October 15, 2021
October 15th
Back out for a ride
Yes, it's been a while... over two months!
The summer lockdown has exceeded the summer and eventually it became self-imposed, simply because the summer heat was just too much for me, especially when cycling with a mask on. The novelty of that soon went.
Thankfully the government is going to relax that rule this month for people exercising - riding a bike - certainly beyond city streets, what with the reported Covid cases having fallen to close to zero. However, masks are required when out shopping and all foreigners are still barred from entering Taiwan, unless they have a residency permit.
Slowly, life is returning to something like normal, with most dining places and shops open. Even better, to help stimulate Taiwan's economy, this month the government gave everyone - including Yours Truly - NT$5,000 to spend on whatever they want. I got mine this week.
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It's just gone 10:00 now and while I normally have an online student at 11:00, the young guy had a vaccine jab yesterday and emailed to say he feels groggy this morning.
The weather has cleared up nicely after a typhoon skirted the island earlier this week and once my tires are inflated again thanks to a pneumatic hose outside a scooter repair shop around the corner , I pedal off down the road towards the town of Lontang.
It's mid-October, but it must be about 32°C and there's sun cream on my arms and face.
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After 10 minutes or so, I get to an intersection with Route 66 and walk across to take a photo of the distant mountains with cloud obscurng some of the tops and feel of my right sandal is loose. It's not the Velcro strap that's come undone, but the actual upper has parted company with the sole. They're not that old so it's disappointing, and I feel like turning around and heading back home, but opt to keep riding.
It's only a 30-minute ride to Longtan and there are no hills to worry about. The sandals are kind of OK for cycling and riding along, I ponder getting in touch with Exustar, the Taiwanese maker, to see what they have to say. Obviously the glue - or design - is at fault. Years ago, I had a problem with the sole coming off on another pair while cycling in Morocco, but reckoned I'd got my money's worth out of those.
I make a few turns and get onto the town's main streets and park my bike outside Louisa. The coffee is better than Starbucks, just along the street - cheaper, too.
I have a window seat and watch the world go by for a while before riding along for a couple of minutes to look around a clothing shop to see what's on sale. I thought the summer stock would be discounted now, but it's not.
There's a small lane that veers around the southern edge of town and I soon get onto it. The construction work that was in progress hasn't been completed yet and I have to ride on a makeshift path made of sheets of plywood. It looks like the local authority is spending some serious money on making the area more of a leisure park and it'll be interesting to see what the result is once all the plant and hoardings are gone.
Flowers are growing in a couple of paddies that have been left fallow and I set up my tripod and take a few self-timed snaps.
As I walk to retrieve my camera and tripod, the left sandal goes the same way as the right one, with the strap coming loose from the sole. Weird how they both fail within an hour of each other. Exustar have a problem.
The lane brings me out near a place I sometime eat at but I'm not hungry after having a muffin and lemon tart in Louisa and just veer across the main road and turn off on a back lane that heads towards home.
The lane goes by a military base. The area has a few, including the main command center. If China does decide to attack, no doubt it'll be one of the primary targets.
A row of old homes look in need of demolishing and there's a traditional bike parked outside number 293 and I take a snap of it basically because my photography has been minimal today.
The plant shop I like to look around is closed for lunch and won't open for another 45 minutes so I keep pedalling and get home about 20 minutes later. It's been a short ride, but it feels good to be back out riding again.
Today's ride: 25 km (16 miles)
Total: 653 km (406 miles)
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