Taiwan for a layover

To Brisbane Airport for a couple of weeks in Sorrento – a couple of weeks in Romania and the Ukraine – a few days in Rome – a couple of days in Taipei.

We arrive at the airport a little early – this is a bad start to the veracity of this blog because in reality we were a LOT early! – we take up seats selected to  command a clear view of the designated check in counter for our flight – our first experience of Taiwan’s China Airways! – our first experience of business class together! - the airline selected because of business class travel at prices that were offered at a price that had descended close to those of steerage class.

We relax – wait – eventually the check-in  becomes a hive of activity – signs are placed – taped laneways are arranged – with their preparation seemingly complete a counter assistant motions to the small group of early bird travellers that had gathered around the economy class check-in point – these early birds hoping to be in line for any potential upgrades that may be on offer – all these signs convince the aging travellers that we are that the counter is about to be open for business! – we rise – anxious to clear check-in and immigration and to assume our place amongst the elite in the business class lounge – we bypass the lengthening economy queue and assume pole position in the business line.

We wait - we watch the counter staff as they sit behind their counters – we watch them some more – then we watch them some more – perhaps there is some potential to offer the airline’s contract labour company an extension to their customer service training contract - clearly they are not open for business but they make no attempt to communicate a timeframe to their customers.

Eventually there is action – we are through check-in in an instant – through immigration in less than an instant – into the lounge – champagne and Chardonnay! –ah this is the life – will the rest of the trip live up to the start! – we join the plane – I like this priority treatment - just for an instant I think I am smart  – I look across at my partner – she is clearly impressed with this end of the plane – I reflect – perhaps the bargain price business class tickets were not a bargain after all – I suspect the whole of life costs of this bargain may far outweigh the short term savings – I doubt my partner will accept steerage class travel after experiencing the upper deck!

The airline is slick – the English of a very acceptable standard –  passengers all polite – Taiwanese travellers in the majority – an equal division of travel for business and tourism purposes – a few Anglo Saxons  escorting Taiwanese partners – a reasonable number of Anglo business travellers – a significant number of them  young up and comers who swagger around impressed by their own self importance and eager to instil in their fellow travellers a sense of wonder and awe at how someone so young could be so important!

The “lie flat” bed is laid flat – the collected albums of Eric Clapton are programmed for play through the headphones – the last song I remember before slumber sets in?

Would you know my name

If I saw you in heaven?

Would it be the same

If I saw you in heaven?

I must be strong and carry on

'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven –

In an instant we are landing in Taipei – we look out through rain beaded glass at overcast skies.

The airport is impressive in the way of modern international hubs – the staff copious and polite – through transfer security and into the lounge – a lounge like all airport lounges – plenty of masked locals protecting themselves from the airborne transporters of human misery.

We await the passage of time – 3 hours until we meet the tour guide – no need to rush! – we sit in the lounge – we look with surprise at the fellow opposite as he consumes boiled eggs – not just any boiled eggs but eggs that are chocolate brown in colour both internally and externally – he disposes of them in the manner in which delicacies are  disposed of! – Bernie decides immediately that they are a must have before her departure from Taiwan.

The lounge is crowded with business persons of all ages and genders – some smartly dressed- some dressed like jumped up young IT experts in tee shirts and torn jeans – some dressed in the manner of stylish young modern female consultants – some dressed in the manner of serious well to do executives – save for the total absence of yellow vests and the  mild Chinese visages this could be the Qantas lounge in Sydney!

Everyone from executive to young IT consultant are polite and ready to assist the aging Australian travellers – I demonstrated an inability to remove the seal from a milk capsule – in a flash a burly individual has it in his hand gently unpeeling the uncooperative seal – it is handed back to the aging Australian with a broad smile.

It is time to exit out of the transfer area to meet our guide – we have trouble – we seek assistance – we are directed to go in reverse through transfer security – we head off in the indicated direction – security staff jump to attention – you cannot go this way! – then to our amazement the lead officer approaches us – he respectfully asks us why we have come this way and what we are trying to achieve – a smile – we are waived through – perhaps time on secondment in Taiwan should be a compulsory component of Australian border force customer service training.

We arrive at passport control – no problem – they have clearly under gone the same training as the security people in the transfer lounge.

The Taiwanese might be Chinese but they are a much more cheerful and much less aggressive collection of humanity than the more affluent of their counterparts in Beijing and Shanghai!

The WhatsApp notification Bell on my phone sounds – the guide is waiting for us! – Jack Zhou – descendant of Chinese immigrants of the late 1800s – daughter in Sydney – daughter in los Angeles – son and daughter in Taipei - Sydney is expensive says he – we are all Chinese says he of his distant relatives on the mainland.

It is raining cats and dogs – we want to see the country says I – Jack looks shocked! – off we head.

Through Taipei and onwards through New Taipei – we talk Chinese politics – China-Taiwan relations - onwards to the northern coast with mainland China just 120 kilometres away.

Just as it is time to alight from the car the weather decides that it is not something that it is comfortable with allowing us to achieve – it indicates its desires through the howling of winds and the bucketing of rain.

We sit in the car deciding how to proceed – what do you think of Taiwan so far says Jack – we have little trouble in agreeing we were both impressed by the positive demeanour of the people and the cleanliness of the environment – not what we were expecting! – none of the splendour of the latest additions to the built environment of Beijing or Shanghai but  little sign of their less glorious aspects – certainly no sign of collapsed road systems or chaotic traffic – to the contrary the traffic was moderate and disciplined – the freeway system extensive.

We drive in the rain and mist across the northern mountains – we stop at the bamboo lakes and at the acrid sulphur lakes before heading into the old hot springs Spa town area of new Taipei – Jack is disappointed that the rain and mist contrived to keep the beauty of this area away from our eyes!

Lunch in town - real Taiwanese food says Jack! – a stroll along Taipei’s version of South bank in Brisbane – smaller – older – less kempt – less attractive than its antipodean counterpart but nevertheless a source of pride for Jack – the view at sunset is stunning says he.

We stroll further along through the old Town – neat - tidy – clean – just a little tired in the way that some parts of Australian cities can look tired.

Back to the airport – we are tired! – a shower – a shave - a shampoo – the accomplishment of Bernie's tea egg aspirations – we ready ourselves for the flight to Rome at midnight!