Asia Arrival

Last night, in Los Angeles, in semed as if we'd never get here. Waiting for what seemed like an eternity, we were trapped at the gate because the wheel of the Qantas flight next door had broken. Complicating matters was the fact that the aircraft was an Airbus A380, the new double-decker model, something I swear I'll never fly. The concept of an airplane that big just doesn't fly with me, no pun intended.

After the situation was resolved, we had the little matter of a 14-hour flight to Taipei. I was able to sleep through a great deal of it but the time seemed to drag on forever. At last, we touched down on this island nation. The airport was empty and spotless, a far cry from Logan, Kennedy, or, god forbid, Newark. Breezing through customs, we were suprisd to find the taxi drivers dressed in suits, out of their cars, approaching us to help bring us to our hotel. Welcome to Asia, I guess. The drive from the airport to the hotel, nearly an hour, took us from the rural coastline, through the lush jungle highlands, and lastly into the bustling city of Taipei. Our hotel was wonderful, a great respite from the stresses of travelling over the last day and a half.

Tonight, we'll be venturing into the northern section of the city to visit the Palace Museum as well as the famous night markets. I'm looking forward to the experience and some more rest before the conference commences tomorrow. Asia amazes me so far.

-Greg