Taiwan Twenty Ten

Phew. What a trip.

I'm home from my two week excursion with Dad to Taiwan to take care of some business, have some fun, and generally enjoy being somewhere else. I've been asked how my trip was, and my answer has always been as such: "Tiring, filling, exasperating, fun, but I'm glad to be home."

And so it is all of those.

The trip in fast forward
Leave Austin at 8am on the 25 Mar, arrive in Dallas at 9 and meet up with Dad at Gate D30. Sit around for a bit, and leave for Tokyo Narita at 10:30. 13 hours later, arrive in Tokyo. Sit around for another three hours, then arrive in Taipei Taoyuan at 7:30p, 26 Mar. Picked up by a few of Dad's college friends, and immediately go to a small dumpling restaurant, which was delicious. All a blur.

Fall asleep almost immediately around 11 when we settle in at Dad's friend's house. Awake at 3am due to Dad snoring. This is a theme that carries on most of the trip.

Hop a cab in the morning to Taipei Rail Station for bus trip with Dad and his college class down to Kaohsiung for tour of the town and surrounding countryside. More food. Delicious. Stay the night in a hotel in Kaohsiung, which isn't bad. A few more sightseeing trips. Return trip to Taipei in tour bus takes six hours due to traffic jams on every highway heading towards Taipei. Immediately fall asleep again when we arrived back at house.

Next day, Dad and I took our own little tour around Taipei. Everywhere from Danshui where Dad went to school, to Longshan Temple, to Taipei 101 (where it is now heavily toured by loud, Chinese tour groups that come in the many dozens). Meet up with some other of Dad's friends for dinner. Sleep. Lunch with some of the line dancing folk Dad will be video'ing in a few days time. Many comments on how quiet I am, because I don't understand most of what they say because they speak mostly Mandarin. High Speed Rail trip down to Taichung takes a scant 30 minutes with a few stops (that's fast!). Dinner with Mom's side of family in Taichung at nice hotel restaurant that Mom found last time. More snoring, less sleep.

Walk around Taichung with Dad, including trip to Science Museum. Japanese lunch with Aunt who looks exactly like Mom (though not twins). Trip to wholesale shop to pick up supplies for The Store. Trip to supermarket for some supplies. Dinner at an international German foods restaurant with Uncle, because he thought it was whimsical. Overly loud music at the place, they turn it down for us.

Hang out in Taichung for another 3/4 day before getting ride from Dad's cab-driver friend down to Chingshui. Hang out with Abon for an hour before Grandpa/Grandma/Aunt Pei-hwa arrive at house in Chingshui. I look on in wonder at a house I barely remember on my first trip to Taiwan in 1986. Enjoy a couple days in Chingshui, including very important trip to local graveyard up in the mountains to pay respects and clean up grave sites for family. Grandpa's younger brother, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents. Almost impossible to find way around graveyard - have to walk through other people's gravesites to get to the ones you need. Not a sign of disrespect, just necessary to get around. More hanging out in Chingshui with trips to Dad's elementary school, Alice's pre-school, and local bakery.

Quick trip up to Taipei to film/photograph embarrassing (imo) line dancing. Not my bag of tea, but Dad is getting paid, and they liked my photographs, so I shan't complain about that. Back to Chingshui.

Another day in Chingshui, then off to Taichung, then HSR to Taipei for final night in Taiwan.

Up at 5 to get to Taoyuan airport for 8:55a, 8 Apr, flight to Tokyo Narita. Sit around for five hours upon landing for 6p flight to DFW. Ten hours. Arrive in Dallas at 3:35p 8 Apr. Pass through Customs after an hour. Say bye to Dad, and sit around for two hours for 6:30p flight to Austin. Or not. Flight delayed twice due to First Officer not showing up for work. Two more hours. 8:45p flight and finally land in Austin at 9:40p. Home at 10:30. I've been recovering ever since.

Here are some pictures: