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<title>We Ate Taiwan: 98年 3月 14日 – Return Trip</title>
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<h1 class="tyfont-size-h3">98年 3月 14日 – Return Trip</h1>
<p>It is brutal to get up at 3am, but at least I’m not sick this time. Monica’s brother is still awake (he operates on my old sleeping schedule) and Monica’s mother hears us moving around, so we are able to say goodbye to both of them before the private car we hired arrives to take us to the airport. The trip takes significantly less than the expected hour, probably because the roads are empty. We arrive at the airport around 4:45am.</p>
<p>Unlike on our trip out, we remembered to do the online check-in before we left. Cathay Pacific has online check-in through their website, but there are no self-service check-in kiosks like other airlines have. So, if you don’t do the online check-in, you have to wait in a very long line once you get to the terminal. All we had to do was drop off our bags, pick up our boarding passes, and head to the gate. Because we are about 2 hours early, the security line consists of about 5 people.</p>
<p>We have a long time to wait, so we look around the Duty Free shops. I usually don’t have either time or reason to visit these stores, but we were looking for a way to stay awake. The duty free store with the electronics was the most interesting. I spent a few minutes playing NBA Live 09 on a new PSP while Monica looked at bags, headphones, and cases for iPods. We also took a look at the liquor store. I have never seen so much expensive alcohol in one place. Cognac worth hundreds of dollars. Scotch in fancy polished wooden cases. Patron in crystal bottles.</p>
<p>We try to find some food for breakfast, but we are so early the food vendors haven’t opened yet. The stores are hidden behind heavy curtains. We can smell people preparing hot food, but we can’t have any. We find our gate, have a seat, and dig into the snacks we have: Taiwanese style beef jerky and a package of almonds we brought from home.</p>
<p>Our flight to Hong Kong is uneventful. Monica browses a Chinese-language newspaper, and I try to decipher characters that I have learned. As the plane approaches Hong Kong, the weather is nice enough to see the world below. The ocean around Hong Kong is peppered with islands and an armada of cargo ships, all facing the same direction. I knew Hong Kong was a port, but I had no idea. It’s like looking at the sky over a busy airport, with planes all waiting in a holding pattern. The sun shines down on the water as the plane descends, and solid ground reaches out to catch our plane right before we touch down.</p>
<p>Once again, our time in Hong Kong is brief. I have time to go to the bathroom and then we are back in line. Security for the plane going to the United States is different than for our flight out. Before getting on the plane, agents search all our carry-ons again, slowing the boarding. Fortunately, the delay is brief. Once more we are tucked into Cathay Pacific’s tiny seats.</p>
<p>On our flight from JFK I was ill, so I slept for most of the 15 hours. Now healthy, it is ironic that I cannot sleep. Our flight turns out to be a turbulent one, so I really cannot walk around much either. The captain keeps the seatbelt sign on most of the way, leading to long lines for the lavatories during the brief times when it is off. I spend most of my time watching movies: Casino Royale, Nights in Rodanthe, and Eagle Eye – the kind of movies you only really watch on a plane.</p>
<p>Our plane arrives at JFK early, which is a nice surpirse. Customs at JFK is chaos, but we are fortunate to make it through without really any questions at all. I am thankful, because – unable to sleep on the flight – I am exhausted and not feeling well. I’m ready to go home.</p>
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<p>In writing this journal, my focus was always on the details of each day. The main purpose was to help me remember the many things I saw and the Chinese words I learned. Because of this, I didn’t take time during my trip to consider the whole experience. When I returned home, I was (of course) asked how I enjoyed my trip. I hadn’t really thought about it until that moment, but I confidently replied that I enjoyed it very much. I’m looking forward to going back.</p>
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<h2>Journal Entries</h2>
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<li><a href="98-03-01.html">98年 3月 1日 – Arrival</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-02.html">98年 3月 2日 – First Outings</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-03.html">98年 3月 3日 – Beef Noodles</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-04.html">98年 3月 4日 – Dànshuǐ</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-05.html">98年 3月 5日 – College</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-06.html">98年 3月 6日 – Yángmíngshān</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-07.html">98年 3月 7日 – Sightseeing</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-08.html">98年 3月 8日 – Běitóu</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-09.html">98年 3月 9日 – Shìlín</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-10.html">98年 3月 10日 – Huālián</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-11.html">98年 3月 11日 – Taroko Gorge</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-12.html">98年 3月 12日 – 101</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-13.html">98年 3月 13日 – A Taste of Home</a></li>
<li><a href="98-03-14.html">98年 3月 14日 – Return Trip</a></li>
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<h2>About My Trip</h2>
<p>In 2009, my girlfriend and I visited her home country of Taiwan. During our two week vacation, I wrote daily notes of my experiences and together we took over a thousand photos. Those notes and photos have been compiled into this travel journal.</p>
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<p>© Copyright 2009—2020 by <a href="http://www.aaronpinero.com/">Aaron Pinero</a> except as noted.</p>
<p>Photographs may not be used in any other medium without permission. In most cases, we’d be glad to let you if you ask.</p>
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