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| Aqueduct near Ruilong |
Breakfast at Chishang
Pan fried vegetable pau
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| The Marin 4C became the topic of conversations after it made it to Wuling. Yesterday saw Khee Jin and Papa Mike test riding the bike. This morning was Ying Chang's turn. Before the end of the trip, Khass had made an additional 3 sales though we never see Khee Jin, Papa Mike or Siew Ling's nephew riding them!!!! |
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| Acres of paddy fields |
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| Hai Tuan Levee to our left |
This morning, after KC had gone through another round of
tube patching, we made our way to Taitung. Left behind in Chishang were George
and YC who had planned to take the afternoon train back to Kaoshiung.
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| You can't rush art! |
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| Hai Tuan Levee, ahead |
The ride to Taitung passed through peculiar landscapes. At
one point, we were riding along Fangxun Road which runs parallel to Beinan
River. Hai Tuan levee, built along this river, keeps the water in but helps to
irrigate the paddy fields that ran for acres along this area. Along the way, we
passed a few pig farms and a silo.
Skimming past Guanshan Waterfront Park, we then crossed
Dianguang bridge to ride along the foothills of the Guanshan mountain range.
All along, the Beinan River continues to run its course with most of its river
bed exposed, revealing a rocky base.
Turning inland, we crossed Baohua bridge. This time, the
landscapes took a prettier turn with more greens than greys. Farmlands decked
the pretty countryside, made prettier by a red aqueduct, built to irrigate the
fields.
However, the farmhouses in the village continue to despair
with little thoughts for design. Buildings were in blocks with most walls tiled
for easy maintenance and yards fortified with ugly high fences, a common trait
all along newer towns and cities.
Stopping for lunch at Ruilong, our palate were again
discouraged by the boring Taiwanese dishes of boiled food slapped with generous
helpings of sweetened oyster sauce! Everything from chicken to fern to tofu to
century eggs began to taste the same!
It didn’t help that our cook is an Indonesian. Married to a
Taiwanese with a son in primary school, she had more or less assimilated to the
Taiwanese way! What choice, as her customers were the villagers, who has the
same discerning taste. Moreover, marketability is more important as she is the
sole breadwinner with a husband battling throat cancer!
We had an extended lunch hour in this small village when Siew
Ling, on a quest to buy us mangoes, bumped into the next door shopkeeper.
Returning with “free’ sugarcane and “paid” mangoes, we were later hauled over
to the lady’s shop for tea tasting with an obligation to make a purchase.
After lunch, we embarked on a long climb, circling the foothills
of Luye highlands. Fruit traders ply this highland road but with stomachs
filled with mangoes and sugar cane, we just gave them a perfunctory nod.
Close to the peak, we took a long break at a convenience
store. We were hot and flustered. But after cooling down on ice creams, fruits
and coffee we were all ready to free wheel down the mountain, a good 15 km or
more, all the way to Taitung!
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| Japanese dinner |
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| Taitung walkabout |
Photo Credit :
1. KC
2. Alvin
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Norden Ruder Hostel
