Asia 2016 - Taiwan

---

Thursday 4th August 2016

My journey has begun in London. It is important to mention that we managed to organize a reunion with my classmates from University APU in Japan after 6 years! It is just amazing so I had to take this opportunity to make the most of it.

I was based in the UK for summer as I usually work for the LAL Summer School. Therefore I just took a National Express coach booked with easyBus from Victoria Coach station. I departed at 10.00 am and supposed to arrive in 90 minutes. I used my new app Flightradar24 to see where we are. We however reached the airport just before midday. When I was walking through the door I realized that I left my camera behind.

South Terminal is not where I am flying from so I had to take a shuttle train to North Terminal. I was lucky not to carry any hold luggage as there was a long queue. I bought 10 500 TWD a 200 USD for 508 GBP. I usually withdraw money at the airport but I prefer to have some cash in case as well.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait in very long queue as I am travelling light. Went straight through the security and nearly lost my belt. I also saved one guy's holiday as he dropped his wallet.

London Gatwick was really busy airport at this time of the day. My flight was scheduled for 14.30 but there was no gate information till 14.24. I just walked around the airport to find a nice spot where I could sit down and use my laptop.

My Emirates plane was delayed and we took off like at 16.00. The biggest Airbus A380-800 was ready for our over 7 hour long flight. I didn't manage to get any sleep so I watched a few episodes of Bing Bang theory. It made me laugh when Sheldon compared his break up to the breakup of Czechoslovakia.

Friday 5th August 2016

We arrived in Dubai at about 2am local time. The massive airport was really busy even in this time of the night. There were waterfalls, lifts, trains at this airport. It was built in the dessert in the same way as the city itself. I have never visited it but it's not appealing to me so much. They talked about the new opera they've just opened while we were flying there.

I was about to get some food at the airport so I visited Marhaba lounge same as in 2013 with Slovaku, Jirka and Petr on our business trip to Malaysia. Unfortunately, I do not posses any Priority card and my Gold card wasn't sufficient.. I ended up in Heineken bar instead.

My Taipei flight EK366 was scheduled for 3.40 am. We took af at 4am. I was really tired when boarding the plane. I used my online Passbook for tickets for the second time. I downloaded this app recently. It means that I don't have to print out any tickets but I need to make sure to recharge my phone:-)

I took two sleeping pills which I bought in Boots, London. I worked pretty well. I got about 4 hour sleep! I can't get much sleep on the planes so I was a bit worried I would be in a trouble without those. I set my watches to Taiwanese time which is like 7 hours ahead of the UK, 6 hours Czech Republic. When I woke up because right before breakfast it was about 2 pm. I was really pleased as we supposed to land in Taipei at about 4.30pm.

I watched the skyline while approaching the island of Taiwan or informally Formosa. It was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its taking over by Japanese troops. Let's have a bit of background information of this country before we arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport :-)

Officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a state in East Asia. Neighbouring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Taiwan is the most populous non-UN state and the largest economy outside the UN.

The total area of the current jurisdiction of the Republic of China is 36,193 km²(13,974 sq mi),making it the world's 137th-largest country/dependency, smaller than Switzerland and larger than Belgium.

Taiwan lies on the Tropic of Cancer, and its general climate is marine tropical. The northern and central regions are subtropical, whereas the south is tropical and the mountainous regions are temperate.

The government of the Republic of China was founded on the Constitution of the ROC and its Three Principles of the People, which states that the ROC "shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people.

The quick industrialization and rapid growth of Taiwan during the latter half of the 20th century has been called the "Taiwan Miracle". Taiwan is one of the "Four Asian Tigers" alongside Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore.

So that was enough for the background information. Getting out of the plave I could feel the heat. I realised that I am in the tropical climate again. Going through the security was quite easy because we don't need any Visas for Taiwan as Czech national. They still took a photograph of me and then my fingerprints. I also received a stamp Visa Exempt. Peter has been updating us on the What App group so I received very detailed information about the arrival and where to go at the airport. I suppose to take a bus to Songhsan airport officially known as Taipei International Airport which is in the city centre. The bus terminal was downstairs and it cost 125 TWD single journey. I phoned home that I arrived safely and set off. Songshan Airport is also the base of certain Republic of China Air Force units as part of the Songshan Air Force.

Peter supposed to wait for at the Exit 2 which was located not far from the place where I got off. He provided us with very detailed pictures and explanation where it was I still went to a different place but was able to communicate with him as they have a very good Wifi at the airport. He arrived on his scooter and we were off riding to the cheap hotel he booked for us.

Both Clevis and Bastian have already arrived as I could see on the What App group. Clevis is an American guy who used to make me laugh during the studies on a regular basis. He is one of those American dudes who enjoy their life and didn't take the Uni very seriously but he still managed to submit most of his assignments. Bastian is a Dutch guy who always liked 'Ofuro' which is a Japanese name for the hot spring. We used to go together even with another guy who is supposed to arrive tomorrow.

When we arrived in the hotel, guys were already waiting for me ready to hit the town for a dinner. The reception was a relieve as there was AC. Peter explained me that it is a sort of hotel where people go to have sex J You can however book it for normal stay as well. The room was upstairs and I could tell that it's going to be very basic according to the stairway.

It was a warm welcome after 6 years but we still have a lot of common. That's what I realised straight away. It was like we saw each other not long time ago! The room was OK with a massive mirror on the wall and some blankets ready to be used, however, no beds. Alright for the price as Pete tried to get us the cheapest deal.

We headed to town for a dinner to Peter's favourite place. He knows the owner so it was quite pleasant to get served quickly. The restaurant was air conditioned as well as our hotel room. It is difficult to survive without AC. You get sweat straight away the minute you step out of the room. When we got there we sat in the corner. We had a lot to catch up.

I found out that Bastian is a freelance engineer in Holland. Clevis has spent just about an year and half in Honolulu, Hawai. He works for the Navy as the translator. It is really nice to find out how they moved on with their lives in 6 years. We had a number of dishes that we share which is a typical way in Taiwan. I also experienced that in China a couple of year ago. I would not compare it all as this is a controversial topic to talk about! The history of both China and Taiwan (some people and governments still consider is as one country) has shown its ups and downs. I am going to talk about it a bit later to not bore you from the beginning.

The meal was delicious and after that we headed to the local hot springs. I knew that Peter is going to look after us as he had done his plans and preparations long before we came over to Formosa.

We all kind of fancied that as we used to go to Ofuro (Japanese indoor hot spring) in Japan. I haven't had the chance since we left Japan in 2011. Peter drove his father's Toyota car to the local hot spring place. It reminded us all of good old Japanese days when we used to study together in Beppu.

We could see the steam coming out of the buildings when we arrived there. It was some sort of flashback! I carried only my towel. When we entered the spa not many people were present. There was only one guy with his son and someone else.

There were two baths. The first one was 'cold' water which was about 30 °C, the other one was 41.7 °C. We went to the first one first one and then when getting used to the other one we moved on with that one. It is easier to just use a little plastic bowl or bucket to poor some hot water on yourself in order to get used to the temperature. Once you soak up in the hot water it might be a shock but it is OK after a while. We have changed the pools for about two hours that made us really tired. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and talked a lot about our university days in Beppu.

We popped in to 7 Eleven on the way back to get some drinks and ice cream. Even at 11 at night the temperature is still like 28 degrees and you keep sweating. Luckily, all the stores are air conditioned, too. Peter brought us back to the hotel in his dad's car just after midnight. We were knackered after Ofuro. We put some sort of rack on the floor as there were no beds, proper Asian experience. They have been put the other way round in order to fit. We went to bed quite late as we were on Wifi. Clevis made a phone call to his ex girlfriend but passed out and Bastian took over. He talked to her like for over an hour. We fell asleep something like at 2 am.

Saturday 6th August 2016

We were woken up by a lady wearing the face mask. That reminded me the times of my studies in APU University when many students used to wear those as well because of swine flu. I suppose she was a member of staff from the kitchen.

I ordered a garlic toast with an apple juice the previous night. I realised that it was rather a weird combination to have. It was OK but nothing special. Nevertheless, I ate my breakfast and before we all properly woke up Peter was knocking on the doors with Sebastian.

We greeted each other, it was really great to see each other again. It wasn't 6 years though as he had visited me in Czech Republic twice since we left Japan. Sebi is a top bloke who has always been in touch.

Peter threw in a lovely bike trip for us straight away. We went to the ZOO by Sky Train. Even though we didn't go to the ZOO it was really nice to see it from the outside. A few pictures depicting animals on the walls and the pavement, too. There was a nice bike rental place where we got our mountain bikes from. A very nice cycle path took us all the way to the city centre. We admired the greenery area alongside the river. It was scorching hot but there was some sort of refreshing breeze while cycling.

We crossed the river twice and then we reached the market of Taiya indigenous people of Taiwan. We've tried some local delicacies such as boar sausages, citrus drinks and even little grilled bird.

We were pretty tired after a couple of ours drive. After returning bikes we took Sky Train again back to the centre. On the way to restaurant we browsed some shops and Clevis got his sandals, the same ones as Pete. We were so hungry that we ended up in a nice Thai restaurant run by a Burmese lady. Some lovely food was served and even though Bastian had said he is not really hungry he ate quite a bit. We all ate a lot, I particularly enjoyed Green Curry which was a bit different to what I am used to. It wasn't thick but rather watery. Some other dishes followed including fried dishes, noodles etc.

Being stuffed after this we went for a walk up to the Elephant mountain to see the Taipei skyline. The stairway was so steep that we had to hold onto the rail at some parts. Sweating like pigs all the way up. We had to keep hydrated as we were dripping with sweat. We reached a couple of platforms where we took pictures. We even asked some local pictures to take photos. Not many people speak English though. It was a lovely view of 101 though.

Going back to our hotel to have a shower. People dropped us off in front of the hotel. We already checked out in the morning so we had to pay the charge for two hours as being regular Sex hotel guests this time which was 700 TWD J It was the first opportunity for Seb to see our lovely room where he is going to spend a few nights, too.

We realised that we need to get some food before we leave and because we kept in touch on Whats App group so we messaged Pete what we are doing for dinner. Peter always thinks about our plans ahead so he brought some lovely takeaway. It was rice as usual, some shrimp deep fried rolls and pork chops.

A night bus to Alishan mountain followed. We rushed to the stations after having that meal on the floor of the hotel. Even though we had a shower the minute we stepped out of the hotel we started to sweat. The temperature of 28 degrees even in the evening and very humid.

It's 21:09 and we just getting on the coach Alishan with great fellows from 4 different countries. Our fantastic tour guide Pete from Taipei is always doing his best to make sure that we are having the best time of our lives. What's better than having a local person showing us around. Clavis said: "Taiwan is so much like Japan and I couldn't disagree with him. For instance sights such as 7 Eleven convenient store that I saw in a few other South East Asian countries. Also the square cars, a nigh number of mopeds, some sort of metro which is called Sky Train reminds me the trains in Bangkok. Technology such as fancy pedestrian crossing, vending machines, tube operating system based on tokens etc.

The journey by coach took as from Taipei all the way down from Taipei to Chiayi City 嘉義市 con the South West coast of Taiwan. It took about 4 hours to get there. We had one stop on the way and the second one in the actual harbour where you can take your ferry from.

The following stop was further up in the mountains. The road went up strenuously in the mountains. I thought that we are going to reach the top at some point but the coach just carried on. The bendy roads never stopped and most of us couldn't get any sleep. Peter was OK and fell asleep straight away after he got on the coach in Taipei. He brought himself a little pillow, too. It was rather a never ending story but when coach stopped for the third time it was really cool! The first time for me to feel a nice cool weather since I got here. I suppose that the reason for that is that Alishan is not a single mountain, but a range on Taiwan's spine, averaging 2,500 meters in height.

The stop was nice as usual. There was 7 Eleven where we got some beers to celebrate the sunrise on Alishan. We had another hour journey to the final destination after our final stop.

Sunday 7th August 2016

We've arrived there at about 2.30 in the morning. We were all tired and didn't even fancy any sunrise. I put my light weight jacket on which I bought in Primark, London. Made in Myanmar by coincidence. We've been told by Pete that it's going to be pretty cold in the mountains. He was right but it wasn't so bad. We walked to the train station nearby which was full of people. I was surprised that people took their small children with them, too. They even carried babies. The little train station with steam trains popped out in front of us.

I've done my research about this place and found out that the development of this area really took off only when the Japanese completed the Alishan Forest Railway (1912), a remarkable narrow-gauge train originally built for logging the area's giant cedars. By the 1970s, logging had pretty much ended and tourism had become the area's primary earner, and the entire area was declared a "national scenic area" in 2001.

So guess what. We are taking this railway all the way to Chushan to see the sunrise that supposed to be the most beautiful in Taiwan. There were hundreds of people. We could see families with small families and even babies. I nearly forgot that it is quite common in Asia that people take their children whenever they go anytime. Something that is really unimaginable for Europeans especially in Czech Republic. A couple of pictures taken on the platform and then we took this train which cost us 150 TWD. We were exhausted on the train as it was like 3.40am.

Due to its elevation, Alishan's flora are more temperate/alpine than tropical, and the slow transition from bananas and palms to evergreens on the way up is interesting to watch. The dominant feature are giant Taiwanese red cypresses (Chamaecyparis formosensis), some of which have been growing in the area for well over 2,000 years.

Alishan is considerably cooler than the coast, with daytime highs averaging 14-24°C in summer and 5-16°C in winter. Even for a mountain, Alishan's weather is extraordinarily rapidly changing: an average day starts with a cloudless morning, theatrically dense clouds of rolling mist by noon and ends with a lightning storm and torrents of rain before repeating all over the next day. Humidity is always very high, and indeed most surfaces in the park seem to be covered with a layer of luxuriant green moss.

Just a short walk from the train station there is a well maintained place with street lights. We ended up in a small hut where local people were packing their sleeping bags and stuff. Peter said that we can chill out so we just collapsed on the floor from exhaustion. Later he found out that this cottage was privately rented by those people and that we shouldn't be there. Nevertheless, we were foreigners so we were let off this time, We could actually have a quick nap till 5.30 in the morning.

Then we had to go to some viewing points where hundreds of people were already anticipating the magnificent sunrise. I tried to find some spot for taking pictures and then waited for that moment. Some people had their tripods ready. Across we saw the highest peak Datashan (大塔山) reaching 2,663 meters. Taiwan's highest mountain, Yushan (3,952m) was easily visible, too.

We took several pictures and then went a bit further to have our Kirin lager cans. We sang Formosa and realised that two of us didn't know what it was but joined the crew J We hanged around for a bit and then walked back to the first view point. MOst of people were already gone as they took the last/first train at about 6am.

Peter had however a better idea to take a nice morning walk all the way down the valley. We didn't fancy it but there was no other choice. The sun raised on the way back and I took my jacket off. A lady with her daughter and other people walked past as we were taking our time and walked quite slowly.

We crossed the rail track and walked for another hour or so before we reached the path that leads to the forest. There were very big trees and it was kind of magical. The path with old lanterns on the sides. We bumped into a bunch of people taking photographs, some of them with some serious cameras.

Once we reached the touristy bit we headed to the area with very old trees. Some of them were even over 2000 years old. We took the shuttle bus between these places and ended up a coffee shop like at 9 in the morning. I went to the toilet and learned a new way how to not flash the toilet paper. It is rather strange as you keep it in the bin. Well I suppose a different culture and also different pipes are the reason. Guys played some cards while we were waiting for our bus. We took our stuff from the bus we arrived on and then took a different bus to Chiayi.

Peter told us that there is some issue in the hotel so we cannot check earlier than 4pm. We were a bit pissed off because we were craving for some sleep! The temperature was rising and when we arrived it was already 33 degrees. We went for something to eat to a massive chicken restaurant where I had my first Taiwanese beer. Followed a very nice Spas in a posh hotel. They kept our luggage at the reception. We were the only ones there for a couple of hours. A taxi drive was a relief from our luggage and blasting hot weather outside. We arrived in front of a place that you wouldn't expect a hostel at all. It was located on 17th floor. There were many other business in the building but we couldn't tell by Chinese characters.

The hostel was rather cosy when we arrived. A very nice common room, the actual room with bung beds was OK with the posters and other stuff with baseball theme. Two Asian blokes were in the room when we entered. One of them from mainland China and the other one from Taiwan. Bastian had a great idea to ask them what they think about the independence of Taiwan. We had to stop this conversation even before it started as we knew from experience that it wouldn't lead anywhere. We've overheard such conversations in APU. The Chinese consider Taiwan as one of their regions and Taiwanese are obviously proud of being independent.

We went out after we checked in to get some ice cream from 7 Eleven. I also tried to withdraw some cash with 4 debit cards but it didn't work. I received an email from my bank that I should contact them regarding my card. I tried different PINS and therefore they thought it might be a scam. It was very hot in the common when I called them and connection was poor. I called them a few times and was assured that my card will be unblocked tomorrow because it's Sunday. I was told that my cards could be used worldwide because I asked if there is some sort of block. I still had some cash and Sebi said he would lend me the money in case I need it. I realised good old saying: :

"When is the friend in need is the friend indeed".

Peter went to a local market with Bastian and Clev, we stayed in the hostel with Sebastian because we were tired after our adventure in Alishan. I had a shower in our compact bathroom. The shower hose was right behind the bathroom door. Then I went to the common room and was sweating straight away even though they had the fan and A/C on. I went to bed just wearing my shorts.

Monday 8th August

Actually Pete woke me up. Heavy rain was pounding on the window. I went to the bathroom to take my allergy pill and a puffer as this sulky weather is not doing me good really. The shower behind the door reminded me how compact the bathroom was. I packed my stuff and tried to get out of the room ASAP. I was the first one but it didn't take long before others came to the common room. Everyone was sleepy while we were leaving the place. Once we stepped out of the hostel t was so hot and humid in the actual lift and outside, too.

No point of getting a shower as you sweat the minute you step out of an A/C room. We hurried to catch the bus. Waiting for the bus in the light rain was actually OK. Nevertheless, the temperature was still like 29 degrees.

Peter bought us tickets from a tiny place which seemed to me like a food stool or kiosk. Bastian lost his ticket straight away but obviously found it after he bought another one. Clevis carried his massive case around as usual. The bus journey to the harbour took about 30 minutes and it stopped raining during that. Peter thinks about everything and anything related to our trip so he got us some motion sickness pills.

A nice little welcoming harbour was really cool. We were the only foreigners there. Children were surprised and their parents told us ''Hello" or ''Nihau'' with a nice smile. Once we got our tickets with my name spelled as MICHAL KAPA we proceeded to our boat. The ticket cost 1000 NT$. The fast boat was alright actually and took us to Penghu.

Penghu (澎湖; Pénghú), also known as the Pescadores are an archipelago of 64 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait. The area is 141.1 km² and population in 2014 was 101,758. It is famous for its great beaches, glorious temples and the traditional Chinese-style homes surrounded by coral walls. In the summer months Penghu is hot and beautiful, while in winter and spring the archipelago is possibly the windiest place in the northern hemisphere. Many consider Penghu a windsurfing mecca and the Canary Islands of the Orient. The largest city is Magong, located on the largest island, which is also named Penghu. Magong City is the county seat of Penghu County on the western part of the main Penghu Island. The average August temperatures on the island is 39.8 degrees!

A flat, dry place covered mostly with low bush and grasslands, Penghu is significantly different from Taiwan proper geologically speaking, being formed from the solidified lava of volcanic eruptions some 17 million years ago. The stunning rock formations and towering basalt columns seen everywhere date from that time.

Upon arrival there was Pete's s so called auntie. She wasn't a real auntie but rather a family friend's auntie. There were two cars waiting for us. The other lady didn't speak English so it was rather difficult to communicate with her. When we arrived in an urban area of the town 5 scooters were awaiting us. I can't remember if I've ever ridden one.

The room was rather basic but cosy. 2 double beds and one mattress for Pete. I felt a bit sorry for him but he said it was OK size for a Taiwanese guy. The bathroom was done in a seaside theme and shower was right behind the door again so you would shower literally next to the sink.

Our first ride was to a seafood restaurant. Auntie was driving her car and we followed her on scooters. On the way we also filed up our tanks with petrol for 100 NT$. We had several dishes such as prawns, squid, some kind of deep fried rolls, oysters with the island typical sauce and fish soup.

After a lovely lunch we rode back, got our ice cream in 7 Eleven. Once we got to our hotel Peter said we can have like 30 minute nap but then he checked his watch and said it's going to be rather a 5 minute power nap. It was at least 34 degrees when Pete pushed us to go to the fishing place to have some fun. A short ride to a different port where we departed on a smaller boat than this morning. Peter said that we are going to do some fishing but it was rather feeding the fish and we made new friends as well. We fed the ray and we called him 'me mate Ray'. We also ate grilled oysters with a bunch of foreigners. There was a foreign guy with his Japanese wife. He wasn't very happy when he found out that some of us speak Japanese and other languages, too. We were literally roasted in the heat of early afternoon sun. Nevertheless, we made it and were rewarded by another great experience. I actually pulled my rod very fast and the fish tackle came back to me. It was all over my T shirt. Being a bit exhausted after our experience we enjoyed our ride. On the way back Bastian got himself some nice pink sleeves to protect his skin. Sebi bought blue ones. We also bought a nice Spider Man bag for Peter.

In order to keep us busy Pete booked a squid fishing experience for us later one. We rode our shabby scooters to another port where we checked out the temple first. The actual place of departure was rather not signed posted at all. Without our lovely guide we wouldn't have a clue where to go.

So here we are on the boat heading a bit further from the coast. Once they set anchor we were all giving fishing rods and some sort of explanation what to do. We were advised to move the rod up and down every 10 seconds. To make this relaxing experience even better some rock music was blasting from the speakers once we started fishing. Clevis was quite pissed off as the speaker was very close to him. While fishing there were many planes landing at the local airport. It must have been really busy as there was actually a queue in the air that reminded me Heathrow. Unfortunately, we didn't catch anything while the local guy in the boat was chewing his tobacco or whatever it was and getting one after the other. After a couple of hours unsuccessful fishing we finally went back. Being a bid disappointed and knackered at the same time. I could smell some food on the way back so by the time we arrived they cooked some really nice squid noodle soup. You wouldn't be able to get it any fresher I suppose. They set a few tables and chairs around it and we all grabbed a bowl and got our portion with a ladle. We also ate some fresh squid with wasabi dip. What a nice end of the evening.

Nevertheless, it's never enough for either Clevis or Pete so we rode our scooters to town for some more food. It was very lively even after 10pm. Kids were playing some sort of board games while Pete got us some lovely BBQ sticks. I wasn't hungry so much so just had a shark and chicken one. Clevis had quite a few as he always has his appetite. We couldn't do without some ice cream as usual so popped into one local place. Being really exhausted we headed back to our place quite late, it was nearly midnight.

I needed to make some phone calls before I went to bed. There were a few miscalls on my phone during the day. I wouldn't call them back from my phone as it costs 60 CZK per minute. I used Skype instead. Guys were so kind that they put the volume of music down while I was making a call. I replied to some emails while others were already sleeping, went to bed at about 1 am.

Tuesday 9th August

A nice morning wakeup call from Pete was to put on Taiwanese news as usual and turn on all lights even though it was quite bright anyway. We were told to get up quickly as we were on a tight schedule and we needed to catch another 'island hopping' boat to Bird island.

Upon arrival we went to a very shabby scooter rental and got some really cool old scooters. They were all a bit rusty but I actually enjoyed that. The temperature was about 34 degrees so bloody hot! If you not riding and getting some fresh breeze you are being roasted on the sun. We rode a bit further alongside the harbour and came across a really cool picture of Sponge Bob Square Pants. We all took photos of each other standing in front of The Krusty Krabs restaurant. We recorded some funny videos, too.

We followed the coast towards north east of the island. There were very nice paths or narrow roads. The heat was getting us so I suggested to stop and have a swim. We all got into the water quickly while others had just a paddle. It was really nice and refreshing though.

After this lovely experience we continued alongside the coast as many other holiday makers on their scooters. I could even spot some people who were on the same boat with us, well it's quite a small island.

The next stop was a little seaside place where we got ourselves a nice cold treat which we all deserved. It was called a Pirate boat and it was a bowl in the shape of boat full of crashed ice with brown sugar, ice cream and fruits. Lovely jubbly! I tried some sort of cactus juice as an experiment but it was nasty. Other guys were taking the mickey (having fun) out of me because of that.

We were proper roasted on the sun, keep applying the sun scream, nonetheless, Pete came up with a great idea to do some water activities at about 2pm when it's the hottest. Off we go to this beach where we had to buy some white T-shirts in order to protect our white skin. Well, white skin of most of us as there was Clevis as well. Not being racist but he didn't need any sun tan as we joked before. Anyway, the locals sound like being racist all the time because they use the word 'N.....' on a regular basis. Obviously it means something else in Chinese. So we got on all sorts of inflatable activities such as banana, lying ones, kneel ones etc. We even took another tiny boat to do some fish watching off the coast. We didn't get any snrkles but at least goggles. After being burnt on direct sun for a couple of hours it was time for some more activities. Luckily, 7 Eleven wasn't far enough to get some ice cream. After a deserved rest we headed to a Turtle Centre nearby. Not much time left so we walked quickly through the building, got some souvenirs and rushed to catch the boat. We returned scooters about 100 metres from the harbour so Pete told us to run so we wouldn't miss the boat. Boat Dutch fellows didn't really fancy it so they just walked. Bastian looked like a mummy really. He was wearing sort of skirt, pinky sleeves and lovely yellow scarf.

So we back to the main island Ponghu. Our scooters were waiting for us nicely hot. Especially the seat was extremely scorching once you sat down. What I noticed is that the locals left the tiny boot under the seat open to prevent that. I however always kept something in it so better closed it.

So heading back across the longest bridge in Taiwan. It was a beautiful evening view and we touched even 100km/h on our scooters which was a bit stupid when I look back. We were going to the other side of the island to see the lighthouse so we had to cross a few other bridges. On the way there we saw a lovely rocks that were formed by the movement of tectonic plates. The actual lighthouse was the following stop. It was located at the military base so we couldn't take any pictures, only near the lighthouse.

Then being exhausted as usual we went to a lovely seaside place for BBQ. A really busy place where people were getting their stuff from the fridge and grilling it at their own table. Very hot and humid temperature even in the evening so extremely hot next to our BBQ. We put everything that we could on the barbie and got stuffed. A nice bottle of local champagne was a pleasant treat from the owner.

The convenience store and ice cream was another regular stop before heading for our accommodation late at night. I had to do a bit of work as well in terms of arranging lessons and schedules.

Wednesday 10th August

Early morning wakeup call by loud telly again! I really hated same as the others to get woken up in this way. Well we were a big group so that might be the only way to be honest.

The plan for today was island hopping. We went to to a place called small Taiwan.

We also visited a temple with sort of secretly kept turtles underneath. Pete said that turtles mean a lot for locals and because it's the small island they are still able to keep them here. They wouldn't get away with it in Taipei though.

In the evening we headed for a dinner. There was a ship restaurant. We went to have a look but there was a loud music blasting from the speakers so we decided to go somewhere else. The atmosphere was rather like some sort of party but it was just a BBQ restaurant that we experienced last night so we fancied something else.

We walked around the town centre in the evening before deciding to go to a lovely seafood place. When I saw the tanks with fish and seafood I couldn't resist those massive lobsters. Bastian didn't fancy it much but he was able to get some beef dish so was alright in the end. With a budget of 800 TWD we could get some crabs, fish and oysters. We were keen on getting lobsters but that would stretch our budget to something like 1 500 TWD. We didn't really fancy that as we are poor backpackers apart from Bastian who said that he is rich at some stage. It was a nice place even though the owner didn't seem to me that he was very keen on us as customers. While Pete was negotiating the deal with him in front of the restaurant he just looked around for new customers at the street. Well, the food was amazing a usual in the end so we were alright.

Then we met Pete's fake auntie's real relative! He wanted to make sure that we show her the appreciation so he got some chocolates for her. They chatted for a bit while we were absorbing the busy night life in this town. We exchanged some polite phrases at the beginning and end of our meeting and got on our scooters. Guess where we went, you are right 7 Eleven for some ice cream and lager!

Thursday 11th August

Flight back to Taipei was another very well planned part of our itinerary. We could get a bit more sleep as the flight was at 10.30 o'clock. It was raining heavily when Pete woke us up. We had however someone picking us up and taking us to the airport that morning. Everything was arranged by Pete's auntie, she's done a great job. As I found out later it was a package that she usually sells for 15 000 TWD but we got it for a bargain price of 7 000 TWD. The kindness of local people is really great.

It was still pouring down on the way to the airport. It was just 10 min drive. The airport itself was quite large of a high standard to my surprise. I wouldn't expect that you get such an airport at this small island. We checked in, I was the only one with hand luggage so waited for guys. We bought something to eat in the local shop and headed to the gate. As Sebi said, it was like getting on the bus. Just about 20 minutes before the departure the cabin crew announced boarding. Not even half of the plane was occupied so we quickly took off. What reminded me of goo old times of Japan was the airport staff waving at us before takeoff. What a nice tradition.

The shortest flight of my life took only 35 minutes. By the time the flight attendants distributed some drinks we were landing. Peter took us to his mate's restaurant for some proper meal. He promised us some decent duck. It was really busy so we just sat to one older man. It felt like a canteen but was alright for us. Everyone was friendly, especially the owner. The kitchen looked really bad, just some dirty sinks and running water, ladies washing the dished on the floor in some bucket. The food was however delicious and we all indulged in this lovely Asian cuisine again. Several dishes came including deep fried prawns with mayo, oysters with garlic sauce, fried rice with shrimps and so on. It was another feast.

Nevertheless, we are greedy so when we saw this Taiwanese cake chain 85 C, we bought some cakes with Sebastian and Clev got himself a chocolate drink. What followed next was really nice because we visited Peter's house. I could see where all my postcards go. A number of certificates are on Pete's wall as he always tries for more. He works hard to make his dreams come true and it was quite visible in this room. Ha has change a lot since we first met in 2009. He used to be a naive but very nice guy who was very shy a reserved. Today he is an ambitious, self-motivated and self driven young man who knows what he wants to achieve in his life.

We rented bikes from the same place and headed to the city centre. Peter showed us some famous universities and his secondary school. I convinced everyone to play some basketball as there were many courts and some kids were just shooting on the basket. Peter found it strange so he showed us the school but then I managed to persuade him to play. We challenged a young couple. In this heat and wearing flip flops we didn't last for long. It was a good game though.

We continued towards a former military place right in the middle of the city. Some nice views and pictures were taken here. A local ice cream for me some sort of unfamiliar flavour was a nice refreshment. The next stop was Pete's real uncle's Chinese medicine pharmacy. We were served with some nice tea from the pot and then Clevis got his treatment as he injured his wrist during the game. A proper acupuncture treatment in the form of two needles were inserted in his arm. He received some electrical shocks in the needles afterwards. We had a lot of fun there.

We returned our bikes and took train to a food court place in the city. Pete said that they have the best steaks in town. Most of us ordered a nice beef steak stuffed with some garlic. It was something like medium or well done but it was really nice. As all meals come with rice in this part of the world, the stake wasn't an exception. It was actually delicious even with rice.

Friday 12th August

Peter gave us some proper rest and picked us up at 10.30 am. We went to a nice Indian place called Masala House for lunch. I fancied some Lassi drink as I remember it from Indian restaurants in the UK. It was delicious mango flavour. We ordered some curry, Naan breads and rice came in the shape of heart. We got properly stuffed in this one as well. This is a nice thing in Taiwan, they use the heart symbol on a regular basis and it seems to me that it works. People sort of behave nicely to each other.

Peter drove to Keelung harbour which was an hour away. We were a bit packed in the back of the car but we were used it by now. We headed ???



On the way to train station we saw a traditional Chinese funeral. People were queuing outside of some small temple. It was quite strange for me as it was in the middle of a busy city. We walked through some arcades with lots of Chinese pharmacies. We've seen some stuff I've never seen before in my life for instance the fish fins even of a large size. Peter was always kind and wanted the best for us so he got some crushed ice with sugar which we didn't like much but he said it was OK. There was one foreigner enjoying it with her local friend though. The Chinese bit was interesting. we stopped near one temple dedicated to partnerships and Peter prayed for his new potential partner who he wishes to meet in the future, most likely in Germany. I took some pictures there even though it wasn't allowed. It was really hot so we fancied some lager but Peter nicely said that is it not on our schedule.

We actually convinced him in the end went to some posh place for foreigners. La Zinc beer pub where Bastian didn't like red wine from the fridge. He said that it was actually disgusting. Poor waitress apologised as she didn't have a clue. I reckon that not many people drink wine here anyway .

While walking down the street we saw some cheap massage place. Peter suggested we should go so we all 20 minute back, shoulders, arms massage because we were on a tight schedule. It cost 300 TWD. Mostly blind man sat behind the chair and mentioned that we were really stiff and asked us what have we done in last weeks. We obviously blamed Peter. The guys were laughing when one of shouted: "Oh shit!"

Then we ended up in the shopping area Tamsui. We took a train there which took about 40 minutes, it was the end of red line. It was very lively and Pete bought us a variety of street food. There was some deep fried squid, One passer byer was even wearing Praha T-shirt. When Pete asked her about it she didn't have a clue what it was.

We took Sky Train back which took us over an hour. We changed the train and went directly to Mc Donald's near Peter's house to meet up with his sister. It was a nice chat about her working all day long as a teacher in the nearby city.

We went back to the hotel for a bit and then Pete took us to Red light district. There were two parts. One was for old ladies where usually the people working at the harbour go. It was proper dodgy walking through these narrow alleyways and passages. The other bit with young chicks was the same just with better looking ladies. We didn't linger there for long and rather went to a street food market where we had something to eat.

Saturday 13th August

It was right after midnight when Bastian headed back to the hotel and we set off for the famous fish market.

Unfortunately, everything comes to its end and it was, Sebi was leaving today. We linger there for long and rather went to a street food market where we had something to eat.

---