Riding Cyclette: Day 1120-1126: Taitung to Puli, Taiwan

Guess what plant this is?

Dragonfruit

Sugar apple for sale! Finally understood what the previous road sign was showing...

Still along route 9 in the east

And I slept on the bench last night with the company of splashing waves

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Red skin mangoes along route 1

Arrived at Free Parable office (check out their site if you fancy some innovative bike related product) and finally get to meet AK, a good friend of my brother in Kaohsiung. It was also AK who introduced me to Shan Zhu who hosted me previously in Taitung.

While I sit back and relax, I had a group of men having a close look at my bike... haha.

Then AK led us (Yache & Zong Lin) to Qi Jin Zhong Zhou (旗津中州), an ''island'' just minutes away from Kaosiung for dinner.

Sumptuous seafood dinner spread - oh my favourite seafood feast thanks to AK!

Taiwan opera staged by the road

旗津天后宫 - Kaosiung's oldest temple also a listed national landmark

++++

After a night at AK's place and homecook breakfast, we head off to his friend's place in Meinong by bicycle

Getting some fruits along the way

Stopped by an interesting shop

They sell handmade vegetarian buns.

Lovely shop owners... don't you just love his creativity everything was done up by him with stuff he picked elsewhere

Following AK through the villages and stopping for lunch

Then dessert treat *mmm rubbing belly*

If I could steal this handmade kayak

AK knows all the nice road to take and where all the good food are...

Its fun following him on the bike

Manual boiler...

The legendary red bean soup kindly prepared by Wang De, AK's friend

After lots of food and meeting more bike enthusiasts, its time to set off the next day...

and I've got 3 escorts who will send me off to the turn off at Mt Zion.

Thanks Wang De and Bi Yuan for hosting us in your beautiful home.

I'm really the goddess of rain.... it started raining so after we set off....

The heros who got completely drenched in the rain because of me

Thanks guys... till the next time!

AK loaded me buns, bread, ginger tea cubes and his wife gave me bottles of luxurious toiletries
😂

Onwards to Chashan in the rain

Beware of huge rock!

Up, up, up

I was so hungry... so so so hungry that I said yes at the first sight of eating place in the middle of nowhere up on the mountain

And I fell in love with this vegetable... Shan Su.

Its not something you'll easily find in supermarket but I really like it so much that I've more than one occassion hunt for them in the later days

Just rolled up from there... Taiwan is really making me fit

Wait a second... sunshine? For a short while, the sun break through the thick clouds

Can you see elephant mountain?

Elephant mountain with abit of imagination

A area surrounded by tea plantation

Was invited to have some homegrown high mountain tea

The view from their home / tea plantation

Their tea plantation

The fruit that will be used to make tea oil.... this fruit is a sick one though as they supposed to be green

After many rounds of tea, I accidently joined them for dinner... homecook meal makes me happy!

And after dinner, I accdently stayed at their place for a night.
Thanks Auntie Xiu & Uncle Lin.
This, is Taiwan hospitality!

++++

The view from their tea plantation in the morning

Lots of tea leaves... everyone's in the same trade here

This dog has been following me... everytime I get left behind, he'll wait up for me somewhere in front... many times dangerous running in the middle of the road.
But he ran away when a car nearly hit him (luckily just lightly on the butt as the driver break in time).. my heart nearly stopped at that time thinking he lost his life because of me :(

Alishan... are we there yet?

Hey Ho! Alishan!!

Alishan? Thats all I see after climbing up here... *wail*

The usual afternoon fog... no view on the mountain... no view!

1600yo Cypress tree

hmm not bedtime yet else this will be good for me as road will be close at night thus there won't be cars....

Thick fog

Piece of art

There were cameras in this area and I wonder if anyone was watching me.. no one chased me away in the night and theres toilet and water facilities here
Good night.

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