Made it to Taiwan! After a long 14 hour flight, crosising the international date line and being hit with jetlag number two, I am here. Arrival at the airport was a complete mystery but a smooth entrance. Its right away very clear, we are not in the US anymore or the western world. Chinese signs, lots of staff in uniforms and a fever scan machine while exiting the gate. This is Taiwan. Here is where it got confusing for me: Arriving Amsterdam time March 7th 23:00 hours. Arriving LA time March 7th 14:00 hours. Arriving Taipei time March 8th 06:00 hours. My watch, my mind and my biological clock are giving up. Let's just see when i get tired again so i know it's bedtime. What doesn't help either is that the plane flew just in the dark for the entire 14 hours, outflying the sunrise, that was all the time chasing us, but never caught up with until ann hour after arriving in Taipei. The way I think I have figured it out is that I now actually am one day younger than the calender tells me.. On the plane I met the guys of Tritonal who are in rhe line up of Armin van Buuren's State of Trance 550 show in Den Bosch, Holland end of this month. Sorry for the invite, but I won't be home yet.. They were now on their way to Surubaya and Jakarta for some shows.
Upon arrival I Skyped with my dad, who is home now again. Good to see him and talk to him, he bought an iPad, so now we have Facetime! The bus to Taipei, an adventure on its own, through the morning traffic jams and road constructions. First impression is that it is very green, but also rainy. I knew it was going to rain this time of year, but appearantly it kinda always rains here.. In he north of Taiwan anyway.. Arrived at the busstation in central Taipei and tried to get online for half an hour in a Starbucks to look for a place to stay. wifi is not free here, need to buy a code voor 100 Taiwan Dollars (€2,60) which gives you 24 hr wifi at Starbucks). Compicated system with a scratchcard and code, sms validation and 2 passwords. Luckilly the SB staff was very helpfull, otherwise a mission impossible. Finally online but but couldn't be bothered to look for a place anymore. S just updated FB and mail and went to the tourist info desk. Within 5 minutes they found me a room at the Lion City Hotel, 5 minutes walk and like €17 a night. Shower!!!!! Ps. There is no fourth floor in Chinese buildings, it's like our number 13, bad luck! More later, now heading out of the door. NI HAO!