Back to the mundane and boring life, landed back in Singapore @7.30 PM, was back home in time for Dinner (fish curry and veggie), something I had missed badly. Over the last week, we did a lot of walking and even a short and unexpected trek so I cant wait to get to the gym and see if I have lost any weight! I did eat a lot on the trip, so am slightly worried if that would have negated all the walking and climbing, hopefully it did not! To summarize, it is a very beautiful country and we had a magnificent time. I am not sure why they have not told the world about what they have! Whoever I had talked to before my trip told me about the shopping and the food there (my friends did nothing but confirm it), but its a shallow thought. The country is all about its beautiful mountains and its vast coastline. Its mountains right through the country so there is not way to cross the country but to go one whole round along the coastline to get from the east to the west and you have to experience it to realize the beauty of it. The highlights of the trip were Alishan and the Sun Moon Lake.
If you were to call Taiwan, Chinese State of America, you would not be that far wrong. Its amazing how you can feel the American influence right from the time you set foot in the country, they call their highways. 'freeways', left hand drive, second hand car showrooms, neon streetlights, Time Square like setup at the Shilin Night Market, even their long distance buses are of the same colour as of the Greyhound and is designed exactly the same! The people are quite updated in fashion and talk nothing except Chinese, it took a good 4 days before I heard someone speak English, they are slightly rude or not that friendly, although I would be the first to mention that they were a few exceptions.
Taking a tour package meant that we spent most of our time on the bus, there was this once that we had lunch, took a long ride, close to 7 hours and went straight for dinner. The journey and the beauty of what we saw from the bus made up for that disappointment. The Taiwanese have a very impressive train network, and it was disappointing that the tour guides don’t use them, it will help to plan more activities for their clients. We had a puncture at the Tarako Gorge, the bus driver tried a three point turn over the curbs and the burst both the left rear tyres. We even had a breakdown, gear problem I guess and had to change buses. The replacement bus was a far better one and left us wondering why the bus had not broken down on the first day instead of the last day.
The tour guide strictly spoke Mandarin alone and said he would die if asked to speak English, so obviously we did not push it. He thought I was a black guy from America and kept calling me ang-moh. It only shows that these guys dont get to see much dark skin all their lives :) The fella did schedule in enough marketing stops, and Joy amazing spent handsomely at every stop, as I told him, he is a marketing man's dream. At the Sun Moon lake, the guide even resorted to playing the charity card, they explained about the earthquake that shook Taiwan and these tribes needed the money to rebuild, while I dont doubt that, I don’t think paying these shopkeepers was the best avenue to channel charity funds to people who needed it. I saw a BMW 3 and Nissan Cefiro just opposite the shop
I did get to go 'free & easy' truly. Tian Guan and myself went to explore Keelung all by ourselves. While the gang left to Bjetou for experiencing hot springs, we both left for Keelung. This decision to split was taken over coffee at Taipei 101, still am not sure how or why it came about, but the chance to see Taiwan the way I wanted to just feel on my lap and I did not want to ask many questions. We took directions from staff at Taipei 101, went to Sangshuan Station and bought tickets to Keelung. Tian Guan got chatty with few aunties on the train. Once we got to Keelung we saw a Star Cruise getting ready to set sail and took a walk towards it, followed a few road signs to get to a temple and a night market, searched for Tian Guan's snack but I ended up buying a shirt for myself and my friend! Took the Taiwanese Greyhound back to Taipei and met up the gang back at Shilin for Dinner, followed that up with more shopping and supper before we called it a day.
The last day was a silent affair, started with hunting for breakfast and President's Biscuits and we took a van, arranged by our tour guide to get to the airport. I thought I had only 300 over on me so spent in on getting a couple of bracelets for my cousins. The ride was uncomfortably silent, Ade and Tian Guan did manage to start a few topics but the rest did not seem interested, I was looking to them to take the gloom away from me, but felt more for Joy who had to return alone, but maybe he kept himself busy with more shopping. After getting to the airport we found out that the flight was delayed by half an hour, so I called my Sis and Dad. Upon clearing the rubbish in my pocket, I found 200 NT$, spent in on a book and got the gang to scribble some thoughts....opted out of lunch as none of us felt hungry. The flight back was not that eventful, they were a few pretty girls on board and three of them were seated just behind us, so it was better than many a recent trip.
Finally, 8 days of pure fun, another country visited, poorer in terms on money, richer in terms of memories. Just like the any other previous trip with my friends, enjoyed this enormously. I would like to thank each one of them for their translations; putting up with me and helping me see a country I would not have survived on my own. I owe this lot for too many things they have done for me and the list just got longer...........
If you were to call Taiwan, Chinese State of America, you would not be that far wrong. Its amazing how you can feel the American influence right from the time you set foot in the country, they call their highways. 'freeways', left hand drive, second hand car showrooms, neon streetlights, Time Square like setup at the Shilin Night Market, even their long distance buses are of the same colour as of the Greyhound and is designed exactly the same! The people are quite updated in fashion and talk nothing except Chinese, it took a good 4 days before I heard someone speak English, they are slightly rude or not that friendly, although I would be the first to mention that they were a few exceptions.
Taking a tour package meant that we spent most of our time on the bus, there was this once that we had lunch, took a long ride, close to 7 hours and went straight for dinner. The journey and the beauty of what we saw from the bus made up for that disappointment. The Taiwanese have a very impressive train network, and it was disappointing that the tour guides don’t use them, it will help to plan more activities for their clients. We had a puncture at the Tarako Gorge, the bus driver tried a three point turn over the curbs and the burst both the left rear tyres. We even had a breakdown, gear problem I guess and had to change buses. The replacement bus was a far better one and left us wondering why the bus had not broken down on the first day instead of the last day.
The tour guide strictly spoke Mandarin alone and said he would die if asked to speak English, so obviously we did not push it. He thought I was a black guy from America and kept calling me ang-moh. It only shows that these guys dont get to see much dark skin all their lives :) The fella did schedule in enough marketing stops, and Joy amazing spent handsomely at every stop, as I told him, he is a marketing man's dream. At the Sun Moon lake, the guide even resorted to playing the charity card, they explained about the earthquake that shook Taiwan and these tribes needed the money to rebuild, while I dont doubt that, I don’t think paying these shopkeepers was the best avenue to channel charity funds to people who needed it. I saw a BMW 3 and Nissan Cefiro just opposite the shop
I did get to go 'free & easy' truly. Tian Guan and myself went to explore Keelung all by ourselves. While the gang left to Bjetou for experiencing hot springs, we both left for Keelung. This decision to split was taken over coffee at Taipei 101, still am not sure how or why it came about, but the chance to see Taiwan the way I wanted to just feel on my lap and I did not want to ask many questions. We took directions from staff at Taipei 101, went to Sangshuan Station and bought tickets to Keelung. Tian Guan got chatty with few aunties on the train. Once we got to Keelung we saw a Star Cruise getting ready to set sail and took a walk towards it, followed a few road signs to get to a temple and a night market, searched for Tian Guan's snack but I ended up buying a shirt for myself and my friend! Took the Taiwanese Greyhound back to Taipei and met up the gang back at Shilin for Dinner, followed that up with more shopping and supper before we called it a day.
The last day was a silent affair, started with hunting for breakfast and President's Biscuits and we took a van, arranged by our tour guide to get to the airport. I thought I had only 300 over on me so spent in on getting a couple of bracelets for my cousins. The ride was uncomfortably silent, Ade and Tian Guan did manage to start a few topics but the rest did not seem interested, I was looking to them to take the gloom away from me, but felt more for Joy who had to return alone, but maybe he kept himself busy with more shopping. After getting to the airport we found out that the flight was delayed by half an hour, so I called my Sis and Dad. Upon clearing the rubbish in my pocket, I found 200 NT$, spent in on a book and got the gang to scribble some thoughts....opted out of lunch as none of us felt hungry. The flight back was not that eventful, they were a few pretty girls on board and three of them were seated just behind us, so it was better than many a recent trip.
Finally, 8 days of pure fun, another country visited, poorer in terms on money, richer in terms of memories. Just like the any other previous trip with my friends, enjoyed this enormously. I would like to thank each one of them for their translations; putting up with me and helping me see a country I would not have survived on my own. I owe this lot for too many things they have done for me and the list just got longer...........
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