The Return

The flight was at 1500 so I thought it prudent to start early because surprisingly for a world city, Taoyuan Airport still relies on a bus connection from downtown. (This will change when the MTR reaches it in late 2015.) The bus meandered through several suburbs, picking up more passengers. Taiwanese highways are impressive, many sections stand on tall concrete supports going deep into bedrock, probably due to the land being prone to floods and earthquake.

There is a gallery at the airport with very attractive high dynamic range (HDR) pictures of Taiwan scenes.

I found the scenery understated and not as dramatic as other countries due to the moisture in the air. And it's a crowded country. Some of the best landscapes were in the mountains.

The Taiwanese were unfailingly polite and helpful. The only people who gave me anything resembling hassle were taxi drivers and that's expected from them.

There were excellent meals and snacks but I find it hard to pick a Taiwanese dish that I find outstanding; the island has been a palimpsest of many cultures due to migrations. I do wish they wouldn't put so much sauce on food. Spicy or not? was a question I was often asked when buying street food. I also missed enough fruit in the diet.

At HK the customs officials were brusquely efficient. I had time to have a bowl of congee with left over HK dollars before boarding the second leg. After an uneventful flight, I was home and settling back into normal life.