Category Archives: diary

The night was short, although it had started promisingly, as I was alone in the room until midnight. But then, between midnight and 1:30 a.m., the door opened several times, sometimes for no apparent reason, sometimes it seemed as if … Continue reading →

Han, Peter, and I started at a pagoda on West Lake and my struggles what to tell here and what to skip also start here, because both of them could tell so much about the historical and cultural background that … Continue reading →

“This time” I woke up early 😉. Ben’s magic file had worked again yesterday after the hotel receptionist helped me with (better?) internet access. At least the procedure was different than in the room. So I could continue looking for … Continue reading →

Some worries woke me up at 5:30 and they had been confirmed in the next 2 hours. Yesterday, I received an email from Kazakhstan Railways stating that my ticket number 58739575 was invalid due to late payment. I could exchange … Continue reading →

You wake up quickly when you can’t sleep well anyway. So, I went where the emperor goes on foot (at least in the Austrian saying), and it blew hot and cold on me, in every sense of the word. A … Continue reading →

Another strange night, as the room became full. In the morning, I chatted briefly with a Canadian cyclist who was planning to circumnavigate Taiwan. Then I spent a while busy with my booking and planning tasks before heading to a … Continue reading →

The other guest left early, and I went to Hsinchu Park, where, in addition to the zoo, a temple, and other buildings, the Glass Museum is located. Because of the national holiday, “Ten-Ten,” admission was even free, and in addition … Continue reading →

The farewell was short due to LAN’s tight morning schedule, and I headed to the MRT station. I had Amy’s directions, which I confirmed with Google Maps, but the announcement at the station raised questions: There were several stations that … Continue reading →

In the morning, I visited the Science Museum. The focus was on the history and science of semiconductors. Several guides showed me the interactive parts of the exhibition, some of them fun or interesting, some more time-consuming than effective. The … Continue reading →

At 6:50 a.m., everyone set off toward the Hyvä Desert. From there, Amy and Lien drove to school in another car, and Neil drove to work in his. The drive to Washington Bilingual Elementary School is long, and most of … Continue reading →