November 22, 2014
Chiayi
Cycling through a breadbasket
Today's ride surprised us by being one of the best of the tour. I had formed the wrong preconception of this region, and expected it to be much more built up and congested than it is. In fact it is largely rural and agricultural, with a rich network of quiet roads perfect for cycling. We had a very enjoyable day passing through croplands of great diversity, often along small waterways alive with waterfowl. Except for the two miles spent leaving Tainan City and the two miles entering Chiayi City, we hardly passed through a town of any size at all.
It didn't hurt our enjoyment of the day either that the weather was again perfect, and the terrain essentially flat for the entire ride.
Amazingly enough, in the middle of the ride we rode about 25 miles without encountering a single 7-11. Needing a restroom break at one point, we pulled into the large park by Wasanto Reservoir - and enjoyed our favorite lunch break of the trip. Sitting before a beautiful replica of Beijing's Temple of Heaven, we enjoyed a feast - cinnamon-coated guava from a stand in Anping yesterday; a bag of still hot roasted water chestnuts purchased a few miles back at a roadside stand; and ice cream bars from the nearby concession stand.
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In the evening there was one last treat in store while trying to choose among a number of restaurants, none of which seemed likely to have an English menu: Lindsey, a native of the city, saw us puzzling in front of one of them, and in excellent English asked if we needed help. She was just stepping in to a hot pot restaurant to meet a friend and offered to take us along and help us order our meals. She arranged for us to sit at a table adjacent To hers so that she could also help us out during the meal, and coached us on how to eat a hot pot dinner - a new experience for us.
Lindsey was exceptional, but only by degree and because of her language skills. In general we have been highly impressed by the helpfulness and openness of the Taiwanese people.
Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 691 miles (1,112 km)
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