kaohsiung mess in my notebook
woke up again in kaohsiung and felt like i was still on a never ending train ride that never actually moves. the streets are a mix of neon chaos and quiet alleys where old men play mahjong and the smell of fried snacks clings to the air. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather is weird, warm in the city center but cool up in the hills, and i keep forgetting which layer of clothing i need. someone told me that the harbor view at sunset is the thing to see, but honestly i’ve seen it so many times i’m starting to think i’m numb to it. makes my head spin when the traffic jams turn into impromptu concerts of honks. if you get bored, [cities] are just a short drive away. i tried to find a decent coffee spot near the port and ended up at a tiny stall run by a lady who shouted at me in three languages at once. the city spreads out like a collage of concrete, green hills and jagged peaks, and you can see yushan towering over everything even though it is technically in a neighboring county but still feels like part of the skyline. the map below shows where i’m wandering around right now
The thing about kaohsiung is that it never stops surprising you even when you think you know the layout. i walked up to shoushan mountain and felt the coral reefs underneath my shoes, then a few minutes later i was staring at a skyscraper that looked like it was trying to touch the clouds. the vibe here is a weird blend of industrial grit and tropical laziness, and it’s the kind of place where you can eat a bowl of lu rou fan at midnight and still feel like you’ve got energy left for a night market crawl. someone told me that the night market on zhongzheng road has the best stinky tofu, but i’m still waiting for the perfect moment to try it. the city’s size means you need a car or a guide to hit all the spots, and the weather can change from sunny to rain in a blink, especially when you go up the mountains. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. if you get bored, [cities] are just a short drive away, so maybe hop over to tainan for a day or head up to chiayi for some tea. the local crowd is a mix of hokkien, hakka, pingpu, tsou, ruki, bunan, and paiwan, plus a bunch of military folks who keep the rhythm steady. i’m still figuring out how to navigate the crowds and the occasional earthquake warning, but i guess that’s part of the fun. the blend of urban hustle and wild nature makes kaohsiung feel like a secret that keeps expanding, and i’m just trying to keep up with its pace. someone told me that the best way to end a day is to sit on a bench by the harbor and watch the lights reflect on the water, and i’m pretty sure that’s the kind of thing that sticks with you long after you leave.
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