Taiwan has the privilege of being among the few countries that has the bullet train, the High Speed Rail Taipei linking the capital with the south, walking 345 miles in 90 minutes.

Just think of a similar trip to Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata in just over an hour and a half, generates anxiety to know in depth the TGV enjoyed by Taiwanese.

Reaches a top speed of 300 km per hour and its route of 345 km, runs through 14 counties and cities. Connect Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung, the three largest cities in Taiwan. Currently stops at 8 stations: Taipei, Banqiao, Taoyuan, Xinzhu, Taichong, Jiayi, Tainan and Zuoying.

Actually, to get to the Central Station in Taipei, one feels that is entering an airport or shoping. Everything is very modern. Please note that the train began operating in 2007 and was manufactured by Kawasaki, Japan. The cost was approximately 10,000 million.

After removing the passage worth 1,500 NT $ ($ 50 US) for the entire course of 345 km from Taipei Station Zuoying to reach the city of Kaohsiung, a comfortable area of pre shipment is accessed where posters electronic advertised departure times of trains. There you can expect sitting, eating for example, as is common among Taiwanese leveraging fine free time on the trip.

The stations are spacious and modern architecture with dedicated service personnel providing the traveler with all necessary assistance. In addition, there is transport that connect directly to bus services in each city or metro, and free to go to downtown service, which saves a lot of time traveler.

In Taipei's down an escalator to the platform and begins the best. Modern high speed train resembles the fuselage of an aircraft and its front has the aerodynamic characteristics that have led to call bullet train, in addition to its speed, of course.

By accessing the wagon, with three seats on one side and 2 on the other, whose locations are assigned to time to make the passage, order, cleanliness and respect for rules to follow is highlighted. The latter features more related to lifestyle in Taiwan that the bullet train.

The train has 12 coaches with 989 very similar to aircraft seats.

The journey begins on schedule and frequent travelers everyday no doubt that the train will arrive in 90 minutes at your destination. They worry about placed to eat, read, use your tablet or mobile phone. Gaining time.

For me the expectation is another. Enjoy the journey, take note of what catches my attention, try to feel the speed and look out the window to Taiwan from end to end. Luckily Monica, Chile journalist who along with other colleagues with me on the trip, let me prefer the window. A window that begins to show different landscapes that I usually see. Equally large modern cities to Taipei every time pass faster.

It seems that there is a criterion of city and suburbs, but when a city seems to end appears another with highways and tall buildings.

The speed is noted in the notice of arrival. Not feeling firsthand that the journey is 300 km per hour. The silence of walking compared with the traditional sound of marching on conventional rails gives the feeling of going on air. It was very short, in relation to a South American may be used. And much more to who traveled paradoxically with oriental patience from Mar del Plata Constitution.

Traslation Belén Zapata