Cycling Formosa - Day 4 - From Changhwa to Chiayi

See Video: Temple Fair http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoSuY1vgIfo
See Video: Arrived Chiayi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrhDrJaJU
See Video: BBQ Seafood Dinner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgObQB-LBkw

Day 4, today I found out one thing. I got a stocking of skin version because the sun shine sun my legs. Right now it turned into obvious dark skin. In comparison with others, I looked like a person who wore a stocking. Other dreamers made this joke for many times. It was really funny. Today’s routine would pass through Mailiao where people protested about construction. On the way to Chiayi, we could see many flags hung central island. When I passed through this flags, I just hoped this issue could cease as soon as possible. There must be someone to get hurt in this strike. I really loved this island and people who lived here.

In this journey, convenient stores became our rest station. I believe around the world Taiwan must be the only country which has such many convenient stores. Government perhaps could promote cycling Formosa to the world. We could invite foreigners to come to Taiwan. It even could trigger Taiwan's economy.

Perhaps Mazu’s blessing in these three days made our progress smoothly. We did not come across any difficulties. And dreamer accumulated to 17 people. In my mind, I thought that we could definitely complete this dream very well. Closed to today’s destination, we found out many laborers digging oyster. Furthermore, I was thinking about my life. If I were one of them, I would do this kind of regular life every day. However could I stand this stable life? Or I just liked the modern life. When I came back from this journey, I was still thinking about it. A bud was plant in my mind although I do not know what it will grow up to be yet.

We live in a temple tonight. It was our first time to live in a Temple. And the charge was for a free donation. After washing and dressing, we needed to search our dinner. Tonight some dreamer decided our dinner-BBQ. As a result, we went to market to buy some oysters sausages and clams. We went to the port near where we lived. Although not all dreamers joined BBQ, we still had good time. For me, I was the oldest dreamer in this group. I just listened to what they shared. They shared their future, thoughts and love. I just tranquilly listened to their stories. It recalled my memory. Thank you very much. Let me become younger again. It was a pity. I was really too old to stay up. I came back to sleep early. However, I got a nice dream:) The Sorrows of Young Werther.

It has been a long time that I did see this kind of view. So many gooses.

So many oysters

Our Oyster Dinner ^^

Where we had BBQ

Oysters' fresh rely on its freezing

Today we lived here.

My lucky number 9 and 6

Working hard

Tonight's beds

Small Community

GPS of the Day 4 (Provincial Highway No.17)

Cycling Formosa - Day 3 - From Taichung to Changhwa

See Video: Golden Tunnel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22rPfvCC6wM
See Video: Progress http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPOFmfCu1Pw
See Video: Gastby http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWVUHZwK4Q
See Video: Golden Frog http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb8Y_kE2TK4

On the Day 2, we lived in a horrible hotel. Although it was closed to the famous Dajia Mazu Temple, it was so awful. Its wall started to peel off, and all the device were like antique. What’s worse, it had time limit. At 11 pm, the door would close. No one could go out or come in. It meant after 11 pm, the horrible room was the only place where we could stay. We extremely did not like this feeling. Two of the dreamers choosed to another hotel. For me, slept early is the only thing that I could do.

On the Day 3, we went to Dajia Mazu Temple for formal worship, and went some shops to buy some necessaries. Today our goal was Changhwa. Day 3 was smooth, we even had extra time to visit Taiwan Glass Museum. However, people who arranged this museum were careless. Some routine were inconvenient. And the sign of the display which was used to describe the work was unclear. Nevertheless, I still found out some work which I feel interested such as Silver Parrot and Symphony. In addition, I was impressed by a fun tunnel called Golden Tunnel. It was decorated with a lot of glass. Walking in it, people would feel walk into a maze. I could not imagine that glass could be built as this kind of atmosphere.

In the afternoon, our rest point was another Mazu temple, the Queen of the heaven in Lugan Port. It was another famous Mazu temple. However, people used business way to manage this temple. In it, you could find out many souvenirs such as Mazu T-shirts, toys, hats and so on. I thought that it was really interesting.

After about 80 kilometer by road, we succeeded in arriving tonight’s hostel. The owner liked to wear a bamboo hat. The owner and owner’s wife knew that most of us were students. They supplied orange juice to us for free, and offered us a discount to our meal. The owner said that managing a hostel was his dream although its business still was in debt. He was addicted all his spirit and mind to his hostel. Sometimes people need to throw away everything and then gain what you thirst.

Horrible Hostel

The Queen of Heaven Temple

Daja Mazu Temple on the Day 3 morning

Matchmaker

Commercialized Mazu

I like this work.

Taiwan Glass Museum's Glass Building

I just stood under the windmill.

GPS of the Day 3 (Provincial Highway No.17)

Cycling Formosa - Day 2 - From Hsinchu to Taichung

Day 2, the goal was Taichung. In this journey we usually waked up at five or six o’clock. And every day we needed to ride about six to eight hours. It really tested all dreamers’ endurance and energy. There were two extremely critical things which dreamers must notice. One was sleepy time and the other was nutrient. As a result, we needed to sleep on time and never let ourselves feel hungry. I gradually liked to eat food in this journey. On the day 1 I had short talk with hostel’s owner. His wife just passed away. I still could feel his sadness although he tried to laugh and speak smooth when he talked about it. There was big room for teaching spirit class. Before his wife died, she addicted to a kind of Indian spirit. On the bookshelf I found out a lot of books about spirit and mind. Perhaps at the end of her journey she got the peace in her mind from this sacred belief.

On the day 1 we finally met two dreamers who were prepared to join us. They came from Taichung. Originally, we would met in Taichung. However, they changed their routine and met us in the hostel. I guessed that they would like to confirm this cycling group was safe or not. They needed to check it first. I remembered when at the first time I met one of them. I used my head to hit his head. It meant that we finally knew each other. All dreamers have different funny personalities. I really enjoy in this journey. On the other hand, there was another kind dreamer. We called him Pudding buddy. Pudding lives in Hsinchu. He only accompanied us from hostel to seacoast. Although it was a short distance, it really encouraged us. It was really significant for us.

Today we faced some difficulties. Tuna who got a cramp on the day 1 had a flat tire today. He was the most unlucky dreamer in this journey. Some professional dreamers helped Tuna fix his tire. In this group we have four main experts on bicycles. They used skilled technique to fix the bike. I really admire them. Furthermore, today we lost the direction. If we would like to go back to provincial highway No.1, we had to climb through a mountain. It was the first time for some dreamers to climb the mountain. Relying on our passion and endurance, we overcame it. It really helped me to build my sense of achievement. And I knew I could finish this dream after getting over the first mountain.

After nearly 80 kilometer by road, we got to Taichung. Tonight we lived in the worst hotel which is closed to Dajia Mazu Temple in this journey. We ate the dinner in the night market. I came across a foreign teacher from America. Because he rode a bicycle and have a meal sitting next to our table, I felt curious and tried to chat with him. He had taught English in a cram school for several years, and he is a vegetarian. That was why I had opportunity to chat with him at the beginning because I helped him to explain that he was a vegetarian to the vendor. He said he loved this island and hoped one day that he could do the same thing as we did. I am proud of this island. It always gives people’s passion and touch.

Postscript:

．about new dreamers from Taichung
They are a sweet couple and still studying about medicinal field. One was called 1P because his bike suit was red. 2P was Meimei’s another nickname because his bike suit was blue. It was like the video game Mario.

．about four experts
Gary(chief of team), Fish(vice chief of team), Stallan(the God of ascent) and Zhong(the God of air inflation) in the following articles we will know more details about them.

Famous Dajia Mazu Temple

The first time passed through tunnel

Betel shop: Buying Betel, Selling Hand Puppet

Our first time to climb mountain

Still found out some time to study XD

When they were fixing the tire, I climb on a overpass to take the picture.

Waiting for fixing tire and playing poker
See Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgMvwfDw0oY

Tuna is the first person who got the flat tire.

I still feel senstive to vocabulary. Appreciate Time On Time.

After climbing mountain, we enjoy the country footpath.
See Video: Footpath http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD_L-ti3kSY
See Video: Ascent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRNEFC6PmkQ
See Video: Descent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXRLq2mqKqw

In the middle of the figure, he is Pudding buddy. He only accompanied with us for a short distance.

Our first time to take the group picture in the tourist attraction.

GPS of the Day 2 (Provincial Highway No.1)

Cycling Formosa - Day 1 - From Guandu station to Hsinchu

Day1, all dreamers congregated in Guandu station. Before this journey, the captain hoped that we could worship the Gods, including ruler of heaven, Muzu, and The Mercy Buddha. However, one of the dreamers whose nickname is Meimei was late about 45 minutes. When we called Meimei, he was still on his bed. Our schedule had no choice but to be postponed. The only thing that we could do was to introduce ourselves and chat with each other. Perhaps it was a good opportunity to know each other more at beginning. Finally, Meimei rode bicycle extremely fast, and he only spent 20 minutes from Shilein to Guandu. After Meimei arrived. We went to Guandu Temple. Unfortunately, the second incident happened. Because it was the first time that all dreamers rode together, we were not familiar with the speed of group. As a result, we only passed through one traffic light, and our group was separate soon. The leader readjusted the speed of group. We succeed to arrive Guandu station and worshiped the Gods. After that the leader gave some suggestions about routine again and reminded us of some trivial. At last we initiated our journey of cycling Taiwan.

Our first goal was Hsinchu. We rode along Provincial Highway No.2 and then turned to Provincial Highway No.15. We went along No.15. Perhaps it had been a long time that I did not see the ocean so I feel the view was beautiful, and I saw some windmills build along west seacoast. In the afternoon, we found out a cafeteria. The owner comes from Taipei County (Yungho), but most of her employees are Taiwanese aborigines (Amis Tribe). They left from their hometown and found out a job. During the conversation I could feel that they have unique feeling about their hometown and feel their passion after they knew that we are cycling Taiwan. The owner of this cafeteria even gave us a big bag of white gourd teas for free. At the first day of the journey I have already felt Taiwanese enthusiasm.

Left this sweet cafeteria, and then we set out on our journey. When we arrived in Hsinchu, one of our dreamers, Tuna, got cramp in his leg on a bridge. Cramp for a cyclist who would like to cycle Taiwan is a serious problem. If people get a cramp, it means that people even can not walk every other day. And today was our first day, the dreamer was afraid that he could not complete this journey. Whole the dreamers stop to help him. Some gave him massage and applied medicine to his leg. Nevertheless, I thought it was a good time to take a rest and took the picture. Fortunately, after simplicity treatment, Tuna felt better and he thought that we could continue our journey. At last, we arrive our first day of destination.

Postscript:

．about Meimei
Meimei just graduated from Department of Landscape Architecture in University of Chinese Culture . During this journey, I found out that he has talent in drawing and his though is so mature and reliable. I like this guy. He planed go abroad. After cycling Taiwan, he will start preparing TOELF exam because he would like to go abroad for his master degree.

．about Tuna
Tuna was the most unlucky dreamer in this journey. In the following stories, some bad things happened to him again and again. I deeply admired him because no matter what things happened to him he still could face them with positive attitude. He hoped that he could do a job about traveling industry, but his father looks forward to his son inheriting his business about semi-conductor industry. I believe after this journey he would like to pursuit his new dream and give him the courage to talk with his father.

Windmills built along west seacoast

I carried a big bag of white gourd teas

Cafeteria's dog

See Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igy8ZGIc3Jc

Pass throung a temple. Wish its name could give us bless

In this journey, convenient store is really important for us. I believe Taiwan is the best place to cycle.

We ate our dinner in a shrimp fishing court. I found out a motobike which I had rode in my childhood.

Tuna got a cramp. We were worried about that he accompanied with us. But he bear it.

At last, we arrived our first destination.

This is our first day of routine line from GPS.