Although I intended to heave Chinlun (Jinlun) by 7am I was told free breakfast at 8. If you know me, you know I dont pass up free food. I fell asleep to Kung Fu Panda movie in Mandarin last night at the most comfortable hotel so far. I would recommend it to any travellers if you dont mind the 1500 NTD.
There were some rolling hills and beautiful ocean views heading south out of town. Quite a bit traffic and often not much of a shoulder to travel on. I loaded up with 4 drinks from one of those places that look like someones garage but its really a shop with a cooler and a nice variety of green tea drinks, sodas, water and cigs if you want to huff and puff your way up the mountain.
Past Daren (Tajen) it didnt look like there would be much of anything for quite a while. Some fellow cyclists yesterday told me there was a slow way to Kenting and a fast way. I said first of all I only travel slow and secondly I would prefer the side roads. The ride on 9 heading west from the ocean was more difficult and longer than I expected. I stopped a half dozen times to rest and chat with other cyclists along the way. I also was lucky enough to meet up with a nice young Taiwanese guy that is walking around the perimeter of the country. He said ….walking very tiring….He had his tent and all the camping equipment and he showed me he had a rather large knife….for monkeys. Yes, I also heard them in the woods and I am not sure how friendly they are.
After 13 or 14 km I had to make the choice for the slow route or the fast route, as I was told. I made the left on to 199 and I am certainly glad I did. And thank you to the other crazyguyonabike folks that used that route and have made suggestions. It was a nice change from the busy roads I have been on for a while and I felt like I was on a bike path as the road wound in all directions as well as down and sometimes a bit uphill. It was quite easy riding probably because it was so very beautiful. Once again there was another choice to stay on 199 or turn left on 199a which I chose.
As usual I was a little nervous about where I would actually sleep at night, though I decided there would always be a place even if it was on a hard bench of a police station and that I need not worry. Thanks to a crazyguyonabike journalist I was told there would be a BnB next to the ocean when I got to the intersection of 199a and route 26.
As always I cant read the signs so I started to ask around for a place. I am not sure if I found the place he suggested, but in any case it is clean and breakfast is at 7am and I had a special unexpected experience in the village.
In my limited Mandarin I asked how much the hotel was. He told me 1,000NTD. I felt it was too much for what the property looked like. I asked to see the room, which actually looked better from the inside than from the outside. I told him in Mandarin that it was too expensive and he brought the price down to 900.
I rode with two cyclists from Singapore for a while, though the guy said they would push on to Kenting and maybe ride a bit in the dark. I wasnt interested in that and decided it was a good idea to stay put.
I walked back up to the center of the village in search of food. I bypassed one place that looked like it might be a hole in the wall restaurant mainly because some guy said…hey kiss me…as I went by. Right next door I spotted a place that I had seen in others journals from taiwan. They brought me a wonderful menu that was also in English. I chose three different things on the menu and each time they said ….may yo..no have. Ok so I asked what do you have…ended up with an incredible bowl of fresh noodles a pile of great veggies and sesame sauce on it all for 50 NTD which as you may already know is less than $2.00 US.
Of course I didnt want to get dehydrated with all this uphiill biking and I opted for a mango beer. She told me 40 NTD each but three for 100NTD. And so I had to opt for the three. Drink two take one to go.
I was overjoyed that they invited me into the school next door. I was told it is mainly for kids that dont have a place to go to and some of them eat meals there and a few actually stay there. The restaurant supports the school. I will try to download a photo or two.
I must apologize, if I havent already done so that the clocking of miles isnt my primary thing and I have yet to figure out how far I have gone each day. I think my longest day was 70 and there was a 60 plus day and maybe the others about 40 maybe less. Hope to do the math when I get home.
Todays ride took me along 9 (along the ocean) Then from Darren it cut inland and I had a slow two hour uphill (stopping to talk to other travelers and to rest). At Shouchia I cut left onto 199 (oh what a beautiful road) Cut left again on 199a. Staying in Hsuhai (Xuhai)
Expenses Hotel around $30 Drinks to haul up the hill $2.00 Dinner and beer $5.00 About $37.
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