By Pierce Bloedon and Connor Chuang:
Day 8! We started the day off by eating a tasty breakfast at the Cham Cham hotel, which consisted of both nutritious foods and not so nutritious foods (chicken nuggets). After that, we hopped on the bus for a short ride to meet and learn about the Kakawasang tribe and their customs.
We then went to meet the 老人(elderly people) and performed morning workout dances. We watched and mirrored three dances created by the tribe. After the tiring dance, the tribe offered us Black tea which was delicious!
After the short break, we joined the elderly people in the tribe’s communal building for a lesson on Aboriginal language. We learned simple words like hello, thank you, you, me and beautiful. We also were given the opportunity to connect and share laughs with the elderly people.
After the lesson, we went outside to practice how to net fish and how to make mochi. We also played a game of basketball with one of the teenage members of the tribe! To wrap up, we took a group photo with the aboriginal tribe.
We then got back on the bus for a 5 minute ride to 打鹿岸 (Dǎ lù àn). Here we ate a variety of dishes consisting of chicken, pork soup, fish with a spicy sauce, vegetables, and local fruit.
With our stomachs full, we returned to the bus where we began a three hour ride to our next hotel. Around halfway through the bus ride, we took a break at a rest stop to use the bathrooms and grab snacks for the rest of the ride.
A little while later our group arrived at the Hotelday + Kenting Hotel. Before doing anything else, we all checked into our rooms to unpack our luggage. Some of us chose to spend our free time relaxing while others threw on bathing suits and hopped into the hotel pool.
At 6:50 pm, we all walked over to 巷子內海鮮熱炒 to eat a delicious dinner of seafood, meats, veggies, and soup.
After dinner, we traveling to the Kenting night market which was located right in front of our hotel. While exploring the night market, we interacted with various shopkeepers, played games, bought gifts, snacks, souvenirs, and enjoyed the chance to practice both our Chinese and bargaining skills.
After exploring the night market, we returned to the hotel and prepared to go to bed.