Day 15: Keelung to Taipei

Time: 12:18am

Location: Taipei

Weather: rain 17C

I woke up today to more of the wet stuff and again tried to delay going out while chatting with ShangLin's dad. From Keelung it's a very short ride home so I was in no hurry to leave. At some point i had to put on my wet clothes again and head out the door. Within minutes I was in the same drenched condition as yesterday afternoon, and it's times like when the spray of the front wheel obscures your vision to the point that you're just blindly hanging on to dear life that I really wished my bike had fenders. You thought I would say question why I was still biking but throughout all of my bike tours, while there have been many difficult moments where I was exhausted and dying for a break, never have I lost an ounce of motivation and wanted to quit. The north coast is a bit similar to the east coast in that it is a series of small towns with mostly nature in between. I stopped at Jinshan and walked around the Old Street, a smaller version of Danshui's, sampling all the street foods. Upon hearing that I was from Canada and biking around Taiwan, a girl at a bakery offered me a local snack that was like fried mochi covered in sesame. 

Continuing onwards, I saw Fugui Cape lighthouse, the northernmost point of Taiwan, but somehow missed the turnoff and didn't feel like turning back when I had realized, deciding I had lots of chances to do this ride again in the future and that it was better coming on a sunny day. It was hard to pinpoint exactly how I was feeling as I rounded each turn and got closer and closer to my destination, bringing a truly remarkable bike tour to a close. I think there was some nostalgia and lots of gratitude mixed in with a conflict between wanting to finish because of the weather and at the same time not ever wanting the biking to end. I arrived in Danshui and lastly rode along the bank of the Danshui River across the Guandu Bridge to the Bali side, a route that I knew like the back of my hand. There was still some time before I had to return the bike so I went to the Shihsanhang Museum of Archeology, which depicts the remains of an Iron Age archeological site that was discovered by an aircraft in the area. The Shihsanhang people were the only known people who used iron smelting in Taiwan. Just before the deadline of 5pm, I arrived back at Frog Bike factory, this time much easier to find. Another guy was just about to leave and I felt so excited for him for all the incredible experiences that he was going to have.

Just about everywhere I go people think it's amazing that I'm biking alone. Maybe it's an Asian thing but I really didn't think it was that big of a deal. You really can't find an easier place to bike tour than Taiwan. At a time when we are contantly bombarded by information from others, being alone gave me the time to think and understand myself, as well as the opportunity to meet and get to know so many kind and interesting people. From the construction workers who cheered me on, all the other riders and tourers I met, to everyone that opened up their homes to me, thank you for being part of this journey and for showing time after time that Taiwan is beautiful country through and through. 

Onto the next adventure!

Day 14: Luodong to Keelung

Time: 12:16am

Location: Keelung

Weather: rain 17C

If I thought yesterday was challenging today was simply a bit of a sufferfest. The heavy rain woke me up at 7:30am but I took my time getting up and ready trying to delay getting wet. Joyee brought me along when she went to pick up her husband who works at the Yilan Jail so I got to see what a jail looks like on the inside for the first time! Eventually I had to get going, and left Luodong on Highway 9 which cuts through the various townships of Yilan County. Yilan City and Jiaoxi were all familiar territory but I still made often stops as I kept getting distracted by the shops that sold various Yilan specialty foods. At Toucheng, I merged onto Highway 2 which hugs the northeast coastline. It stopped raining briefly at Waiao where there was a great view of Turtle Island.

Soon the coastline turned into rocks and sea stacks, and I lost track of how many geoparks I passed. Near Sandiaojiao Lighthouse, the easternmost point of Taiwan, I met another cyclist who apparently I had passed on Suhua yesterday and we went for a walk up the lighthouse together. 

I had been following the Old Caoling Bikeway which had a wonderful protected bike lane that sometimes detoured right down to the wharf. The bike path ended in Fulong, where I rode a bit inland to see the Old Caoling Tunnel, which at about 2km long was the longest tunnel in Taiwan in the 1920s. Eating a late lunch of the Fulong bento box, I met and chatted with two backpackers from Singapore. I really don't know how all the regional bento boxes are different but they have all been good (okay, so I haven't really had bad food in Taiwan). 

Up until now the rain had been steady but bearable, however from Fulong to Keelung was another story. It was as if the tap had been opened a much bigger notch and within minutes I was biking in a river. The rain was coming down sideways and hurt hitting my face. At points I couldn't even see clearly and simply hoped for the best rolling down the windy hills. It's not a bike tour if you don't get completely soaked at least once. 

Seeing the many people fishing out on the rocks made me push on and I was a complete wet mess when I got to my host Shanglin's place in Keelung, said to be the rainiest place in Taiwan. It's kind of a shame I didn't get to enjoy the northeast coast at its finest but that just means I'll have to come to ride it again! 

Day 13: Xincheng to Luodong

Time: 9:57pm

Location: Luodong, Yilan

Weather: clear 19C

Today was the toughest day of riding both mentally and physically but also one of the most rewarding. I woke up later than I had planned at 6:45am, and packed up as quickly as I could as students were actually already at school. It wasn't raining with the roads mostly dry and a cup of coffee later I felt ready to tackle anything. We left Xincheng around 8:45pm, rolled downhill over the bridge and was along the road over Qingshui Cliff in no time.

Pretty soon the tunnels started, of which I counted 9 or 10 in total. The thing with tunnels is that they are narrow and cars sound loud even though they are far away. You just have to ignore the noise and focus on pedaling as fast as you can. Going through each of them was like interval training but thankfully they were all well lit. With the exception of one truck driver who repeated honked at me even though I had nowhere to go, everybody else gave me lots of space and I never had a close call. Just outside of Nanao, I caught up to four other cyclists riding from Tainan while waiting for the train to cross. We made plans to have lunch in Suao but unfortunately that didn't end up happening.

A significant climb started after Nanao followed by a fast descent, and this repeated after Dongao. I can't count how many people had warned me how dangerous this road is and to avoid it completely but I honestly didn't think it was that bad. Sure it takes a lot of intense focusing especially descending and yes there are lots of buses and trucks (I found out later that the best time to bike it is actually in the afternoon because there are a lot less tour buses) and possible rockfalls, but the views of being on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean are worth it all. The sun even came out towards the end and the descent into Suao overlooking Nanfangao will remain one of my most memorable sights.

With Suhua behind me, the afternoon was a walk in the park in comparison. Suao is famous for cold springs but the park seemed to be closed today perhaps because it's been so cold. I had the cheapest but most satisfying meal of braised pork rice for lunch and then biked to and around Meihua Lake, a small pretty lake with an overlooking temple, where I laid around the sun for a while. In the late afternoon I headed over to my host Joyee's place in Luodong. Joyee used to work as a tour guide and has traveled to many countries so we had a lot to talk about! Tonight just happened to be the weekly local night market down the street so we walked through that after dinner, something I haven't done in a while!

 

 

Day 12: Ruisui to Xincheng

Time: 8:55pm

Location: Xincheng, Hualien

Weather: overcast 16

People have kept on telling me that it's possible to sleep/camp at police stations in Taiwan, so I finally tried it yesterday and guess what, they refused! I ended up splurging on an ensuite room at a temple where I slept for 10 hours straight (I guess the wind took a big toll on me). 

The police station here today also wouldn't let me but pointed me to camp at a nearby school, which is where I am now. The overnight staff were kind enough to show me a good place to set up as the kids arrive as early as 7am. The first 10km or so of today was somewhat miserable despite getting so much sleep. Maybe it was the cold but my muscles wouldn't work properly. After stopping to get a steamed sweet potato bun a bit outside of Ruisui and chatting with another cyclist from Hong Kong, I felt normal again and powered onto Guangfu Sugar Factory. It was another area of Japanese style houses and I tried one of their famous popsicles. 

The mountains of the East Rift Valley continued to show off their splendor and the sky was even a little bit blue at some point! My next stop was Liyu Lake, which was a wonderful detour with a little bit of climbing off Highway 9. Being a weekday, there weren't too many people there and a boat ride around the lake was very enticing! 

I descended into Hualien city and stopped for some meatballs, which are very different in different parts of the country but all good, and Bolo (pineapple) bread. There is a upcoming lantern festival so the whole city was decorated with vibrant Chinese lanterns.

With some time in the afternoon, I went to check out Pine Garden, used to be a military command center during the Japanese colonial times, and then rode for the second time along the beautiful Qixingtan. It was a bit spooky riding along Route 193 in the dark through what seemed like a roadside grave yard and with dogs chasing you. At the 7-11 in Xincheng, I reunited with the Shenzhen friend and we made plans to tackle Suhua Highway together tomorrow. Countless people have told me how dangerous that stretch of road is but taking the train has never crossed my mind. I have no doubt tomorrow will be a challenging day but I'm ready. 

Day 11: Taitung to Ruisui

Time: 7:04pm

Location: Ruisui

Weather: cloudy 7C

Today I experienced cold in its real sense in Taiwan. I didn't get going until after 10am because Lillian's friend made an awesome breakfast of French toast and cream soup (featuring edible flowers from Lillian'a garden!) for us and we sat chatting around their amazing fire place thing trying to delay going outside into the cold. Never would I have imagined that winter in Taiwan would be like Vancouver (keep in mind that there is no indoor heating here), and I am so thankful for coming back to grab windproof gloves and a long shirt the morning that I left Taipei. 

The wind greeted me as soon as I stepped outside and it definitely wasn't the tailwind kind. I decided to take Highway 9 which goes inland along the East Rift Valley under the impression that it would be even windier along the coast. Honestly I don't know how much difference there was as I was literally crawling sometimes eating wind. The scenery was beautiful though with the rice fields and low clouds hanging over the mountains, and thankfully it stayed dry all day. I made detours off the main highway along Wuling Green Tunnel Bikeway, a serene road under the canopy of camphor trees, and Mr. Brown Avenue, another scenic county road closed to vehicles made famous by a commercial for Mr. Brown Coffee. Of course I had to stop in Chishang and have one of their famous bento boxes, where I found the friend from Shanghai that had biked together with us three days ago and we exchanged wind suffer stories haha. 

The last 40km or so to Ruisui was much better, more shielded from the wind and lots of downhill fast sections with only one climb near the end. I crossed the Tropic of Cancer again, difficult to believe that I was supposedly in the tropical region. 

Day 10: Xuhai to Taitung

Time: 11:02pm

Location: Taitung

Weather: rain 6C (!)

Stumbling across the campground in the pouring rain last night, I was given a spot under an awning to set up my bivy and offered the warmest welcome by the other guests camping there who kept on offering me food and insisting that I would be too cold. Apparently it hasn't been this cold in many years , and okay it definitely wasn't tshirt shorts weather anymore, but I was fine in my down sleeping bag. 

I chatted with some other cycle tourists and other car campers until almost 11:30pm before going to bed and left around 8:30am this morning. People repeated told me that it would be very hilly for the first part of the ride but the hills were really nothing and I found it very enjoyable despite the rain. With far and few cars along the narrow road, it was just me and the mountains, well and the occasional monkey. I got up to Shouka in just over an hour, which is an old checkpoint and the highest point of the Southern Cross Highway. The next 11km was an exhilarating coast down but left my feet and hands numb from the cold, the first time that's happened in Taiwan! I took a quick break at the 7-11 down the hill, the biggest gap between 7-11s that I've encountered, and met some other cyclists from China going the other direction who had the same rental bike as me.

Wishing them well on the rest of their journey, I rode off to meet the ocean again, and 30ish kilometers later, took a lunch break at Jinlun. Back on coastal Highway 26, it was gently rolling and a headwind but not nearly as bad as yesterday, so maybe it is better to throw yourself into the water to start with sometimes. The sky was an ominous grey but the water was still a brilliant turquoise blue. For the last part of the ride today I rode a bit with another Chinese cyclist into Taitung City, never mind that we both look like we'd had a mud bath.

Tonight my host Lilian and her husband took me and another friend staying with them to an amazing outdoor concert at Tiehua Village featuring some of Taitung's own Aboriginal artists.