NIGHT MARKET

We are a family of night market addicts. Not only do we visit Temple Street regularly, with visitors or just on our own, night markets are 'de rigueur' wherever we travel. I guess it is a very Asian thing where surplus adrenalin not yet consumed at work during the day needs to be unleashed at night, on the street, in the midst of other sweaty, equally addicted 'Night Marketers'. So what is on my list in Kaohsiung, a parade of her night markets. BTW I am amazed by the large number of like-minded Cantonese speaking explorers, probably from Hong Kong as well. I guess Kaohsiung is an easy hop, is less expensive compared to Taipei, is fun for a few days, and lastly, Bangkok is still a question mark. Geopolitics vs Tourism #101?

The shortlist is comprised of 2, really. (1) Ruefong as shown is off R14 ie Red Line Station 14 which is the Kaohsiung Arena or what locals affectionately call 'Chu Dan' ie 'Huge Egg', referring to the shape of the arena. It is also the Chinese characters of the station name. Take Exit #1 which leads you to Yucheng Road, you cannot miss it. Ruefong offers an incredible variety of local eats, plus alleys after alleys of stuff no one really needs but still buy. I spent almost 3-hours walking, sampling, picture taking and enjoying ... it is so Taiwan, so much energy, so much fun and so mind boggling. (2) Liou He is located right off R10 the Formosa Boulevard Station, take also Exit #1. The entrance to this market, which is a main thoroughfare during the day, stares you in the face as you surface from the KMRT. Liou He is almost all food stalls, it is such a valiant selection that even an indiscriminate eater like me would think twice on a few items. That said, somehow it does not yield tha same buzz as Ruefong. You know, the distinct noise street hawkers make when they have $ safely tucked away for the night? That 'buzz' is unmistaken.

I had a long touristy chat with a pretty and helpful agent at the Airport Travel Counter when I arrived. 'Go to Ruefong, where we locals go, Liou He is more for tourists and they charge 10-15% more for the same items'. There you have it, service beyond duty, she should be decorated.