A walk by the sea

Arrived in my room safe and sound—except for a pain in the ass and a mysterious headache in my left lobe (teeth, perhaps).

I should’ve just called an Uber straight to MRT City Hall Station instead of Guting. Dragging my red PUMA sports bag through the crowd, I didn’t feel the least bit privileged or entitled—how one should feel—on the way to a luxury executive lounge floor hotel room. My annual summer vacation, centered as always on the important idea of Pretending to Be Rich, began ominously.

Faithfully, I took the 10:00 A.M. train to walk by the sea, just as planned. Too many tourists were heading to Pingxi, even on a weekday, and the “slow” train was really slow. We had to stop several times to let Taroko Express trains pass first. After the third stop, I finally worked up the courage to step out of the car and walk along the platform. The sun was scorching, yet the trees and breeze were surprisingly soothing. I dutifully walked along the seaside path for ten minutes, then spent over an hour getting back home.

Happy hour wasn’t too bad. On Saturday night, the professional staff showed up and seated me behind a screen. The cucumber salad was excellent, as were the orange juice and Campari.

I waved goodbye to my Yellow Dinosaur in front of the hotel building and went home.