CHASING RAINBOWS MY ROUND TAIWAN ISLAND SOLO BIKE TRIP November 2014 ONG YULIN For the young, let me tell you the sky has turned brighter. Theres a glorious rainbowthatbeckonsthosewiththespiritofadventure.Andtherearerich findings at the end of the rainbow. To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride. - LEE KUAN YEW 1 PREFACE In November 2014, I went on a solo bike trip around Taiwan Island. I had posted on Facebook photographstakenenrouteandmyreflectionsforeachlegofthetrip.Ireceivedalotof encouragement from friends via Facebook, WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps. Thank you all. OnthelastlegoftherideasIheadedtoKaohsiung whereIhadstartedtheride,Ireceived suggestionstowriteabookaboutmytravels.IdismisseditasIthoughtthebiketripwasa commonventureandmanypeoplehadbloggedabouttheirroundTaiwanIslandbiketrip. However, I did decide that I would compile the postings and photographs that I have posted on Facebook into a journal. I wanted the journal to include other thoughts and photographs that I had not shared on Facebook. I also wanted it to be an information source for those who aspire to ride around Taiwan too, and a point of reference should I head back to Taiwan to bike around the island a second time. I encountered rain throughout my journey. As I contemplated on a suitable title for the journal as I rode towards Kaohsiung that day, I saw a rainbow and decided to entitle the journal "Chasing Rainbows". It was "hiao" (cheeky) enough. Perhaps, it adequately described me as delusional andoutoftouchwithrealitytoembarkonsuchatripatanot-so-youngage.Perhaps,it described my refusal to grow old gracefully and how I felt about my mind and body being young enough for such an adventure. I spent two weeks writing and completed the journal on 10 March 2015. I circulated it among my familyforfirstreadingsandcommentsbeforeIsharingitonline.Afteraweekofwaitingfor feedbackandanotherforamendmentsandadjustments,thejournalwasreadysavedfora quotation on rainbows to fill a space on the cover. I had wanted to keep the space below the photograph on the cover but most felt that I should have a quotation to summarise my adventure. Not finding any suitable quotes, I decided to leave it as it is and was ready to share it online. But asI mournedwiththerestofSingaporeonthepassingofourFoundingFather,Idecidedto withhold publishing it online till a more suitable time. Mr Lee Kuan Yew's quotation on "Follow that Rainbow" resonated as my family and I shared in the national grieving: Fortheyoung,letmetellyoutheskyhasturnedbrighter.Theresaglorious rainbowthatbeckonsthosewiththespiritofadventure.Andtherearerich findingsattheendoftherainbow.Totheyoungandtothenot-so-old,Isay, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride". My family members and I unanimously agreed that this was the quotation I was searching for to fill the space on the cover. Furthermore, I belonged to the not-so-old age group too. I was driven by a spirit of adventure and by the end of the ride, I had found myself again. Ong Yulin March 2015 2 Routes GPS Maps: Day 1 Kaohsiung to Kentinghttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993066 Day 2 Kenting to DaWu https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993105 Day 3 DaWu to Sanxianhttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993121 Day 4 Sanxian to Hualienhttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8895974 Day 5 Train. Route from Hualien to Keelunghttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8977366 Day 5A Hualien to Yilan (126 km)https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8977492 Day 5B Yilan to Keelung (99 km)https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8977471 Day 6 Keelung to Taipeihttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800684 Day 7 Taipei to Hsinchuhttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800698 Day 8 Hsinchu to Miaoliaohttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800708 Day 9 Miaoliao to Kaohsiunghttps://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8976567 3 MY ROUND TAIWAN ISLAND SOLO BIKE TRIP(November 2014) his is the journal of my solo biking adventure in Taiwan. This round island trip of about 1000 km took 9 days, although I had planned to cover the distance over 11 days. I rode 80 to 140 km each day. I staged my ride out of Kaohsiung and returned to Kaohsiung at the end of the ride.I was asked manytimes as to the purpose of theride. Was it a midlife crisis thing? Why the search for solitude? Why subject the body and especially the @$$ to unnecessary pain? Why solo?Most people thought it was a crazy idea including many Taiwanese friends but military buddies all encouraged me and thought it was an excellent idea. Some checked their schedule to join me on certain legs, but alas, it was not to be. I certainly had looked forward to their company.The reason for me to do it was simple. I had wanted to do it but never had the time. It was also an excellent way to burn off the "diplomatic paunch - not pouch". I would probably never have the chance to do such a thing again, although a New Zealander friend is asking (tempting) me to bike with him in the South Island next year. I wanted to rediscover a sense of adventure. As part of planning, I searched on the internet for other peoples experiences and routes. There were a range of skill, fitness, purposes and motivation and hence a wide range of routes and a differing numbers of days. I adopted a touring mode, trying hard to keep my competitive spirit to go fast in check. I selected roads hugging the coast as much as possible as I had wanted it to be truly Round Island trip.IuseaGarminEdge800bike computer,soIusedtheweb-based GarminConnecttoplantheroutes. ThebasemapsofGarminConnect suffered from certain inadequacies, so IhadtoreferenceGooglemapsand GoogleEarthtoselectroutes,search foraccommodationandhospitalsand clinicsenroute.My3-monitorPC configuration came in very handy, with the left monitor displaying a referenced route,thecentremonitorwasthe working space where I planned my routes in detailed, and the right monitor displayed Google maps and Google Earth for detailed searches.

D-2 (5 NOV) DEPARTURE FOR KAOHSIUNG managed to putall my stuff with my disassembled bike into the bike case at the risk of being seriously over the weight limit. The outcome was a massive excess baggage charge. Guess that is the price to pay for bringing your own bike. TheheavythunderstorminSingaporeinadvertentlycausedthe flight to be delayed and resulted in an arrival in Kaohsiung way past midnight. After a quick check in at a local hotel, I settled in for the night but had difficulties falling asleep. Perhaps it was theexcitementofthecomingadventure.Perhaps,itwasthe concern as to whether I could complete the ride. T I 4 Not visiting Taiwan for the last 3 years producedmany pleasantsurprises.One,theTaiwaneseissomuch better mannered as compared to the Mainland cousins. The behaviour of the Taiwanese when the aircraft landed was starkly very different from what I have encountered onmydomestictravelsonthemainland.Therewas respect for personal space and there was a distinct lack ofloudchattingeithertoafellowpassengeroronthe phone.Thedisembarkationwasorderlyandtherewas no pushing and shoving to get off the aircraft. Two, I had several Taiwanese men coming up to me at theairportandaskingifmyluggagewasabikecase. They spoke to me in their local dialect and I was taken aback anddidn't know how to respond. When I replied positively,in Mandarin,some offeredtohelpme carryittoataxi.I thenrealizedthatI have forgotten about the kindness of man andthatnotall peopleareoutto takeadvantageof you. Three,theyoungladymanningthecheck-incounterwas polite despite the early hours. She even told me that I could assemble and place my bike in the lobby. She even told me that I could go to a nearby Giant bike store to pump my bike tires. Itwasagoodfeelingtomeetsuchnicepeople.Itwasa good start. D-1 (6 NOV): FINAL PREPARATION he main task was to rig the bike. I brought my wheels to the nearby Giant bike store to pump air. Although the store was not yet opened, there was an air filling stand outside the store. Highly impressed and it says a lot about this society. Rigging up the bike in a small room was difficult but you get what you paidfor.Forthoseplanningabiketour,donotunderestimatethe weight of your load and the change in CG. You need to train with the load. Next was to get a SIM card with a data plan to use the smartphone as a backup GPS. For those planning a long holiday in Taiwan, it is worthwhiletogotothemainofficesofChunghwatelco.Thestaff manning the counter asked about my needs and configured a plan for me. She suggested a 15-day unlimited 3G data plan with voice. There was no prepaid 4G plan yet. The data plan cost NT$700. The SIM card cost NT$300 with corresponding stored value. She was so nice to suggest that I purchase two NT$300 top card cards as there is a promotion which gives me extra NT$80 per NT$300 card. The remaining value of NT$360 for voice was more than enough for me. Only the voice plan remains after 15 days. If need be, there is a number to call to activate a 1 Gb data plan for NT$180. The experience left me wondering if Singapore telco staff would do the same. T 5 D DAY (7 NOV) DAY 1 135 KM KAOHSIUNG TO KENTING t might be a little ambitious but I thought being fresh would allow me to push as far as possible, stay outside the Kenting strip and to stage for a shorter 88 km uphill ride on Day 2. Departing at 0630 hr was great but I encountered the scooter horde for almost 2 hours within Kaohsiung citylimitsasthelocalsheadtowork.Policemenandpolicewomenmanning road junctions gave me a friendly wave as a sign of encouragement as it was evident that I was onaroundislandtrip.ManyotherstravelingontourbusesorworkersrepairingroadsthatI passedalsoencouragedwitha"jiayou"andcyclistsImettravelingintheopposite directionsallgavemeafriendlywaveorwordsofencouragementsuchas"hao".Others remarked loudly to their friends in the local dialect that "he is doing the round island trip". The strong headwinds in excess of 15 knots proved to be a very big challenge from Donggang all the way to Kenting. When it became a side wind, I had to slow down to maintain my balance on a CG-shifted bike. Passing familiar hills features in the vicinity of Fangliao and Fangshan triggered an emotional response that I am glad it is all passed me.Istartednearthe Kaohsiung Train station and rode on Hwy 17 till justnorthofFangliao trainstationwhereI joined Hwy 1 and then Hwy26heading southwards.Hwy1 branchesintoHwy9 headingeastwardsto TaitungandHwy26 southwardsto Hengchun.Istayedon Hwy26tillIarrivedat myaccommodation.I stayedontheplanned route without deviation. Day 1 Kaohsiung to Kenting GPS Map -https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993066 With last light approaching at 1700 hr, it was a quick dinner and replenishment of supplies before I headed to the minsu . This was located on the eastern coastal road north of Eluanbi lighthouse leading to Manzhou . Already fatigued, the road leading to this minsu was uphill all the way. The rain lowered visibility and made the climb harder. When I arrived, I was greeted by a friendly elderly lady and her husband. I paid NT$800 and they showed me to my room. I was still panting as I tried to reply her queries. As I was climbing the slope to the minsu, I could only think about the uphill ride tomorrow from Hwy 200 to Hwy 199. I have travelled this route many times during training exercises and know how tough it will be. The only good thing is that I can look forward to some downhill ride too. I 6 The minsu where I spent the first night was very comfortable. I was the only guest and theelderlycoupledecidedtogivemeoneofthelarger roomssothatIcouldplace mybikeinsidetheroom.Theroom was clean and comfortable, and equipped with wifi too. Breakfast was buttered toast sprinkled with sugar (much like the way I had toast when I was a kid) with hot instant coffee.A house after this minsu operates a small restaurant where the owner could cook simple local fare like fried rice, beef noodle, and dumplings.DAY 2 8 NOV 88 KM KENTING TO DAWU hiswasprobablythemostchallengingleginthisentirebiketrip.Itwastobeavery physically and mentally challenging day. Day 2 Kenting to DaWu GPS Map -https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993105 TheroutefollowedHwy26northwardsalongthecoast,passJ ialeshuibeforeturninginland along Hwy 200A () and then Hwy 200. It was necessary to ride along Hwy 200, as there is no coastal road from J ialeshui , to where Hwy 200 meets the coast again and become Hwy 26. After a short ride along Hwy 26, it would turn inland again along Hwy 199A () before joining Hwy 199 running northwards. I followed Hwy 199 till it joined Hwy 9 at Shouka and stayed on Hwy 9 till I arrived at DaWu to spend the night. As evident from the elevation chart, Hwy 200 and Hwy 199 snaked through two huge mountain ranges.T 7 Departingthe minsu at 0630 hr, I climbedashort slopeanddecided tostopatalook outtocatchmy breathandatthe sametimetotake in the sights. I was breathless from the climb, buttheview fromthelookout wouldhavetaken mybreathaway too.Thiswouldbe myviewofthe PacificOceanfor thenextfewdays. Listentothe howlingwinds https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205327916743655 As I continued along Hwy 200A, the familiar sight of J ialeshuis Swing Bridge came into view. After a short ride passed familiar hill features that many soldiers would befondly remember, I arrived at a 7-Eleven in Manzhou for a pit stop.Overmysecondbreakfastatalocalbreakfast franchise, Ispoketolocalcyclists(onroad bikes) on whether to stay on Hwy 9 or to take the coastal road along Hwy 11 towards Hualien The NE wind was starting to pick up and it would be headwinds all the way along the east coast.I was warnedthatIwouldfacestrongheadwinds riding along Hwy 11 and that there were many 7-ElevensalongHwy9ascomparedtoHwy11 (actuallyonly2whichIwouldlaterfindout).They zoomed off on their road bikes to Taitung as I went to the adjacent 7-Eleven to get my caffeine fix and bought a small pack of biscuits, confidentthatIwouldreachDaWuforaverylate lunch.EnrouteHwy200,Iwouldpassanotherfamiliar landmarkatFenshuiling,wherethefamiliar BayaoroadandGaoshiroadmeet Hwy200.Thenearbycommunityhallwithitslarge basketballcourtsarestillthere,lookingexactlythe sameasIrememberedthem.Thesmallchurch located on the slope of the road on the left was nolongerthere.Thejourneysofar,triggered memories,somefondandsome supertiring,of those days when we were soldiers and young, formeandthosefollowingmyjourneyon Facebook.Fenshuiling,inparticular,remindeda fellow officer of an establishment called Full Moon, locatedontherightoftheFenshulingjunction, where a Taiwanese aborigine singer, Tang Lan Hua , a super diva from the 1970s used to 8 live.I was reminded that present day diva, Zhang Humei or A-mei , another Taiwanese aborigine, supposedly grew up on the western end of Bayao road in the Mudan township . Aftertworeallylonguphillandniceshortdownhill,betweenthe20to35kmmarks, Hwy 200 leaves the mountains and re-joins the sea. This is the view that greeted a pumped out body. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205328321393771Lookatthesanddunes towards the end of the video. Highway 200 turns inland again into the mountains after this. Hwy199Awas relentlessasthe climbwassteep andtheroad curvy.Itwas difficult to build up momentumfor therideuphill, havingtoturn hairpinsand stoppingtoavoid on-comingcars negotiatingthe bends. This is the notoriousstretch wheremanyhaveavoidedorgiven up. I was not spared either. There were times along this stretch when I wanted to give up as I saw slopes after slopes especially after each bend.However, I kept telling myself that I have been through worst and tokeeponpushing,asitwouldgeteasierwitheachslope.I probably shifted through all my rear gears - cassette -and use the biggest and middle gears of my crank. I knew if I use my smallest front gear, I would be mentally defeated.The temptation to get off and push the bike was so great but then it would not be a bike ride anymore. The thigh muscles ached and felt as if they were on fire. It became a mind over matter thing, as I sweat, puffed and pedalled, and went no faster than 10 km/h on some slopes. As I arrived at the 55 km, where Hwy 199A meets Hwy 199, I had almost finished drinking all the water I was carrying. After a quick replenishment at a house atthejunctionoperatingadrinkstall,IcontinuedtheclimbalongHwy199,knowingthatthe steepest climb was over.Thenext15kmofuphill ridedidnotgetanyeasier aslegmuscleswere already fatigued and aching. Indeed, just as I hit the limit, there would be a very short downhillorflatstretch offeringbriefrespite.I passed what I presumed to beatouristattractionat Dongyuan ,an aboriginal stone house, but was too tired to explore it in depth. A few quick snaps and mouths of water, I continued my way.9 Andsoit continuedtill almostmy culmination point whenabrief glanceonmy GarminEdge 800showeda changeof elevationprofile. Ihadarrivedat Shouka andtheendof Hwy199.(See blue arrow) I recognized the old mountain pass station which has been repurposed as a cyclist rest station. I met several cyclists who were readying themselves after a rest. The long downhill stretch of 20 km to Darenalong Hwy 9 was happiness and a small reward for the very long uphill climbs. Iadmiredtheperseveranceandenduranceofthecyclists, both men and women who were riding uphill towards Shouka. Ifnotforthe multiplebandsandturns,Iwouldhavelet fly and hit over 60 kmh. Conscious of the load, I kept it under 45 km/h,takingintoconsiderationthemanymotoriststhat passed me less than a foot way.SeeingandhearingthePacificOceanagainwassweet rewardasIrodeintoDaWutown.Seeingthissignboard boostedtheconfidenceofabatteredbody.LittledidI realised,Iwouldbetakingphotographsofmanymore signboards to come. https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205329262657302&l=7576158003129335391 I arrived at the planned off the main road, Hwy 9, run by an elderly lady catering mainly to cyclistsandmotorcyclistsdoingroundislandtrip.ShechargesbetweenNT$500toNT$1000 depending whether you are from Kaohsiung or Taipei. I was too tired to ask her why she charged those from Taipei more. It was conveniently located along Hwy 9 and between a 7-Eleven and local restaurants. The spartan made carrying the comfort items worthwhile. It is going to be squeamish sleeping on the bed, but a shell scrap has been my bed before and being so tired, I don't think l will have time to even think about it. It is a trade-off for not carrying a small sleeping bag. Yes, the red spot about the size of a first generation SG $1 coin on the bed sheet is not decoration,andrequesttochangeitwasmetbyexcusesfromtheelderlylady.Clearly,one cannot trust internet feedback about sweet old lady. 10 There is indeed a special bond among cyclists doing the round island trip. Besides encouraging one other or giving a thumb up, they would chat and asked if you are going the same way and would ride together for company. I also realized that most of them would be shouting jiayou tocyclistsgoinguphill.Besidesencouragement,Iaminclinedtobelievethatthereisan element of sadistic pleasure in seeing the other cyclists suffer. Most of cyclists I met were riding roadbikes.ImadeamentalnotetobringmyroadbikeandlessenmyloadifIweretodo another round island trip. DAY 3 9 NOV 114 KM DAWU TO SANXIANs I was eating my breakfast at 0630 hrs from a local shop across the road from where I spent the night, and a cup of hot coffee from 7-Eleven, the old lady from the minsu bide me farewell as she walked slowly to the bus stop to go home to Taitung . She was nicelyattiredandwasindeedgrandoldlady.Sheadvisedmetoridesafely.Bytheway,7-Eleven sells fresh grounded coffee and there are tables and seats for customers. I would soon realise that 7-Eleven also sells a large variety of microwavable food.As I sipped my coffee and disposed the chocolate wrappers I have accumulated, I reviewed the route for the day. I would continue on Hwy 9 till north of Taitung before continuing on Hwy 11 alongthecoast.Hwy9wouldcontinuetorunparalleltoHwy11butontheothersideofa mountainrange.ThenortherntipofthismountainrangeendsatHualien.Therewould several uphill rides for the first 40 km and the last 35 km of the 114 km ride. Day 3 DaWu to Sanxian- GPS Map -https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/7993121 Leaving DaWu town, I climbed up the first of many headlands I would encounter that day. I took photographsofthesunrise.SunrisewasquickandbeforeIknewit,thesunwasquitehigh already. As I watched the sunrise, I decided to look back and take a photograph of Dawu. I am glad to have made good progress so far, and after a few more climbs up the headlands, was glad thatIdidnottakeuptheofferofacyclistI metthedaybefore,atatraffic lightjunctionjust outside DaWu to ride to Taitung which was another 40 km away.A 11

The coastal road along the eastern coast of Taiwan is indeed an engineering feat, cutting into the side or tunnelling through the mountains. To think there are no slope along the coastal road is definitely so wrong. I cleared some massive climbs as the roads cut into the headlands. The road is being improved to expand the width of the road. The road works do increase the numbers of hazards and lay-bys were taken up by work site machineries. There were no place safe to stop to capture the magnificent views or take a rest. It was also difficult to take in the sights as I had to concentrate on avoiding pot holes and on-going construction, especially on the downhill stretches.There were road repairs almost everywhere in Taiwan. The locals shared that it is probably the upcoming elections and hence an attempt by the incumbent office holders to win votes. Some locals have more colourful theories of the road works. All the cyclists I have met were traveling in the clockwise direction whilst I am traveling in the anti-clockwise direction. They certainly knew about the NE wind and it was something I had not factored.Indecidingtogoanti-clockwise,IwantedtokeeptheboringstretchfromTaipeito Kaohsiungtothelast.Hopingtobemotivatedbytheendpoint,Iwouldnotbepaying much attention to the scenery anyway. In doing so, I had to content with the headwind since leaving Kenting, and wind speed would increase as I head towards Hualien. The winds can be so strong that it decelerates my attempts to maintain a speed about 24 km/h. All my previous mechanics lessons on acceleration, velocity, vectors etcoccupied my mind to keep it off theheadwind. I becameconcernaboutthe110kmridetoHualientomorrow.Butifthewindmaintainsits heading, I would be rewarded with tailwind on the west coast. So it is all even.J ust before passing Taitung, I arrived at the split point where Hwy 9 continues slightly inland and where Hwy 11 starts and runs along the coast. This was at the 45 km mark. As I continued along Hwy 11, I hoped that I had made the right decision to ride along the coastal roads. After Taitung, I managed to find a lay by and took a photograph of one of the many bays on the east coast. 12 The ride was more mental than physical as the long gradual uphill was not rewarded by a nice downhill run. The headwind also produced a lot of resistance. I had to stop once in a while where it was safe to catch my breath and stretch my hamstrings and calves before continuing to push against the wind. Wandering off to see some of the sights also helped. A sunflower field amidst thericefieldsprovidedabreakfromtheoceanscenery.Ialsorodepastanattractionatthe 147th km marker where the water runs uphill . I decided to give it a miss when I saw a large number of tourist coaches and I didn't want to leave my bike unattended. Inadvertently, I made 7-Elevens my pit stops to replenish water and even grab a bite.The 7-Elevens in Taiwan sell an amazing variety of food that is easily warmed up in the microwave before serving. I tried one for lunch. At the rate I was burning calories, I needed a second lunch about 2 hours later. Surprising thing was that I skipped lunch for the first two days, as I didn't feel hungry at lunch time. Over the few days, I ate minced beef spaghetti, seafood spaghetti, beef and onion rice, chicken chop rice and many other offerings.The business model of 7-Eleven in Taiwan is indeed very interesting. It has evolved to meet the needs of the community where it is located. 7-Elevenprovidedarangeofservicesfrom toppingupaphonecardpayingbillsor parking fees, to getting lunch or dinner, freshly brewed coffee and sandwiches. All 7-Elevens have toilets, Wifi (for members only) and even pumps and basic repairs for cyclists. It is truly a convenience store. It deserves a case study. I deviated from my planned route that day and stayed on Hwy 9 and Hwy 11. I had plotted the route along minor roads for some stretches and saw little need to leave Hwy 9 or Hwy 11.I was rewarded by some interesting sights and avoided some unnecessary massive climbs. Guess one needs to be nimble enough to adapt. It was not a very long ride of 113 km that day and so I took it a little easy to take in the sights, and to ease the pressure off the bottom. These were some of photographsofonethemanybridgesandtherivermouthsIcrossedandpassed.Thetrain tracks switch sides of Hwy 9 and Hwy 11 many times.13 I rode through a tunnel near Sanxian . With the headwind, the tunnel literally became a wind tunnel.Ittookadditionalefforttoridethroughit andIstartedtowonderaboutthetunnels between Hualien and Yilan .I passed a popularlocaldelicacyrestaurantDongheBaozi but did not stop as there were coaches oftouristsswarmingtherestaurant.The restaurant is located near the junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 23, at 131th km marker. I would get to sample it later in Hualien when the owner of the minsu offered me one of the popular meat buns. Ittastedlikeourmeatbunbutitwasthe verybestofthebest.Thephotographofthe buns is from the internet.I enjoyed the ride today and look forward to the ride to Hualien. DAY 4 10 NOV 124 KM SANXIAN TO HUALIEN stayed in a minsu located at Sanxian overlooking the Black Rock Bay . It certainly lookedveryniceandthewoodencabinslocatedtotheleftoftheyellowbuildingarethe rooms. Across the road, were seafood restaurants andother minsu. When I tucked myself under the duvet to go sleep the previous night, I felt every single spring in the bed. I had to sleep on top of the duvet. You get what you pay NT$500 for. The folks running the minsu were very friendly and even helped me to operate the washing machine. It has become a routine to wash the biking apparels after dinner each day. Itwas nice to smell good at the beginning of each day.I 14 Breakfast was served in the main building next totheyellowbuilding.Whilewaiting,Iwalked out to the verandah and the view of the Black Rock Bay was magnificent. WhileIhaveplannedtogothroughthe tunnels from Hualien to Yilan on Day 5, recent accidents in the tunnels between Hualien and Yilansuggestedtheneedtoadheretothe trafficrulesofnobicyclesinthetunnels. EventhoughIhadsecuredaget-out-jail card,incaseIgetarrestedbythetraffic police for riding through the tunnels, I made adjustments to the plan to give up this 80 kmridethroughthetunnelsforsafety reasons.Therisksofridingthroughthe tunnels far outweighed any boasting rights or the desire to cover the distance of 80 km. Theadjustedplanwouldentailcatchinga trainwithmybikefromHualientoYilan, fromwhereIwouldresumemyride. Instead of riding to the north of Hualien city as originally planned, I would ride towards Hualien train station. A quick search on the internetrevealedthattheaccommodation near Hualien train station was not good but yetexpensive.IdecidedthatIwouldstay outsidethecity,alongthecoastandthen ride into the city the next morning. I plotted myadjustedroutetoHualientrainstation on the Edge 800. It was a challenge for my stubby fingers.This would be the first time I adjusted my plannedroutebutitwasasimple adjustment of trimming the distance to a new endpoint.15 Theweather hasbeennice and hot for the last2days. Theexposed partsofmy legswere gettingnicely tanned. Weather forecasted rain for thenext5daysanditwouldliterallybe wettillIreturnedtoKaohsiung.Windspeedwouldalso increase in these 5 days.As final preparation I checked my waterproofing of my equipment and replaced batteries in all my lights. I continued along Hwy 11 to Hualien. I had a good start asIwaswellrestedanditwasascenicroute.The headwindremainedstrongandIhadtopushhardto maintain the pace. I had to stop at a scenic spot after 1 km or so, as the view was simply too nice to miss. I also noticed the dark clouds ahead and made a mental note to get to Hualien as quick as I can to avoid the rain. Passing severalsmall towns, schools andcoconutplantations, the ride started to feel monotonous and my stomach started to tell my mind to look for a 7-Eleven. I had eatentwobowlsofporridgeforbreakfastbutfelt hungry. Using my IPhone and Google map, I found out thattherewasa7-ElevenatZhangbinvillage nearmycurrentposition.Ieagerlypedaledon.AsI passed more coconut plantation, I wondered how the 7-Eleven corporate honchos decided which small towns to locatea7-Eleven.SometownsweresosmallthatI passed through them in under one minute. Hunger pangs startedtohitandIstartedtolookoutforshopsselling breakfast in these small towns. I guess the market wasjusttoosmallorI waspassingthemtoofast.The mindbecamefocusedongettingtothe7-Elevenas quicklyasIcan.Ikeptalookoutforstreetsignsand distance markers to countdown the distance. Finally, the familiar7-Elevensignboardloomedinthedistance. Arriving at the junction of Hwy 11 and the main street of Zhangbin village, brought disappointment as the 7-Eleven wasclosedforextensiverenovation.Idecidedtoride through the village, hoping to find something to eat. The mainstreetwasnotmorethan1kmlinedwithshops. Freshproducewasbeingsoldalongtheroad.Iwas drained and was surprised that I had only covered 20 km. I had to stop to eat something.As I chewed on my mini Mars bars and drank water, I searched for the next 7-Eleven. It was 36 km away, at the junction of Hwy 11 and Hwy 11A.I then recalled my conversations with the cyclists at Manzhou, and chided myself for checking the night before. Indeed, there are only two 7-Elevens (the red dots) along Hwy 11 and tons of them along Hwy 16 9. I then psyched myself, 36 km is not that bad. Two hours or less and a late lunch. After a couple more mini Mars bars, I continued on Hwy 11 as if pulled by the next nearest 7-Eleven. I was to regret not stopping to buy banana from the fruit stalls in the market in Zhangbin village too.Ihadtotakemymindofffood,andstayedfocusoncoveringthe distance no matter that the body was telling the mind to stop and rest. I stuck to my routine of a short 5 minutes rest every hour of riding or 20 km covered and a longer 15 minutes rest every 40 km. The tourist attractionBaxianCave-Cavesofthe8Immortals, became an intermediate objective. Baxian Cave is one of the many sea caves in the mountain ranges facing thePacificOcean.BaxianCavedoesresemblethe mouth of a face resting on its left cheek. As I stopped totakeashot,touristsgettingoffthecoachescould be heard laughing away as they pointed at the cave andsomemencommentedonitsresemblancetoa certainpartofthefemaleanatomy.Itisallinthe minds eye.I was drained and had to stop about 1 km after Baxian Cave.Isatdownonthesideofthecyclingtrack,ate severalMarsbarsin betweensipsof waterandrestedinthe cool breeze. I envied the lone manon the beach,oblivious to the world and enjoying his fishing. Even the roaring waves and seaspraydidnotbotherhim.Hewasfocusedonenjoying himself.TheTropicofCancermarkerbecamethenextintermediate objective. Seeing it getting closer was morale boosting even as the first drops of rain started to fall. By the time I crossed the Tropic of Cancer , it was raining quite heavily. It was an emotional achievement and I wondered if sailors perform any rituals crossing the Tropics as they would when they sail across the Equator. I also wondered if there wasanyTropicofCancer monumentalongthe westcoast.Later that evening, I googled and found out that there is a big museum at ChiayiCity .Asitistoofarinland,Iwouldnotbevisitingit. There is also another marker along Hwy 9 on the other side of the mountain of this Tropic of Cancer marker. Even with my gortex jacket on, I was soaked by the time I rode into a town, Fengbin (). I was surprised when I rode pass a 7-Eleven on the left. I quickly made a turn and made a much needed pit stop for lunchandwateratabout1430hr.IneverknewthatIwouldbeso happy to see a 7-Eleven. I had sought shelter twice after passing the Tropic of Cancer as the rain became very heavy and it was difficult to climb the slippery slopes. While waiting for the rain to lighten, I spent the 1.5 hour replacing the cable ties securing gadgets and equipment to my bike. As the rain lightened a little, I continued riding in the rain.I met a local cyclist on a Merida road bike at the 7-Eleven. He was also doing a round island trip and was travelling in the same anti-clockwise direction.HestartedfromhishomeinKeelung.Hesharedthatroad from Yilan to Keelung has suffered several rock slides and it was not safe. Furthermore, the rain in the last two days would make it worst and hewastakingthetrainfromHualientoKeelung,bypassingYilan.Noting his advice, I also contemplated a time step jump to Keelung train station too. Apparently, there are specific trains each day for the carriage of bike and riders. For the next day, 11 Nov, there is only one at around 1300 hr. I had morethanenoughtimetocatchthattrain.Asitwasgettinglateintheday,Icontemplated 17 switching to Hwy 9 via Hwy 11A to make up lost time. Hwy 9 would hug the river bed and the routewouldbeflatascomparedtoHwy11whichclimbsseveralfoothillsandeventwo significant peaks before descending to the coast again. An added plus factor in favour of Hwy 9 was that there would be several 7-Eleven enroute versus none for Hwy 11. Day 4 Sanxian to Hualien GPS Map -https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8895974 Despite the factors in favour of switching to Hwy 9, I decided to stay on Hwy 11 and ride out the challenge. After all, I didnt come to Taiwan for an easy ride, and I wanted to hug the coast as much as possible. It would turn out to be the most difficult climb in the entire trip but the most fulfilling.Thetwinpeaksof BeijialuLanshanandNiuShanwillneverbe forgotten.I encountered my first tunnel, ()at the 41 km mark along Hwy 11. It is 841m long andreplaced() ontheoldHwy 11asanewseriestunnelswerebuiltto replace the old series of tunnels along the newly improved Hwy 11.The photograph oftheold () isfromthe internet. Besides replacing the older tunnels, some these new tunnels were built through hills and slopes to straighten Hwy 11. At the top of the first peak of Beijialu Lanshan, I encountered the tunnel (167 m long) at the 33th km marker. Descending from the second peak of Niu Shan towards the coast again, I encountered a series of tunnels closely spaced and linked by bridges. From these bridges, I could see the old Hwy 11 hugging the coast and snaking its way around the hills. 18 Thefirstwasthe() (824m long), 200 m later the (512 m long), 10 m later the (484 m) and 40 m later the (435 m).Thetunnelswerewell-litandthe warmyellowglowwasstrangely comforting. BythetimeIdescendedfromthe mountains and rode along the coast, it was approaching last light. I decided to rest at a sceniclookoutandenjoyedthecoolsea breeze as the last bit of daylight faded away. It was another 20 km beforeIfounda suitable minsu for the night.Ihadridden 108 km that day. TherouteforDay4 wasdifficult.The strongheadwinds madeitworse.Theraincauseddelays.Thechoiceof route increased the challenges and tested my logistics contingency plans. The many slopes were challengingbutwhentheroadturnsintothemountains,that'swheretheridebecamesuper challenging. The downhill runs through the tunnels were great and at least the drivers gave me a wideberth.Riggingthebikefornightridesandputtingnewbatteriesintothelightsprovided added safety as I rode through the various tunnel. DAY 5 11 NOV 16 KM + 6 KM HUALIEN TO KEELUNG his wasthe minsu - HorizonwhereI spentforthenight.Itis locatedontheoutskirts of Hualien alongthecoast.The ownerwasverynice.I bargained NT$200 off the price tokeeptomybudgetof NT$1000.AfterIshowered, someguestsarrivedand weretalkingveryloudlyand excitedly.Acoupleofmen satinthebalconytosmoke andchat.Oneofthestaff came and told them to lower theirvoicesastherewere other guests. A short while later I sought assistance from the front desk to sort out my room's door. The same staff from the minsu asked if I was disturbed by the loud talking and smoking. He said he has told them to lower their voices and to smoke outsideandawayfromthebuilding.LaterheaskedmeifI would like breakfast earlier than the 8 am start time, adding that " so that you don't have to eat with the PRC guests, as they can be so boorish". As I returned to my room, I could hear them loudly at the beach which is a stone throw away from my room. T 19 Till then, none of the minsu has asked for any identification or passport for registration. It was payment upon checking in. At least, this minsu asked for my name and mobile phone number. TheminsustaffthoughtIwasTaiwaneseorHongKongerasonlycrazyTaiwaneseorHong Konger would bike solo round-island. They thought that I was probably the first Singaporean they have encountered cycling around the island.The local owners were very hospitable and house proud as most Taiwanese are. As this is the low season, they were renovating the place, but yet the minsu was clean and neat. I watchedthem prepared breakfast, like a hungryvulture, andeveryoneincludingtheladyowner,knewtheirroles verywell.Thiswasanexcellentteamatwork.The momentthelastitem wasplacedonthebuffet table, the lady owner invited me to have mybreakfast.AsIatemyTaiwanese porridge,theladyownerbroughtme somebuns. Whenanotherstaff brought the rest of from the kitchen and placed on thetable with the rest of the food, the lady owner told him to take it away as it is not for guests. Later as I wasabouttodepart,sheofferedme someDongheBaozi(meatbuns).The ladyownertoldmethattherearelong queues every day for these popular buns. It was very tasty. Her kind gesture made the buns so much nicer.Feeling well rested and no pressure of time to catch the 1253 hr train from Hualien to Badu whichistheneareststationto Keelung city, I bid farewell at 0800 hr andcycledleisurelytoHualientrain station.IwashappythatIwas leavingthehillyslopesofHwy11 and the mountainous ridge which has accompaniedmesinceIgotonto Hwy11.Thenorthernmostendof this ridge was a sight I had longed to see. As I rounded the northern tip of the ridge, I could see the Hualien Bridge and the massive mountains on the eastern side of Hualien city. The cloud covered mountains - and () are truly impressive and almost fairy tale likeas they came into my view fully when I rode on the Hualien Bridge.After a quick 16 km ride, I arrived at Hualien train station at 0835 hr, only to discover that the 1253 hr train to Badu near Keelung is full. I could not get a ticket for both bike and rider. The next train was 2000 hr arriving in Badu at 2300 hr.Therearespecifictrainsthatallowthebikeonboardbutlimitedtocarry10bikesonly.After some checking and discussion with the train station staff, I realised that if I disassembled and packed my bike, I can check it as an over-sized baggage and I can catch any train. Else, I had to wait for the special trains.The ticket teller was amazingly patient as she explained and explored variousoptionsforme.Theotherpassengersinthequeuewereequallypatienttoo,instark contrast to train stations on the Mainland. An optimal solution was reached. I would catch next available train to take bike - not as luggage - at 1545 hr arriving at Yilan train station at 1828 hr and then find ticket for bike and rider or ride to Keelung. I paid for my tickets, an adult-priced ticket for myself and a child ticket at half the price of an adult ticket for my bike. I had almost 6 hours to wait and using my IPhone, I worked out various plans.20 If I could ride from Yilan to Keelung the next day, I would then stay over in Yilan.IsearchedforaccommodationnearYilanstationanddecidedonan ROCMilitaryHotel .IfitwasnotpossibletoridefromYilanto Keelung due to rock falls along the road, then I would catch the next available train to Badu, either that evening or the following morning. The Hualien train station staff was not able to check availability of tickets from Yilan to Badu and I had to do so at Yilan itself. I tried to check and book tickets online. My poor understanding of traditional Chinese, and the small IPhone screen made it a frustrating and futile exercise.Hualientrainstationisrelativelysmallerandmore rundownthanIhadexpected.Perhaps,Iamusedto the grandeur train stations on the Mainland.This is a simple and functional train station.Isawalotofotherbikersintheir ridingapparel,arrivingordeparting, andassemblingordisassembling theirbikesatthetrainstation.Each hadasoftskinbikecarryingbagto storetheirdisassembledbike,andclearly, manywereexperiencedcyclistsasthey collected paper carton boxes to line their bags toprovideadditionalsupportandcushioning. This was an important lesson for me. Having a soft skin bike carrying bag is essential for biking inTaiwan,especiallyifyouneedtousethetrainfor whateverreasons.Youcanthencatchanytrainrather than wait for special trains. Hualientrainstationisaveryconvenientstartorend pointforbikingtrips.Thereisabusstationfordaytripstovarious attractions in the Taroko National Park. There is a Giant Bicycle shop located at the Hualien train station.Manybikersrentbikes,panniersandhelmetsforthebiketours.Theshopalso organises bike tours. It was a great place to get supplies and accessories for biking trips. It was doing brisk business.I chained my bike to a railing post at the train station, and went off to explore Hualien city on foot. I had lunch at this Hualien Biandang that serves the food in a Hello Kitty tiffin. I am sure the Hello Kitty fans will love this. Alas, the Hello Kitty tiffin cannot be taken away. The train to Yilan was not a high speed train but a slower commuter train.The seats are by the sidesofthecar facinginwards,likeour MRTtrains.Bikescouldonlybecarriedindesignatedcarandwas secured to one of the poles together with other bikes, if need be.The trainmadeseveralstopsandwassoonfilledwithyoungschool children heading home after school.Arriving in Yilan at 1828 hr, I was tempted to ride along Hwy 2 to Keelung.AcheckwithpeopleinYilansuggestedthatitwas probably best to skip this stretch, due to rock falls along Hwy 2, caused by the recent rain. I managed to get tickets to Badu that evening on the 1930 hr train. It was a 1:45 hour journey, arriving at Baduat2115hr.IcalledtheROCMilitaryHoteltocancelmy reservation and waited for the train to Badu.21 It was a 6 km ride to a hotel in Keelung city. The train station staff at Badu was also helpful and ensured that I followed Hwy 5 into the city, and repeated the instruction twice. I was grateful for their clear directions as it was already 2130 hr. Thiswasadayofshortridesandtherewasampletimefor reflection.Itwasalsogoodtolettheachingthighmuscles recoverfromthemanylonguphillrides.Thereweretimes yesterdaytraversingthetwinpeaksof Beijialu Lanshan, and Niu Shan when I thought that I hadhita culminationpointandwouldtaketrainallthewaybackto Kaohsiung. Yet, there was a strong desire of not wanting to be defeated. Perhaps, the planned rides were too ambitious, and having a break day to see the sights might be good, especially forafirsttimerround-islandrider.Meetingtheothercyclists tendtostirthecompetitivespirittomatchthem.Ihadto remindmyselfthatIwasinasemi-touringmodewhilethey were in a race mode. There were other cyclists who were in 100% touring mode and have taken15to20daysfrom Taipei to Hualien via Kenting, andhavehoppedonandoff trains for various legs to make up for lost time.I had to remind myself that it was essential not to lose the joy of riding, be it fast or slow.There was a nagging feeling of incompleteness arising from not riding from Hualien to Keelung. Some have done it before and not doing it took away the satisfaction of doing a complete loop aroundTaiwan.Ihadpreparedadequatebikelightingand brought along reflective vest and strips, but yet, Iknew it was the right decision in not undertaking a venture with unnecessary risks arising from narrow roads, and no bike lanes along Hwy 9 fromHualientoYilan,longtunnels(upto1.46km),large numbersoffastmovingtrucksandcars,andwetweather conditions.GoogleStreetViewisan excellentaidtopreviewandreviewthe routesanditconfirmedtheunnecessary risks of riding along this stretch of road.There were 4 sounds that kept me company throughout my rides along the east coast of Taiwan. These were: (1) the roar of the seas, (2) the headwinds, (3) my panting, and (4) the voice inside myheadthatkeepstellingtopushon.Upinthemountains,theroaroftheseasandthe headwinds were replaced by (1*) the grunting engine of passing vehicles and (2*) the chattering of the monkeys. I never knew about or encountered monkeys in the mountains in the south of Taiwan before. Stretchingexercisesbeforeandaftertheridesareimportanttopreventmuscleachesand cramps. At the end of the ride each day, it required discipline to stretch and not let the stomach take control. With the prospects of tailwinds on the west coast, my confidence was renewed.DAY 6 12 NOV 81 KM KEELUNG TO TAIPEI checked into a simple hotel in downtown Keelung the night before. It was an old quiet hotel next to a series of flyover, costing NT$1200 per night. By the time I arrived at the hotel, it was already late at night, and the streets around the hotel were dark and devoid of activities. I wasI 22 greeted with a completely different sight when I went out for breakfast at 0630 hr. The walkway, streets and even spaces under the flyover were deeming with life. Therewerefoodstalls,peoplesellingmeat, vegetablesandcollectibles.TheTaiwanesereally have an early start. Dark rain clouds loomed and it was another wet day as I rode round Yangming Shan () , along Taiwan north coast. Northern Taiwan is known to be the most scenically varied. There would be a series of uphillridesandalastbitofheadwindsbeforeI rounded the northern tip of Taiwan Island and ending this leg somewhere south of Taipei. GettingoutofKeelungcitywasacomplicatedaffairofavoidingthemorningtrafficand negotiatingtheonewaystreets.Thetrafficdinmadetheaudiocuesfromthe GarminEdge800inaudible. Eventually,afteracoupleof loopsandbacktracking,I managedtogetoutontothe coastalroadSection1,Huhai Road beforeHwy2 whichisdesignatedasthe Northern Coastal Highway. The GPS is as good as thecurrencyofits map.Ihada 2012editionmaploaded.The iPhone and Google map provided excellent backup with most current detailed street information. I plotted an alternate route on my IPhone to the coastal road avoiding Freeway 3.Keelung is a fishing port that seems to be caught in a time warp. There isamixofdatedbuildingsandmodernones.Thefishingboatsin harbour provided a new sight as well as smell.The northern coastal road offers scenic views of the Pacific OceanmeetingtheEastChinaSeaandTaiwanStraits.It wasjustrewardtomarkasignificantmilestoneinthe journey. The original intention for that day was to ride only 80 km to a motel in New Taipei City. As I rode along the Northern Coastal Highway, taking in the sights, I projected that I could ride an additional 40 km or so to Taoyuan , Iwasmakingverygoodprogress.Ridinguphilland againstthewindsthelast6dayshaveindeed strengthenedthespiritandbodytoridethefinalstretch round the northern tip of Taiwan Island Taiwanwasinthemidstofanationalelectionand banners of candidates lined the roads throughout Taiwan. Tillthen,thesebannerswereflutteringinthestrong winds towards me.It brought joy to see these banners changingdirectionandflutteringawayfromme.The momentcamejustafteradeafeningsilencewhen bannerswerestillandothersfurtheronstartedto changedirectionasIroundedthenortherntip.Shortly after, I was rewarded by the splendid sight of the Shimen 23 Arch , a great natural wonder on the northern coast, just as the first rain drops fell.AlthoughitsChinesenamemeansStoneDoorwayCave,thisrockformationisnow more appropriately referred to as an arch as it was formed by tidal erosion. There are steps leadingtothetopofthearchwhichholdsasmallviewingplatform,andremnantsofagun emplacement. As it had started to rain, I didnt climb to the viewing platform. There is a concrete bridge on some rocks in the shallow waters. This was a bit of a puzzle. I wondered who built that stone bridge. Were there land features that the bridge connected long time ago before they were similarly eroded over time? In my haste to beat the wind, I had ridden passed theYehliuGeopark ortheYehliu Promontory, famous for its rock formations such as theFairysShoe,MushroomRock,J apanese Geisha, Candle Rock, Leopard Rock and its most iconicformationTheQueensHead.Ididnt realise it till I checked just before leaving Shimen Arch. Somehow, I had wrongly remembered that IwouldseeShimenArchfirstandthenYehliu Geopark. I had passed Yehliu Geopark 20 km back.Idecidednottogobackastherain started to fall. I had visited Taiwan extensively onmyprevioustripsbuthavenotvisited Yehliu Geopark. The photographs of the rock formation are from internet sources.The rain became too heavy and I had to take shelter in a bus stop near the black and white FuguiLighthouse or , about5kmfromShimenArch.TheFugui LighthouseislocatedattheendoftheFugui Cape and is considered the northernmost tip of the Taiwan Island.After30 minutesorso,IdecidedtorideonintherainasIdidnt want to lose more time. I passed some strange looking buildings and soon was forced to stop as the rain became heavier. I sought shelter at Qianshuiwan Coast Park and sat next to a drinks vending machine to keep warm. I soonleft,hopingtomakeupfor losttimeandpassedthree7-Eleven before I decided to stop for a very late lunchat1430hratthefourthone locatedatthejunctionofHwy2and Hwy 2B().IknewIhadtospendthenightinTaipeiCityastherain continuedunabated.Imadearrangementtocatchwithsome friends working in Taipei that evening. They kindly obliged even at very short notice. Chua Eng Keat kindly met me in Taipei City alongtheroadsideoutsidemyaccommodation(NT$2000per night) and helped me check in quickly, before we met Lee Wei Cheng for dinner. Eng Keat also took a photograph of a rain-soaked me to mark the milestone.Wei Cheng has been tracking my progressandhasbeensendingmeweatherupdatesregularly.Itwasgreattocatchupwith buddies. That evening was definitely one of the high points () of my round island trip. 24 Contingencyplanninghadpaidoffhandsomelysofar,from waterproofing, spare batteries, chocolates to carrying two power banks for power hungry GPS and smartphone. My gortex jacket provided excellent insulation against the rain and wind and kept me warm as I whizzed around Yangming Shan. It was definitely worth the weight to be prepared. Carrying lightweight and quick dryingclotheshasbeenusefultoo.TheArmyDaypackis excellent but the newly bought sandals and PT shoes were not quiteall-weatherproof.Thesandalsgavewayandwere disposed when the entire outer sole dropped off. Pieces of the outersolesofthePTshoeswereleftsomewhere enrouteas routemarkings.Thedetailedrouteplanningandsurveyof accommodation had paid off well. Being familiar with the route allowed me to make adjustment to the route and seek alternate accommodation. I had covered 81 km along a very scenic route. Although progress was slowed by the rain, it providedmeanopportunitytomeetmybuddiesworkinginTaipei.Itwasafuneveningof catching up and lively banter. It was an excellent break in my evening routine. The map showed the route taken rather than the planned route.Day 6 Keelung to Taipei- GPS Map - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800684 Getting out of big cities in the morning was quite a challenge. I took considerable time to get out ofKaohsiungandKeelung.IwouldexpectthesameforTaipei,andthatsoneofthe considerations to stayonthe outskirts of big cities. It can be frustrating trying to getonto the planned route, but getting momentarily "geographically challenged" brought opportunities to see things or sights which you would have never seen. There are fewer sights to visit on the west coast, and weather permitting, I might cover more distance, especially with a tailwind.DAY 7 13 NOV 87 KM TAIPEI TO HSINCHUfter a quick breakfast, it was back to the room to put on the still wet bike apparel, shoes andsocks.Itwasthesamefeelingofputtingonyourstillwetuniformthefollowing morning in the jungle of Brunei. It didnt make a difference because it was raining and it got heavier by the time I mounted the bike and left the hostel. I had studied Taipeis road network ingreaterdetails,andwasabletochooselessbusystreetstogetoutofthecity.Irode northwards along Hwy 2B to get out of Taipei city, cross the Guandu Bridge() to get on Hwy 15 and then to Hwy 61 along the west coast all the way to Hsinchu . Hwy 61 runs alongside and under the new elevated Expressway 61. The route southwards was generally flat A 25 except when climbing slip roads to get on elevated sections of Hwy 61. Climbing various flyovers was a slight challenge as the wet road did not offer good grip. Day 7 Taipei to Hsinchu- GPS Map - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800698 I had some difficulties figuring out which exit to take at themajorinterchangetogetonGuanduBridgeas there were signs that two-wheelers had to take certain exits. I covered two clovers on the near bank before I decided that I should not pay too much heed to signs orelseIcouldnotgetwhereI wanttogo.It couldbeacombinationofnotnoticing signs at certain places and cases of bad signsmarkings.Itmightnothave happened had I previewed the route using GoogleStreetViewthenightbefore.I wouldexperiencethisagainsouthof Hsinchualongsectionswherethe elevated Hwy 61 is being built. I was not abletotakephotographsofGuandu Bridge when I rode into and out Taipei city asitwasrainingheavilythosetwodays. PhotographsoftheGuanduBridgeareinternet sources. ItwasstillrainingandIwassoakedthroughbythetimeI roundedHwy15togetonthewesterncoastalroad.Iwas making good progress especially with good tailwinds and I wanted to push south to Miaoli beyond my planned stop at Hsinchu, weather permitting. I was suffering from another bout of mission creep.There were many underpasses beneath the elevated Expressway 61 to allow lateral transfer to theothersideofHwy61runningnorthwards.Therearetrafficlightsateachoftheselateral transfer junctions. I knew progress would be too slow if I were to stop at each junction when the trafficlightswerered.ThetrafficlightsalongHwy61weresettoredasadefault.What's amazing was that the Taiwanese drivers and riders of scooters would stop even though there is no lateral traffic. Of course, there would be some truck and bus drivers who would zoom past these, and I would follow suit.26 There was nothing much to see other than the windmills, rice fields on one side, and the elevated Epy/Hwy 61 on the other. When the elevatedEpy/Hwy61ended,itwason-goingconstructionfor elevated Epy/Hwy 61. Hwy 61 joins and becomes Hwy 15 for a short stretch where I rode through a 2250 m semi-open tunnel () before arriving at Hsinchu.Iarrivedat Hsinchuinvery goodtimeatabout 1330hr,withthe assistanceofa strongtailwind.The rainhasstoppedafterIpassedTaoyuan.Iwas verytemptedtopushanother80km,leaving about240kmtoKaohsiung.Icouldfeelthatmyinnerthighswerestartingtochafe, due to wet gear. I risked walking like a cowboy if I continue to push on. Feeling hungry, I decided I would decide after I have eaten. I ate a bowl of instant beef noodle and enjoyed my coffee in thesunat7-Eleven,whileIcontemplatedwhethertopushon.Mystill wetsocksandchafed thighs became the co-deciders. Although I had stopped to wring my socks many times along the way, they were still wet. I decided to stay in Hsinchu as originally planned and see the sights. I took off my wet socks, tied them to my bags and rode around to see the sights in the vicinity.AsIrodeoverthebridgeinto Hsinchu,Ihadnoticedaparkat the river mouth of () and decided to look for it.The park mademefeel thatIwassomewhereonthe coastoftheAegeanSeait soundslike orLove SeainChinese.The Taiwanesearesentimentalist and have a pageant for cute, romanticandcosy.Yousee many examples literally out of the blue all over Taiwan.Instarkcontrast,theother parksinthevicinityofthecoastlookedverywildand unkempt.ThemainHsinchucityandanindustrialpark are located on the eastern side of Hwy 15. Nothing much lefttosee,IdecidedtocheckouttheaccommodationI have shortlisted. There are only 3 accommodations in the vicinity and all were motels. These motels can be found all alongthewesterncoastalroads.Thesemotelswere notorious for sleazy activities as they offered discretion by lettingyoudriveyourcarstraightintoagarageandyou entertheroomlocatedabove.Leftwithlittlechoices,I checked into one. The price for an overnight stayranged from NT$1000 to NT$1500 depending on theme. I requested for a very clean non-smoking room. Despite their notoriety, they are value for money as my room and I assumed for other rooms too, was decorated like a 5-star hotel. The bathroom with its tub, to fit two persons of course, and massaging shower, was bigger than the rooms in the minsu I have stayed along the east coast! I guess it is a matter of overcoming the feeling of queasiness.27 There are significant differences between the east and west coast of Taiwan. It is predominantly minsu along the east coast and motels along the west coast. The population on the east coast is predominantly Aborigine while it is mainlyChineseonthewestcoast.Isawalotchurchesontheeastcoast while it is Taoist/Buddhist temples on the west coast. But the warmth and hospitality of the Taiwanese from both coasts were indistinguishable.Taiwan is very bike-friendly. There are dedicated bike lanes for motorcycle, scootersandbicyclesonallmajorroadsandhighways.Whenitisnot possible to have a dedicated lane for the two-wheelers, there are markings ontheroadtoindicatedualuse.Thisisapossiblemodeltomake Singapore a bike friendly nation. Besides, these bike lanes, there are water refilling pointsandrestpoints.TherearealsolotsofGiantBicycleshops and local bicycle shops all over Taiwan. Many are strategically located along popular biking routes and offer repairs or required mechanical adjustments. Most drivers of cars, including huge trucks would give cyclists a safe berth when passing or patiently trail behind a cyclist along a narrow road. I have encounteredonlyahandfulthatwouldparktheircarsinthebikelane, overtake using the bike lanes, or come very close to the cyclists along dual use roads.DAY 8 14 NOV 159 KM HSINCHU TO MIAOLIAOhe original plan for the day was to end near Taichung Harbour (the black dot) at the 83 km mark. I arrived at Taichung just before noon, with the assistance of a good tailwind, and decided to push on another 80 km, saving one day off the trip. So, it was a day of relentless pedalling. Departing Hsinchu at 0700 hr after a light breakfast, I followed Hwy 61 southwards. After lunch at Taichung, I continued on Hwy 61 which became Hwy 17, at some stretches to Miaoliao(). Day 8 Hsinchu to Miaoliao- GPS Map - https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/635800708 This route didnt offer much in terms of sighting seeing, so it became a rush to cover as much distance as possible. I met some Taiwanese riders on road bikes and they provided an added motivation to chase and close the gap. I managed to get to within 50 m of the last two riders in the pack when all riders disappeared from my view.They had ended their ride and were eating food supplied by a support vehicle. Some of the riders handed out bananas and sandwiches as I rodepassedthem.Iwassimplytoosurprisedtoreactandcouldonlyshoutoutmythanks. Otherwise, it was a quiet and lonely ride that day.T 28 IhadsomeexcitementlaterwhenIfound myself on the elevated Expressway 61 instead of Hwy 61. I was riding on Hwy 61 which ran on the ground as well as elevated Hwy 61 next totheExpressway61.Iwasridingonthe elevatedHwy61buthadtoturnoffand descendtothegroundlevelHwy61,passatrafficlightjunctionatan underpass before ascending the ramp again to the elevated Hwy 61. I did thiscountlessnumberoftimes.Whileridingonanelevatedsection,I soon realised I was on the expressway instead, when I noticed that the signboards were bigger and were on a gantry spanning the entire road. Signboardsalonghighwayareusuallyonapoleoratrafficlightpole (See top photograph of series). Traffic was surprisingly very light and I cycled as fast as I could and got off the expressway at the next exit.I had ridden about 20 km on the expressway.I never figured out how I got ontotheexpresswayastherewereconcretedividersbetweenthe expressway and highway on the elevated sections.I had been wondering how they differentiate between the Expressway 61 andHighway61.Ibelieve,thenewelevated61isdesignatedan expressway, including those subsequent sections to be built, while the old 61 retained its status as a highway. In elevated sections where the new expressway runs side by side with the old highway, concrete road dividers are used to segment the road.ItturnedoutthatIwaswrong.The expresswaysaredividedintothe mainandsecondarythoroughfare. Thesecondarythoroughfareis equivalent to a highway.There are 4 classesofroadsinTaiwan:(1) Freewaywherenobicyclesareallowed; (2) Expressway where bicycles are not allowed on the main thoroughfare;(3)Highway;and(4)CountyRoad.Bicycles areallowedonbothHighwaysandCountyRoads.Iwas lucky to get away with riding on the expressway. Further, I was riding on County Roads 200 and 199 on the first day, andshouldnothavelabelledthemasHighwaysbutyou know how it happened. (Wink!)I was looking for a place for lunch at Taichung when I spotted a PizzaHutdeliveryoutlet.Itwasawelcomedchangefromthe food from 7-Eleven. When possible, I had also eaten dinners at localrestaurants.IsearchedforaccommodationinMiaoliao, marked it on the Garmin Edge 800 and set a course for it along Hwy 61. The scenery stayed pretty much the same and after a while, IfeltthatIwasonastationarybikewithcomputer generatedscenery.Thescenesdochangewhenriding overbridges.Whenthescenerybecamemonotonous,I selectedintermediateobjectives10kmapartand concentratedongettingtherewithin30minutes.Ifinally arrivedattheplannedmotelandwasthirdinthequeue. You register and make payment while in the vehicle (or on your bike). There was a cyclist in front of me and he took 29 last budget room. I was left with the higher priced one where the room is above a private garage. At least, my bike will have its own garage tonight instead of sharing a space with other bikes and stores.TheroomwasjustunderNT$2000.Asexpected,theroomwaswelldecoratedand bathroom huge.It is indeed value for money. DAY 9 15 NOV 144 KM MIAOLIAO TO KAOHSIUNG - ON HOME! Day 9 Miaoliao to Kaohsiung GPS Map -https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/8976567 hefinal144kmridetoKaohsiungstartedlaterat 0800 hr instead of the usual 0630 hr. I didn't know I wassofatiguedfromthe159kmridetheprevious day and had woken up later. In the final leg to complete my round island bike trip, I would ride along the Highway 61. I hadtoridelaterallyeastwardstogetonHwy17,which runs parallel toEpy/Hwy 61, several times as I could not find Hwy 61 to get over a river or when I wanted to get to a 7-Eleven. The 7-Elevens were located off Expressway 61, along lateral roads or the parallel Hwy 17. After my lunch at a 7-Eleven in Budai , I decided to stay on Hwy 17 as I had enough of the monotonous views along Expressway 61. I rode around Tainan city to its south and eventually continued on Hwy 1 before branching off to smaller roads to get to my end point near Kaohsiung train station. I had switched to Hwy 1 for nostalgic reasons and wanted to see the changes along that highway. The light early morning rain has made the road wet but has also produced a rainbow. It made me felt that as if I have been chasing rainbows on my bike since Day 1. It was a great feeling to be onthefinallegofthetrip butatthesametimeI wantedittocontinue.Iwantedtocontinue chasing rainbows.Thescenerywasthesameasthepreviousday.An interestingthingIsawatvariousconstructionsitesalong Hwy61wasananimatedmannequinwearingareflective vest and safety helmet, waving a baton or flag to warn traffic to slow down and to be aware of road hazards. I named him withthefirstChinesenamethatpoppedintomindand calledhimMrChen.Elsewhere,asetofportabletraffic lightsateachendofaroadwithonlyonepassablelane, wasusedtoregulatetraffic.Itmademewonderwhywe T 30 would deploy one or two workers to do the same in Singapore, instead of using these animated Mr Chen.It was a slow morning ride and I had covered only 60 km by the time I stopped for lunch at noon at Budai. I was riding at a slower speed than usual. I felt fatigued and hungry and had to stop 10 km earlier than planned for lunch. There was a distinct stillness throughout that morning. There was no wind at all. The trees, the election banners, the pieces of trash on the road were still. Where was my tailwind? I felt cheated asifthetailwindwasmyentitlement.IfeltIcouldhave gone faster with my tailwind.I felt better after a quick meal and a hot drink. I got on my bike and pushed on along Hwy 17, hoping to make up distance. I took it easy as I had just eaten butIfeltfatigued.Ifinallydecidedtostop7km later at a small park at the Beimen rest area tohaveacompleterestof30minutes.Whata hugedifferencethe30minutesmade.Ifelt recharged and was able to maintain a speed of 30 km/h or more.I zoomed past a tourist attraction sign J ingzaijiao Tile-pavedSaltsFields ,and decidedtomakeaquickdetourof2km.Itook some quick photographs and returned to Hwy 17. The scenery along Hwy 17 started to change and I passed a lot of ponds and rivers. There were strange looking structures in theriversandIwonderedwhattheywere.Thereweretwo different types of structures in the river. One had nets floating closetothesurfaceandverticallongpolesateachcorner, stretchingoutthenet.Theotherhadshorterverticalpoles supporting horizontal poles. I also wondered what the locals were farmingintheseponds.Myguesses werethatthestructureswerenetsto trap fishes and shrimps or prawns were being farmed in the ponds. I found the answerslaterwhenIrodethrough several small villages.I saw a lot of oyster shells.They were everywherealongroads,infrontof houses, at the sides of houses, and in open fields. There were baskets full of them. There were heaps and heaps lying in any space available. Later,I would encounter trucks transporting theseoyster shells along the road. It was quite a sight and smell.I passed many houses where groups of people sat in small groups to openorcleantheoysters.Iattemptedtotakephotosofthembut every time I approached, they would stop work and look expectantly atme.Iwouldsheepishlygreetthem andaskedthemhowtheoystersare farmed.Oneusedaknifeto demonstratehowtheoysterswould grow on a rope tied to a horizontal pole. Oystersarealsofarmedintheponds. Besidesoysters,theareaalsofarmed 31 seaweedforconsumption.Theseaweedisfarmedusingthosenetswithlongverticalpoles. There were many houses drying seaweed shaped into a disc, ready to be packed. Ilefttheoysterfarmsandthecommunitiesfarmingtheoysters andquicklyapproachedTainan.Iwouldbecomeobsessedwith the road signs as the distances to Tainan and Kaohsiung became smaller. I arrived at Tainan city centre at 1530 hr which boosted myconfidencetoarriveinKaohsiungwhichwasabout50km away before last light.Ihadreliedontheseroadsignsthroughoutmyridetomotivate myself.Iwonderedwhatdotheseroadsignsreallytell.Dothe numbers indicate distances to the city centre or to the city limits? I have come to realise that it is the city limits. The road sign along Hwy1wastheoneIhadwantedtoseethemost.Iwasreally happy that Kaohsiung was 8 km away. Traffic started to become heavierasIentertheKaohsiungcitylimits,andthenumberof traffic lights started to increase. Soon, there were lots of scooters on the road as I entered the city centre.Kaohsiung City is really a City of Traffic Lights, because of the grid-like network of roads. I hadto stop frequently.Thegood thing is that it would be green lights for several junctions which allow traffic to move a substantial distance before the next segment of the traffic lights become red. The last 10 km in Kaohsiung city became very slow but the last 5 km towards the train station was painfully slow. I finally arrived at a park near Kaohsiung train station at 1830 hr. Ihadcompletedmyround Taiwan island bike trip!AquickcheckonGarminEdge showed that I have cycled a total of 954 km.Iwasbothhappyandhungry.I headedtothenearbynight market to look for food. D10 - THE DAY AFTER A VERY LONG BIKE RIDE woke up early as usual and was glad I didn't have to put on any damp clothing. It was a day to relax the body, stretch the leg muscles and to feed the lingering thirst and hunger.I had done some preliminary cleaning of my bike and equipment the night before. I cleaned whatIcouldandthrewawaythepoorqualitypanniers.Ididnthaveasenseofelation, achievement or pride. There was a sense of relief and feeling humble. I had just gone on a very long bike ride. That's all. I would feel a sense of achievement much later.SowhatdidIachieve?During myjourney,ImetmanyTaiwanesewho were biking, walking, running barefoot, and riding a fixed gear bike round island. There was even one man on a bike with a 45 litres backpack on his back. The trip was about overcoming mental limits, getting out of one's comfort zone and liberally just doing it. It was also about having a common experience and understanding the experiences of those who have done it.I 32 ThesenseofachievementkickedinwhenIwas washingand cleaning my bike at a tap near the hotel I stayed.People from houses next to the hotel came by in ones and twos and asked if I had gone on a round island bike trip and would congratulate me on the achievement. I felt truly happy. Ireflectedonmyoverallexperienceandhadonewordto describe it wonderful. Almost everyone, whom I shared my thoughtswith, feltthatit wasriskyandboringto goonasolo bike ride in Taiwan, but it had turned out well. I believed that it was more than just luck.ImadethedecisiontoridealonesothatIcouldhavethe freedomtodo whatI wantedwhenI wanted.Itcangetlonely and complicated if you run into trouble. However, there are a fair numberofpeoplecircumnavigatingTaiwanIslandorriding selected popular routes, and it is always possible to ride with them for short stretches. It can get lonelyontheroadandboringnottohavesomeonetochatwithoverdinner.Iovercamethe loneliness by mentally focusing on arriving at intermediate objectives within the time I set, and used my smartphone to talk or video chat with friends and families during extended rest periods andintheevenings.PostingmyprogressonFacebookandreceivingencouragementfrom friends tracking my progress made it less lonesome.Taiwanese are so friendly and compassionate, and the people I have encountered all the way aroundtheislandweremorethanreadytoextendassistanceandwordsofencouragement. Taiwan society has developed a high degree of social grace and I felt safe riding alone. There wasnodangerorthreattomypersonalsecurityorproperty.Imetweekendcyclistsand members of cycling groups who would ride along side and provided much needed conversation andencouragement.Imetfellowcyclistsdoingtheroundislandtrip,eagerlysharingtips, information of the route and concerns of my well-being. I met women who were riding solo round-islandandtheysharedthattherewasprobablynowhereelsewheretheyfeltsafertodoso. Taiwan is very bike friendly with its dedicated bike lanes or properly marked dual use lanes, bike restareasandbikeshopsalongpopularroutes.Driversshowedproperroadetiquetteand respect to cyclists. Hotels were easy to find along the coastal roads and there is a range to fit your budget. I agreed that there is probably no better place to bike long distances than Taiwan.Ihadexperiencedtheirwarmth, hospitalityandcompassion.An incident during my dinner on arrival in Kaohsiungbecamethedefining experienceofhowIfeelaboutthe Taiwanese.Ileanedmybikeona walloutsideanoodleshopandit toppled after 30 minutes or so, with a loudbang,startlingcustomersand stallholdersalike.The stall holders helped me to upright my bike and even offered to clear a spot formetoparkmybike.Icertainly didn't expect that kind of reaction.Mealsenrouteandintheevenings wereleastofmyconcerns.Evenif you are not adventurous with food, Taiwan provides a huge variety of food to meet a wide range of palate. Although 7-Eleven provided a good selection, I would recommend heading to popular localeateriesandsamplingthelocalfavourite.AlmostallthatItriedservedfoodthatwas cheaper and tastier. 33 I reflected on my routesand consideration of hugging the coast andnot going into the cities. Other than Kaohsiung, Keelung and Taipei, I stayed outside the cities. Besides being cheaper, it was easier the next morning to resume the ride and save time negotiating the morning traffic. The choice of staging from Kaohsiung was a good one. Riding along roads and passing areas which I am very familiar with in the first leg, provided added confidence and assurance of a good start.Goingcounter-clockwisewouldremainmypreferredchoiceasIwouldbecontinuously ridingnexttothecoast(Itisleft-handdrive inTaiwan).I wasrewardedbyspectacular views throughout my journey. I didnt consider the wind direction and encountered headwinds for most part of my ride, but the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean more than made up for it.Thequestiontorideornottoridethelegfrom Hualien toYilan along the infamous 118-km Suhua Highway ()(Hwy9)isamatterofpersonal choice.TheSuhuaHwyisconsideredasTaiwans mostdangerousroadbecauseitisnarrow,steep and full of long dark tunnels, heavily used by heavy trucksandtourcoaches.Theroadcondition becomesworsewhenthereisatyphoonorheavy rains as there would be mudslides and falling rocks.Althoughtheroadsincertainstretchesarequite wide,therearealsomanystretcheswhereitis narrowwithnobikelanes,includingthetunnels.I had made more than adequate preparation and had brought reflective vest, strips and enhanced lightsandwasmentallymorethanpreparedtoridetheSuhuaHwy.Therisksofridingthis stretch are high and were increased by the heavy rains then. While I would continue to have the lingering feeling of not doing a proper island circumnavigation, I am glad that I had heeded the advice of the experienced local cyclists to skip it. I know there are plans to improve Suhua Hwy in the years to come, and I certainly look forward to riding on the new Suhua Hwy.This solo bike ride around Taiwan Island was one of my greatest experiences. I enjoyed the hard grind of the ride, the pain and aches, the discipline to keep to a schedule and the opportunities to improviseandadapttoovercomechallengesIencountered.Thesightsandthepeoplewere amazing. As I came to end of my ride, I wanted it to go on. I have enjoyed every moment of the trip.My spirit and soul feel renewed. I was searching for a final photograph to complement the first photograph in this journal but could not find one of reasonable quality, amongst the many I took with my IPhone 5S. I found and decided to use this photo that showed a cyclist along Hwy 26 headingsouthwards,verynearthespotwhereItookthephotographonthecoverwhenIwasheadingnorthwards. http://taiwanincycles.blogspot.sg/2010/10/touring-taiwans-tip-cycling-through.html --- The End --- 34 KEY EQUIPMENT