It's free for Canadians to enter Taiwan but there was a bit of a wait in a queue. We knew how to get to our Airbnb and the first part was simple. We needed to take the Airport Metro to the end at Taipei Main Station. We mistakenly boarded a non-express train but it doesn't make a lot of difference. It took us 15 minutes longer than the faster 35 minutes. We sort of watched dawn along the route.
There was a deal on Metro. The airport line runs separately but for a bit less than $US 20, we each bought a packet which contained the two-trip airport express MRT plus a three-day unlimited pass for the normal Taipei Metro. It was a no-brainer and matched our needs perfectly. (Strangely, however, they had to be purchased with cash.)
The Airbnb owner requested contact via WhatsApp back when we booked in Canada. They helpfully sent directions with photos. We are only about a half kilometer away from the Airport MRT building. At that point, I messaged again and got a half-dozen photos showing the exact locations right up to the 10th floor and the empty apartment. The three rooms are immaculately clean and provide basic amenities.I thought I slept for about 9 hours of the 12-hour flight, but it was clear now that a nap was in order. We slept a couple of hours and went out. Initially, we walked the neighbourhood in order to find out where the 7/11s were and then hit the normal Metro at around 10:30.
The Taipei 101 building was a magnet for our first trip. It was the tallest building in the world when completed in 2004 and gave up that title to the Burj Dubai in 2010. The skies got a little overcast but it was a warm 25°C. We ate in the food court of the 101 Complex. It was an interesting afternoon.
I sort of made a tragic mistake by thinking I would take another little nap from 4 to 5 o'clock. Okay, it was not so tragic! I ended up sleeping through until morning, except for time for a bowl of noodles and cup of cream carmel that Jay went out to find. He was up from six to quarter past nine.