Wednesday, 24th January
News about a possible Tsunami is not the best bedtime reading before a night camped a stones throw from the Pacific. This was my last day riding along the sea as I had made up my mind not to cycle the Suhua Highway. Part of me couldn’t help but feel Like this was admitting defeat, but today and yesterday gave me a great experience of the coastline and enough to leave me satisfied that I wasn’t missing out by not taking the risk.
Much of today was like yesterday. Sweeping coastline roads with mountains behind, with the addition of some more challenging climbs inland, tunnels, bridges, and a night in a hotel after 5 days outside.
Shitiping was grey and a little rainy first thing. Though the rain which was forecast never quite materialised. I was up before sunrise and the rest of the campsite, though they were promptly awoken by an Ed Sheeran track as an alarm clock over a loudpspeaker. It struck me that if you can’t escape ‘Shape of You’ even while camped on a remote beach on the far east side of Taiwan than nowhere on earth is truly sacred.
I checked out the coral and sandstone foreshore which I had entirely to myself (there were around 30 people stood on top of it last night) and got the first few miles of the day in before stopping at a 7/11 in Fengibn.
The rain came and went and I found myself adding and removing layers after up every climb or round every bend. I entered the first of several tunnels – unlike the ones on the Suhua highway these are well lit and have a cycle lane but still get the adrenaline rushing, thankfully they were all downhill for me today and passed quickly. Inside there are lights indicating the number of metres to each end, and the very start and end of the tunnel have flowers or vegetables painted on the wall in a watercolour style. Very reassuring.
The meatiest section of the day was at Baqi where a wiggly climb leads to a double hairpin bend before finally summiting with a panoramic view back towards the sea over tree covered overlapping mountains.
At the top is a gazebo, and a services area. I vended a can of coffee and went to the lookout before riding downhill through tunnels and past small stands sealing bananas .
There was more climbing to do – around Niushan – but after that I was back to sea level and the countdown had begun to reaching Hualien. As the road levelled out and I left the more dramatic scenery behind everything seemed to feel a little more humdrum. dilapidated beach front bnb’s, a seaside amusement park, the mountains receding.
I battled a headwind for the last 5 miles before making the turn for Hualien where the ocean dipped out of view for a while. There was a bike path around the harbour then I cut diagonally through the city trying to bypass the center as much as I could. It seemed like a fairly interesting, pretty little place, at least compared to something of a similar size on the West cosst. But I was heading 10 miles beyond to Xihing which would put me in a good position for riding up Taroko gorge the following day.
I stopped at a bakery and followed the edge of the city around until I rejoined the 9 and got my head down for the last few miles of the day, after one brief stop for a passion fruit tea whilst I watched a cat trying to enter a 7/11.
Xihing was as I expected – mainly a jumping off point for the gorge, so just a train station in the center and a scattering of hotels which popped up awkwardly from the flat land around them. I was staying in one called ‘Starry Inn’, not that i’d be seeing any stars since my room didn’t have a window, but it was just what I wanted. After 5 nights of mixed experiences camping I was looking forward to a bed and other comforts I’d started to miss.
The shower was the no.1 priority. After that I messaged David – as it turns up him and hugo had landed in the same town after their 2 days travelling through the east rift valley. I walked to their hotel along eerily quiet streets and we caught up over large hot bowls of noodles in the back room of a tiny neighbourhood street restaurant.
One of my regrets from the last 9 days on the road was my over-reliance on convenience stores. Whilst they were a novelty to begin with, and they did provide everything you needed to keep you hydrated and full of calories, they weren’t the best reflection of taiwans cuisine, and I was kicking myself just a little for passing up many tiny roadside restaurants for the comfort and ease of transaction of a familymart or 7/11. My plan for my remaining days in Taipei: eat well.
David and Hugo were planning to skip the Gorge and try cycling the Suhua highway tomorrow. I was a little envious, but mainly worried ift they’d make it through the otherside but perhaps knowing less is better, i’d already heard too many bad opinions to seriously consider it myself, but I wished them well and would likely see them again in taipei.
I walked back to the hotel, did laundry, fiddled with the air conditioning, laid about on bed watching youtube. Tomorrow would be a short but likely tough day – just around 11 miles up to the campsite I had my eye on in taroko gorge – probably Taiwan’s most prized location.
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