My trip to Bali, the layover

I had a great layover in Taipei. Before I start raving about it however, let me preface this with a description of my worst layover. Ever. Back in 2007 on my way to Vienna for one of my first meetings that would finally result in my sabbatical, for some reason I cannot now fathom, I had a 9 hour layover in Warsaw, Poland. There is something about traveling for 19 hours and then facing a 9 hour layover that is more than daunting, its existentially withering. But I did it. I thought of going out into the city, but I didn't know where the airport was, what prices were to get to a place worth seeing, what the visa requirements were, etc. So it seemed easier to just stay put and byte the bullet. It was devastating. I read, I watched movies on my ipod, I walked the length of the corridors of the small international airport. That took a half hour. It was horrible. I kept checking my watch every five minutes to see how many hours were left and time crawled to a stop. By the time I left, it seemed like several years had passed by or rather I had just lived an entire lifetime in the Warsaw Poland Airport. Because I never left the airport, I don't even get to count in my list of countries visited (that would be cheating).

Well, here I was on my trip back from Bali, facing an eight hour layover in Taipei. The three hour wait at the Bali Airport had nearly killed me and visions of 'Poland' kept chugging through my brain. Well, this time I would be brave. Those who know me, know I'm not a good traveler. Meaning, I worry beyond reason that things will go sour. I'm afraid of facing the impossible delays caused by TSA and the long lines. I fear the immigration people who in every country scowl suspiciously and suck your soul from you as they hold the fate of your entry in their demonic hands. I hate it. But I could not do an eight hour layover. So I rebelled against my nature and when the choice came to disembark in Taiwan or go to the 'transfer' corridor where I would be stuck wondering the halls in boredom and sorrow for eight hours. I entered the country. I knew I would have face the demons of immigration control, I might get lost, or one of the innumerable bad thing that could happen might happen (and believe me I can conjure up bad things that can happen. Two major wrecks and picking up a tropical disease in my brain has done wonders for my natural disposition to worry).

I walked up to the visitor help desk and said (as I'd heard existed), 'How do I take the train into Taipei?'

“There is no train. You must take the bus," the helpful lady said.

A bus? Buses can get stuck in traffic jams. Buses aren't as reliable? Oh, no. But I was committed because I'd walked out into the real world. But she was kind. She had some maps. Told me to get on Bus 31. Take it into Taipei. So I jumped onto Bus 31 armed with a time table:

I thought it was about a 15-20 min ride, after about a half hour I began to worry. All of the sudden I was worried that maybe Taipei was hours away, or I had misunderstood and gotten on the wrong bus and would ride through Taiwan for hours before it would stop and I would not be able to get back. We were in sort of rural low hills. Weren't we near Taipai?

After about fifty minutes, however, I saw freeway signs to Taipei. I relaxed. After an hour I was in down town Taipei! Yea!

I left the bus.

First I went to the lantern festival. It was daytime so I could not see them lit, but they were still way cool!

I then went to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, which had a live honor guard that held more still than I thought a human could:

Outside people meditated and practiced dance moves:



Then I went to this tower which used to be the highest in the world until the one in Dubai was built:



Inside was the biggest and best mall I've ever been to. I kept thinking how much Lori and Emily would have enjoyed this!

I had lunch:




And then took an elevator to the top--purported to be the fastest in the world. About 30 seconds to the top and it didn't feel like I was in motion at all. Incredible. And was it ever high!



At the top I met a group of warrior wizards:




I asked them for a spell to see me safely back to the airport and this is what they gave me:



Then back through traffic on Bus 31 to the airport.




Best layover ever!