Headed East 2012 - Part I

It was a trip waiting to happen. The itinerary was in a way, a breeze as we knew where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do but the putting down of the details was the difficult bit as the planning was done in the midst of packing of the work place and home, and the planning for the new work year. They say, a trip is always made easier when you have like-minded friends who are helpful and these are really words of wisdom. :)

 Our flight out was at 1 in the wee hours of the morning and till 9 pm the previous night, Daddy was still at work. So you could imagine his ecstasy when he exclaimed "Time for our holidays."  At the airport and getting ready to check in after a quick dinner.

Checked in and enjoying our seats; we opted for business class for our flights and were pleased that our seats were spacious.

The Daddies definitely appreciated the large leg room. 

Arrival at Taoyuan Airport some 5 hours later. It was still early and after settling our breakfast, we went on to make purchase for mobile wifi connection.

Then it was a bus ride out to the High Speed Rail Station for our next destination. 

waiting for the train to Kaohsiung. 

Comfortable seats and our destination was about 1.5 hours away. 

It was lunch time when we arrived at Kaohsiung and the first thing we did was to fill our (almost) empty tummies. The portion was generous, I must say and we usually had to share our food. 

We wanted to try out a different sort of lodging and booked a 民宿 , home stay and highly popular in Taiwan. Each room was individually decorated and had its own theme. Ours was Paris and the furnishing, though simple, brought a smile to our faces, as it instantly transformed the otherwise ordinary apartment into a romantic one.

We did the touristy thing after we laid down our luggage... .

The museums there were amazing! We visited one which featured cartoon and anime and marveled at the realistic drawings and pictures. 

Family pics!

Miniature art works so delicately crafted. We stood in awe and admire the pieces on display. 

Next, The Workers' Museum which depicted the humble beginnings of the people of Kaohsiung. Yes most, if not all, were hard laborers. 

Then we moved outdoors...

3D art. A pity that the paint had faded, else it would make quite a nerve-wrecking experience for me.

The kids with a robot in the background. :)

A country that big and with such a long history, we would not want to miss a visit to their local train museum. There were records dating back decades and each was meticulously kept and put on display. 

Then we found out that Kaohsiung was famous for produce like bananas.

They were simply delicious and really tiny to say the least. We could literally pop it into our mouths.

Tomatoes so sweet, you wouldn't believe! C who usually does not eat tomatoes didn't say no. Haha.

Paying a visit to the country side and the town of Meinong was why we came to Kaohsiung.

And while we waiting for our toast and coffee to be ready, the kids, sweet as they were, posed for some shots.

Us, posing for a picture front in front of the sentry gate. Long ago, guards would stand up there and kept a watchful eye for enemies who would attack the town.

A local craft shop that sellings the beautifully drawn waxed umbrellas. This is art you can carry wherever you go. 

One of the highlights of our trip to Meinong was the DIY session we had. 

 The children started on their painting and the Daddies did the touching up.