Tokyo 2 Tiwan and Home Again!

 

Our Taiwan Adventure

We just returned from an amazing trip to see family in Taiwan! We had been planning this for a while, but we were a bit concerned about the long flight times and scheduling conflicts. Our son and his wife are busy professionals, and we wanted to ensure we could spend quality time with them without interfering with their routines.  

Well, as often happens with the Hubs and I,  the stars aligned! We found a 10-day cruise departing from Tokyo and ending in Taipei right when our family started their summer vacation! The flight times were still long, but a 10-day cruise in the new time zone was perfect for adjusting to the jet lag.

We flew out of Panama City, Panama with a stopover in Istanbul. The flight from Panama City to Istanbul was amazing, The food was delicious, and the service and amenities were top-notch. We flew out at night so a lot of time was spent sleeping and the flight, (a little over 12 hours), did not seem long at all. I won´t go into detail, (unless you ask me), but the service is amazing.  

Istanbul

Here are two tips: First, if you haven’t flown Turkish Airlines, do it at your earliest opportunity. The service is amazing, with a strong focus on customer satisfaction. Second, pay attention to your layover times. The Istanbul airport is huge, and it’s better to have a leisurely layover than try to rush to your next gate. Turkish Airlines lounges are spacious and comfortable, offering free accommodations based on your ticket and layover duration. If you have mobility issues, request wheelchair assistance.

Wheelchair assistance is a little different in Istanbul. They have a modified 

Segway with a chair in front and they zoom through this huge airport with amazing skill! 

Once in Istanbul we went to the lounge and had snacks and coffee, we inquired about a place to freshen up. To our surprise, they took us to a five-star hotel in the heart of Istanbul, where we showered, changed clothes, and had dinner. They then shuttled us back to the airport for our flight to Tokyo. No, really, this happened. 

The amazing pool at the Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel

Tokyo

Three days in Tokyo. Tokyo was incredible! The food was affordable and delicious. But the highlight? The toilets! Almost everywhere outside the US, you’ll find fancy toilets with bidets. Our modestly priced hotel in Tokyo had remote-controlled toilets with heated seats and they also provided pajamas for the guests. Bob and I joked that even if we combined both pairs, they still wouldn’t fit us, but they were really cute and very high quality!

A Remote Control For The toilet!

     

Really nice Pj´s, but a bit on the small side!

On to the cruise. 

This ship was refurbished 2 years ago and we found it to be quite nice. Interesting side note: A lot of the staff hailed from Japan and China!

We really enjoyed the cruise, but there were a few ¨waves in the ocean¨. We already knew that we would not be visiting Hualien, (where the big earthquake took place in April), but we also missed two other ports because of high winds in the area.  This caused some rough seas, but we slept through the worst of it. Norwegian Cruise Line provided a $50 credit for all guests which we quickly deposited in the casino slot machines! 

Taipei

These changes in the itinerary also gave us,  an extra day at sea and an extra day in Taipei. (Winning!)

We used our extra day in Taipei to take a tour. The tour guide was amazing. We got to visit one of the many, many temples in Taipei.

We also visited the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and afterward had the most amazing foot massage! 

Tachgun City 

When we disembarked in Taipai, our family had a van pick us up and deliver us to Tachgun City where they live and work. Tachchung is the second-largest city in Taiwan,  and it is amazing! Our Daughter-in-Law just got a promotion, which came with a 4 bedroom, 2 bath apartment so we could bunk in with them. Our granddaughter who attends school in Tokyo, was home along with a friend, and our grandson, who usually lives at the boarding school where his parents teach, was also home. 

View from the balcony, which has its own small garden. Each resident also has a space in the roof garden where they often grow vegetables!

There was plenty of room in their modern flat. The construction and finishes are quite different from what you see in the US or Panama. Energy conservation is “built-in,” i.e. no dishwashers  --even in the very high-end flats-- but there are
dish dryers for sanitation. Also, there are high-efficiency washing machines, but no clothes dryers. Instead, there is an amazing air-drying system on the utility balcony off the kitchen.

Our Grandaughter Tyler, on the right, and her friend Morgan off to a friend's graduation.

With such a dense population, the Taiwanese have a very specific system for waste disposal. Recycling is taken very seriously, from the kitchen trash can to the building’s waste area, with everything separated for proper disposal. There is even a refrigerated bin in the disposal area for food waste, which is used to feed livestock. Everyone follows the rules. 

Space is at a real premium in Taiwan, but every highrise has a green space, usually with a koi pond! There are also many parks where you can see people exercising every morning and evening.

One charming cultural quirk is the garbage truck that circles the neighborhood playing classical music. My son explained that this signals people that they may bring trash directly to the truck if they wish and, (I suspect more importantly), serves as a social gathering spot for neighborhood women to exchange gossip.

We made it home and are now relaxing and readjusting to Panama time!