Taiwan - Epilogue

We did it! 

Taiwan ✅

What a great two weeks it's been! Now this is living. If I can replicate a similar schedule annually or bi-annually of biking trips then I'd be content for the foreseeable future.

This trip was different from previous trips primarily because we had the bean. At nine months old we think she did very well and was much easier than expected! My favorite is when we slept she would crawl over and snuggle to one of us during the night/early morning😍. She was an excellent rider in her trailer and mainly played with her toys, slept, or looked out the window. She cried maybe 1% of the time total. It would only be at the end of the riding day when it was night and close to her feeding time. Which brings us to our first question:

What was your daily schedule like?

We'd wake up around 6:30AM and try to be on the road between 7 - 8AM. We would then ride for an hour or so before stopping at a convenience store to eat breakfast and feed/change Lily Rose at 9AM. Continue for another 3 hours and stop for lunch and feed/change Lily Rose at 12PM. Repeat again around 3PM for snacks and feed/change Lily Rose. We'd try to find a park to lay out the tarp so she could get out and stretch whiling crawling around. Sunset was around 5:30PM and by then we were pulling into town to eat something at a local restaurant and then head to our designated sleeping space. Sometimes we biked a bit later if need be. Sleep around 9 or 10PM.

Where did you sleep?

We had three Warmshowers hosts, three hotels (not including the ones in Taipei upon finishing the trip), and the rest of the nights were camping in either campsites, open fields, or a church property next to a super busy road (worst night's sleep ever). Meatsticks slept outside for half the trip then shared a tent with us after he mailed his own gear back to lighten his load.

What kind of bikes did you use?

We rented bikes from MathewBike. They were great! However, the wheels were in poor condition as we broke dozens of spokes and had to get them repaired multiple times even eventually replacing a wheel. MathewBike reimbursed us, though. I've always had spoke troubles in every trip I've done (except Iceland) and I don't know how to mitigate it except by traveling lighter.

How many flats did you have?

One.

How many miles did you ride each day?

Around 50 miles/80 kilometers. Total distance was 1,048 km (651 miles)

What was the hardest part of the trip?

The spokes. That just brings stress because you don't know if your wheel will carry you to the next town. And you don't know if the next town has a bike shop or someone that could help. So you try to gingerly ride the bike until it gets fixed. Kinda like after you pass a cop and you know you've been speeding, that feeling you have until you're in "the clear" is how it is.

What was the best part of the trip?

Spending it with Holly, Lily Rose, and Meatsticks and sharing those memories. And seeing the neat sights along the east coast of Taiwan.

What food did you eat?

Usually oatmeal for breakfast and convenience store food for lunch and snacks then a local diner/street food for dinner.

How much did everything cost?

Flights: $646

Bike Rental: $623 (I paid for Sticks' rental also since he flew all the way out here for this and he's a poor farmer.)

Cash for currency exchange: $760

Other credit card purchases: ~$600

What's your next biking trip?

One of the SEA countries.

And the most asked question: Why didn't you invite me?

I invited those that expressed interest, I know would have come, and would have finished the journey. To quote the great Robert California: "Life is long. Opinions change. Winners prove me right. Losers prove me wrong."

Day #13 and 14 - Beipu to Taipei

I'll end this trip by how I started it: combining two days into one post. Because the first and last days were really only a few miles each, we can confidently say that this trip took 12 days. But before I jump the gun like my cousin Chase, let's not start the epilogue yet. That comes later.

We biked 83.07 km (51.42 miles) today!

I'm not done talking about our coolo Airbnb. Look at the toast. Star Wars toast with Darth Vadar. Even PaulAnthonyRomero messaged me about it. One of the greatest composers of our day. Can't wait for March when we see him perform in concert and I get to shake his hand. I bought a special jacket here in Taiwan just to impress him since he always wears the most lavish of suits.

The alleys were so narrow also with the classic cobblestone walkways. 

Even the outside of the house had this fun Godzilla scene. 

Hey zoom in. Nazi cookies.

Transformers are better than Marvel and DC. There I said it.

Trivia question: Are Holly's eyes open here?

This asparagus soda wasn't that good and kept getting worse the more I drank.

Little caption about the landscape.

I think I'll need something similar to this adorning my future driveway.

It's my goal to take a dump in here with Lily Rose someday.

This is what you'd see if BeReal was actually good.

Took us about twenty minutes to find the entrance to this pedestrian bridge.

More fun stuff.

We're going into that tunnel.

This is how much energy the bean has after the end of the day.

And this is how much energy Jamie has.

I love to just breath in deeply of her fur. Lately people have been saying her head looks like Gollum.

Last day! We biked 5.96 km (3.74 miles) and returned our bikes.

The owners of the bike rental shop, MathewBike. Very nice and helpful throughout our trip. Hopefully they'll visit us in Okinawa.

Now it's time to Play.

I posted this vid on my Insta stories. Very neat 3D thing. He took a dump.

Dim Sum!

Street performers!

I had this place starred on my maps. Deliciousssssssssssssssssss.

On top of the Taipei 101 tower.

💑

So much good street food. And the bean doesn't even whine or complain that she doesn't get a bite. that's how you know she's being a bean.

Worshipping the Almighty. They really love tending to the bean. Complete strangers mind you.

Everyone laughed good-naturedly at Lily Rose in her diaper as we walked past.

Day #12 - Taichung to Beipu

My brother texted me the other day that he had good news and bad news for me. He told me the bad news first. I'm going to follow in the same fashion.

Bad news:

1) my knee pain stuck around a lot longer today

2) we had a headwind from Beep (worse than Day #8)

Good news:

1) picked and ate delicious strawberries

2) found the greatest Airbnb in human existence

 

We biked 92.88 km (57.29 miles) today!

Excellent morning continuing on the bike path from the previous night.

To quote Happy Gilmore, "Oh, you mean no fun?"

We like to ride an hour or two right after waking up before we feed the bean. That way we get into the double digits of mileage and then we rest at the gas station to feed her. Makes us feel like we're actually accomplishing something with our lives.

The wind has already picked up and threatened to ruin our day.

Signs of strawberry land is coming up!

Look at these neat caricatures. You guys thought Japan was the only fun country. Taiwan is the hidden gem of the Pacific lying dormant in Japan's shadow. If Weeaboos can get over their agressive fetishes of anime and look elsewhere besides the Land of the Rising Sun they'd see this gold mine of a country here.

Getting closer to the strawberries!

I found it!

I loved watching the bean observe and examine this red jewel in her hand. She didn't even put it in her mouth, either. I've realized that half of the fun of raising a baby is watching it interact with the world and the other half is loving it.

Sticks said if they drop on the ground we get to eat them.
 
Narrator: Many strawberries fell to the earth that day.

Our prize + our full bellies. I thought that hill behind the box looked like a strawberry as we slowly pedaled past it.

Imagine waking up to a the scent of delicious strawberries every morning because you thought a little more about the well-being of your future and planted rows upon rows of these gems. This is the type of work ethic we're looking for in life. That and dank memes.

Hey look, another Mage Guild. This is all neat.

Do you think the dead will arise from these tombs during the Millennium? That'd be coolo to see.

And then they will walk through these Gates to meet the Almighty. Can't wait.

Bean's reaction to my previous comments. She'll learn.

We went to this Chinese buffet which ended up being a picky Chinese buffet as they took items off our plates because it didn't count. But we told them we'll pay extra so they put them back on our plates.

💖

Here's a glimpse of the best Airbnb ever. Bean was having so much fun.

So much to explore! I'd post a vid but Blogger Google is being an idiot when it comes to uploading vids. I hate Google more and more each day.

Bathy-waffy time!! She liked playing with the bowling pins. Maybe she'll become a professional bowler like her father before her.

We watched the terrific film, Exodus: Gods and Kings. Bean pie was engrossed.