After a long sleep with an early rise at 5am because I forgot to switch off my alarm, I began my first day in Taipei.

Breakfast was at 8 am, well that’s what I was told but it really began at 7 am and so tomorrow I will get down there early.

It was simple but OK but I bought some bananas for the rest of the week.

I was going to go to the west coast to the old town of Juifen, but by the time I got to the bus stop it was nearly 10am and the bus that arrived was already full and I couldn’t get on, so I decided to go for plan B which was to go back to the hotel and get me brolly because according to the weather forecast it was going to bucket in the afternoon. It didn’t by the way.

I headed for Tamsui which is on the west side of the island or to be more specific on the north west. First I walked to the river to the wharf where I thought I could get a ferry up the river but there was nothing there and so onto the metro and off to Tamsui. This metro is above ground for most of the way which was great and it followed the river.

It’s hot today but the humidity is not too high. I have my long sleeves on and big bunnet to ward off the sun. It was good to get off the metro and to be near the water. The air was clean and there was a lovely breeze coming off the water. It is a very popular place because it was mobbed and there were way too many school children for my liking, too fucking noisy.

The streets are old and there is a good feel to the place. Plenty of places to eat and the smell of sweet treats intermingled with coffee was great. I stopped for a quick lunch and then found a cafe near the water. If you ask them to reduce the water in the cup, then the coffee is very good and it’s cheaper than China.

I was less than a kilometre from the Fisherman’s Wharf when I was approaching a driving school. There is a T junction about 100 metres from the school and a car from the school was approaching the T junction. I looked to my left and suddenly there was this terrible crashing sound. I looked back to my right and I saw this young girl wearing a full face helmet sliding off the front of the car, the pillion passenger jumped off uninjured but seconds later the young girl had crumpled to the ground. She tried to get up. I went across to help lift the bike but the passenger moved it. She stood up slowly, chalk white and I heard her say “sorry” She was very lucky that she could say sorry. I hope she will be ok but if she had not being wearing a proper crash helmet I’m sure that she would have been killed. The front grill of the car was hanging off, the impact was fierce. The young driver of the car seemed remarkably calm for a learner driver. It just goes to show you how things can change in the blink of an eye.

I carried onto the wharf and looked for the ferry that would take me back to Tamsui, got back to the metro and headed home. I popped into the cafe I went to last night when I arrived as I had promised to the young girl and I got my vegetarian masala which was delicious.

Just about time for some zzzzzzzzzzz’z