TPE ---> DPS

Day 5 - That was a short time but a great introduction to Taipei. Having been to Hong Kong and Shanghai, I wondered if I'd see a lot of similarities. I didn't. They advertise as a great way to get from North America to Southeast Asia. I think that might just be right. Of course, let's be realistic, it all boils down to whom has the cheapest air tickets at the time of purchase!

We woke up before the alarm, at around 6:00 am. That proved more than sufficient to get from the Main Station area to the airport. This time we did take the express train and it shaved fifteen minutes off the trip.



I posted this photograph on Facebook as I was a bit taken back by the colourful 'Hello Kitty' boarding passes.



At the time, I wasn't aware that a great deal of the interior of the A330 appeared as if a giant something puked up Hello Kitty everywhere! I thought the bitch was dead.

The paper seat covers as we entered the airplane's aisle were a traditional art lesson on 'perspective' stretching back to row 59. Hello Kitties were on every conceivable object in the plane, and after we landed, I noticed a great expanse of the outside as well. Hello Kitties were on the safety instructions, the flight attendants' aprons, the cups, and the plastic dinnerware. There was a Hello Kitty on the air sickness bag and that is more than one Hello Kitty too many! I think they'll probably invade my dreams tonight.



We boarded just a bit late but our plane was over an hour late leaving the ground. It seems as if we had to wait for free airspace from the Philippines. We did enjoy watching sliding down over the length of Taiwan, a great section of the Philippines, through the center of Borneo and onto this Indonesian island.

Our arrival was at 4:10 pm. It was a bit of a head rush becoming Indonesian millionaires at the ATM. That took less than $US70. Having travelled extensively, we easily ignored the transport people trying to snag tourists as they exit the airport. We went to the official taxi stand and saved Rp 100,000.



Traffic around Kuta is absolutely amazing but in a bad way. We found the business establishment mentioned from the owner Studio 8D Residences. We let the taxi driver go and rolled our bags for about 500 meters.



Yes, this is going to make a good place for the next two months. We busied ourselves stocking our refrigerator and getting some basics.

The Taipei Zoo and Ximending

Day 4 - We ate breakfast in our Airbnb with groceries we'd purchased yesterday. We know the quickest way to get to the Metro and it happens to be the Green Line. We were entering the station and decided we really didn't want to return to Taipei 101 to go to the observatory levels. Up until that moment, that had sort of been the plan.

It wasn't the cost as it is fairly reasonable, and it wasn't the weather as it was a gorgeous day. We just didn't feel like that would be the best use of our remaining time. It is a must-do for lots of tourists but we just were not excited by the prospect of getting a view from a very tall building.

Our handy Metro line showed a Brown Line which we'd not been on. It also showed the Taiwan Zoo at one end. Since it was a lovely 26°C and sunny, visiting a zoo sounded like a pleasant idea.










It did turn out being a nice way to spend a whole morning! The Taipei Zoo is in an absolutely lovely place for a zoo. It seemed on par with the San Diego Zoo in California but this had an entrance fee of less than $US 2. I like this city as it rolls right into the mountains at many of its edges.

The zoo is quite a hike as it encompasses a very large land area. We spent more than two and a half hours walking up to the highest section of the zoo. There is a nearby gondola ride which we had ignored. After probably 6 kilometers our feet were tired. We decided to take a 'train ride' back to the entrance even though we each had to pay the equivalent of a US quarter.

We ate lunch at the intersection of the Brown and Blue Lines. We'd not been in the area, but easily found a row of local restaurants. Noodles and rice, please. I have lived in Vancouver for over 22 years; I should have excellent chopstick skills. I'd starve if I had to eat with a pair. I might be able to use just one to stab a chicken nugget, but that's the extent of my prowess.

After dark, we went back out to see the lights of Ximending. Interestingly, there's a gaybourhood area near the historic Ximen Red House.




Oh my God, it's time to pack up tonight! We have to head to the airport for tomorrow's flight to Bali at 7 o'clock in the morning!

Memorial and Temple

Day 3 - After a whole lot of sleep yesterday, we must have caught up because we woke up a bit early. Our key to the city lies in the little plastic Metro cards we purchased. They will last for our entire trip and open up the system to us. We first found our way to the Red Line and got out at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The area encompasses the National Theatre and the National Concert Hall.

I think I first learned of the 'Long March' in a special course taught by Mrs. Rude in high school. Little did I know that 45 years later I'd be standing on the ground of a memorial dedicated to the leader. Wouldn't you know that the building itself was closed for just two days but those are the ones we're in Taipei? We did not get to see the changing of the guard as many tourists do. Still, it was a place I'll remember.

After getting back to Metro we decided to take one line nearly to its end.



Of course, Taipei has its share of temples but Jay had done a bit of research on the Guandu Temple, which was also known as the Lingshan Temple. I'm impressed with how far the Metro goes out of the city center. As soon as it went above ground we could see how we were winding into the mountains.







It reminded me of a Chinese Buddhist Temple in Penang from last winter. The construction is always amazing but how the area becomes so peaceful more so. We spent quite a bit of time exploring there and then ate lunch in a small restaurant in the town as we were getting back to the Metro.

After a nap, we went back out in the evening to see Taipei 101 in the dark. We paid too much for some groceries in a great supermarket found in the mall there.

Getting to the Airbnb and a Little Metro

Day 2 - Today started early for us. It ended early for me too. Our flight flew close to the Alaskan Aleutians and down the length of Japan. At about 4:30 am we began the descent into Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

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.

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Day 1 - Hopefully, our flight left YVR less than one hour into the day. This will not be a real day for us. When flying over the Pacific in this direction, we get no chance to set our feet on earth.

We should arrive in Taiwan at 5:30 in the morning tomorrow. We have three nights there. The next real post will occur from Taipei.