CYCLE TOURING TAIWAN

TAIWAN
1261 Kilometres - 33 Days
27 December 2013 – 26 January 2014

MAP

PHOTOS

E-BOOK

 

 

25 – 27 December – Manila, Philippines - Taipei, Taiwan

The only way to get to Taiwan from the Philippines was by air. The flight from Manila touched down in Taipei at the extremely inconvenient hour of two o’clock in the morning. All went smoothly and the whole shebang came out on the belt, bike and all. The time was three in the morning, and I thought it better to wait until daylight before hailing a taxi into Taipei. The hostel booked was in the suburb of Gangnam (I couldn’t get the song out of my head) and wasn’t open at night, and only opened at nine o’clock. I further wanted to drop the bicycle at the bike shop for reassembling, located next to the hostel, but they only opened at ten.

I slept soundly upon the soft airport couches and, by daylight, was ready to venture into the city (still humming Gangnam Style but, thank the lord, never broke into the routine).

Taipei was a vast, busy and modern city sporting highways, freeways, flyovers, fast-moving cars, and even faster-moving trains all situated amongst lush green hills. Capitalism and consumerism were alive and well, and the streets were packed by people and vehicles. Unable to read or speak a single word, I felt as out of place as stinky tofu at a barbeque in Cape Town. I imagined getting out of the city would be challenging. It rained steadily from my arrival and I wondered if I made a mistake venturing this far north.

The following day was off into the streets to find a much needed new Ortlieb handlebar bag as I was convinced if one couldn’t find what you are looking for in Taipei, it didn’t exist. Warmer clothing was also required to keep the freezing weather at bay. The largest part of the day was spent investigating the alleys and wandering around the markets, at times becoming wholly lost and strangely landing up exactly where I started. Between its busy alleys, shopping malls, markets and crowded streets, one could stumble upon a temple dating to the Qing dynasty. In these peaceful places, the koi was king and the smell of incense mixed with the chanting of devotees.

I moved to Ximending, another part of the city, and the ultra-consumerist heart of Taipei. The area was young and trendy, and if any part of the body could be inked or pierced, it could be done in Ximending.

I was fast warming to Taipei. By evening, I strolled towards the night market where, as usual, the food was intriguing, tasty, and plentiful. A long walk took me to all the well-known city temples in the morning. I finished my spiritual tour by visiting the remarkable Longshan Temple built in 1738. The temple represents the pride of Taiwanese temples, worshipping a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, as well as deities.

 

28 December - Taipei – Shimen - 50km

Though not raining, the weather was bitterly cold as a scenic bicycle path led out the city along the river. The ride was a beautiful one past many colourful temples, and in the process the town slowly disappeared behind me. The trail was popular and packed by friendly cyclists, all interested in my doings. I cycled with William for a while, who treated me to coffee before returning home.

Outside the city limits, cycling was straight into an icy wind accompanied by a slight drizzle, no fun at all. Shimen, had both room and food and a blessing to settle in under a thick duvet.

 

29 December - Shimen – Keelung - 40km

The weather was again miserable. It drizzled, a drizzle which lasted all day and a frigid wind blew in from the ocean. My path continued past more fascinating temples, one being the 18 Lords Temple or Dog Temple. Legend has it a man went out fishing but never returned. His loyal dog pined days on end until he could bear the suffering no longer, and it’s believed he leapt into the foaming ocean, drowning himself. People were so astounded by this act of loyalty they built a temple in honour of the dog.

In Keelung, a gigantic version of a giant yellow rubber duck graced the harbour. It was pretty bizarre, but it seemed thousands braved the cold, all bundled up in scarves and jackets, to witness this rubber duck floating in the bay. The duck further created a lively touristy trade selling anything from T-shirts and hats to umbrellas, even duck-themed food. Who would have believed a massive rubber duck could be that popular?

Keelung’s famous night market was a delight, and the food well-known throughout Taiwan. The streets were crowded and one could barely walk but, joining in the madness, I pushed my way past massive pots of steaming soup – just the thing on a cold night.

 

30 December - Keelung – Jiaoshi - 85km

Again, the weather was wet and cold, leaving Keelung. The route headed along the coast past the old mining settlements of Jiufen and Jingush; they say there’s still gold in them hills. Taiwan was exciting and sometimes quite contradictory, modern and traditional, hectic yet organised. Taiwan was easily the country with the best street food and snacks and unsurpassed scenery. Bitou Cape, featured sea-eroded cliffs, and a bicycle path flush next to the coast, a bike path I assumed could rocket Taiwan into the number one cycle touring destination.

Jiaoshi, well-known as a hot springs destination, was an excellent place to call it a day. Virtually all hotels had natural hot water in the rooms and I was keen to try it. An abode along the main road was just the place, and I soon found myself soaking in a hot tub. The town was further known for its cuisine (the vegetables are grown in hot spring water). The food must have been tasty as I’d supper twice.

 

31 December - Jiaoshi – Suao - 40km

After departing, the first stop was at the National Centre of Traditional Arts. The centre occupied a massive 24-hectare site and was well-known for its folk art. Unfortunately, the complex was disappointing, and I believed my incredibly talented mother’s garden was more unique.

Being New Year’s Eve I didn’t feel like camping, all by my lonesome. Suao was quite an attractive village and a good place to spend New Year’s Eve. Not a significant amount happened in Taiwan where people celebrate Chinese New Year instead of the Gregorian New Year. There were, nevertheless, a few fireworks to mark the start of the new calendar year.

 

1 January 2014 - Suao – Taroko National Park - 80km

From Suao, the route took me straight up the mountain, and in no time at all I was high up, overlooking the coastline with Suao far below. This was a mountainous stretch and the going slow. It, nonetheless, wasn’t difficult as Taiwan was home to master road builders and the gradient very doable. The east coast was a stunning part of the country as the road cut through tunnels and crossed massive valleys, all while the coast stretched miles, both north and south.

In January, it got dark early. No time remained to cycle up the famous Taroko Gorge, arriving in Taroko, but better to locate a room, eat, and relax.

 

2 January 2014 - Taroko Gorge - 40km

Being more cost-effective, I returned to the hostel spotted the previous night, leaving enough time to cycle up the gorge.

The Taroko Gorge was stunning and revealed sheer marble cliffs, reaching 1,000 metres into the air. A narrow road headed through winding tunnels, with the Liwu River way below. The path went past what was known as the Swallows Grotto, where the road ran through tunnels carved into the sides of the gorge - thirty-eight tunnels, all in all, including the Tunnel of Nine Turns. This was a lovely part of the canyon and an area where numerous hiking trails began. Finally, I merely walked to the Eternal Spring Shrine. These little temples were built in memory of those who lost their lives during the cross-island highway construction.

Albeit uphill, the gradient was gentle, or so it felt as I wasn’t carrying any luggage. The ride was extraordinary and took the best part of the day to cycle the 20 kilometres to the next village. The gorge was littered with intriguing sites and walks up the mountain.

 

3 January - Taroko – Shimen - 92km

My leisurely start was, primarily, due to my indecision whether to stay an additional day or not. In the end, the time was past ten o’clock before getting underway. The coastal highway continued south and became one more beautiful day of cycling. From time to time, the route stuck close to the ocean and at times climbed up the mountainside offering stunning views.

Being winter, it got dark relatively early, and I was unsure if it was possible to reach the campsite indicated on the map; Shimen came at the right time. A conveniently situated roadside guesthouse and restaurant turned out another curious experience. My order of sailfish was served raw and the bed a futon and I thus assumed the joint was a Japanese-owned establishment.

 

4 - 5 January - Shimen – Dulan - 80km

The stretch between Shimen and Dulan marked my last day of riding along the Philippine Sea. The path hemmed in by the mountains and the ocean as I biked past many tiny fishing hamlets. The rich Kuroshio Current ran close to the coast at this point and the primary income, not surprising, from fishing. The route passed the Tropic of Cancer Monument, and I was officially in the tropics. The many interesting places made good exploring and a multitude of photos stops. Unaware Taiwan was such a popular tourist destination, the many tour busses encountered came as a surprise.

The assumption the road would be level was clearly incorrect. The coastal highway climbed steadily to the Baci Observation Tower and then sped down to lower ground. The Caves of the Eight Immortals, and site of the earliest human inhabitation of Taiwan, had sadly been turned into shrines distracting a bit from its archaeological importance.

Dulan looked worth investigating and Dulan Café and rooms sported a Mexican theme, famous English breakfast and quesadillas. Furthermore, the old Sugar Factory (turned into a bar/music studio/art gallery) put Dulan on the Taiwanese travel radar and an excellent place to spend the day, do laundry and update travel logs.

 

6 January - Dulan – Dawu - 95km

The stretch between Dulan and Dawu was surprisingly varied. The first stop was at “Water Running Uphill”, where water was clearly running uphill. Next, the route went past rural fishing communities, eventually turning off to hot springs.

The region was disappointing as it was immensely touristy, and I didn’t stay. Instead, I followed the road passed indigenous settlements providing fascinating art. The entire stretch was hilly as the mountains came right down to the coast. It couldn’t have been an easy place to build a highway. However, a guesthouse at Dawu made a convenient overnight stop as it had an adjacent restaurant.

 

7 January - Dawu – Linyuan - 105km

My route turned inland and headed over the mountains to the West Coast. The road climbed steeply away from the coast and after 10 kilometres I could see the ocean far below. Eventually, the road descended and, on reaching the ocean, it veered north along the South China Sea, in Taipei’s direction. Arriving at the coast meant the mountains were done and dusted, and they slowly disappeared in my rear-view mirror.

The route headed past Dapeng and through a picturesque region along a famous bike path rumoured the most expensive bicycle path in the world.

 

8 January - Linyuan – Tainan - 74km

It took forever to cycle through Kaohsiung. Eventually, the road cleared the city limits from where a less congested route proceeded to Tainan.

The area was pan-flat but straight into the wind. It wasn’t as pretty as the East Coast and best to put one’s head down and get on with it. Tainan was the first capital of Taiwan and the oldest city and steeped in history and tradition.

 

9 January - Tainan

The initial intention wasn’t to spend the day in Tainan. Still, the city turned out interesting and featured plenty of great temples and shrines, and warranted an additional day. Tainan was best explored on foot. First up was the Confucius Temple which oozed calm, grace and beauty like any good Confucius Temple.

Narrow alleys provided traditional street food led to the old city gate and more remarkable temples, a few revealed quite terrifying deities and others where people still cast moon blocks to determine the best course of action. Now and again, I had a cup of Taiwanese tea and then headed off to the next temple. Taiwan has different temples for different things. At some, you asked for good luck, and at others people prayed for the protection of children.

The many swastika symbols were intriguing. Hitler, sadly, gave the swastika symbol a bad name. Nevertheless, the symbol remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s understood the word “swastika” came from the Sanskrit swastika - “su” meaning good or auspicious, combined with “asti”, meaning it is, along with the diminutive suffix “ka.” The swastika, therefore, literally means “it is good.” During World War I, it’s believed the swastika was found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division.

 

10 January - Tainan – Beigang - 100km

The wind picked up and the ride became a slow slog, not a good deal one can do but get the day over and done with. There’s nothing good one can say about cycling into a headwind: it’s slow going, frustrating and energy-sapping. Even though the road passed various wetland reserves, the weather wasn’t good to explore.

At around 16h00, the hunt to find suitable camping didn’t reveal anything. Eventually, a friendly chap pointed me in an easterly direction and easily 20 kilometres before biking into Beigang.

Each place has something of interest and Beigang was home to the popular Chaotian Temple, where people went to cast moon blocks. Although late, I wanted to see the temple. Once inside the temple, one could hear the clackety-clack, clackety-clack of devotees throwing moon blocks. Both men and women of all ages clasped identical blocks, whispered to themselves, paused, and let the blocks fall to the ground. One side of the block was curved and called the yin, while the other flat and called the yang.

I understood the gods’ fate is revealed in how these blocks fall to the floor. One yin and one yang are a yes; two yins facing up with the flat surfaces against the floor means the gods are mad, and it’s a no; two yangs with the curved surfaces swaying on the ground shows the gods are laughing, meaning either the question was unclear or the inquirer already knew the answer. The gods told me to stay on Route 19.

 

11 January - Beigang (Beikang) – Lukang - 70km

As the gods told me to stay along Route 19, I did, a good thing as the route wasn’t as windy. In addition, the area was agricultural, making a pleasant ride past vast expanses of farming activities.

Lukang came as a pleasant surprise. Once a thriving harbour town, Lukang became a backwater after the harbour silted up and closed altogether around 1895. Forgotten, the Lukang continued in its own way and was rediscovered when people realised not a great deal has changed since 1895. The village is home to the oldest and most beautiful temples, narrow, curvy streets, excellent traditional food, and old lantern and fan shops.

 

12 January - Lukang – Miaoli - 100km

What an unpleasant day! The wind was howling, and my path led straight into the weather. The best part of the day was meeting two young men circumnavigating the island on foot, dressed as the Chinese God, Nezha. In Taiwan, Nezha was an icon. Nezha fought and killed the son of the Dragon King of the East China Sea. Fearing his parents would suffer for his actions, he committed suicide to prevent his parents from being punished. At the time, over 300 temples were worshipping Nezha. He was considered a god especially good for protecting children with his boy-like appearance.

I battled the wind but felt surprisingly strong and didn’t lose my sense of humour. The people of Taiwan impressed me; twice people stopped to offer me water – how nice of them. Surprisingly enough, I made 100 kilometres; some days I could and other days I couldn’t.

 

13 January - Miaoli – Xinfeng - 55km

Sadly, the wind didn’t ease or change direction. In fact, it looked even stronger. There’s nothing one can do but battle onwards - at times it felt downright dangerous as the wind gusted sideways, practically blowing me off the bike. A kind lady stopped and offered me a cup of piping hot coffee - wow, how nice was that.

As always, all one had to do was keep going forward, and you will eventually get there. Nothing stays constant and the wind had to change sooner or later. I feared it would merely be once I’ve left Taiwan, but change it had to change; it’s almost the sole thing in the world one can be sure of.

Reaching Xinfeng, 65 kilometres remained to Taipei and the drizzle gave enough encouragement to find accommodation.

 

14 January - Xingeng – Taipei - 65 km

The rain-streaked windows warned of another unpleasant day. Luckily, Taipei wasn’t far, and cycling into Taipei, I was thrilled to find a bed at Taipei Hostel. Though small, I needed nothing more and stood under the hot shower for what felt like ages. The hostel had an especially convenient location close to the central train station and, a short hop to practically anywhere.

 

15 – 23 January - Taipei

A ferry from Taiwan to mainland China made it a no-brainer where to go next. The problem was obtaining a Chinese visa. Taiwan and China weren’t the best friends, resulting in no Chinese embassy in Taiwan. The day turned out a total waste as absolutely zero got done. The office organising Chinese visas wasn’t indicated on the map, and Giant Bicycles was not behind the train station as expected. The hostel’s helpful staff helped locate the visa office’s address and suggested a different bike shop.

The following day the visa service office was located close by and within easy walking distance from the hostel. ST International Travel Service (www.sttvisa.com) made it extremely easy and took care of everything. They had been in business for the past 20 years and knew the procedures well. It took five days as passports were sent to Hong Kong. It wasn’t a big deal as a whole bunch of things remained to do in Taipei and plenty to keep me occupied.

A bike shop was situated four blocks from the hostel and the friendly owners gave the bicycle a good overall.

Unfortunately, the ferry operating between Taiwan and Mainland China (Xiamen) departed from Taichung on a Wednesday and from Keelung on a Sunday, meaning one had to take a bus to Taichung or wait five days to catch the Keelung ferry. So, after collecting the bicycle from the bike shop, I continued to the camera shop to give the camera a good cleaning.

I liked the hostel and the people who stayed there - nearly all of them in the process of looking to find teaching jobs in Taiwan. I even met a South African lady, quite unique as I seldom met South Africans and could count on the fingers of my one hand the ones I did. The others consisted of a Dutch guy (Martin), who didn’t look or sound Dutch at all, a British guy, who looked and sounded British but who’d been teaching English more than ten years in Taiwan, a New Zealander, who’d spent eight months working and travelling in China, etc. Always a fascinating world in a hostel.

I met Borut Kocar, a cyclist from Holland (Yugoslavian by birth), who spent seven weeks biking Taiwan. He was a charming person and worked as a dance/movement therapist in a small psychiatric hospital in Holland. On my return to the hostel, a tiny box was placed in front of my door. It contained a lovely message from Borut as well as a small porcelain clog - how sweet and thoughtful.

Taipei offered a whole host of exciting sights, one being a visit to the famous Taipei-101, the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2009. The building was also the tallest and largest “green building” globally at the time. Moreover, Taipei-101 was one of the most stable buildings ever constructed. Besides various piles and reinforced foundations, the building was fitted with a 660-ton steel pendulum serving as a turned mass damper. Suspended between the 92nd to the 87th floor, the pendulum swayed to offset the building’s movements caused by typhoons and earthquakes.

I paid a visit to the Martyrs’ Shrine; not so much for the aesthetic grandeur or to pay respect to the fallen servicemen, but more to watch the straight-faced military guards as they changed shifts every hour, followed by an elaborate marching ceremony.

Yay, I received my Chinese visa and then had to wait until the Sunday before the ferry departed. My poor, old, tattered and torn passport was filling up and needed replacement.

Taiwan’s coffee industry was brewing, something I wasn’t opposed to. Starbucks seemed to have targeted the upper-income levels and coffee drinking was fast becoming a fashion. The young and the hip were sipping their brew (I wasn’t even sure they liked it) in trendy cafes. Tiny and intimate coffee shops, as well as a few “hole-in-the-wall” type places, roasted their coffee right on the pavement, making it quite impossible to walk past.

The remarkable thing was a strong Japanese influence appeared when it came to brewing coffee. The specially-designed kettles and filters allowed water to drip through, one or two drops at a time, resulting in brewing one cup at a time. The beans were weighed, grounded, emptied into the filter, and cup and saucer warmed. A small, swan-neck kettle was used, but instead of flooding the filter and letting it drip, the lady only poured a small amount of water in - a process which took several minutes. I sat watching in fascination and once my cup was placed in front of me, I felt it should be savoured.

 

24 - 26 January - Taipei – Keelung - 90km

I finally left Taipei and cycled the 90-kilometres to Keelung. The ferry boat to China was only in two days, but having itchy feet, I moved along. The weather was beautiful. The sun was out, and aided by a slight tailwind, it became a good day of riding. The route led past odd rock formations, created by wind and sea erosion aeons. Reaching bustling, Keelung was in good time and there remained more than enough time to explore the night market, famous for its wide variety of food.

Around 16h00, I cycled to the harbour, where I bought a ticket. Although the ferry had been in port since my arrival, we waited hours until finally allowed on board.

 

27 January - Keelung, Taiwan – Xiamen, China - By boat

The Cosco Star was far more substantial than envisaged and resembled more a cargo ship than a ferry. As a result, there weren’t many people on board. The interior was quite luxurious. Cabins had six bunk beds to a cabin, but I was the sole person in the cabin. The ship rolled wildly, and best to stay put.

Reaching Xiamen, China was around 9h30 the following morning and provided an uncomplicated entry into China. I changed my last Taiwanese money, drew a few more Chinese yuan and was excited to see what the area held.