So Much for Smooth Connections

I traveled to Taipei Airport yesterday as planned, again in torrential rain. The flight also began as planned at 7:30pm. Between Taipei and Bangkok, we had to fly close to another typhoon, but otherwise it was okay. When we were about to depart again from Bangkok for Amsterdam at around midnight, already on the plane, they said the plane's weather radar was not working. They tried to get spare parts from six different companies that service planes at the airport, but nobody had the parts. Meanwhile, we sat on the plane and watched movies on the video system. About two or more hours later, they canceled the flight and took us all off to a hotel without our checked luggage. They also took our passports from us at immigration, probably because they kept the luggage. At about 3am we got to our rooms. Somehow I managed to be on the first shuttle bus to the hotel, and first in line for a room. You can imagine the line - a 747 holds 400 people. The very last time I came through Bangkok, I also had to spend the night. That time it was due to the weather in Taipei. I was coming from Germany, and after stopping over in Bangkok, we flew half way to Taipei before turning back to Bangkok to spend the night. At least that time we were allowed to take our luggage with us. This time I was at least partly lucky, partly smart. I happened to stuff a t-shirt, underwear, and socks into my backpack at the last minute before leaving Taiwan. So far, my polo shirt is hanging in there pretty well too.



I got a few hours sleep, some free breakfast, and now I am about to check out of the hotel. The flight is supposed to be leaving at 3pm today, but the adventure is not over, because that puts us into Amsterdam late in the evening, and I'm not sure I can get to Hamburg, Germay that late without spending the night in Amsterdam. Maybe I should have just turned this trip into a vacation, stopping in all of these exotic cities. It could have been a pretty good one, except for a missing person.

The friendly staff at China Airlines Lounge

The lobby at Novotel in Bangkok

Probably some sort of shrine thing

Train Ride

Yesterday, the weather was like a monsoon all day. Very dark, with continuous thunder and lightening, and never-ending torrential rain. I bet we got at least 10 inches of rain. No kidding.

I ventured out anyway, and took the high speed train at 9:06 to Tainan. Very smooth ride, but they did not display the speed like it is done in Germany and Japan. However, it felt as fast or faster than any of the others, which get up to 300km/h. The seats were very comfortable, and the windows very large for great viewing of the rice fields you see along the way, which of course were extra full with water. After spending the day working in Tainan plant, I again took the high speed train back to Taichung at around 7pm, with lightening bolts hitting the ground nearby, and sheets of rain lashing against the window. I also opted for the slightly more expensive business class seat (+12$) just to see what it was like. Well, besides a larger seat with a footrest, I got to sit in an otherwise completely empty car, and received free crackers and a pretty good cup of tea. That tea alone was worth the extra 12$.

Today is the day I go to work, then get a ride to Taipei airport (2 hrs), then fly to Germany, hopefully with smooth connections. Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I can't take my camera into the plants, so I couldn't carry it with me.

Rained In

Well, I didn't venture as far yesterday as I thought I would. Rain began mid-day with thunder showers and hasn't let up in almost 24 hours. I manged to walk up to the Jade Market a few blocks up the street to see what that was all about - rows and rows of jewelry and other decorative things made of jade and other stones, as well as tea pots.



Today will be a slow and relaxing day before the pace picks up again. I will try again to go to Nova electronics store to get the plugs for Germany. Tomorrow morning I'll take the new high speed train to Tainan for a meeting at the plant there. After the meeting I'll probably stay the afternoon, have dinner with Albert after work, and then head back to Taichung, maybe by bus. Then on Tuesday, I'll check out of the hotel in the morning, work part of the day here at the plant in Taichung, then depart for Taipei to catch a 7:30 pm flight to Amsterdam.