Taiwan Rift Valley Riding – Day 3
We awoke to beautiful Tuesday morning in Ruisui. After a pleasant home made breakfast made by our “Good Friend” hostel owners, Brother Xie and us headed north on 193 back to Fulin.
Along the way, Peichi got a good fill of aboriginal history and politics. Meanwhile, I continued to fuss with adjustments on my bike and taking photos.
One of the neatest sites, I’ve seen in Taiwan occurred after a couple of hours riding. We had stopped at a rest stop near a minimal security prison and had a chance to look over the inmates gardens. They’re very impressive.
Once back on the road, we finished riding 193 and across the Hualian river into Fulin. In Fulin we ate a basic local meal, but the best part was finding ice bars made with peanuts and another from purple sticky rice. Ah, such delicious stuff.
A couple days later, when back in Hualian, I rode 5 kilometers out of my way to get another bar. The Sanli ice bars are awesome. Come summertime, I’m looking forward to their custom ice cream as well.
With desserts firmly in our bellies, we cheated ourselves of a few hours biking and rode to Shoufeng in 15 minutes via a Cheguang train baggage car. That was a very fun and memorable ride. I wouldn’t mind doing it again on other routes. Being able to talk with the conductors and hangout open doors and windows made for some quick, but lasting memories with Peichi and I.
In Shoufeng, we stayed up on a hillside bed and breakfast. Dinner was eaten at a noodle near the B&B road entrance.
April 23, 2010 - 11:27 PM
Michael,
Your pics and narrative make me want to go. Is Peichi convinced of the magic of bike touring? You know, I organized a tour with Hui-Ming around the San Juan islands, years ago. That got her interested in the bike, and she pedalled with me from then, on. I hope you have the same experience.
April 24, 2010 - 11:30 AM
Peichi is only open to biking in fair weather, downhill with tailwinds for a short 30 kilometers. Still, she had fun, but isn’t keen on longer or tougher at all.
May 16, 2010 - 10:10 PM
Paul, Peichi’s slowly getting into biking. She’s still not fond of hills. Though when she gives me a hard time, I do threaten her with 15% grades the next time we ride. Still, as long as we go easy and relaxed, she’s happy and I am too. I really do enjoy her riding with me. The San Juan are beautiful, I haven’t been there since a being a child though my family is nearby on Whidbey Island.