oeshoe's blog: 20101027 Day 08 - Joe's Cycling around Taiwan (Sihu 溪湖 to Fengyuan 豐原)

The bed in Jhan Ya Hotel was very comfortable and I overslept. By the time I finished breakfast and got on the road it was almost 10 AM. I was never this late so far on this trip. I would face its unpleasant consequence later in the day.

The hotel provided a free breakfast. It was the typical hotel breakfast in Taiwan – rice congee and small dishes of Taiwanese food delicacies. It also had a cappuccino machine that brews good coffee. I liked this hotel.

Cute little goblins, taking group pictures in front of a public library at a small township Puyen (埔鹽鄉), reminded me that Halloween was almost here.

A planter was toppled by the wind in front of a police station. The wind was still very strong this morning, stronger again than yesterday. The northeast seasonal wind would continue to increase its speed until this weekend when it would finally subside. Today was only Wednesday and the wind was just getting comfy in its sweeping across the entire area.

From Sihu, I took County Road 135 heading west. One hour later, I reached the historic town of Lugang (鹿港). It was once, after Tainan, the second largest port city in Taiwan in Ming and Qing dynasties until its harbor silted up in the late nineteenth century. Some sections of the city with old buildings were preserved and became tourists’ attractions. I have long wanted to see this town and finally had my first visit today.

An old train station is now a tourist information center.

Many old row houses at commercial streets still stand and are occupied.

A local cake bakery with an old grandiose façade sits at a busy street intersection.

A narrow alley, Lugang Old Street (鹿港老街), is lined with stores and residences from a time long past. The street is usually busy on the weekend with tourists, but this Wednesday it was mostly empty.

A rich family’s old residence shared water, from its own well, with less well-to-do neighbors through a half-sided well (半邊井). The semicircular well wall at the bottom left corner of the picture is now a notable tourist attraction.

A very narrow alley branching out from Lugang Old Street. The name of the street, Osmanthus Alley (桂花巷), sounded titillating and mysterious. It was worth exploring but I didn’t have the time.

The Mazu temple, Tian-Hou-Gong (天后宮), established in the late sixteen century, is one of the oldest temples in Taiwan. The temple itself is not as big or ornate as other temples, but the pillars with stone carvings in the front of the temple are very impressive.

But what is even more impressive is this gigantic hotel, Matsu Temple Believers Hotel (天后宮香客大樓), for worshipers of the temple. This building can be seen from far away.

After Lugang, I took County Road 143 heading east to return to Highway 19. After one and a half hours I reached Changhwa (彰化), a city famous for its Great Buddha Statue. The statue sits atop the Baguashan Mountain (八卦山) and is visible from miles away.

An imposing archway leading up to the Great Buddha Statue.

I first visited this place when I was a sixth-grader on a field trip. The statue looked very huge then and it still looks huge now.

An observation deck in front of the statue provides a clear view of the city below.

A small structure is hidden amid lush green at Baguashan.

After Changhwa, I rode on Highway 1 to get to Taichung City (台中). Highway 1 was busier with more traffic than other roads and highways I have been on today, but it wasn’t dangerous or threatening. The highway was wide with a lane clearly marked for motorcycles and bicycles. The only problems were that the wind was still strong and the highway started to ascent upward.

Here is the picture of Dadu Bridge (大度橋), a major bridge on Highway 1. Somewhere after this bridge is a military training camp Chenggunglin (成功嶺), in which I received the then-mandatory military training for all male freshmen in Taiwan. I was so concentrated on pedaling my way through the strong wind that I missed the gate leading to the camp.

By about 4:30 PM, I reached Taichung. The sky looked dark and cloudy. The temperature also dropped down several degrees and it was getting cold.

From Taichung, I would take Highway 3 (台 3) to go to Fengyuan (豐原), my destination for today. Traffic on the streets in the big city of Taichung was maddening. I actually got lost and went in a wrong direction for about 2 kilometers before turning back.

Along Highway 3, north of Taichung is a small town called Tanzih (潭子). An export processing zone (加工出口區) was established there in the early 70s’ for export-oriented manufacturing plants. One of my mom’s sisters used to live across the street from this industrial complex. I tried to locate her house but it was dark and the traffic was confusing that I couldn’t discern which house was hers.

By nightfall, I finally arrived at Fengyuan, a city that my wife’s family still maintains some connections. I have tried to avoid riding at night for this trip and today was the first time that I ever rode at night time. It was because I overslept this morning and started late in the day. It should never happen again.

I stopped by a police station to ask for a lodging direction. The cop on duty referred me to a hotel named Real Good Hotel (真正好旅館). The name sounded suspicious at first. After checking with my sister-in-law on the phone, who got the same referral online, I checked into the hotel for the night. The rate was NTD $1000 (USD $33). The room was basic, nothing fancy.

The hotel was not far from a night market next to a Mazu temple (廟東夜市). It was cold tonight and there were not many people.

I tried a bowl of soup with spare ribs and herbs. Another dish was stewed bamboo shoots. They were all good. Another bowl of wonton soup was very good too.

The first map shows the full island of Taiwan. My bike ride for the day was from 9 o’clock position to 10 o’clock position. The second map gives a closer view of my ride.