18. Last leg in Taiwan

 The trail north to complete my loop of Taiwan (環島 Huándǎo) continued…

…with sunny but breezy days on the way to Sun Moon Lake. ☀️ 🌙 💧 

Crossing the western plains, I followed this bike path, the Irrigation Canal Greenway, Taiwan’s longest dedicated cycle path at around 55 miles. As an alternative to riding through the middle of towns, dicing with traffic and being slowed by traffic lights, it’s a great piece of infrastructure. However, the monotony of endless rice paddies made it a slightly boring route at times and there were quite a few construction works meaning diversions off the path and loss of momentum. 🚧 

This random park, a tiny oasis of grass and trees in the green desert of rice paddies, made for a decent camp spot after a blustery and somewhat tiring Sunday ride. ⛺️ 

The wind kept the droves of mosquitoes at bay as I set up camp. 🦟 

Heading north, I crossed the Tropic of Cancer. ♋️ 

The airspace above me was regularly filled with the rumbling of jet engines as F16 fighters carried out training runs. A reminder that this is a geopolitically sensitive region in a world where international relations are changing on a seemingly daily basis at the moment. Worrying times as a new world order is established (or an old one demolished). ✈️ 

Nature is always a balm. Despite the intensive nature of the rice paddy agriculture, I regularly saw large flocks of Tree Sparrows and (Oriental) Turtle Doves, both on the wire in this picture. Words rarely/never said in the UK anymore. 😔 

After crossing the interminable plains of paddies, I had a final climb of the whole trip, on the way to Sun Moon Lake. It was more than worth the effort when I got to enjoy such sights as Cien Pagoda. 🗼

Up a hill overlooking the lake…

…it afforded spectacular panoramic views. Somewhat vertigo-inducing, don’t look down! 

The car park’s toilet block made for a very comfortable camp site! So much so that I stayed returned there for a second night’s camp after a 20 mile jaunt around the lake! Having running water and power sockets on hand is always very useful. Disappointed about the lack of WiFi though. 😉

Wenwu Temple is just one of many dotted around the lake. 🛕 

It was thronging with tourists.

Always useful to know which toilet cubicle to head to! 🚾 

After the lake, I had a long downhill ride to the sprawling city of Taichung where I’d drop off Bertie (the Giant) 🚲 and end my ride. One evening, struggling to get my order across to the restaurant staff, this customer intervened and helped me to order. We sat down and ate together and had a good old chat (in English). And true to typical Taiwanese hospitality, he insisted on paying for my meal! 🥘 

Night one in Taichung, I stayed with Ya Hsin who, a few years back, cycled from Finland to Iran with her partner. Here, we’d all just finished eating breakfast together. She’s now returned to a more conventional life and was pretty busy with her real estate work but, nonetheless, made time to welcome me into her lovely new apartment. 🏠 

She had lots of stories from her trip and has put Turkey on my radar for future bike tours. 

Taichung suffered extensive damage during the 1999 earthquake of 21st September. It’s referred to as the 921 earthquake. This museum has preserved a school site showing the building damage caused by the tremors. The museum has an earthquake simulator which is bone-shakingly frightening! The death toll was close to 2500 but it is an event that I know little about from news reports or geography lessons. 🗺️ 

Night 2 in Taichung, I took Bertie back to his guardian, Hengo, who I’d previously met for the Xiaoliuqui turtle snorkelling excursion. It was great to meet up with her again and hang out for the evening. She cooked a great dinner of Malaysian hotpot and we sunk a lot of beers, drinking into the early hours! 🍻 

Great conversations about all kinds of topics (topics of which I have no memory 🥴) and we encouraged her girlfriend, Shelley, to practise her English. 

The next day, coffee helped clear the fog in my sore head and we headed out to a sukiyaki restaurant for lunch. It became an enormous banquet, including a help yourself buffet of vegetables/tofu to cook and ice cream for dessert. I made multiple to visits to said buffet, long after I was already full. You never know where your next meal’s coming from.

After lunch, we made a quick visit to the city’s impressive Science Museum before I said my farewells and thanks to Hengo and jumped on a bus to Taoyuan.

Hengo was the most incredible host, providing logistical support throughout my trip. She arranged my bike (Bertie), camping gear, island excursions, snorkelling gear, food, hangovers - I owe it all to Hengo! 🤩 

Completing the loop in Taiwan, I returned to the home of MeiHui near Taoyuan. I stayed with her on day 2 in Taiwan when I was just finding my feet in the country. Returning here, nearly three weeks later, I felt I’d gotten a pretty good grasp of how to survive here as a tourist. 

MeiHui’s Mum cooked us a hearty dinner. As we sat down to tuck in, I thought to myself what a charmed life I’d been living. The hospitality has been exceptional. I have a huge debt of kindness to pay forward on my return to the UK. 🇬🇧 

Though my last day in Taiwan was a Saturday, MeiHui’s school was running a festival. I was invited along to meet the students, have a look around the school and make purchases from the various stalls (mostly, you guessed it, food!).🍱 

The students, like students in any part of the world, were a delight! Variously shy, confident, excitable, subdued, it was a lot of fun to be there. 

I got the lowdown on what it is like to teach there from the school’s Filipino English teacher. It sounds very attractive… Leaving me with a difficult decision to make in the coming days, commit to environmental education back home in the UK or up sticks and continue the Taiwanese adventure? 🎒 

Before I’d had time to reflect on the school experience and all that I’d enjoyed n Taiwan, I was on a plane and making the approach to land in Hong Kong. 🇭🇰 

10 more days and I’ll be homeward bound!