the hostel, it was time to get some sleep, as we had to be up at 7 the next day. Written by: Merel Sleddens & Jochem van Ierssel
