2024-06-22
Start: 11:15 / Arrival: 19:45
Distance: 90km / Gained height 400 hm
On the day before we went playing badminton with the company – this plus immense heat where a great start 😉
Cycled to Songshan station, as you cannot take your bicycle on the train on the main station. Took ages due to the traffic lights. Heat was already burning. Took the train to Keelung after getting the Tickets (1.40€ for ~35-40km) and having some sushi (below an annoying whale sculpture outside….those sounds ;)).
Started then in Keelung cycling in the heat – Keelung should have been a couple of degrees colder, but it was still burning hot. Came across the cliff where the landslide a few weeks before still hapened. Strange feeling.
The pacific road is nice to ride, traffic was this time not so heavy and you mainly ride on the roads shoulder dedicated for scooters. Also passed the abandoned buildings on the hill down from Jiufen. The tunnels afterwards where quite empty this Saturday.
Climbing (although not so high) was quite demanding in the heat, no hunger, but my thirst was incredible. Still, so nice cycling on the coast.
After Fulong I took an “shortcut” – cycling through an old coal railway tunnel. Did this also, because I never rode this before and I supposed it would be cooler to cycle through almost 2.5km tunnel. Was quite an experience – you miss a lot of nice pacific scenery, but that was also nice. For the record: the coast is still the recommended way.
On the exit there where some food stalls and me being now finally hungry wanting something. Decided to try an sea urchin. Wow.
Afterwards went to a fish market I had visited the last time, but decided on skipping, as I was short on time and wanted to see the rice fields before Yilan on sundown.
And…I arrived on time there. So beautiful. Saw even the rainbow colored houses from my 2018 trip again in while there was still light. Then….riding through endless rice fields, no cars…sun going down and wonderful light. That was, what I hoped for. This path is an absolute recommendation. Sort of Mr Browns Avenues little brother.
Arrived in Yilan dirty, sweaty and glad. Stood in front of a 7-11, some western tourists completely clean in there standing after a shopping tour. Probably the opposite of me 😉
Then checked in the hotel and went to the night market to finally chill a little bit in the streets of Yilan.
What a nice day.
