Day 5 - 02 Aug 2017 - Riding around Taiwan

October 08, 2017

Day 5 - 02 Aug 2017 - Riding around Taiwan - Taichung to Taipei

The ride to Taipei was really interesting.
Once you hit the coastal highway, there isn't much vehicles on the highway. This is one stretch of road that I manage to cruise at 100km/hr.
Once you turn out of the highway, the route got through a tall mountain before it exits into Taipei.
184km and about 4.5hrs.

Getting out of the Taichung when everyone is on their way to work.

When you see a red line on the side of the road, that means strictly no parking.
The authorities will get a tow truck and load up your bike if you are brave enough to do so.
If that happens, you will need to pay a hefty fine before getting back your bike.
I am not that brave, just stopping for a drink before moving off again.
You can see some parts of the right side was scratched due to the fall I had on day 2.

You get to see many many windmills like this along the coastal highway.

5 hours later, I reached Taipei. The capitol city of Taiwan.

Right after the picture above, it suddenly rained very heavily. I was super drenched before I could wear my raincoat, so I didn't bother with the raincoat. The rain was so heavy that I could barely see the road in front. It took me quite a while trying to navigate in that heavy downpour with the confusing streets in Taipei.

Parking the bike was a real headache in Taipei.I just couldn't find a place to park it. All the legal parking space was taken up. So I took some risk and park it illegally together with a few bikes and went to check in at the hotel first.

The hair dryer is a great help to getting my laundry dry before setting off the following day. Encounter a dryer that needs you to keep on pressing in order to operate ? No problem, a rubber band solves the problem. Just keep close lookout, you don't want to burn down the hotel.

Later found out that the hotel have free parking in their carpark. Its one of those that you drive into a lift and it will take you to the level where the carpark is. I rode my bike to the hotel and have it parked safely. At least I know the bike will be there tomorrow instead of it retained by the parking authorities.

After settling all the laundry and parking, I felt really really hungry and could eat a cow. Checked google map and it suggest a Yakiniku restuarant nearby within walking distance and off I go.
I opted for the "all you can eat" buffet, which is about SGD22.5 .It also comes with free flow of the tasty wheat tea.

The stoves are heated up using the traditional charcoal.

Then the boss serves up a plate of pork, I must have consumed half of them before taking this picture.

Then he serves up a plate of beef.

Some kimchi, seaweed and lettuce. I thought it was a reasonable deal.

When I went to the toilet and came back to continue eating, I saw 4 more plates appeared on my table. Beef tongue, chicken, beef intestine, another different cut of beef. Of course I couldn't finish, I was really joking when I said I could eat a cow. I reminded the boss that I am full and please don't prepare anymore. He replied with "So fast ? Actually there are more to come....."
It was really a good deal, their set meal was only SGD4.5 .