7th December 2017, Yuli – Hualian (90.3km)
8th December 2017, Hualian – Jiaoxi (By train)
9th December 2017, Jiaoxi – Taipei ( By train)
Confusing road signs made my ride difficult. When I pushed my bike out in the rain and cold wind this morning in the cold weather, at the halfway climbing up the 1st hill and about to take a short break, I saw a road sign written 150m uphill, though I was exhausted but it was just another 150m to go, so why not just do it! But this 150m seemed like a life time to me, until I reached the flat, Holy Cow! my speedometer showed it was 1700m. Damn! Moral of the story; Do not trust anything except God.
The wind is getting stronger, rain is heavier and weather is colder towards North . I increased my pace today hope to get to Hualian earlier for a good rest, to prepare for tomorrow’s steepest hill in Taiwan, the cyclists’ paradise, Taroko.
Reached Hualian early, checked in to a cyclist hostel and met few cyclist, I was told by other cyclist that Taroko hailed 2 days ago, and the road is covered in ice. Aisss!!!… Since have to give up Taroko, alternate plane would be Suhua Province Highway, but then bad news about that the highway has closed for cycling due to falling stone from the cliff……?!?!?!… Gosh! What the….. @%$*&∫¥#!!!!!
有了前几天的经验，知道北行之路只有爬坡，越向北，风越大，气候越冷，雨量也更大，是因为冬天的关系吧。。。
为了能提早到达花莲，七早八早冒着风雨堆车出门。 在第一座山爬到不要不要的; 想停下端口气时，眼角瞥到路边指示牌标着150咪 上坡，既然只有150咪，当然攻顶啦。 牙根一咬，拼上去。。。这段坡好像用了一辈子的时间才到达，看看咪表，哇靠！MD王八羔子! 是1.7公里嘞!!!（道德教育：别轻易相信任何东西，除了神。）
在花莲找到一间自行车客栈，已有几个骑士借宿。晚餐之后聊着明天的行程，被告知太鲁阁两天前曾下冰雹，今早路上结冰，而苏花公路则因为落石，在管制中，脚车过不了，这两处都不适合骑行。狗！！！
心有不甘，回去床位，放下布帘盤膝打坐，灵魂出窍，飞越时空找祖宗十八代商量商量。。。
After 50km, I was still riding around this Mt Yuli, a big and long beautiful mountain.
五十公里的骑行，还骑不出这玉山山脚。
Keep going up…..
继续爬。。。
Endless hill climbs….
没完没了的上坡。。。
Met a 74 years old French Chinese solo cyclist also riding round Taiwan Island.
74岁法籍华裔也可以骑车环岛，1100公里嘞。。。
One of my high carbonate dinner to refuel for Taroko challenge.
晚餐吃得饱，明天爬山好。。。
(Day 12) After yesterday’s serious thought about the weather condition, talked to some cyclist this morning and know that some prolong their stay, some will take a train to skip the path, and the weather don’t seemed promising, so I decided to take a train to Jiaoxi and hope to ride to Taipei from there.
昨晚跟祖宗十八代详谈之后，老祖宗说我还没做过什么缺德事，别那么早过去哦。逐找其他骑士商量，有些傢伙要多待天几观察天气再做决定，乘下的选择搭火车到嘉义。而且今天的天气非常不好，於是乎，决定搭火车上礁溪。
Jiaoxi Station.
礁溪车站
Jiaoxi is a city that nearest to hot spring, I was welcomed with a foot spa hot spring just out side the train station, it’s free for public.
礁溪在台湾是唯一一个离温泉区最近的城市，火车站前就有一个免费的足疗温泉池。
Desserted main raod at Jiaoxi, probably because of the cold weather.
空无一人的礁溪大街，可能是天气冷的关系吧。
Free hot spring in the hostel 客栈裏的免费温泉
Taiwan is a cyclist friendly country, bicycles are always allow to park at the hostel lobby.
在台湾骑行，几乎每间客栈都允许脚车停泊在室内。
(Day 13th)
Woke up in a wet morning, was waited for 2 hours, no signs of the weather to be good, I guessed I will just have to end my ride at Jiaoxi.
昨天的雨直到早上没歇过，今早等了两个小时还是没有天晴的迹象，只有带着遗憾的心，在礁溪结束我的踏脚车遊台湾之行。。。。
Special bicycle pathway made for cyclists’ convenience in train station.
在火车站特别为自行车而设的“车道”，方便骑士推车上下楼梯。
Bicycle parking area in the train. 火车裏的脚车停泊处。
Train back to Taipei 乘火车回台北,惆怅。。惆怅。。。
Taiwan street food 台湾小食
<< The END >>
Crazy Old Horse 