A friend poses near a small fishing harbor on the east coast of Taiwan.
Stunning scenery. Friendly people. Easy cruising on a wide road with broad shoulders. Great food. What more do you want? It's the east coast of Taiwan. This year I biked it three times.
Come with me below the fold to enjoy the splendor of one of Asia's best kept secrets.
WARNING: Picture heavy! Click on any photo to visit its Flickr page and see it in larger sizes. Pics from different trips.
For many people, the ride down the east coast starts in Hualien city, a medium sized town in the center of Taiwan's east coast.
Be sure to grab a good breakfast before you head out!
The city, a working port, has a nifty coastline that is a great place to relax while you wait for your group of riders to assemble.
As you leave Hualien, you cross a large riverbed, bounded by mountains. In these two pictures, taken months apart, a friend cruises south in the upper shot, while the bottom shows the bridge on 9 going south into the East Coast Rift Valley.
South of Hualien the road gently undulates for the next 23 km. Here my daughter takes a break during a trip in July.
A friend tests his new Bike Friday bike and trailer.
The coast is lined with B&Bs and cheap places to stay of every level and description.
Dawn over the Pacific.
Heading into town along the beach.
Kids waiting by the side of the road.
Getting off to an early start.
We like to take a disused portion of the old coast highway, but frequent storms and quakes make the unmaintained road an iffy proposition.
Once you reach the end of the road and rejoin the main highway, the views are lovely.
Next is the long climb up a low hill, the only one on the east coast: 240m high, roughly 5 km long. If the weather is clear, there are excellent views of the mountains to the west.
Taiwanese are very friendly to foreigners, especially when you are on a bike. I stopped to have a chat with this surveyor as he checked some of the incessant tunneling that defines road building in Taiwan.
At the top of the climb there is a coffee shop (here shot on my July trip) where you can recharge with coffee, ice cream, and....
...staggering views of the mountains coming tumbling down to the sea.
Fully charged, we head out along the coast....
...passing a fisherman placidly at work as waves attempt to crash over a breakwater and pluck him from his perch.
In grassy areas water buffalo graze.
An aboriginal cemetery. Most of the aboriginal population is at least nominally Christian.
We often stop here in Fongbin for lunch. That's my mistress in the pic.
On a monday the road is empty.
Vehicles of all kinds populate the coast. With the absence of markets in many tiny hamlets, trucks like the one above supply veggies, fruits, and meats, to the locals.
Small houses line the road as well.
We often stop to rest or overnight here in the picturesque port of Shihtiping.
After Shihtiping is the famous Changhong Bridge, located against stunning mountain scenery. A panorama from earlier this year.
Beyond Shihtiping the coast becomes populated by small farming and fishing communities.
The friendly people are always willing to share a laugh with you.
Mother Nature, painting with light and shadow.
Zooming past the Cave of the Eight Celestials.
The flatness and wide shoulders make for an easy ride for a novice cyclist. Here my friend admonishes me not to take pictures while riding. But who can resist?
Stopping at Seven-Eleven in Changbin to refuel.
A woman waves to me from a steamed bun shop in Chenggong.
If you're quick, you can photo the alpha males as they come out from the trees along the road to challenge you.
In Dulan, an old sugar mill is now an art center, but the machines remain, untended, intact.
Getting invited to a BBQ.
The narrow shelf between the mountains and the sea is extensively farmed.
A grave in a neolithic site outside Dulan.
A beautiful beetle nearby.
Mountains fall away into the distance.
Finally, after three days of cruising, we reach Taitung, the southernmost city on the coast....
....and toss the bikes on the train for shipping back home. Three stunning days of easy riding, sea breezes, staggering scenery, and friendly people. Taiwan's east coast can't be beat.
Hope to see you on the coast soon!
The Google map link for our most recent ride is here.