travel day

February 20, 2007 - Kaohsiung, Taiwan. So after several days of family flurry, I decided to head back to Taipei. Before I left, my uncle rushed me out to eat and I found myself forcing something down my throat that I would never volunteer to without the pressure of not offending a wonderful uncle's kindness and consideration. He is a bit nutty, though, and he does try my patience from time to time, albeit less than every one else in the family!


And there she is. Taiwan's High Speed Rail, a lovely orange color scheme that meets my approval, as orange is my favorite color. From Kaohsiung to Taipei, it takes a little over two hours, compared to 4-5 hours by train and 4-7 hours by bus (the overnight bus can make the trip in about 4 and half hours since there's no traffic). The flight is 50 minutes, to give an idea how small the island is. The flight ascends to cruising altitude and almost immediately begins its descent. The High Speed Rail, likewise, never reaches prolonged high speeds, as once high speeds are reached, it's time to slow down for the next station!

iTunes soundtrack:
1. Early to Bed (Morphine)
2. I'm No Heroine (live) (Ani DiFranco)
3. The Girl from Ipanema/Manha de Carnaval (Laurindo Almeida - ultralounge)
4. Tin Foil Star (Versus)
5. Medetai Medetai (Island Version) (Rinken Band)
6. 3 Inch Horses, 2 Faced Monsters (Modest Mouse)
7. Hair ("Hair")
8. Boris the Spider (The Who)
9. Working for Vacation (Cibo Matto)
10. Four Sticks (Led Zeppelin)