Day 1127-1207: Finale, Taiwan

I was told this is what locals eat for breakfast

The rain makes me reluctant to set off but I'm joining friends for a trek elsewhere so I have to go-now-in-the-rain

Making my way up slowly in the rain that never stops... it was already dark half way up Wuling and I met a touring French couple who just pack their tent and came back down looking for accommmodation... 

They were almost sleeping on a mini pond and also their stuff got wet... I am totally drenched and cold and we decided to share a room together to cut cost as it was freaking expensive in Cing Jing area

Like a crime scene? We are just spreading out our stuff at our best hoping they will dry overnight

The owners even cooked us breakfast at no cost

Michael & Alex... they end in Taiwan where they'll stay and work for abit

++++

Onwards to Wuling! The 21km ascend seems to take forever

Rain & thick fog bahhhhhh

Can only hope cars are driving slowly as my rear blinker is dead by now

Am I allowed to feel depress? All the effort to pedal up here to see nothing
*wails*
 Stayed overnight in the disabled toilet nearby while waiting for my friends to arrive at 4am to pick me up for our trek elsewhere.... it was a cold, cold night but luckily I still have all my winter gears with me

++++

Photo credit: Chiaso
With the hiking gang - Chiaso, ZongLin and Lin 'Da Ge'

Going up Mount Tao

Photo credit: Chiaso

Photo credit: Chiaso

And when I'm not cycling... I have beautiful beautiful clear blue skies!

Damn!

Photo credit: Chiaso

A toast to our effort!

Camping overnight at the top! There was a volunteer officer up here checking paperworks to make sure hikers have made proper applications to make the climb... 

We thought we have all things in place but we didn't, there was papers from another department missing... ''oh dear''...

Taiwan made hiking complicated as you have to apply for permissionS through different departmentS just to climb one mountain. Because we don't have all the papers in place, we had police officers waiting for us at the foot of the mountain. They took videos and many photographs of us and gave each of us a TWD3000 fine ticket. Ok I was forgiven being a foreigner (thank you) but a hike up the mountain ended up with me feeling like a criminal... it was the police officers behaviour I supposed that made me feel this way.. its was like the only thing they didn't do was make me lean against their police car, put my hands behind and handcuff me! 

Stunning views

Photo credit: Chiaso

All smiles @3325m!

Looking back at the peak that fooled us... the actual top is behind this

Drove back to Li Shan village

I  simply joke that we should treat ourselves to a good meal after all the ''hoohas'' and they took me to the 'Best/most expensive (its a joke betweenn us)' restaurant in the village.. haha

- Satisfied belly - Thanks for the treat peeps! Lets conquer more mountains next time.

++++

Back to Wuling, glad my bike that I have kept locked up outside the hostel is still there

Back on the bike and its grey skies again...

A devine tree

Zooming down to Taroko

++++

There's bunk beds facilities at this churh for TWD400/night.

Down from Taroko! Almost finishing Taiwan's leg

Train ticket back to Luodong, Yilan. Additional TWD54 for taking the bike onboard

Don't fancy take the same road back to Yilan, I decided to hope on the train, furthermore my best friends will arrive the next day to visit me

Met a group of cyclists on the train

++++

BFF & family came for a short visit... nice catching up with them and meeting the kiddos for the first time

 Bee farm in Yilan

 Jimmy Park in Yilan

At a farm in Yilan with the kiddos

++++

Around Yilan

A little mishap on my 'unloaded' bike... yes no luggages on my bike...

With friends who work / runs a BBQ eatery in Luodong, Yilan

Shiding Thousand Island Lake

Beancurd dessert - taiwan style

++++

Taking the boat out to get onto the island... if you are lucky you'll get to see whales and dolphines
We didn't.

Turtle island / Guishan island, Yilan's largest island

Can see it resembles the head of a dog?

 On the island... no inhabitants apart for military officials

++++

Enjoying good view

++++

Up at Tai Ping Shan for a short hike

Disused old railway track

 Shi Hua emo back view

Cooking eggs and veggies in hot spring.... yummy!

Fish market

Secret beach hideout

These colorful stones used to be broken glasses that has been thrown down to this beach...

++++


Photo credit: Nick
Riding Road No.7 in the rain with Nick who joined me along the way

Checking out an old Tea factory with Nick before riding to my host's place in Taoyuan

Sharing the load... Thanks Nick!

++++

Hakka noodle


Lei Cha - a kind of Hakka tea

++++

Hosted by SunUpEco family for a couple of days... they are the ones who sponsored me my external dynamo and I finally get to meet them in person for the first time. I even get a brand new dynamo from them! Superb folks!!!
Also met Xavier, Celine, Nayla, a Swiss family who has been on the road for 7yrs, Nayla their little girl came along the way and this never stopped them from bike tour...
Also popped by Mike's bike shop with Nick to have some quick fix before starting my next leg in China. Nick is also a tourer himself and is now saving up for his next round the world tour.

Photo credit: Nick

Gonna take the train to Taichung to catch the ferry back to China to meet my parents and sisters! Yeah! Thanks Nick for your showing me around this few days.

A guy on his scooter stopped me for chat, went off to buy this pineapple cake and stopped me once again with this gift

Bye Taiwan! I'll be back (when the weather gets better)... thanks for your hospitality and friendship... Really in love with this country