Today it is time for our long delayed trip to Taiwan. We were planning for it right when Covid hit and then afterwards we were distracted a few times by other destinations. But this year we finally got it all together and planned what we hope is a great trip that starts with a long flight to Asia. At least we have a lounge now in Phoenix where we can eat breakfast before our flight.
Our layover is in San Francisco and it is only a few hours, we just change terminals and then we board our flight for Taipei passing over the Atlantic Ocean.
It is a long flight with dinner and breakfast, but the in flight entertainment is not really that good with movies that are not that new in our opinion. And then we are in Taipei passing fast through the immigration area, it is quite efficient, and now it is time to get into town.
We decide to use public transportation as the train goes directly into town and close to our hotel. Getting the ticket is an adventure as most automated ticket machines do not accept credit cards so we have to get a token from a cashier. And then using the token is unusual versus other public transit systems we have used but we make it inside after a few misadventures. And then it is 45 minute ride into town relaxing and preparing for the next section of our adventure.
The central station is huge and multilevel and we get lost in it multiple times before we find the right passage towards the hotel which can be reached both underground and overground. But everything looks shuttered and we are not sure how safe it is so overground it is. We get lost a few more times until finally finding an overpass over a multilane highway but then we finally arrive at the hotel, phew.
Check in is relatively easy but with lots of formalities and then it is time to see how a five star hotel looks like. The room looks nice but the bonus for us is the welcome fruit basket and the soft drinks in the refrigerator, quite welcome.
The bath is an unusual configuration with the bathtub in the hallway and a bit uncomfortable really. The weirdest thing though is chicken essence that you can drink and is supposedly healthy.
The views from the room are quite nice, overlooking the station from where we alighted and the high rises of downtown Taipei.
One big bonus here, and at most other hotels in Taipei, is the free water refiller. However here it is even more special, it can even produce sparking water, cool.
In the morning we explore the area near the hotel to find some breakfast. In the day it is much clearer what the route is from the train to the hotel, but we made it and it was an experience.
To our surprise everything is closed, it is not even that early and it is a work day so we were expecting at least some breakfast places to be open. But nothing really is and when we find one then there are long lines in front of it.
And then just when we give up and start returning towards the hotel we find one that is open and even has a few seats open. There is a line in front but just for takeout so in we go and order. Well we point and they point and then we point again and somehow we hope that we were understood.
The food is what we ordered and is really good and it really hits the spot after walking in the heat for half hour looking for breakfast. The iced coffee also helps turbocharge us, now we are ready for the day starting with Longshan Temple.
Whenever we are back at the hotel we relax in the Executive Lounge which somehow was included with our room. It is more of a curiosity for us first, to see who is using it and what is available.
It seems first that the focus is mostly snacks and sweets, not bad for a short visit but nothing to be that excited about.
What seems to be the major attraction are the drinks, all of them are free and some look really expensive. And not something that we need if we still want to explore the city afterwards.
And then we discover the hidden bonus, the food menu. Everything is free here, so why use the hotel restaurant when you can eat here? We order just to test soup fish in bread and basic pasta, which are both surprisingly good.
So we decide to return the second day also and try something else from the menu which is also quite good. Overall it was quite a special addition to the stay and very welcome when we wanted to stay inside in the middle of the day to escape the heat.
