Airport and Seaport

Although it’s already October, I had not been able to attend any air force openhouse…until last weekend, when Pingtung County hosted the 2008 Aviation Carnival at Pingtung Airport. Last year I missed the 7-ship C-130 formation flight because I could not make it. So I wanted to take a chance this time although the official program did not list any C-130 demo.

When the THSRC train was about to enter Taoyuan Station on my way to Kaohsiung, Navy’s Taoyuan Air Base was clearly visible. The U-2 was long gone, but ironically another “dash 2” from the same era, namely the S-2, still calls it home thirty years later.

Jason was very kind to offer me free rides from Zuoying to Pingtung and back. I got some updates on the pending Blackhawk sale on the way. I am sure when the sale is announced, it will prove our “dear reporter” wrong again.

With all fanfare about the Carnival, one would expect there is much to see. But I was really disappointed. There was only one airshow each in the morning and in the afternoon. None of the fighters on display were armed with any missiles. Although the organizer invited several privately owned Pipers from Japan, they were only on static display. Of course there would be no C-130 demo that I had hoped to see.

This is my first time to see F-CK-1A 1417 since it ended its career as an AIDC testbed last year.

The lighting condition on an October morning at Pingtung North was not ideal for photography. And the wrong setting on my camera could not make it worse! This photo had undergone heavy editing before I posted it here.

The badge worn by the demo pilot. I personally thought the demo was only so-so.

A rare bird: Emerald Pacific Airlines’ Bell 206.

Jason and I left Pingtung before noon – there was simply not much to see. It would be a complete waste of money if I went straight home. So I decided to try the new Kaohsiung MRT and have a half-day tour of the city. After all, it has been more than twenty years since I spent more than one hour in the city last time!

If you want to run around the city in one day, the best deal is the one-day pass, which costs 200NTD. If you return it after use, you get a 30NTD refund.

My first stop was the must-see Dome of Light. Many people got off at this station simply to take pictures of the awesome work.

I had learned that Kaohsiung citizens were not used to taking public transportation; so I had expected a low number of passengers on the MRT. But I was totally wrong. The trains were packed wherever I went!

It may look half empty. But in fact this picture was taken at the first stop of the Orange Line. After one more stop, the trains, which were narrower than the Taipei MRT, became very crowded.

While former Mayor Frank Hsieh had done a good job in transforming this seaport city into a modern metropolitan, completion of the High-speed Railway and the MRT system further enhance such an image. But my next stop, Sizihwan (西子灣) and Cijin (旗津), did not seem to have changed much since my last visit twenty-four years ago. Don’t mistake me for blaming the government for ignoring these places. In fact I think both places are full of life and energy, as can be seen in the following pictures.

My first time to see a female ji tung (乩童, a spirit medium) in action.

This man was portraying ji gung (濟公), an unorthodox monk.

To go from Sizihwan to Cijin, you can take the public ferry, which would cost you 15NTD plus thirty minutes or more of waiting.

Or you can take a boat like this for 10NTD, without any waiting (and insurance).

I took the latter.

She was not selling anything. Actually she was driving the boat I rode.

Female skippers were not uncommon at all.

Busy waters.

Busy people.

How many bottles of sugarcane juice have been made to produce this pile of leftovers?

I wish I could take them home.

My last stop was the colossal Dream Mall, which I think is the biggest shopping mall in Taiwan. Since I am not fond of shopping, one picture is enough:

Thanks to modern transportation technology, I was back in my home in Banciao only two hours after I left the Dream Mall.