Made in Taiwan
Toady we leave the odd hotel, Fort Ilocandia in Loaog, North Philippines for Taiwan. Originally we were not going to,Taiwan, but for some reason I am still unable to understand, are ground team seem to,think that it is cheaper to stop in Taiwan than than Japan. At $2,000 I just do not get it!
From Loaog we depart straight out to see and then direct to Kaoshiung, which is in the southern half of Taiwan on the west coast, there are no airports on entry on the east and Taipei would not have us. As we approach Kaohsiung the smog sets in and the airport is declared IMC, so closed to VFR. But we are a helicopter and can request SVFR even at the low visibility that the airport is reporting. However three other big aircraft are landing so we have to circle 10 miles out to allow this traffic in, luckily we have enough fuel.
The closer we get tot the airport the worse the visibility gets. Kaohsiung is a fairly large airport and they seem to understand helicopter operations and so clear us direct tot he airport. Eventually at a bout a mile out we see the airport and and approach on 01.
On the ground we meet our handler Freda and make our way to immigration. In many cities in Asia you pass through a quarantine area. This is an area were someone is on the look out for ill people. Today Peter is a little under the weather. The irony is that due to my sun red face I appear redder than him, howerver the woman on the look out is sharp, very sharp, she pulls Peter to one side and insists on giving him a blood test. Peter is taken to a room were he says all they did was take blood, but who knows maybe more happened (I have to say he was able to walk back normally, nomJohn Wayne swagger). The blood test was for Dengue fever, Peter was later to find out that the initial test was positive, but not conclusive for Dengue fever. I guess he must have been bit by a mosquito!
Peter found out the result back at the hotel, his room was fumigated and he was visited by some officials. He is to wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts. They do not want Peter to infect their local mosquitoes. Generally Dengue fever is not a killer but it can be an issue. We are slightly concerned
I decide that since I was not pulled up that I should. Are an escape before they decide to test me, so I pop out for a walk and a look around. I find an air raid and evacuation Center and more importantly a McDonald's. So order my usual by locating an old receipt photo on my phone from my visit to China in 2014. It worked and my order was correct. After a bit to eat I walk around further and find a temple dedicated to the god and goddess of education and war, a strange combination but i guess one needs to fight for ones education. It was a working temple as opposed to a tourist trap. In fact there was nothing touristy in this area. I was the only westerner around. Even though I was the only westerner the locals did not seem to stare like we have had elsewhere. Having found one temp,e, I suddenly noticed that there were quite a few smaller temples scattered about, just small ornate buildings dedicated so one god or another, packed with beautiful icons and perfumed with incenses. After a while I found a street cafe to have a couple of beers or so. This was a street cafe by a small temple. The term cafe may be and is a slight exaggeration, but it sold Taiwan beer.
It was from the vantage point that I saw how garbage was collected in Kaohsiung. A big yellow truck drives around playing music like an ice cream van in England. It then stops and people from all around great it with there garbage and people turn up in cars and scooters to just throw their rubbish in the back. The thing is though that it works, Bangladesh please take note.
I meet Peter back at the hotel and he has a soup and I keep him company for an hour or so before I check out the night life. At around 7:30 I head out to see the street restaurants fill up,and serve all the usual things you get in Asia, hearts, livers, brains, heads, etc. I pass one market area and notice that they are washing the plates, pots and pans in the street drains. Bet they do not get Dengue fever. Trying to find a bar to socialize in I ventured in on an establishment that had a NT$800 entry fee for all you can drink. The bar had some rather pretty girls in it. A the street cafe a beer cost NT$35 so i was going to need to have a lot of beers to make it worthwhile. I declined and left the rather pretty girls to there own company. On that note I ventured to where I was earlier in the afternoon and found another local street venue. Here I chatted to a the owners and told them our story. They were all friendly and helpful.
It was a fun night but a short one as I had to head of to bed for our long flight tomorrow.
From Loaog we depart straight out to see and then direct to Kaoshiung, which is in the southern half of Taiwan on the west coast, there are no airports on entry on the east and Taipei would not have us. As we approach Kaohsiung the smog sets in and the airport is declared IMC, so closed to VFR. But we are a helicopter and can request SVFR even at the low visibility that the airport is reporting. However three other big aircraft are landing so we have to circle 10 miles out to allow this traffic in, luckily we have enough fuel.
The closer we get tot the airport the worse the visibility gets. Kaohsiung is a fairly large airport and they seem to understand helicopter operations and so clear us direct tot he airport. Eventually at a bout a mile out we see the airport and and approach on 01.
On the ground we meet our handler Freda and make our way to immigration. In many cities in Asia you pass through a quarantine area. This is an area were someone is on the look out for ill people. Today Peter is a little under the weather. The irony is that due to my sun red face I appear redder than him, howerver the woman on the look out is sharp, very sharp, she pulls Peter to one side and insists on giving him a blood test. Peter is taken to a room were he says all they did was take blood, but who knows maybe more happened (I have to say he was able to walk back normally, nomJohn Wayne swagger). The blood test was for Dengue fever, Peter was later to find out that the initial test was positive, but not conclusive for Dengue fever. I guess he must have been bit by a mosquito!
Peter found out the result back at the hotel, his room was fumigated and he was visited by some officials. He is to wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts. They do not want Peter to infect their local mosquitoes. Generally Dengue fever is not a killer but it can be an issue. We are slightly concerned
I decide that since I was not pulled up that I should. Are an escape before they decide to test me, so I pop out for a walk and a look around. I find an air raid and evacuation Center and more importantly a McDonald's. So order my usual by locating an old receipt photo on my phone from my visit to China in 2014. It worked and my order was correct. After a bit to eat I walk around further and find a temple dedicated to the god and goddess of education and war, a strange combination but i guess one needs to fight for ones education. It was a working temple as opposed to a tourist trap. In fact there was nothing touristy in this area. I was the only westerner around. Even though I was the only westerner the locals did not seem to stare like we have had elsewhere. Having found one temp,e, I suddenly noticed that there were quite a few smaller temples scattered about, just small ornate buildings dedicated so one god or another, packed with beautiful icons and perfumed with incenses. After a while I found a street cafe to have a couple of beers or so. This was a street cafe by a small temple. The term cafe may be and is a slight exaggeration, but it sold Taiwan beer.
It was from the vantage point that I saw how garbage was collected in Kaohsiung. A big yellow truck drives around playing music like an ice cream van in England. It then stops and people from all around great it with there garbage and people turn up in cars and scooters to just throw their rubbish in the back. The thing is though that it works, Bangladesh please take note.
I meet Peter back at the hotel and he has a soup and I keep him company for an hour or so before I check out the night life. At around 7:30 I head out to see the street restaurants fill up,and serve all the usual things you get in Asia, hearts, livers, brains, heads, etc. I pass one market area and notice that they are washing the plates, pots and pans in the street drains. Bet they do not get Dengue fever. Trying to find a bar to socialize in I ventured in on an establishment that had a NT$800 entry fee for all you can drink. The bar had some rather pretty girls in it. A the street cafe a beer cost NT$35 so i was going to need to have a lot of beers to make it worthwhile. I declined and left the rather pretty girls to there own company. On that note I ventured to where I was earlier in the afternoon and found another local street venue. Here I chatted to a the owners and told them our story. They were all friendly and helpful.
It was a fun night but a short one as I had to head of to bed for our long flight tomorrow.
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