November 15th

November 15, 2022

Miaoli with Ralph

Last night in the pub Ralph and I talked about going for a spin today and after my eyes open at 7:00 this morning he soon gets an email from me letting him know it's on. He messages me back a bit later to say he'll pick me up at nine, so we'll likely head to somewhere fresh.

It's a bright morning with a cloudless sky and there's an almost empty tube of sun cream in my barbag. Once my bike is fastened to the rack, Ralph suggests going south to rural Miaoli County and that sounds fine with me. It'll be something like a 90-minute drive.

Ninety minutes later - parked under a bridge carrying Route 61, south of Longgang

Ralph's estimate is spot-on and it's 10:30 when we peel off the highway and find a parking spot just below, out of the hot sun. We passed the ocean and it's just a minute away, with a bike path sign pointing south to one obscure place, but we ride north, following a man on a cheap bike who looks to be in his 50s. He seems a bit odd and is shoutly to nobody about the candiadates he's championing. There's just us three.

Powdery sand has blown across the concrete path and it's almost a foot deep in places, meaning it's best to get off and push. A 'new' bridge already looks neglected, with it's primamry red paint faded and peeling. We follow the path north, up a narrow section that's getting overgrown, and find it ends at a small temple where a young man sits in the shade checking his phone, so we cruise back a couple of hundred meters and find the start of the 119.

We ride north up the coast and soon cross the Lower Sancha River Bridge

Riding under a sky rippled with white, the rural 119 has no traffic to speak of. A couple of small trucks that do come slowly towards us have speakers and banners attached and are campaign vehicles for local candidates, but it's hard to know who'll ever see or hear the announcements. Flags with candidates' faces on are attached to practically every post we pass.

With my breakfast now being a few hours ago, my stomach is telling me to get a bite to eat and when we reach a place called Sihu it's a relief to spot a 7-Eleven. Its long counter by the window is stacked with boxes, but there's just enough room to put my coffee cup, while my brunch is a microwaved crossiant. I feel a bit cooked already.

On far south side of the village-cum-town is a big mural on a residential building showing a bicycle route. We ponder following it, but decide it's best to stay on the 119 as we don't know where it'll lead us. I make a mental note to check Google Maps when I get home.

Ralph has been this way before and is taking me on a loop he did a while ago. He says it's a bit of a triangle. It's all new to me and the 119 is now wider and takes us through a pomelo-growing are, with novel concrete shelters at several bus stops being photo opportunities that are hard to pass up.

The 苗34-2 gives us food for thought on the south side of Xihu

Miaoli is also known for pottery and after crossing over Highway 11, a small factory has a row of large containers lined up outside. They could be for storing rice or whatever, but are now likely simply for decoration. They're about 1.5m tall and too big for my saddlebag.

Ralph directs us west off the southbound 119 onto the 128, which is pretty wide. After riding in the countryside for a while and creasting a strenuous climb, it becomes even wider and there's a string of warehouses and commercial buildings as we reach a major interesection. Ralph has to consult Google to get our bearings and finds the turning we want is just up ahead. It's nice to escape onto 苗31, which takes us north into more countryside, and another hard climb.

Upturned ceramic container outside an old house

Pottery beside route 128, northwest of Tongluo - the three Chinese characters says Tongluo Kiln

Doors beside a busy section of route 128

The 苗31 soon climbs and it gets steep and the eventually heat gets to us, forcing us to walk for a while near the top, but up here there are panaoramic views of the undulating, green landscape. From here, all signs of life have gone - it's just treetops.

We drop, then climb a bit more before getting close to the coastline and it remains rural with no traffic until we hit the 1. Alls well as we're on this big road with a meridian for just a minute or two - until an obscure turning which has a sign stating the 苗32 will last for 5316 meters. The civil engineers here must be real sticklers for accuracy.

The 32 takes us back north and merges with the equally small 32 in a series of twists and turns that makes it hard to believe it can be measured by the meter. It's just gone 2:00 when our bikes get put on the rack and we're in need of a drink, so Ralph stops at a convinience store on the drive home and I know sleep will overcome me once I arrive.

Once I go to wheel my bike inside, I know my camera is still on the back seat, but Ralph has already gone.

Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 1,990 km (1,236 miles)

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