Keelung and Taipei
Saturday was a beautiful day and after breakfast we decided to go into Keelung city. When we were about to leave Roger showed up with lots of bags of chinese breakfast so we enjoyed a second breakfast before we took the bus into the city center.
We started with visiting an ATM to get some local currency. It took three tries to find an ATM that wanted to deliver money to a swedish visa card.
With money in the pocket we strolled around town with a couple of breaks for coffee with WiFi and lunch at a restaurant where you cooked your food at the table in a personal little cooking pot.
In the afternoon we returned to the marina and enjoyed the beautiful weather. There was some kind of market going on in the harbour to, with live music and different stalls.
Kenneth cooked us a nice dinner and when darkness fell the fireworks started. We were in first class position to watch with fireworks going up all around us. Soon we retired to our bunks, it had been a long day.
Sunday morning we were up early to make a trip to Taipei the capital of Taiwan.
In Keelung center we found a direct bus that took us to the center of Taipei in about half an hour. Once there we split up. Jonathan and Charlotta went off to some market whil I and Kenneth decided to go up Taipei 101 tower. One of the highest buildings in the world.
To get to the tower we had to go down in the underground. There we found a Metro that took us in the right direction. Inside this enourmous building we entered an speed elevator (after some queing) that raised us 90 something floors in 600 m/min. It took only 45 seconds to go to the top. Unfortunately it had started raining so we were not allowed to go outdoors but the sights from the inside observation deck some 400 m up in the air was awesome. Down again it took us some time to find the way out through a shopping mall that went 5 stories underground.
Back down town we cruised around lots of markets before enjoying lunch in a small Japanese restaurant. After lunch as the weather had deterioated even moore, Kenneth and I decided to take the train back to Keelung. Jonathan and Charlotta was going to stay the night on a hotel.
The train station was next to the bus station were we arrived so we expected it to be easy to find the right train. Not so! We walked around for about an hour trying to get a transport back to Keelung, train or bus. In the end we managed to enlist a local girl to help us to get tickets and find the right track.
Back at the Marina the weather had turned really bad. They waves had built so much that they crashed over the very high pier walls and the rain was fierce. The temperature had fallen to 12 C so I started up the heater in the boat. Soon we had it nice and cosy. Not a night to be at sea.
All is well.
Lars and crew.
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