Finally At Zuoying...

Typhoon Dujuan is wreaking havoc!

From the Sun Moon Lake, when we reached Taichung HSR, we were shocked to discover that all scheduled high speed rail services between Taipei and Zuoying (in Kaohsiung) stood cancelled. 

Before we freaked out, we realised that all wasn't lost. There were 3 special trains running to get passengers across the island. We had already missed one, the first of the 3 special trains. And we didn't want to take a chance. We rushed up to the platform to catch the second special train.

And we were relieved to finally get on to our train, We had to make it to Kaohsiung - it is from here that we would depart for Incheon tomorrow afternoon!

Since this was a force majeure situation, all passengers with valid HSR reservations were permitted to board one of the 3 special trains. The second train was crowded. For a while we had to continue on with the journey standing - afterall this train is accommodating three times the normal number of passengers. Fortunately, the journey from Taichung to Zuoying takes only about an hour, at about 220 kilometres an hour. 

It was amusing to see that girl in the train talking all through the journey (See the video 1:50 onwards!!!!). The Chinese love to talk, they talk a lot... 

And finally we reached Zuoying HSR, the high speed rail station located in Zuoying, a northern suburb of Kaohsiung! We need to buy a mosquito repellent - we had heard that Kaohsiung had been facing an outbreak of dengue fever. And guess what, the FamilyMart had Hello Kitty all over!!!!

And some more Hello Kitty stuff... Wonder what's all about all this craze for Hello Kitty in Taiwan?

And we wait for our cab to take us to Daren Road in downtown Kaohsiung. We would have loved to take the subway or the Kaohsiung MRT, but we didn't want to expose ourselves to the fury of the Dujuan...

The line was quite long...

And finally we are at the head of the queue and we see the taxi coming in! And we need a hot meal followed by a well deserved rest...