December 2008 Trip: Day 2- Meinon(美濃) + Dream Mall(夢時代) + Love River(愛河)

We started Day 2 with a visit to Mei-Non town, a village known for its Hakka culture and folk art. A friend of Jason’s aunt and uncle originally from Mei-Non came along and gave us a tour. She was very excited to be able to practice her English with a “foreigner” and even more excited when she realized I actually understood her! She told me that she had dreamt about having an English conversation with a foreigner, but had been too shy to try before, so I had fulfilled this dream!





We visited a cultural market selling a lot of small gifts and traditional Hakka snacks, and I tried sugar-coated strawberries on a stick. We then visited the local Hakka cultural center and 中正湖, and at the lake I tried fresh coconut juice from a real coconut for the first time. It was huge and I could barely finish it, so as usual, I passed the rest on to Jason to finish :)


In the afternoon, we went to Dream Mall, which is the biggest mall in Taiwan, and I believe it is also the biggest mall in South East Asia. If you ever come to Kaohsiung, this is definitely one of the places you have to visit. Apart from hundreds of stores, the architecture and design is so beautiful and we took many pictures. We enjoyed some bakery sweets and bubble tea, and browsed various stores – some Taiwanese and some international. There is also a playground on the top of the building, and a giant ferris wheel that Jason and I rode, which provided an excellent view of the city (although I shut my eyes for most of the ride!)



We met Jason’s relatives back inside the mall after our ride, and had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. After dinner, we walked along Love River and enjoyed the rest of the evening with them. There were many outdoor coffee shops and performances along the river, making Love River a romantic and relaxing place for friends, families, and especially couples.