November 8, 2014
In Taipei
Sampling the river trails
This morning began terribly for both of us - we're experiencing the worst jet lag I can remember at the start of a tour and hardly slept all night. Feeling a bit stunned, we wandered out early looking for breakfast and ended up at McDonalds of all places. I'm not sure I've ever been in an overseas McDonalds, but it was OK.
Bike assembly went well, although space for it in our hotel room was a bit cramped. There was no common space large enough so they told me to just do it in the room and upgraded us a larger suite to give us a bit more space. The bikes just fit in the shower room, with the back wheel wedged between the toilet and shower stall.
Today's ride was a sort of figure 8 that mostly followed parts of the great network of riverside bikeways that Taiwan has invested in in recent years. They really are very nice, once you manage to reach them. They're a bit tricky to access from the city though, with few spots where one can penetrate the network of dikes and expressways. Once there though, they make a nice ride. They're quite well used by people of all ages and fitness levels - we passed countless families out with their young children, folks giving their small dogs some fresh air, and Lycra-clad speedsters zipping past. Not much of a workout though - we climbed a whopping 450 feet in 40 miles, mostly on bridges across the river.
The highlight of the morning was a huge outdoor market underlying an expressway. It bisected the cycle path and we had to stop anyway to work through the crowd, but were easily enticed to explore it a bit. Besides the expected large number of snack and produce vendors, it contained an astonishing range of goods - bins of second-hand hand tools, plumbing fittings, radios, televisions, washing machines, clothing of all sorts. Quite amazing. We experimented by trying a steaming hot wrapped banana leaf, and were delighted to find a delicious steamed rice ball with squash inside - the tastiest thing we've had here so far.
One thing we cared less for today was the air pollution. it wasn't too noticeable at first but as the day wore on it became more pronounced and affecting. In the morning we occasionally passed cyclists with a variety of masks and bandanas covering their nose and mouth; and by afternoon riders like this were almost in the majority.
We left the river in midafternoon, stopped for sandwiches at a cafe in Zhongshan, and then swung by Confucius and Bao'an Temples before heading south to our hotel just before sunset. Both temples were fabulous to wander through, admiring their rich collections of art and artistry. I'd be happy to revisit both of them when we return to Taipei at the end.
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Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 40 miles (64 km)
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