Tuesday, January 4

[Taipei wakes up]

Well, long time no computer, excuse me while I reach into the recesses of my memory... but first things first, the "tweed" coat was a resounding success, the only issue being a faint petrochemical aroma, most probably cheap cleaning fluid, which will probably be eliminated after a trip to a real xenoestrogen-free Japanese dry cleaner.

I was sad to leave Hanoi. Must make a quick mention of the very beautiful Halong Bay with magnificent caves inside the rock formations and how I freaked out a guy from Fukuoka by speaking to him in his own language. Pippa and I spent the last morning at the terrific Press Club Cafe, which has amazing bircher muesli (made by a real Swiss!) and an impressive pastry selection. One of the managers told us he was sad we were leaving that day, because otherwise we could have attended their New Year's party.

We took a taxi to the airport... Pip flew to Singapore and I to Taiwan. We promised to meet in Reykjavik soon.

Taipei was reasonably wonderful. I listened to Supertramp and Beck on the bus into the city. The city is a sprawling urban assortment, not dissimilar to fair Tokyo but less busy. The traffic lights have trippy animated characters that run faster as the pedestrian crossing counter ticks down.

I don't know if I really "felt" the city, due mainly to my being hideously unprepared upon arrival. Basically I had little idea what I wanted to see (nor indeed what existed), and were it not for the world's coolest Subway Sandwich Artists I would have known nothing at all. I loved the people in Taipei actually.

But I had decided beforehand that my time in the city would be simply chilled, and it was. I read in Starbucks (of course I did), browsed one of the best bookstores I've ever visited (everything under the sun in uber-minimalism... at the bottom of the Taipei 101 building, currently the world's tallest skyscraper), avoided museums (I love them but just couldn't, despite the tempting lure of 6000-year-old Chinese relics), listened to Kraftwerk on the metro and found a groovy Harajuku-esque area where I bought a dark grey tshirt with angular splashes of green and pink. Generally speaking, the clothes in Taipei were great.

My hotel was very clean and very comfortable but the location left just the littlest bit to be desired. Nevermind, it was fine for two nights. I crashed in the room and watched Charlie's Angels and a truly engaging Hong Kong film but the satellite broadcast went dodgy at the end so I don't know what happened and I never will because I couldn't read the Chinese title.

I arrived at the airport ridiculously early, thanks to misinformation from hotel staff, and my airline wouldn't let me take an earlier flight for reasons of their own.

When I got back (on New Year's Eve) it was snowing in Tokyo.

posted by pete at 13:41

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