Going Blindly to Beitou

I was trying to find my check-in counter at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila when I realized I didn’t have my glasses in my bag.

Why it was such a big deal is because I’m practically blind 10 feet away from anything. At night, make it five. Why I keep my glasses in my bag instead of on my face when my eyesight is that bad, is something I don’t understand myself.

I was staying in Beitou District for my first three nights in Taiwan. My AirBnB is 10 stations away from the Taipei Main Station, and a good two hours from the international airport. 

I can survive airports. No big deal.

But, shit, going from the airport to the bus to the train to the streets of Qilian in Beitou? It’s like those horror movies where the four-eyed character gets chased alone and drops his/her glasses and the next scene would be his/her ultra-blurred point of view, cut to next scene where he/she gets slashed into pieces. (In my case, gets slashed by my mom when she finds out hehe.)

Who in her right mind would leave her glasses behind on her first time in a foreign country?! A country that doesn’t speak English. Where she’ll be arriving alone. At night.

Good job.

I kept praying to God I get to Beitou in one piece. I landed in Taoyuan at 7:30pm. Struggled my way past immigration and luggage checkout. Got a local simcard with unlimited data, hoarded all the free maps available and found my way to the bus ticketing counters. The place was crowded. After 10 minutes of sticking my face to bus matrix on the wall, I finally figured out which bus I need to take. I bought my ticket. Second stop, the ticket guy said.

Ask.

I asked the man behind me in line if our bus would stop by Yuanshan station, just to be sure. Yes. When we were putting our bags in the bus luggage compartment, I found out he was also getting off Yuanshan. I just need to watch out for him. At the second stop, he called to me from the aisle, you should go down.

I did. Got off, to this.

I was trying to make myself feel better - you can't read Chinese characters anyway (haha). I asked a random person on the street. How do I get to the train? She gestured to cross the street and walk up that alley.

I walked.

I didn’t have any train card, I couldn’t understand the card vendo machines. I was staring dumbly at the Easy Card vendo ‘cause it’s the only one with English words (‘easy’ and ‘card’). I knew they were they were the reloadable cards though. A guy approached me and asked if I were okay. I asked him where I could get Easy Cards. Convenience store, I think - 7/11 there, I think so.

I walked back down the alley. Bought an Easy Card in 7/11, loaded it with TWD 500 (eat that!), and walked back to the station.

On the platform, I asked a man which side heads to Qilian. This one. I lined up behind him.

My eyes were glued on the door that flashes the station at every stop. When it flashed Qilian, the man gestured to me that it’s my stop, he also went down. I said thanks.

I took Exit 1 which was Cody's, my AirBnB host, instructions. I messaged him that I was already at Exit 1, by the vendo machines.

A few minutes later, a petite, artisty-looking guy in glasses walked up to me, Roanne?

He’s gay. (At least, I think he is). 

I hugged him.

I got to Beitou alright. :)

*Update, I got a friggin' pair of glasses!