From Taiwan with Guns: Wa Shan (3) <FINAL>

Recaps:

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/modelgun-general-discussion-f1/from-taiwan-with-guns-wa-shan-1-t1483.htm

https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/modelgun-general-discussion-f1/from-taiwan-with-guns-wa-shan-2-t1546.htm

OK...what should I do after buying all these stuff (not just the guns & accessories - but the tons of books/CDs/gifts for me and others as presents). The dilemma - if I take it all together then I'm putting all the eggs in one basket BUT if I send the guns separately then I've to pay extras on postage as well as packaging - finally I'd decided to send the guns back to HK by EMS (so at least I won't get busted in front of the Customs officers)...

To do this I need wrapping papers and scissors to start with - not that difficult when I chose to stay at the hotel just next to the Taipei Main Station so bascially I can get whatever I want...


Not shown on this pic - I bought some aluminium foil to wrap up the gun boxes as well (because somebody told me that if I do so then the X-ray machine won't detect what's inside - and this is a LIE!!!)

Usually I won't pack up (or study during my school years) until the last minute so after getting all the wrapping materials I laid it all on the bed and headed to other destinations until very very late...

There were 2 Wa Shan shops in Taipei so after visiting the main one straight after landing I'd decided to visit the other one as well...

To go to the night market where the 2nd shop is, the best way is to go by the MRT (Taiwan's answer to the "Tube") - this is the Jian Tan Station...


The other side of the station...



And here you can get one of the best deep-fried chicken fillet ever...


The 2nd shop is much smaller than the main one - at first I couldn't find it because it moved from just outside the station to the inner streets...when I was about to give up (around 11pm...) I found it - a very low-profile shop inside the urban jungle...

There I got some more plastic grips as the main shop only stocked no more than 2 pieces...and there I was about to pay for the spy gun (but ran out of cash) and there I came up with the idea of buying the M84 plastic slide in order to comply with the law. So I'd better packed everything up and made another visit tomorrow (just before my flight)...

On my way back to the hotel I spotted a "7-Eleven" that closes exactly at 11pm (I always thought they're 24 hrs)...


So...fitted the plastic slide (and have the metal slide packed separately in another luggage) and now only the full-metal SAA that had to be EMSed (don't have anything plastic for temporary replacement ). Also - I reckon it was better to send the disposable rounds separately so the envelopes from the hotel became handy...

When I brought it to the Post Office the staff asked me about the content - I told them toy guns and they reacted very quickly: then try to convince me (out of kindness) to better leave it because these items lies in the grey area (and after all these years talking about toy gun "legalisation" in Taiwan and still no final agreement)...so I fill in another EMS form and wrote "wallhanger" - and sent it at another post office just on the other side of the Railway Station...

After that, everything's seems to be settled so time to buy that spy-gun. Arrived once again...




Damn - I was told the shop opens at 2pm and I was there 2:30pm and waited till 3:30pm - NOTHING! Nobody turned up - and I was forced to return to the hotel for the luggages and headed to the airport for the 7:25pm flight...

Next time I've to call beforehand to make sure everything's available and the shop's opens...and next time when I'm certain I'll go to Taipei once again I shall call them to pre-order the "Hsu Wei" all-metal Beretta M92FS (copied straight from Marushin) as now both shops sell guns & accessories from other makers as well (I've both shopkeeper's name card - Andy from the main shop & Miss Huang from this shop).

The SAA was sent so only the rounds remained - supposed the Airport Post Office still opened after 5pm - NO! I was 5 minutes late and I had to find a way otherwise I've to throw it in the bin...without knowing the exact postage required for the 16 rounds (10rds of disposable 9mm & 6rds of .45 Long Colt for the SAA) I simply bought a complete set of stamps together with a new envelope (how I wrapped before could not have it fed into the mail box so I'd to rewrap it as slim as possible) - stick all the stamps on it and sent...it took me another 30 minutes for these hassles and on the description column I wrote "charms for decoration"...



Under the emergency I couldn't put the scissors back to my luggages so I've to give this scissors to the Newsagent lady - farewell to this pair of scissors that helped me hell of a lot over the last couple of days...


To Be Continued...

Epilogue

Supposed EMS is the most secure and the fastest delivery method (and most expensive)...but having the full-metal SAA described as "wall hanger", it is still hanging somewhere inside the Taipei Main Post Office (the gun must have been detected so now they're going to see who'll come forward)...here I'll make the tracking number public: EE200741657TW - this gun costed me roughly £120...

I didn't have high expectations for the guns & ammo to get to HK without hassles so I simply waited...and 2 weeks later when I checked my mailbox after work I found this...





The disposable blanks and the M84 reusable rounds (I forgot about the M84 rounds on the last post - I got the SAA rounds as well but not shown on the pic above)! The envelope had been badly battered but amazingly - nobody spotted what was inside (and therefore confiscated it) and the HK Post Office kindly protected it with their clear plastic wrap...

I still keeps the SAA rounds - but not much of the meaning now isn't it...

(END)