Bullet Train to Kaohsiung

Despite the internet problems at The Cozzi Hotel in Taipei, I was sad to leave there today. It has been a real home from home over the last five days, and I have thoroughly enjoyed staying there. The bed was the comfiest I have ever slept in, while staying away from home, and it has been wonderful in every respect. 

These days I prefer to go first class, my days of backpacking around the globe are well and truly over, if they were ever a thing in the first place. On the way to our current Hotel, The Han-Hsien International in Kaohsiung, as we left the station, dragging our luggage the 1.5km to this top-class establishment, Darrell remarked, how I would gladly pay for a five-star hotel, but refuse to pay for a taxi to get there! Yes, he's right, I will never pay for transport, unless it's free. We both have legs, and need to keep fit, so I'm walking, come hell or high water!

Sitting eating our last breakfast at The Cozzi, I glanced momentarily out of the window, onto the street outside. There were queues and queues of people lining up around the block, to get Taipei's most famous breakfast. Personally, I was quite happy, sat eating a lovely morning feast, while people were queuing in the rain... I couldn't think of anything worse. So far, I haven't found any food I would queue for here anyway; I have yet to be convinced!

The drizzle had started early in Taipei, and we were leaving just in time. The rain will keep falling the entire time we are down south, where the sun is luckily shining every day. Of course, the rain is very different in 32-degree temperatures, but to be honest I have literally had enough of the wet stuff, leaving the wettest winter in Australia for years, behind.

We had a while to wait at Taipei's main station, before we could catch the Bullet Train to Kaohsiung, so we grabbed a couple of pastries and a green tea and Guava juice drink. To Darrell's absolute horror, there were no Starbucks coffee shops anywhere to be found. For me, however, it was a bonus, since I can't stand the bloody places anyway.

The facilities were quite sparse at the train station, but then it was Sunday, and most of the places were closed anyway. It is strange observing how other cultures tick, and Taiwan really seems to be a law unto itself. Unlike any other Southeast Asian country, I have stayed in before, the food is extremely fattening, and calorific; everything seems to be deep fried. I can only assume it is the western influence, everywhere you go. Point blank, there are a lot of overweight Taiwanese; in China, I doubt you would see the same thing!

After going through the gate to the platform, we waited patiently for the Bullet Train to arrive. These really are magnificent pieces of engineering, built for speed. To get from Taipei in the north, to Kaohsiung in the South, it would take just two hours, travelling at speeds of up to 300 KPH. You can of course, take a local train if you prefer, but the journey would be significantly longer and definitely not as comfortable.

We were in Carriage 4, seats 12D and 12E. Like all Trains in Taiwan, we queued patiently at the designated platform area for our carriage, and when the train arrived, it literally pulled up exactly where we were standing.  The side, doors opened automatically to let you on board; everything worked like clockwork. It was efficient, there was no pushing and shoving, especially due to the polite nature of the Taiwanese anyway, and everything was done in a speedy, timely manner, with no fuss or delays. This is how a train service should be run!

The carriage was bright and airy, and the leg room, unlike anything I have seen before. Despite the super-fast speed the train was travelling, it was comfortable, and you barely knew you were even moving. It was the most pleasurable train journey I have ever taken. Whether Taiwan, Japan or China, they know how to do public transport right, Europe just can't, and it really shows. 

You could have bought food on board, but at $50 AUD for a bento box, it wasn't something I was going to pay for (Here's the tight wad in me coming out again.) If we had thought about it earlier, we would have picked something up at the station, but with the journey being relatively short, it really didn't matter too much.

It was a rather relaxing, stress-free journey, sitting there staring out of the train window, looking at the scenery pass by. I have always loved this form of transport anyway. The movement is often enough to make me fall asleep, but I was determined to stay awake and not miss this experience for anything. 

Taiwan is very green and lush, but at the same time extremely industrialised. It was captivating seeing the contrast between the two worlds on our trip, and really shows how densely populated this tiny island is. It isn't as modern as I was expecting, but the High-Speed Rail is in a class of its own. This is what I came to Taiwan to experience, and it didn't let me down.

We arrived in Kaohsiung dead on time and headed straight to the MRT station, where we could still use our fully charged 'Easy Card' to pay for the journey. We were about eight stops away from the hotel, which wasn't too long. Like everywhere in Taiwan however, the underground was crowded, with little room to move. When you have four suitcases in tow, it can be a bit of a squash to say the least; you certainly get up close and personal, if you know what I mean.

After walking to the hotel, here we are! Just look at that stupendous view from our room on the 26th floor. It will be a real pleasure blogging from here over the night five days, that's for sure. The only reason I chose this hotel, was because of the pool for Darrell, otherwise we would have been closer to the city, but so far, I'm impressed, despite the astronomical cost.

We have a dinner reservation for six, so it's time I got ready!

After settling into the hotel, we went for a much-needed meal at the 'Tea Lounge' restaurant, in the hotel. With all the travelling we have done today, we just didn't have time for food, so rather than going out, we thought we would eat in. To be honest, we weren't disappointed, the food was great compared to what we had eaten in Taipei.

For $1550 TWD, about $75.00 AUD, we had a lovely three course meal and two beers each. It tasted amazing, and we could really eat as much as we wanted. After ordering the main, there was also a salad, soup and desert bar, all totally free of charge, which was certainly a bonus. The beer was also the large 600ml bottles, not the small 300 ml ones...So, I am feeling a little merry should we say. You can definitely tell I don't drink much these days.

I have to say, I am getting quite a taste for Taiwan Beer these days. It is strong with a really nutty taste, and it is hitting the spot. At only $7 AUD a bottle it is also less than half the price you pay back home. Taiwan isn't the cheapest destination in the World, in fact it is positively expensive, but it is still significantly cheaper than Australia... How can I complain!

After dinner we had a quick walk around the area and were surprised at how remarkably different it is to Taipei. It must be a newer city, because it doesn't have the small winding lanes that Taipei does. The open, boulevard, New York style layout, is a refreshing change, and really gives it a modern feel. Both Darrell and I are looking forward to exploring more of this amazing place tomorrow, but for now, it is time for bed; God knows I'm shattered!