The Allen's Online Blog

Greetings from Taiwan ~The Allens

Our Travels:

Our trip so far has been non-stop adventure! We left our apartment at 4:30 am to arrive early for our 7:04am flight out to San Francisco. We loaded up the car and departed (after a few 4 am adventures). We arrived at the airport and ran in to some problems with the fact that we had no return flight home booked. Apparently, there is a rule to fly internationally now, you must have a return flight booked before you can leave the USA. After we purchased a ticket for a date that we know we are not returning on (you can't just say to book it next year because it doesn't work that way!), we were allowed to go through security.

Picture this: Arrive at the airport at 4:45am for a 7am flight. Wait in a line that cant take care of you because you have no return flight book. Wait in another line to fix the problem. Then you are told that to fly out you need to book a return flight. Then wait in another line to pay for a ticket you might not get refunded and know you are not going to use. KEEP IN MIND WE NEED FLY OUT @ 7:04am. Purchase tickets for a large amount of money (980 per person, one way). Then are told that you can change them or cancel them for a fee. Rush to security to go through a special line because we leave in 1 hour. Get through security then arrive right when they are boarding the first passengers. Take a 6 hour flight across the US (ahhh a time change) to San Francisco, (Phillip has never been to CA). Arrive in San Fran around 10 am local time, 1 pm east coast time. Eat lunch because our bodies are confused, then anticipate a 13 hour flight. Board our humungo 777 with United.

Our flights were filled with movies, TV shows, plenty of trips to the bathroom, reading and talking. Jennifer had the pleasure to sleeping, however, I did not (Bad back does not help for sleeping semi-sitting up). We arrived at the airport around Friday 4:30pm local time and 4:30am east coast time. Met our driver (who did not speak English), after passing with ease through customs and immigration. Drove north to Taipei where we are currently staying in a hotel called the Golden China hotel.

The hotel is very nice, we have free internet!! We are here all week. Our first night was good as we arrived at night so even though we were exhausted we walked around for about an hour just so when we went to sleep we would sleep through the night. However sleeping for me was not that easy because in the past week I have averaged 3-6hours a night because we have been so busy. We went to sleep around 8:30pm and of course Jennifer was out like a light and then I went to sleep. I woke up around midnight thinking about the fact that it was 12 in the afternoon in the states so that kinda messed with my brain a bit! Then both Jennifer and I woke up off and on after midnight until both of us got up around 4:30am here (4:30pm in the states). I took a bath as my back is hurting pretty bad and Jennifer journaled. Then we got ready a bit and went to breakfast. Breakfast was a mix of American foods with Taiwanese food. There was ham that had no taste to speak of (was rather interesting), fried oysters, sausage, eggs, breads, cereal, salad bar, rice, and sushi. There were a lot of other items but I have no idea of what to call them.

Well I am signing off, we will be updating this regularly in our first week but as time goes we'll update it weekly. Today we will take some pictures and walk around Taipei. We start training on Monday. There is sooo much more to say but we will say some more later!! To view more pics you must have myspace.... get it and check us out at myspace.com/allenabroad

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posted by Phillip and Jennifer  # 8:21 AM