January 16th

January 16, 2023

Taichung overnighter

What to wear? Or should I say: What to pack?

When I pop to 7-Eleven for coffee before 8:00, it's drizzling and cold, but the forecast for Taichung is very good, with clear skies and a temperature pleasantly higher than here in the north. It's sounds too good to be true and while I opt for just a pair of cycling shorts, I also select a rainjacket and a fleece, as they'll be needed just to ride to the train station for my 9:09 departure. It's pretty chilly here, but the journey south lasting 90-odd minutes should hopefully transport me to a sunnier clime.

Wrapped-up fellow passenger waiting for the 9:09 train south

The idea is to have a few days away before Chinese New Year really kicks off on Friday - January 20th. In fact traffic will become frenzied on Thursday, the last official day of work. My mini trip begins in the sizeable city of Taichung - the chung means middle and that's where it is, albeit on the west side of the island. I'll ride back north with a couple of hotel stops en route.

With it being a Monday and just gone rush hour, it's a surprise to see the whole train of a dozen carriages is full. This express heading south has a rare carriage on the very end that accommodates about eight bikes, but the hangers are a bit weird as they don't allow for mudguards/fenders - the front wheel sits on support - so I lean mine in the space designated for a wheelchair.

The sky looks a bit brighter as the train makes its way south, but it certainly doesn't look as rosy as the forecast predicted. The sky is mostly grey and once out of the station, my fleece and red rainjacket stay on. There's certainly a chill in the air.

There was a hint of sunshine when I left the station in Taichung, but it was a false promise

I circle around a block near the train station and buy a couple of oranges from a market vendor on a street packed with makeshift stalls selling fruit and veg, just across from a junction where a bicycle path starts. The path runs below the elevated railway line that I was on about 10 minutes ago and no doubt was put up there at great expense so as to eleminate all the road crossings that must have really aggravated commuters. The bike path uses the route of the original track.

I need coffee and sure enough my eagle eye spots a place after a few minutes of riding. It's clearly an old building and a woman appears and tells me it's 90 years old and used to be a market selling fish and produce. Some original features have been left in situ, such as concrete plinths covered with white tiling that would have helped keep the fish cool.

Start of the bike path in Taichung taking me north - following the elevated train track

There are no customers inside the spacious, warehouse-type building and the menu has a veggie sandwich which sounds interesting, but the young woman serving says it's off, so I go for something that includes chocolate and banana.

The woman who runs it asks about my trip and tells me my goal for today - the small town of Sanyi - is quite a long way. I've no idea. She uses Google Maps and informs me it's 33km, which sounds a doddle to me. Google also says it'll take over two ours to ride there, which for me isn't going to happen.

Even though most of the route is flat following the bicycle path, there's a climb near the end and I'll also be stopping along the way for photos. It's almost noon when I say bye and get back on my bike, so half the day has aleady gone. It gets dark around five. It's actually not that bright now.

Not long after leaving the cafe, I notice some small alleys running off from the road parallel to the bike path. They are lined with single-floor homes that likely date back to when the railway track was laid and they could offer some photo opportunities, so I cross over to see if I can find anything.

It'd be hard to drive a car down these alleys as they're tight, with various possessions strewn around, like wheelbarrows, chairs and washing hung out to dry. I spend a bit of time going back and forth and see a few people. No doubt everyone here knows everyone. It's that kind of neighbourhood.

Drain cover incorporating a bicycle design

It's a bit dismal, but not too bad and I warm up and my jacket comes off, as does my fleece.

Following the bike path is easy enough and while bits have changed since the guy from Google Streetview came along, I stick to the route with the elevated rail line above and check screenshots on my 7" tablet now and then just to gauge how far I've come. It'd be nice to have Google Maps to get my location, but I don't have a phone and my cordless Cateye computer isn't working - it needs a battery.

There's one small area that that stood out on Google Maps while researching the route that seemed to be a bunch of older homes. You can tell by how close the lanes are grouped and I opt to spend a few minutes riding around, but the few alleys that I found by chance earlier were more interesting.

My watch also needs a new battery, but a clock says it's 12:45 when a McDonald's sign appears and I veer off the path and scoff a chicken burger. While it's OK on apple pie, it's a shame they put cinnamon on my cappuccino and it gets scraped off. I check how my progress is and it seems to be slow, but there's not much distance in today's ride, so no panic yet.

When I reach a train station called Lilan a digital clock says it's 1:54 and the next one at a station called Fengyuan tells me it's 2:17. It's getting on.

Once the bike path eventually fizzles out, signs point the way along side streets that are quiet. They duly lead me back to the old railway route and the path soon goes over a long steel bridge. Google Maps names it 'Old Mountain Line Dajia River Iron Bridge' and the river is way below. There are people out on speedy rented e-bikes and e-tandems, but not many. Next week it'll be bedlam.

After crossing the bridge, the bike path enters a long tunnel that gently curves to the west. It's called Old Mountain Line No.9 Tunnel on Google Maps, but there is not much info' about it that I could find. My guess is it's a kilometre long and it feels a bit warmer inside and overhead lights make it OK to see. It's just that heading north means riding slightly uphill.

Exiting the tunnel, the path and signs lead me into Houli's old town centre. There's no more bike path now. I just need to ride north, into the cool wind.

Sign outside a store that used to be a train station

In the long, curving tunnel - Old Mountain Line No.9 Tunnel

The northern side of Houli is a mass of large industrial complexes and wide roads. There's a river to get over and I've earmarked a bridge to the east of Highway 13, but there's no option but to cycle along the busy road for a while as it cuts right through the town and alternatives are absent.

I spot buildings I saw on Streetview, but after 10 minutes there's a junction that flummoxes me. I turn left into the unknown, but the good news is the road is taking me down a gentle slope and my speed is decent.

Ten minutes later it seems like a good idea to check my compass, which tells me my direction is south, which is obviously bad news. I've managed to competely get lost and it's already getting towards dusk.

While I try to ride north, roads come to T junctions which means choosing a left or right turn and after several of these decisions it's hard to know how far off-route I am. One sign is a railway that is passing above the road and my screeshot shows it and it seems best to ride west to get to Sanyi via Yili Bridge, which shouldn't be too far away.

A guy at a petrol station tells me Sanyi is back where I just rode from, to the east, and it transpires the rail line is a different one. It's hard to believe how far west this is and how far I have to ride back, but when I eventually reach Highway 13, it's time to have lights on. My red jacket has an inbuilt LED on the back, but it doesn't work when I press it. The battery must have died.

I pedal north up Highway 13 and soon see the junction with the road that would take me to the bridge I want, but as it's dark the route twisting through the hills would be a nighmare to negotiate. My planned ride was a series of small lanes, so I stick to the main road and cross over the river.

The highway lights show a climb up ahead that seems to go on forever and the wind that's been in my face all day is now taking the piss. My speed is pedestrian and my mood is one of dejection. This highway cycling is not my idea of fun, with cars zipping by. It seems wise to put my front LED on the rear rack.

I stop at one place where it's safe to do so and eat both the oranges I bought in Taichung in what seems a lightyear ago.

The climb is a few kilometres long and before the top a 7-Eleven appears. They're everywhere here. A clock inside says it's already 6:30.

Climbing up Route 13 in the dark and into a stiff headwind

Dinner is a microwaved spag bol washed down with a can of lukewarm Ovaltine, followed by a donut and and some chocolates. You could call it fine dining, but maybe not. There are only a few other customers at this time, while the store is huge and even sells draught beer. It's tempting.

Highway 13 carries on going up for a while after the 7-Eleven. The traffic is not too bad and there's a shoulder. The main north-south highway runs adjacent and is no doubt busier.

The 13 takes me to the edge of Sanyi, a place I visited a few years ago. I got confused back then and cycled around for a while looking for the local wood carving museum. This time I dcide to ask at a shop on a side street and a customer on a motor scooter says the hotel I want is about a kilometre away. He gives me directions before deciding to lead me there. Hero. Thankfully it's all downhill and it's easy to keep up with him.

The receptionist at F Hotel quotes me NT$2,200, which is about 30 percent more than I'd hoped, so I ask for a price minus the breakfast and it comes down to NT$1,800 - about US$60. There's a 7-Eleven around the corner, plus a coffee shop, so that's where I'll dine in the morning. Right now I need a beer, so pop there before having a warm shower.

Admiring the masterpiece in my F Hotel room in Sanyi (NT$1,800 without breakfast - US$60)

I popped to 7-Eleven just a block from the hotel

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 2,202 km (1,367 miles)

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