Late in the evening, at 23:30, I had a flight home from Taoyuan Airport. I love night flights for two reasons: 1) I can sleep during the flight which makes the trip seem shorter 2) I have a full day I can enjoy. Before going to Taoyuan, I visited my friends in Fengyuan. This time not only did we have tea, they even invited me for a meal in a restaurant. I tried to remind them that I was coming back in just two weeks haha. However, it still felt like saying goodbye.
Ever since I started going to Fengyuan in Augustr 2014, I have been using one single route: highway 10. It runs from Shalu/Qingshui to Shengang and on to Fengyuan. Lately I had been watching my map and the signs on the streets and I noticed that there is a cycling path that also spanned most of this distance. This path was called the Tan-Ya-Shen cycling path, Tan stands for Tanzi area, Ya for Daya and Shen for Shengang. In other words, it is a path that runs from Tanzi over Shengang to Daya. I decided to check this out on my way home.
I departed from Fengyuan and the first part was still along Hwy 10. Until you see a little bridge, which is the cycling path. That is where I got on.
Officially on the Tan-ya-shen cycling path. Now let's roll!
A map that shows what can be found in the immediate surroundings.
I loved the feeling of tranquility, no cars honking. Lovely!
I was riding for a while until I realized that Shalu was the other direction
Woops! Going in the wrong way, better turn around.
Tanzi in just 2.5 km but I needed to go the other way.
This is the bridge that runs over Chongde road. My GPS sent me over Chongde road once or twice on a Sunday morning before a Fengyuan group ride.
OK, I was back on track for Shengang and Daya. I had to count up until 10, not count down.
This very moment I felt like I did in Taipei, back in 2011 and 2012, when I spent hours and days on those cycling paths. It was cool that central Taiwan also had a cycling path like this. I even recognized some of the road I traveled by when a taxi took me to Guofa in early August. Suddenly I was starting to like a lot of stuff together.
At the 10km mark, I had to get back on Hwy 10 again. But this was already were the airport was. This cycling path was a great alternative to the more crowded road. I will definitely be riding it a lot more in 2015.. From Hwy 10, I took Taichung-67 down to Zhulin. The weather was perfect. I was home in time for my bus to Taoyuan.
Waiting for the red lights at ''Shalu's Wing'', as the locals refer to it. I always feel special on a day I fly back home.
Beishi Dong Road in Shalu... I stopped here for a meal with my friends and then I went back home. My luggage was already packed. I only needed to take the BRT to Chaoma and from there I could take the Tonglian to the airport.
This was it for this year: 3288km in two months. In January, I will have a carbon sirrus. I am hoping to sell this one as such, but let's worry about that later. Now sit back, relax and enjoy your flight. It's Christmas!
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