201km, 8h10, elevation 782m
Where to start the narration of cycling around the island of Taiwan? Ever since I discovered cycling as a passion in Taiwan in 2012, cycling around the island had become one of the absolute to due things on my list. So when I only had a few weeks of holidays in 2013, I decided to spend them on cycling around the island. Unfortunately, August 2013 entered history as a month with many typhoons and I was caught in a serious heavy rainfall which resulted in me not finishing the loop around the island. In other words: I had yet to do the entire thing.
Due to certain developments last week, I suddenly had the time for it. I had never thought of it when I was teaching, but this time I was ready to set out on another journey. A whole lot of details would be different from 2013: I would start from Shalu, Taichung and not Tamsui in Nor th Taiwan. I had a flat bar bike with wider tires and I was in a better physical shape. I did my preparations, took my map and hit the road.
I had started really late on my first day, it was almost 09:30 when I hit the road and departed from Shalu. I decided that I wanted to go south first, unlike my 2013 spin. The idea would be to do somewhere around 200-250, which would probably get me to Kaohsiung, where I would then spend the first night
Beishi Donglu 200 in Shalu, the point of departure for my second spin around Taiwan.
Even though I had faced some nasty shit lately, I was in the mood for this trip
From Shalu I went to Longjing and on to Wuqi, basically it is riding Taiwan Boulevard to the coast. From there I took Hwy 17 south. My good buddy Liao Shi-jie had told me that I would be getting a tail wind like that, but unfortunately the exact opposite was true. As soon as I made my turn right onto Hwy 17, I could feel the wind blowing aggressively in my face. Going back would be stupid, so I decided to keep going, at least for some while, and see where it goes.
The Zhongzhang bridge between Taichung and Changhua. I was officially entering the second region of this trip.
I had the hardest time along Hwy 17. I could feel how much extra energy I had to put in. After crossing the Zhongzhang bridge, I made it to Changhua's Shengang area, from there I continued onto Xianxi and Lugang. Progress was really slow. I had a first break in Lugang because I needed it. From there I continued south along Hwy 17, until I saw the sign for Route 143. 143 is a secondary road that goes more inland, also south but more inland.
My plan was to slowly navigate away from the coast and into the hills. I wanted to go to Hwy 3, but that would be a long end. So I slowly connected to Xiluo first.
Progress was not really fast on this head wind ride
I came through some villages of Southern Changhua, like Pitou and Xihu. I saw on my map that I could connect to route 145 and cross the Xiluo Bridge into Yunlin county.
Zhutang township in Changhua, I was connected to route 145
The plains of Western Formosa
My face was coloring red because I was riding overdrive all the time
Route 145 brought me over the Xiluo bridge, a place with memories for me. I passed this bridge on my first ever ride through central Taiwan. My GPS guided me over this bridge into Yunlin county. That was almost one year ago, on August 10, 2014.
The section on the bridge was hard, wind was hitting me full power
A somewhat weary facial expression
The positive side was that traffic was really low. I had this cycling paradise all for myself.
In Xiluo, I took 154 to the east because that would eventually lead me to Hwy 3 in the hills, away from the coast. When I made it to Hwy 3, all I had to do was follow south. I passed by the segment I did on my longest ride ever (335km): Gukeng, Meishan. I took a stop at the 7-11 of Meishan.
Meishan also meant that I had made it to Chiayi county. Chiayi was where it went terribly wrong on that late August day in 2013. Today it was sunny and the wind was in fact less aggressive here. I had made a good calculated guess
In exchange for wind, I got uphill sections
I stopped here to do a video report. Looking at the mileage of my bike computer, it was easy to conclude that I would not be making it to 200km today. Not all my fault. I altered my goal into going as far south as reasonably possible.
Even though I had not planned to come to this section, I saw some very beautiful pieces of Chiayi. I was stunned by this stunning scenery. I had not often cycled in Chiayi and at this point, I regretted it.
Welcome to Chiayi, the borderline between central and southern Taiwan
I don't know how it was possible, but there were sooo few cars. It was such a delight!
On rides like these, you gotta make time for pictures.
I had done Hwy 3 from Taipei to Taichung and now I was seeing this section. It really is a hilly road with fabulous views. This Chiayi section was new to me. Further south from Meishan there is Zhuqi county. Quite lovely!
I crossed Hwy 18 on my way south. Hwy 18 is the one that leads to Alishan, the only major ride I never did. I have to come back for it! Other than that, I also crossed Route 166 in Zhuqi, which is a mythical one to me. Strange of seeing it from another perspective.
Local police station
Yunshui, more Chiayi beauty
It was already late in the afternoon when I took these pictures
I stopped here to research my map. I saw that Hwy 3 would make a detour around Taiwan's highest reservoir: Zangwen reservoir. Due to time pressure I decided not to go for that one. I took a right when I saw Guanziling. And then I got lost...
This trip around the island felt so different from back then. Everything had changed
This is where I took a right and got lost. I still do not understand how it happened, but somehow I made it to Tainan county via some small roads.
This path wasn't even indicated on the map, excellent!
When I saw this tunnel I knew I was lost. I asked some bystanders if this road would lead south and they replied positively. After the tunnel there was a descent.
Chiayi-142
Then I ended up at Chiayi-139
Little temples made in Taiwan
I was happy upon seeing this sign. I had made it to Tainan county without understanding how. And this was such a small road. The feeling was sensational. Tainan-90, take me home!
This first day ride was turning out completely different from what I had planned, but I liked it!
I rode Tainan-90 until the end and then i did not know what to do anymore. Luckily there was a little shop where I asked for directions. I viewed my map and concluded that Tainan city would be my stop for the day. The shopkeeper looked at me and said: Tainan is very far! At least 50km!. Admittedly, that was a setback. How could Tainan city still be a full 50km fro; here? But I decided that I would go as far as I could without going extreme.
A cute little village
I have no idea when or if I will ever come back to this spot in my life
What followed was nothing more than me checking the map and navigating to Tainan. First stop. Baihe. The map indicated that I was on Route 165 going south.
It was getting very late. I started to feel in my legs that this had been a very long and tiring ride.
I connected to route 165. Still a full 30km left to Tainan city
Racing against a setting sun, a battle I was destined to lose
Slowly I was again diverging back to the coastline and back to Hwy 1. I could feel the wind was gone, it was a lot chillier and everything was calmer on the road.
Farmers cultivating their lands
At last, I made it back via 165 to Hwy 1, which would lead to the Tainan city center. From here it was another 25km and it was getting dark fast.
Watch out for cyclists! Amen to that
At this point there would be no doubt, I would spend the night in Tainan city.
By the time I arrived in Tainan, it was already pitch dark. I checked my bike computer and saw that the number 200 was very near. After all what I had been through today, I would still be able to finish it off with 200, fantastic! I started looking for a hotel once I did have 200.
I wanted to go to this place, DUTCH village, but it was 2500 NT per night. Not quite what I wanted to spend. I found this commercial motel for 1300 NT, which was fine by me. I took a shower, shared my experiences on FB and went outside for food. Unfortunately, nothing but 7-11 food to eat that night. All the shops and restaurants were already closed.
201 km on my first day in which I had gone from Shalu to Tainan city. I was happy with this achievement!
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