Lake Lenape, New Jersey, USA - 4/10/05
Well - here I am back in Jersey. Been here for 4 days
and the jetlag is hitting me pretty hard. Had a great time in Taiwan
with my brother Gerry and my cousin Malcolm. Spent 5 days there. 2 days
were spent just hanging out and then we took a road trip for 3 days.
Headed out to Taitung, over on the East coast of Taiwan and about a 4
hour ride from Kaohsiung to spend a day with my cousin Malcolm. The
next day we headed up the coast to Taroko Gorge - another 4 hour ride.
We spent 2 days getting through Taroko Gorge. The distance isn't long
but the roads are very windy and narrow - top speed 15 - 20 mph - got
it up to 30 once! Once through the gorge the road heads over the
mountains, which are the highest in Taiwan. As we came out of the gorge
it started to get dark, so we decided to find a place to stay, rather
than drive that road in the dark - it was hard enough in the daylight!
In the morning we got up and drove over the mountains which took most
of the day. Sure glad we stopped when we did, we never could have made
it in one day. Spectacular views everywhere you look - stopped every 5
minutes to take more pictures. Got back to Kaohsiung late that night -
next morning got up to catch my flight to Hong Kong. Got to Hong Kong
just in time to catch my flight back top Newark. That was a close one -
If my flight from Taiwan had been delayed, I'd have been screwed.
Little did I know what I was in for.........
Looking back at the peaks of Hehuan at the end of Taroko
Gorge - Hualein, Taiwan
Click on pictures to enlarge.
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Taroko Gorge
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Looking back at the
Gorge
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Taroko Gorge
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As I got on the plane to Newark in Hong Kong, I noticed
a woman with a baby - I figured, I've got my iPod - no big deal. Well
as I looked around, I saw another - and another. Turns out there was a
Church group on this flight returning from an orphanage in China with
their brand new adopted babies - 31 to be exact. 31 screaming babies on
a 14 hour fight!! THIS WAS THE FLIGHT FROM HELL!! There was no escape
anywhere! Now while some of these people had some parenting skills, the
rest of them didn't have a clue! At one time I had a screaming baby in
front of me, a screaming baby in the seat next to me, and a screaming
baby directly behind me! It was torture! By the time we landed, I was
about ready to strangle everybody with a baby on that plane. Now I have
nothing against people with babies, but it really takes a lot of nerve
to book 31 of them on a 14 hour flight and expect people to maintain
their sanity! I'm really surprised there wasn't any trouble on that
flight......
Trying to get my money back, but just getting the runaround. Last time
I fly Continental - they can keep their frequent flyer miles.........
Tried to extend my vacation another week but Continental wouldn't let
me because my ticket was only good for 30 days. Oh well, I really need
to get back to work anyway....
