November 14, 2014
Antong Hot Springs
Enjoying a respite from the rains
We were lulled in our room last night by the crashing breakers of the ocean, about 200 yards from our window. Before breakfast I walked across the highway and enjoyed a walk along the beach. It was quite lovely out - This morning the sky is broken by a few patches of blue and seems to be gradually brightening. Hopefully this is the start of a trend.
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Breakfast in our hotel was very good, with an assortment of tasty offerings. The setting is lovely - an open air room looking back over the garden and mountains, with bird chatter blending in with our breakfast music. This place has been a real bargain - $2000 TWD (about $70 USD) for a room with oceanside view, breakfast and dinner. It is obviously well favored by cyclists - the walls and ceiling of the dining hall are densely commemorated by biker graffiti.
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We hurriedly packed up after breakfast and were on the road by 8:30, intending to make the most of the improved weather. As it happened though, better conditions held steady all day and we experienced a delightful ride with many wonderful things to see and experience. The first part of the day's route took us up the Siougulan River on the ultraquiet Riugang Road - it felt like we were cycling through a jungle, and we saw more water buffaloes than cars. We were especially pleased to see a family of Formosan macaques along this road and heard a number of others high in the dense forest overhead.
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At its end, Riugang Road dropped us down into the East Rift Valley again and back on quiet route 193. After breaking for lunch at the 7-11 in Ruisui we continued south through the valley on 193, blown southward by a warm, brisk tailwind. Today the valley really is as gorgeous as we'd heard about. The ever present rice fields, mature and ready for harvest, are especially beautiful.
Our stop for the night was at the old Antong Hot Springs hotel. After settling in a bit we went down to the baths and turned ourselves limp in the open-air pools, basking in perfectly hot water and enjoying beautiful forests towering above us. Overall, this was a terrific day.
Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km)
Total: 296 miles (476 km)
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