With that, an uneventful short flight came to an end, safe and sound.
China Airlines offers a comfortable product and a surprisingly hot meal even for such a short journey. If it weren't for their blemished historical safety record, this airline offers great value for money.
With swine flu on high alert, all passengers have to undergo special inspection after collecting their bags. Long lines snaked out of customs as each passenger was checked. I previously encountered something similar in Japan, but this one is even more onerous, indicating how fearful the Taiwanese are with this disease devasting its local pork industry. Luckily, there aren't many arriving international flights, as our flight alone caused quite a jam already.
With no pork products or other contraband in my luggage, I exited into the arrivals hall, turning left to head out the doors for the MRT station. Kaohsiung's airport is quite close to the city and is only a 5 stops from downtown (85 Sky Tower), a refreshing difference to Taipei's Taoyuan airport.
No crowds at the airport station!
Easycards work all across Taiwan, and my card from Taipei worked perfectly fine here. I wish China could adopt a common standard across the country rather than have each individual city launch its own card.
The next leg of my journey would be a train connection to Taitung. I had pre-booked this online earlier as there aren't too many trains to begin with. Kaohsiung's main station is being revitalized with some unique and dazzling architecture.
The east coast of Taiwan is not connected to the high-speed train network, so passengers need to rely on the regular TRA service. Prices are much cheaper, perhaps too cheap, as they fill up quickly. These trains run underground through the city after a tunnel project recently opened.
Even the washroom has become high-tech with indicators on which stalls are available.