15. Taipei Story

 A change of country has meant a change of gear and, indeed, a change of bike. 

My last day in Bangkok involved taking a walk through the park where I met this stork… 🐦 

…dim sum for breakfast… 🥢 

…then a 20 mile ride across town… 🏍️ 

…and a ferry crossing to the suburbs near Don Mueang airport. While away in Taiwan/Hong Kong, I’m storing Bertha and some gear at the home of a Warm Showers host, Margie. 🏡 

I thought it might be a quick drop-off then on to the airport but Margie cracked open the beers, provided a wonderful Thai banquet and a bed for a much needed power nap!💤 

This set me up well for a night at the airport but, with my flight taking off at 6:30am, there wasn’t too much time to kill through the night. 

And, before I knew it, I was in Taiwan! 🇹🇼 

I’m incredibly, this is my first time in East Asia for over 15 years. Having taught in Japan for two years, the region was once ‘home’, a place I felt very connected to. 

Not for the first time on this trip, as I travelled from the airport, then took a walk through some cities, my mind was flooded with memories from my twenties. Feelings from those early days in Japan came back to me. The swings between excitement and exhilaration about being in a new country, and the overwhelm and anxiety when so much felt foreign and indecipherable. 

Aside from a few phrases and numbers, I don’t have much Mandarin so it’s going to be smiles and body language to communicate. Early days show me that there are some really good English speakers here but also that, with an aim of being bilingual by 2030, Taiwan has a way to go. 🗣️ 

Early blossom in Hsinchu city where…

…I picked up my steed for the next leg of my bike tour. I stayed the night at Murphy’s place; he looks after a ‘spare bike’ that another Warm Showers host (Hengo) is happy to loan out to other cyclists. All a bit complicated and convoluted but, with a bit of messaging back and forth, I’ll be able to ride on through Taiwan, rather then Han backpack. 🎒 

Not an auspicious start to my ride, Sunday morning was chilly, wet and windy. 🌬️ 

Also, I’d hoped to find lots of bike lanes across the day but it was largely road riding. 

I’m not quite templed-out yet after three months in Asia. 🛕 

I’ve got three weeks here in Taiwan so should be able to get right around the island. Cycling Route 1 takes you through on a loop of Taiwan and seemed to be fairly well posted on this first day of riding. 🪧 

My new steed! I’ve christened him Bertie (the Giant). I feel I’ve slightly betrayed Bertha but needs must. He rides OK. To be honest, he’s not quite as sturdy and robust as Bertha and, especially on this first tentative day of riding, every mile felt hard won. I’m sure we’ll find our rhythm soon. 🎵 

Anyone for tea? 🫖 

Convenience store stop. They really are a godsend. On this chilly day, to get some hot food was reinvigorating and restorative. This brown stuff, oden, may not look that appetising but it’s actually delicious! 

I am trying to brave it out in restaurants and order where there’s only Chinese script to follow but to know you can fill up cheaply and pretty hastily at a convenience store is so handy. 🤚 

St the end of the first day of riding, I’d gotten that little bit closer to Taipei and was hosted again through Warm Showers. I didn’t get a photo of my host MeiHui but she was an incredible host! We went out for noodles 🍜 and then back hope to watch a baseball match with some beers. 🍻 

So far from the UK, in a new and unfamiliar country yet, that Sunday evening, I felt so comfortable and at home. MeiHui lived close to the airport and has already offered to host me again at the end of my trip. I love the kindness and support of the Warm Showers community. 

Riding on from MeiHui’s place (after a nice breakfast provided by her Mum! 🍳 ) it was back into the grey skies and headwinds as I laboured my way on to Taipei. 

Following the river valley, the terrain was flat and, this day, was bike lanes nearly all the way. 🛣️ 

Still not templed-out!

Cycle tunnel. 

Reflective mood. 🪞 

I’ve really only had a day and a half to take in Taipei. Not nearly enough time to be honest but I’m hoping I might catch a day or two here again at the end of my trip. Could use it as incentive to crack on with my ride; I really like the city and its energy. 

Whether or not I’m hitting the main tourist sights, I have no idea. This temple, Lungshan Temple was very impressive. (And crowded…)

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. An enormous structure in the centre of Taipei. Hugely imposing and reverential yet he is a very controversial figure in Taiwanese history. I’m learning a lot about the complicated events of the end of WW2 when Taiwan was freed from 50 years of Japanese rule, returned to the Chinese ‘motherland’ but years wrought with corruption and internal violence. 

This Friday, 28th February, is Peace Memorial Day, commemorating the same day in 1947 when a wave of violence erupted in Taiwan following protests about heavy-handed treatment of Taiwanese by the Chinese authorities. It’s complicated. 📆 

The National Theatre. 

Taking advantage of a capital city’s facilities and services, a rare treat, a trip to the cinema to see ‘A Complete Unknown’. Cycling back to my hostel through the neon-drenched streets of night time Taipei, having just spent two hours in the company of Bob Dylan, I felt gloriously discombobulated! What a diverse and fascinating world we live in! 🌍 

Ahh, blue skies. I’ve had a lovely day cycling around Taipei on Bertie. A couple of museums and a few parks, then…

…riverside cycle paths to listen to some podcasts…

…and do a bit of bird spotting on the wetlands. 🔭 

My Warm Showers host (or travel agent as I call her), Hengo, as well as providing my bike, sent on a tent and sleeping mat that I was able to collect from the local post office this afternoon. I’m all set. Taiwanese hospitality and efficiency is oiling the cogs of this trip!

Tomorrow, I shall be attempting to drag myself out of bed early, to make a good start on the road across the mountains to the less populated east coast. I’ve got hosts expecting me again so I hope that I and Bertie are up for the challenges of some mountain climbs! ⛰️