Daniel's big, black, oversized Mercedes purred through the pre-dawn streets of Tianmu, and we, cocooned in the back seat, gazed wistfully on all our old haunts and familiar sights as they flashed by for the final time. The expressways were devoid of the usual buzz of thousands of vehicles, and we quickly elevated onto the raised, ribbon roadway that acted as a flying buttress from our suburb all the way to Taoyuan and the airport beyond. We farewelled our old friend, Daniel, took a photo, wished him well, then entered the terminal with a hiss of automatic doors and the whisper of our baggage trolley.
We won't ever experience anything like the next chapter of our journey ever again. There was no one visible in the airport except for workers. The entire terminal was devoid of movement: if we didn't know better, we could have conjured up images of a secret zombie apocalypse having occurred, it was eerily empty. No sound, no movement, no people and an arrivals and departure board in a blaze or red. We found the only check-in counter open way down the end, and went to check-in on Taiwan's own national carrier, the incongruously named China Airlines. Due to the dearth of other customers we waltzed straight to the desk. Our original flight, scheduled for a week hence, which had been unceremoniously cancelled, had been in premium economy and we'd scrambled to get on this earlier flight. They didn't have premium economy, but we were happy to get any seat. As it happened, the representative at the desk bumped us to business class! Things were looking good!
We went through customs and quarantine with no others. There were airport staff commensurate with a teeming crowd, but just us. 20 staff manned the X-ray machines but there was just us. Seemingly to give themselves something to do, they "discovered" something suspicious in Cassy's carry-on. The X-ray showed her distinctively shaped Polish earrings and pendant, but as she had packed every item of jewellery she owned in the case, they proved impossible to find...eventually they waved her on. We strolled down brilliantly lit duty free store boulevards, passed gleaming designer brands stores with manicured attendants, but there was still just us! Eventually, we found a sign of other travellers, with a few people drawn to the oasis of the only open food outlet in the entire mezzanine level of restaurants, a tiny boutique Starbucks where we got a coffee and a muffin before wandering down endless corridors to our boarding gate. It was at the far end of one of the terminal arms and all the way, it was just us!
About 60 people ended up gathering in the departure lounge ready to board the flight. Our hearts skipped a beat a couple of times as announcements were made concerning short delays: our fingers ached from crossing them so hard! Eventually, and safely onboard, the flight was the best we'd ever been on: business class with great food, lie flat beds with doonas, luxury toiletry packs and widescreen multimedia screens and doting ,attentive staff...what's not to like! The direct flight from Taipei to Sydney was scheduled for 9 hours 15 minutes and it whizzed by: it was what was to greet us on the other end that we totally unprepared for!
Sydney airport was similarly apocalyptic in feel. We again docked at the far end of one of the gate tentacles, and had to walk a long way to a temperature control check, where suitably suited people quizzed us and then sent us to the baggage pick-up. We were socially distanced at the luggage carousel and proceeded to wait. There were a couple of false alarms as the conveyor belt rumbled and whistled before shutting down again. As one of the airport guys quipped, " We can get your bags from Taipei but we can't send them to the right spot in Sydney airport!" Eventually, the bags came tumbling out of the chute and ours were among the very first as we had priority baggage due to our business class upgrade! No trolleys were allowed so we walked with two cases trailing each of us and then started yet another very surreal adventure!
Our customs declaration cards were duly collected as per usual by very nonchalant officers,but then, instead of walking out the familiar exit doors, we were re-directed back into the terminal and eventually, out exit doors at the end of the building. Along the way was the bizarre and intimidating sight of armed police officers and uniformed members of the army! Again the overkill was palpable. There were easily more defence force personnel than travellers on the plane, and they lined the route to the waiting buses with hardly a space between them...talk about taking the walk of shame: we felt like criminals and pariahs! Guided by our phalanx of coppers and sappers, we made our way to the first bus where strapping soldiers relieved us of our bags and deposited them in the luggage bins, while we climbed aboard to wait. There were three buses, and by the time 20 people were on ours, suitably distanced, the driver jauntily bounced into his cockpit, cheerily announced we were off, and an Australian Federal Police van, with roof-lights flashing, led us into the city and destination unknown!
As we turned into Macquarie Street, we we hopeful we were going to The Intercontinental, and when we pulled up outside, we were suitably chuffed. We were ushered from the bus in groups of four only, and we made the first cut. All our bags were brought into the lobby by the army guys, and once again, we were flanked by army personnel in our own private "shame guard" from bus door to hotel entrance. Once inside, a row of desks staffed by police greeted us and we handed over various items of identification, answered questions ad nauseum, identified our bags to be portered by soldiers, then we were accompanied to our room. The soldiers left us at the door and we entered the room late last Thursday night. We've been here since, it's been a week and it's just us! For that story, tune in again on Monday...